Critical Response To Superman: Red Son By Mark Miller
Stereotypically, we always picture Superman in a red, yellow and blue leotard saving the innocent American family from a seemingly impossible to beat enemy. Now imagine that instead of landing in Kansas, this superhero from outer space landed in the outer sphere of the Motherland: the USSR. This graphic novel by Mark Miller and designed by Dave Johnson and Kilian Plunkett explores a different side of Superman compared to the traditional version which we are used to.
Compared to the original Superman comics, our young Superman is excited by his powers, and goes from a savior to an idealist. What particularly intrigued me about this comic compared to our stereotypical image of our hero is the dark atmosphere the drawings give out. The older Superman comics are drawn with crystal blue Kansas skies while these pages give off a red hue. The dark colours and the hint of red represent Superman’s inner dark side, not yet explored and really stands out to readers as a comparison to the older comics. One particular spread from this comic stood out to me as a beautiful analogy of someone appearing good while still giving out a negative underline. ‘‘Tell your friends they don’t have to be scared or hungry anymore comrades. Superman is here to rescue them. ’’ We see Superman, flying in the typical ‘Superman’ pose with one hand in the air and the other in a fist by his side. In the background a huge poster of Stalin is painted red. In the sky, dark clouds up above cover the sky with our tainted red hue. This scene really stood out for me as being a prime example of the recurring theme of the novel. In this comic, the universe is reversed. The United States is led by Lex Luthor and he does everything to destroy the new Soviet weapon (Superman) and passes for our typical bad guy in the book. Besides that, the main theme of the novel is about the fear of the unknown, and what one does not control or can’t. The story differentiates itself from our typical ‘origin stories’ comic books and plunges into a whole different kind of storytelling. The D. C. Comics universe is re-cast, inverting everyone's roles in this comic. The geographical change of where our hero is located, Soviet Russia compared to Kansas proves that Superman is different without Lois Lane and is different than the man that was raised in Kansas. Superman finds comfort with the naïve Amazon, Wonder Woman. Disappointed by a humanity that never knew how to accept him, Superman discovers himself as neither good nor bad.
Being born somewhere is always a coincidence. Mark Millar goes further into the D. C. comic universe and explores a different lifetime of Superman. The red and gray Superman comes out of his red blue and yellow image. The slight deformations of the drawings support the alternative aspect and theme of the novel. In the page spread of the comic, at the edge of the cartoon the bold lines and the alternative drawings are a clear indication of their lack but wanted of realism. This comic is beautiful in a typical comic style, and the drawings are a successful illustration. The propaganda posters remind the readers that Superman is not the Superman that we typically know and love, but a darker more powerful Superman. The posters in the page spread and other sections of the novel really emphasizes and reminds the reader of the darker undertone of the story.
Mark Millar opens a world where Superman's worst enemy turns into savior of the world. Propaganda, anti-Americanism, anti-communism, are not only rare in novels, but even more so I graphic novels and comic books. What makes the comic a success is not the idea but its realization in creating a comic book such as this one. Broken down into several periods, this novel is able to explore Superman’s universe for a lifetime. Millar avoids working on adoptive parents and replaying the farmer scene. One thing we notice that is similar, is the fact that Superman is seen as a weapon to the Americans (the outside) but a symbol of peace and strength to the Russians which is a common theme in the Superman comic book franchise but reversed.
Superman Red Son is not Superman vs the United States. Superman: Red Son is Superman in all its forms. The nature of the man/alien runs deep. Superman remains Superman, and is different although the same and is working for the weak and pure-hearted like he always has. Superman in the land of the Soviets is only the starting point of this graphic novel. Miller creates his own personal Superman all-star who relies of the supreme powers of Krypton where he finds himself beyond the borders of Russia and the United States.
