Ricky Church continues his countdown to Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice with Superman: Red Son…
One of the reasons Batman and Superman are at odds in their upcoming movie are because of the Dark Knight’s fear that, if unchecked, Superman will one day use his power to conquer the planet. This is similarly Luthor’s fear (or at least the one he uses to excuse his actions) and while the fear is unfounded, what if Superman did decide he should rule the planet? In fact, what if Superman had not landed in the heart of America, but an entirely different country altogether?
In Superman: Red Son writer Mark Millar images a world where Superman didn’t land in Kansas, but in the U.S.S.R. as the height of its power. Mentored by Joseph Stalin, Russia’s Superman still believed in justice, but came to believe the world needed his leadership with a firm hand and took control of the Russian government after Stalin’s death. Under his rule, the Soviet Union became the most prosperous country in the world as Superman helped his countrymen and formed an alliance with Themyscira, led by Wonder Woman. Turning Russia into a utopia came at a cost, however, as Superman increasingly restricted civil liberties, endorsed lobotomizing dissidents and pushed away his closest friends, believing it was all for the greater good.
The US, on the other hand, was afraid of a powerful alien leading their global rival and turned to their greatest scientist to help them: Lex Luthor. Over the years Luthor developed several super-powered foes to combat Superman and weaken Russia, also recruiting any super-powered Americans to their cause. Eventually, Luthor and the government also looked within Russia at rebel movements, particularly one led by a Russian citizen who dressed as a bat.
Rather than being gunned down by a random mugger in the street, the Wayne’s spoke out against Stalin’s regime and his use of Superman, printing anti-Superman propaganda. As a result they were killed, leaving behind a vengeful boy who resented the Soviet government. Growing up, Batman became public enemy number one as he fought against Superman’s regime and teamed up with Luthor and traitorous factions inside Superman’s government to take him down. The two engaged in a fight with Batman using Luthor’s science to mimic red son radiation, the sun of his home planet Krypton, essentially making the Comrade of Steel human.
Superman: Red Son may not be the traditional kind of Superman story, but it is an intriguing look at how different things might have been had Superman landed anywhere else in any other time period. Though he still fights for a better tomorrow, Soviet Superman is almost the worst case scenario as he is bent on bringing the world under his rule, no matter what the cost might be. Millar made this Superman sympathetic despite his harsh methods. All the characters are written very well and Millar’s themes on power, governance and responsibility give a different perspective on the famed hero. The artwork by Dave Johnson and Killian Plunkett is also quite good to look at, especially their alternate versions of DC’s superhero cast.
Batman’s garb in Red Son is also eerily similar to his look at one point in Batman v Superman; otherwise known as Desert or Knightmare Batman, his look seems to be partly inspired by Red Son’s design with a dark jacket and ammo belt. With Batman’s desert look and his fear of Superman’s ulterior motives in Batman v Superman, Red Son should be read prior to seeing the film to either see Snyder’s inspiration or simply for an enjoyable read.
Ricky Church
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Originally published March 9, 2016. Updated April 15, 2018.
