Pretty soon, Millar is going to have to change his middle name to "worth the wait." While we all wait anxiously for the next issue of The Ultimates, DC has given readers the first issue of the long-rumored Superman: Red Son, an Elseworlds that sounds like a potentially cliched "What if Superman were a Russkie?" but instead winds up as a pretty interesting character study, and one of those things only a non-American (or someone on the extreme left of American politics) would ever dare to write, where the communist character isn't evil by default. Part of the reason for the long delays is no doubt the choice of artists (not unlike The Ultimates), as god among cover artists Dave Johnson is providing the interiors, and his artwork is terrific, very much worth the wait as well.
The most cliched and traditional way for this story to go would have been to present Superman as the bad guy of the piece. Sort of like Superman: The Dark Side, except that instead of growing up on Apokolips, he grew up in Mother Russia, and even with Millar at the helm, I sort of expected something along those lines. I was therefore pleasantly surprised to see that where Superman lands doesn't affect his inner heroism, which makes for an interesting note in the nature vs. nurture debate in comics as well as a much richer and more interesting lead character and overall story.
Of course, this being an Elseworlds, Millar does provide us with some familiar faces, and there's a sense that no matter what happens, there's some destiny involved in the DC Universe. To some degree, this is intrusive, particularly with the Batman analog, but I loved Millar's take on Lex Luthor, Wonder Woman and Bizarro. Luthor in particular is as much a lead character as Superman, a deranged genius devoid of interpersonal skills who seems modeled as much on real-world genius John Nash as he is on the criminal super-genius from the comics. He is an intriguing foil to the kind-hearted and dedicated Superman.
That's really the trick of this whole thing, the balancing act between making Superman the good guy of the piece and yet conveying the fear that might shake the world if the Soviet Union at the height of the Cold War had been in possession of a super-weapon. Millar and Johnson do a great job of conveying Superman's good heart, while giving a sense of impending doom to the whole thing, usually as a result of power brokers in both the American and Soviet governments trying to figure out how to best use (or eradicate) this Superman. There's a sense that it's the best intentions paving a road to ruin, particularly with Superman's rationale for taking a prominent place in the Soviet hierarchy or the actions of Pyotr, motivated by fear and jealousy.
The artwork is by Dave Johnson, and it's terrific stuff. Johnson doesn't do much interior work, so it's a rare treat, and his work here (inked by fellow cover artist Andrew Robinson) is terrific, reminiscent of the folks from Gaijin Studios like Cully Hamner or Jason Pearson, and also similar to the work of Tony Harris. Dark shadows and sharp angles mix with a sort of 1940s pop art look that fits the setting and the mood perfectly, and the detailed backgrounds and period dress contrast nicely with the occasional movie star shot of the face of Superman or Wonder Woman.
