Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
stunning.lush.provocative -->the brevity and momentum of an expansive-yet-compact Miller tale, with the occasional Moore-ish volta where you are thrown into a narrative segment and realize with horror the situation...
dark
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Good concept but Millar didn't really take the concept very far. Great art nonetheless.
An excellent what-if tale of Superman which is used to explore the adage - "the road to hell is paved with good intentions". I liked the story, especially the ending and the art. Despite the alternative take it maintained Superman's desire to "do good" which is a hallmark of his character IMHO.
However, the plot is now well worn - what if Superman takes over the world? What if he is not the all-American boy scout but something more sinister ? This type of AU has been seen time and time again - for example, in Injustice. This is a little more nuanced in that Superman is not necessarily evil here but misguided. However, the totalitarian impact is the same.
As a result, Superman is less a character here and more a political ideology. There is little humour here - some small glimpses and homage to the Lois Lane romance and a reference to Lana Lang. But nothing particular 'human' about this superman. And my favorite variants of the character explore his (and our) humanity.
The political commentary is also more on the simplistic "totalitarian is bad" scale. It doesn't explore nuance or joy. Yes, I get the whole "people who sacrifice freedom for safety" - but there is no exploration of why this choice is made. Sometimes the choice is not clear - here Superman's regime is clearly 'not good'.
Still the art, tight story and the clear vision carried the day here. Worth checking out
However, the plot is now well worn - what if Superman takes over the world? What if he is not the all-American boy scout but something more sinister ? This type of AU has been seen time and time again - for example, in Injustice. This is a little more nuanced in that Superman is not necessarily evil here but misguided. However, the totalitarian impact is the same.
As a result, Superman is less a character here and more a political ideology. There is little humour here - some small glimpses and homage to the Lois Lane romance and a reference to Lana Lang. But nothing particular 'human' about this superman. And my favorite variants of the character explore his (and our) humanity.
The political commentary is also more on the simplistic "totalitarian is bad" scale. It doesn't explore nuance or joy. Yes, I get the whole "people who sacrifice freedom for safety" - but there is no exploration of why this choice is made. Sometimes the choice is not clear - here Superman's regime is clearly 'not good'.
Still the art, tight story and the clear vision carried the day here. Worth checking out
a very very good read, however, I think there was a lack of examination at the end that the book suffers from. the idea that the world would be just fine under a new demagogue who had been shown to be power mad is fraught and I think a need to finish the book and have that twist end caused the final monologue to suffer for me. still excellent, pick up the book for sure. it manages to maintain all the things I like about superman with a fascinating what if?
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is such a well done look at an alternate history of Superman. I love how it stays true to the character but with a Soviet twist. The attention to classic Superman comics and villains adapted to this book is really cool to see.
"For Truth, Justice ... and the Soviet Way"
I must admit, this has an intriguing premise: what if the spacecraft carrying the infant Kal-L crash-landed in Russia, instead of in rural USA?
What if, in other words, Clark Kent had been brought up in a Communist society instead on in a Democratic one?
Reading that, you might think that Mark Millar would go down the route of making Superman and out-and-out villain, but that's not the route he chose. Instead, we still have a Superman who is doing what he believes to be the 'right thing': the only difference is in his view of just what that is.
You also might think that the story might concentrate on his upbringing. That, however, is barely touched upon with the story starting roughly 30 years after his arrival just as he comes onto the world scene. It also has Superman and other major characters interacting with actual historical characters such as Stalin or J.F.K., alongside showing his (Superman's) own-going battles with Lex Luthor, and also brings in other comic-book characters such as Wonder Woman, Batman, Brainiac and Hal Jordan.
I have to say, also, that I didn't see *that* link at the very end coming ...
I must admit, this has an intriguing premise: what if the spacecraft carrying the infant Kal-L crash-landed in Russia, instead of in rural USA?
What if, in other words, Clark Kent had been brought up in a Communist society instead on in a Democratic one?
Reading that, you might think that Mark Millar would go down the route of making Superman and out-and-out villain, but that's not the route he chose. Instead, we still have a Superman who is doing what he believes to be the 'right thing': the only difference is in his view of just what that is.
You also might think that the story might concentrate on his upbringing. That, however, is barely touched upon with the story starting roughly 30 years after his arrival just as he comes onto the world scene. It also has Superman and other major characters interacting with actual historical characters such as Stalin or J.F.K., alongside showing his (Superman's) own-going battles with Lex Luthor, and also brings in other comic-book characters such as Wonder Woman, Batman, Brainiac and Hal Jordan.
I have to say, also, that I didn't see *that* link at the very end coming ...
