Insert your favorite “From Russia with Love” joke here.
Mark Millar’s Superman Red Son is without a doubt one of the most fascinating “elseworlds” titles made in the last decade or so. The intertwining of the Space Race and Cold War with a Superman — on the other side — and the mix of real world people and classic DC stalwarts made for an engrossing read. And at its core, the unsettling idea of a Superman that serves the glory of the Motherland and the honor of the proletariat over truth, justice and the American way. And it just works.
Part of what makes it work is certainly his costume. A solid example of less is more, the Superman costume received just some minor tweaks: a duller pallette, a more military collar and boots, and a chest emblem just as striking as the original, only … Soviet.
Mezco clearly recognized this, as the figure is a very faithful representation of the art. The gloves are a little tactical, but it fits the look, with the boots and all. The cape is beautiful and flows easily, being lightweight but having a good natural drape to it. And being my second figure with the vinyl “shorts,” I feel increasingly okay with the decision to go this route. Where Wolverine’s were a little glossy, Superman’s come across a better matte, only catching light a little. The head sculpt doesn’t look too different from the standard versions, at least in pictures, but whatever differences there are make this a very impressive Superman head sculpt. I’d dare call it definitive for a comic version.
I didn’t pick up the standard Superman, so this is my first experience with this new body sculpt. The range of motion feels pretty solid in all the usual ways, and the boots lend themselves to decent ankle range. I know the issue has been mostly with his size, but thanks to those boots, I think he cheats a little more height, and looks just fine next to say the movie version.
For accessories in that awesome Previews tin, we get flight, fist, and holding hands; the USSR flag on its own pole; and the head of a defeated Brainiac. Not terribly much, and sadly no alternate heads, but now I wish the classic Superman had come with an American flag. I would have probably gone back and got it by now.
Overall this is a great variant to the initial Supes figure, and a fine alternative if that one didn’t tick the right boxes, as it didn’t for me. It’s unfortunate that he appears to be somewhat scarce, because that can definitely take some of the fun factor out of it, because that’s what he is- a fun variant.
As a side note, I tried out the second Cavill head just to see how it looked, and while the skin tone is a bit different, man, I like that look. As Lestat called it, he “looks militant AF.” Which is a damn fine look for the scariest commie my collection has ever seen.
