Mark Millar delivers an enteraining story that takes the reader back to the Cold War, but I have to admit that I'm not quite as taken with the inventiveness of the story as others -- including the mainstream media -- seem to be. This is a solid Elseworlds effort, and the artwork and colors are stunning. But in some respects, I'm struck by the somewhat formulaic qualities of the story, and the chief antagonist is so over-the-top and one-dimensional that he works against the more realistic elements of the script.
The Soviet Union in the 1950s has taken a suddenly leap ahead in the Cold War arms race with the United States, because its new weapon left his Ukrainian farm and revealed himself and his powers to Mother Russia. The Superman has not only shifted the balance of power in the world, but captured the hearts and minds of the citizens of his Communist homeland. The American government tasks its greatest mind, Lex Luthor, to come up with an answer to the Superman, sparking a superhuman arms race unlike anything the world has seen before. Meanwhile, as Superman's star rises in the eyes of the people and their leader, Josef Stalin's logical successor is eclipsed, and his envy and rage burns red hot.
Get it? "Red" hot? You know? ... Jeez, tough room.
Johnson captures the title character's iconic nature wonderfully. Superman and Wonder Woman both boast classic, Golden Age looks, but they're tempered with darker tones and more realistic detail as well. The artist also does a fine job of conveying the period in which the story is set. I have to admit, though. The element in the artwork that stands out as the strongest is the coloring job by Paul Mounts. The red-and-grey motif for the Superman redesign is striking, and the colors bring a stark atmopshere to the story while never sacrificing the energy of a super-hero tale.
Millar pours a lot of energy into convincing the reader of Lex Luthor's genuis and ego, but there's nothing else there. We don't get the slightest hint of why Lois Lane would have wanted to marry him. While the Russian Superman is well fleshed-out, the same just can't be said of Lex. His dialogue is often outrageous, and his character just isn't credible. It's rather odd, since a character that can fly and fire beams of heat from his eyes is a credible player in this drama.
I think what I enjoyed most about this story is that the central philosophies of Communism are given a fair shake in the form of the title character. Millar touches upon the corruption as well -- though Stalin doesn't come off as nearly as demonic as he does in real-world history -- but I welcomed the notion of an American icon turned on its ear. Superman stands for "truth, justice and the American way," and here, Millar points out that the terms "American" and "goodness" aren't necessarily synonymous.
