I’ve been meaning to get to this comic for a while, and it recently came up in conversation about comics to read in the Trump-era. I like the general premise of the idea, as well as most of the experimenting that goes on with DC’s Elseworlds comics. I can see why this run is listed among the top Superman stories, though I wasn’t as blown away as I thought I would be. Overall, though, it’s a very thought-provoking read.

Things I Liked

1. Premise: An alternate world where Superman is raised in Communist Russia? What a ripe opportunity for exploring politics and social systems! I loved the dynamic between Lex and Superman in the context of Capitalism vs Socialism, and the story really asks readers to think about demagoguery and the value of utopia.

2. Superman’s Conflict: Although Superman is meant to uphold Russian ideals in this story, I liked that he felt conflict between loyalty to his country and the desire to simply do what’s right. He wants to take care of everyone and save people more than he wants to be the head of state, and that conflict illustrated some key insights into Superman’s character.

3. Ending: WHAT.

4. Art: I loved the design of the costumes in this book, from Superman’s uniform, to Diana’s darker look, to Batman’s fuzzy hat (hee!).

Things I Didn’t Like

1. Women: To me, it felt like the women had nothing to do. Lois is still doing investigative journalism, but she seems to be sidelined by both her husband (Lex) and the narrative. Additionally, Wonder Woman also gets the short end of the stick, being captured by Batman and eventually being weakened to the point where she’s no longer useful.

2. Narrative Fluidity: There are places where the narrative seemed to jump dramatically. I understand that this comic is a limited run, but I also like my storytelling to be more fluid.

Recommendations: I would recommend this book if you’re interested in Superman comics,
DC’s Elseworlds, alternate universes, Russian history, and communism.