Superman Red Son

"The press is the enemy of the people. Why would I let you twist my words and use them against me?" - Superman

I have great love for this story. It was from an corner of the DC Universe called Elseworld where events we already know from DC history are altered because of one small change in the way things originally happened in the comic book. Red Son asks what would happen if Superman landed in Ukraine and not Kansas. How would the World be any different with a Russian Superman?

The answer to that question is one of the all time greatest Superman stories surpassed only by the equally great Kingdom Come. So watching this film gives me hope that Kingdom Come will soon go into production.

The animation is solid and conforms to the DC 'house style'. And all your favorite heroes are here. Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Lois Lane, Lex Luthor among others. The music is also very inspirational and operatic like all Soviet music. The little details like that is what makes DC Animation so good. If only their live film division could match it's level of sophistication.

This one is also unique for other reasons. Lex Luthor is the real hero in this one and his relationship with his wife Lois Lane is interesting. She is still a feminist pain in the ass but she can back up her attitude with action. Lex is insufferably arrogant but this time it is charming and I actually enjoyed seeing him 'win' for once in his never ending battle against Superman.

In this world the Americans are the real fascists. Superman's philosophy is closer to Lenin's vision and he has the power to make that vision happen without the terror that Stalin used to dominate his people. Superman is repelled by such tactics though his ethics can often be questionable like his methods. In his mind the ends always justify the means. Such is always the unavoidable mindset of tyrants.

He and Wonder Woman find much common ground and we see the birth of the Soviet Justice League.

Of course it's a Justice League without Batman who is a pure terrorist psychopath. His time in the Gulag as a child turned him murderous. He has little regard for the lives of civilians if their deaths make his point or save his life, this Batman WILL kill. He is the result of what both Stalin and Superman did to enforce their beliefs about how to best run the state and control the Russian people. Forced paradise is no paradise at all.

The story is very entertaining and poignant in many ways.

Another winner from DC Animation.