The limited-run series uses a decidedly meta lens to examine big questions faced by and about Superman. This is a story about Clark Kent, but not the one you think. Image: Kurt Busiek, Stuart Immonen/DC Comics Secret Identity But the key to the conflict is Millar’s understanding that both believe that they are the heroes of their own story, and that they each believe they have the greatest capacity to lead humanity to a better future. But it’s Superman’s nemesis Lex Luthor that gets to shine brightest, as the leader of America’s efforts to take down the communist alien.īoth Luthor and Superman are at the absolute peak of the usual power levels for the characters, which helps boil a decades long geopolitical struggle into a battle of wits and wills between two men. Like Marvel 1602 or Flashpoint, the alternate universe of Red Son is also used to provide fantastic new spins on other key characters, including Batman and the Green Lantern Hal Jordan, with Millar rethinking their own origins and approaches to heroism. Superman emerges as a champion of the Soviet Union, changing the course of the Cold War and the entire DC Universe. In Mark Millar’s limited series, a rocket bearing a baby that would become the most powerful man in the world lands on Earth in 1938 - not in Smallville, Kansas, but in the Ukraine. There have been an enormous number of stories imagining what might happen if Superman was evil, but Red Son is the definitive one. Image: Mark Millar, Dave Johnson/DC Comics Red Sonīy Mark Millar, Dave Johnson, Andrew Robinson, Walden Wong, and Kilian Plunkett It’s also an indictment of the casual violence and destruction that dominates so much modern superhero media, a reminder that restraint and forgiveness can be the greatest shows of strength.
It’s a story that has only become more relevant with time with its anti-immigrant “heroes,” critiques of fascism, and emphasis on the power of unity and reconciliation over punitive justice. It’s a haunting story, made even more eerie through Alex Ross’ painterly art style, which emphasizes every wrinkle and gray hair on its aging heroes as they struggle to find meaning and hope. Kingdom Come brings Superman low by killing Lois Lane and the rest of the staff of the Daily Planet and turning Kansas into a radioactive wasteland. While the story prominently features Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, and a host of other DC mainstays, Superman is the undisputed star who leads the others to retreat from the world years before the inciting events of the story - and then inspires them to end their exile.
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Morrison hinted at superheroes-as-divinity in All-Star Superman, but the idea is on full display in Kingdom Come, an apocalyptic story where the Justice League must reunite to stop a new breed of merciless superheroes. Image: Mark Waid, Alex Ross/DC Comics Kingdom Come It’s a perfect distillation of the awe fans feel when they read or see the character done right. Quitely’s soft touch with angles and colors give the character a beatific look, and combine with Morrison’s story to cement the Man of Tomorrow as a benevolent god who forever changes everyone who truly knows him. There has always been a whiff of divinity about Superman, who becomes a sort of guardian angel for Metropolis and his friends and family. The series’ most famous panel centers on Superman taking the time to help a suicidal girl, not by flying her down from the ledge but by standing next to her and offering some words of comfort that make all the difference. The absurdity of the big threats Superman faces gives him the chance to show off the full range of his abilities while also demonstrating that his greatest strength is his compassion. This is an absolutely gonzo story involving time travelers flirting with Lois Lane, Luthor’s goth niece helping him with one last big scheme, and a sentient evil star. The story distills the essence of what makes Superman such a wonderful hero by imagining how he’d spend his last days on Earth, after a plot by Lex Luthor increases his power but also leaves him with just a year to live. This list is arranged alphabetically rather than by rank, but either way, All-Star Superman would be at the top. Image: Grant Morrison, Frank Quitely/DC Comics
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