Superman Red Son

[Old_el_Paso]

It's amazing. A must read for everyone, including teachers, students, firefighters, store clerks, and the homeless. Discuss it's amazingly awesome awesomnomity.

[Logic]

Everyone that has read it likes it, but the only complaint I have ever heard was that a coworker of mine didn't like the twist ending.

[Closet_Skeleton]

Tried reading it at the library but couldn't get that far in. Did the same with Watchmen as well.

[T.Titan]

Silver Age power levels kinda took away from the story... but it's a pretty great book otherwise... twist ending included (as little sense as it makes when the premise was only that he landed in the wrong country).

[Old_el_Paso]

Everyone that has read it likes it, but the only complaint I have ever heard was that a coworker of mine didn't like the twist ending.

That's the only part that I didn't like as well.

Superman is the descendant of Lex Luthor, sent back in time in the rocket. Pretty crappy if you ask me.

[Jerthanis]

I used to not like Superman, then I read Red Son, now that troubling previous position is rectified and Superman is one of my favorite Heroes ever. Red Son led me to other great Superman stories which combined, changed my whole outlook on his character.

The story was just so... good. I can't find the words to describe it, I'm going to need to read it again to articulate exact things about it. Woe is me, having to read it again.

[Kaelaroth]

I have fallen in with the Runaways. We are too busy running away to read comics from other continuities. We plan to however.

[Nerd-o-rama]

Well, I have heard incredibly good things about this, and love the concept. Sadly, I cannot read it, as that would mean giving money, however tiny an amount, and appreciation, in any degree, to Mark Millar.

[Grod_The_Giant]

that's why we have free libraries :smalltongue:

Seriously, though, I kind of liked the twist ending. It gave a nice kind of...I don't know, synergy to the whole thing.

[Bariko]

I borrowed the trade from a friend, and I have to say that I thought it was exceptional. The story was wonderfully well written, and the characters themselves stayed the same, even if their situations were changed. They acted exactly how their original characters would have in a similar situation.

The end, to me was nicely done. A nice way to provide a bit of closure and continuity for the story, linking the main characters in a fundamental way.

An incredible read, I highly reccomend it.

[Charles Phipps]

One thing that makes me curious is the question of what about this story changed their opinion of Superman?

[Jerthanis]

One thing that makes me curious is the question of what about this story changed their opinion of Superman?

I thought he was a big, dumb, bumbling bruiser with an absolute omniscient morality license, pulverizing his foes in dully drawn two-page spread after two page spread, having dialogue no more intelligible than "Wow, he's pretty strong, I'd better hit him harder!"... you know, the type of writing you'd find in a Frank Miller depiction, or from Death of Superman.

The Red Son depiction showed a man with honest conflicts, searching for his place in a world where he felt he didn't belong, but which at the same time he felt such a desire to help, to change, to shape. I saw also the reasonings for people to oppose him, and the insidiousness of Brainiac. I saw good friggin' writing, manifesting in good dialogue between characters who felt instantly familiar, and plot twists that had me almost audibly gasping in the isles. It also had an ad in the trade for "Superman for all Seasons" and... some other Superman comic I don't recall at the moment.

Also, I remember from my childhood when the Batman/Superman Adventures would play on Television and such a clear distinction was drawn between the quality of the two shows that I would often wait until I could tell if it was a Batman episode or a Superman episode, and if it was a Batman episode, I'd settle in and watch it, and if it were a Superman episode, I'd turn the tube off and find something better to do.

The Superman Cartoon wasn't bad, I went back and watched some of it recently... it just wasn't nearly as good as the Batman show which it was competing with.

[tetsubo]

Well, I have heard incredibly good things about this, and love the concept. Sadly, I cannot read it, as that would mean giving money, however tiny an amount, and appreciation, in any degree, to Mark Millar.

Why the hate for Mark Miller?

[Nerd-o-rama]

Well, he called me a pedophile.

http://kotaku.com/gaming/mark-miller/marvel-comic-writer-games-are-for-pedophiles-240281.php

[Jerthanis]

Well, he called me a pedophile.

http://kotaku.com/gaming/mark-miller/marvel-comic-writer-games-are-for-pedophiles-240281.php

Wow, after following that link to some of his interviews and so forth, I think I hate him now too.

yuck, I think it's shameful that he's tooting his own horn so much about how awesome his Civil War was when it's the entire reason I'm reading DC now instead.

[sun_tzu]

To be honest, I think Red Son is overrated.
Oh, it's good. Definitely enjoyed it. But it's not the best Superman story since sliced bread.

[tetsubo]

That’s odd I always thought that he was nice whenever I have met him. He did a little doodle on friends comic one year and remembered him a year later. Not that that is a defense. I wonder if that has a different connotation in Scotland then it does here? Ala English’s term for cigarettes?

[Blue Paladin]

Well, he called me a pedophile.
Well, I read the interview... Actually he called you a pedo. A child. He seems to be of the "games are for children" mindset. Kotaku is putting words in someone else's mouth...

[Green Bean]

That’s odd I always thought that he was nice whenever I have met him. He did a little doodle on friends comic one year and remembered him a year later. Not that that is a defense. I wonder if that has a different connotation in Scotland then it does here? Ala English’s term for cigarettes?

No, I really don't think this is a matter of cultural differences. If anything, the UK is more uptight about pedophilia than North America.

[tetsubo]

I did not mean their take on being a pedophile. I more meant the slang for "pedo". I.e. What England uses for cigarettes we use as a derogatory term for a gay male.

I was in no way condoning or endorsing pedophilia.

[Green Bean]

I did not mean their take on being a pedophile. I more meant the slang for "pedo". I.e. What England uses for cigarettes we use as a derogatory term for a gay male.

I was in no way condoning or endorsing pedophilia.

I see. I definitely wasn't implying that. :smalleek:

In any case, the only linguistic difference in terms is that the British spell it "paedo-"

[tetsubo]

I never thought you were but it never hurts to be clear. :smallwink:

When it gets right down to it I am pretty sure that "pedo" basically means child which why it is the root of the word in question.

Pedo- is a prefix meaning relating to children or soil

So I could easily see using that to call someone or something childish. I am sure there is an example of something like that here in the states, although I am coming up with a blank right now.


That being said We have horribly gone off topic and i will exept the brunt of that bame. :smallbiggrin:

[Nerd-o-rama]

Well, it is a bit ambiguous, but this article (http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=9742) supports Kotaku's reading of that interview.

I don't trust adults who play computer games. It smells too much like Internet Grooming ("Hey, 12-year old! I'm into all the stuff you're into!!"). That said, I do like retro gaming and am often found playing Tetris or Pitfall or any of the old Atari stuff. But I'm not a pervert like the rest of them. Please believe me!

But yes, I've dragged this horribly off-topic simply to say that I will never, ever read anything that Mark Millar wrote for profit. I apologize.

[Rolaran]

Red Son I enjoyed, except for one issue with the terminologies.

Despite the fact that the US considers Superman a dangerous weapon in the hands of the evil Commies, and would like nothing better than to see him die, they still refer to him as a "hero" and refer to their own attempts at making an opponent capable of defeating him as "villains".

Still though, I enjoyed seeing not only alternate Superman and alternate Lex, but the way they also made a Green Lantern and Batman that fit within the context of the world.

As for Mark Miller's personal opinions, I try to focus on the man's work. (Same thing I do for anything by Alan Moore... that guy is one of the strangest people I can think of, but he is an absolute genius at writing.)

[Nerd-o-rama]

You have a point about Moore. But he's merely insane, and somewhat entertainingly so. I do have to ignore his constant whining about adaptations of his work, though.