Friday, August 26, 2011

Red Son

Man, what a cool book.  JP has been on my case about reading this comic book, and I'm so glad he basically sat me down on the couch and ordered me to finish it.  Mark Millar came up with this simple idea: What if Superman had been brought up in the USSR, instead of Smallville, USA?  It opens in 1953, with Superman coming into fame with Joseph Stalin, while Lois Luthor (what?!) is writing about him back in NYC.  Several DC personalities pop up (Wonder Woman, Lex Luthor, even Batman), although not as you expect.
There are three parts to the story: Red Son Rising, Red Son Ascendant, and Red Son Setting.  They're all great, but I particularly enjoyed the ending in Red Son Setting.  Seriously mind-blowing!  And don't get me started on the illustrations; each of the pencilers and inkers, as well as the colorist and letterer, did a superb job capturing the mood of the story.
I realize that not everyone is into comics, and that's okay.  If you're looking for something a little different, with a different take on the superhero mythology, this will take you less than a short afternoon to get through, and get you lots of points with fanboys the world over. 

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