A Crimson Reflection
Diving Into Superman's Dance With Dictatorship
The title should’ve given it away: a familiar face with a dark twist. As my eyes glide across the title page, one can’t help but notice a couple of reversed letters. A Red Son reduces a being who can lift countries to an Average Joe, but what is the significance here? I ponder what would happen to a man who always puts others first. How a slight change in the Earth’s rotation could have drastic consequences.
What happens when the reverse mirror becomes reality?
Does circumstance truly lead to distinction?
Would the path to madness be more enticing?
Millar’s design shows Superman in a world never thought of, standing on top of a hammer and sickle, upholding another nation’s ideals. Tinctures of sable carve the SSR podium on a fiery background, showing Superman rising to the Soviets’ expectations.
Highlighting the fact that Superman is only American due to gravitational forces, not by birthright. The fragility of life is ever-present, as a gust of wind could determine one’s fate. The Butterfly Effect knows no victims, as one can’t help but question the merits of their own actions. Is my status due to chance, that of creation, influence, or some weird combination of all the above?
Who will I Be?
His cause to protect others is sound, regardless of what nation he’s from. The citizens who pray for his heroic hand still deal with large-scale corruption. An arms race to end them all began the second he stepped into the spotlight. Mixtures of raven and white cement the relationship with a power-hungry administration. Attempting to imbue him with the sheer inner cold needed for world domination.
Millar’s tones of Grey remind all that history is in the making. The tensions are just as high in today’s society. Weapons all around with angry men in charge. Decency doesnt grant favor unless conducting business outside of warmongers.
A fluke of destiny gave me the gift of writing this article right now. One could have had a completely different set of morals based on where they were born. Unknown fields of encounters that could dominate your emotional perspective. Life can be defined as the culmination of experiences managed over a certain duration. And I wonder where one would be if a piece of the equation were missing.
Will I protect the same?
The things I hold dearly might not mean anything if timing is a factor. Super and the Man begin to drift apart as his character is split between the motions of a king and the pleas of a peasant. Superman holds so tight that it leaves a mark.
Balance is unfounded during such turbulent times. Some situations have no positive outcome, as turmoil breeds unaligned savagery. A hail of violent threats tries their damnest to shred his moral compass.
A white background deafens the negativity. The noise of bureaucracy ceases to exist, whether or not you could hear a cricket from the other side of the globe. A kid’s sunken-eyed stare dissolves the notion that prosperity is in the air.
However, conflict lurks in the shadows. It’s nice to know that one could still have the same principles, but delivery is important. Admiration for one’s people does not negate awful decision-making. Pain and sadness are unavoidable, as perfection will forever remain out of reach.
Demanded Excellence
No matter the iteration, permanent seclusion will lead to one's downfall. Even if one can kiss the stars, flawlessness remains solely in the hands of The Divine. A newfound sensibilty holds infinite worth; nevertheless, emotions can't hold back nations. Logic begins to dominate the field of view as humanity takes a backseat to critical analysis.
Millar isolates Superman in an unlit room, surrounded by a librarian’s nightmare. Trillions of words dedicated to gaining knowledge are absorbed in seconds. Many before The Red Boy Scout have failed when facing the inevitable. Casting away the needs of assistance, he pushes forward for his dream of unity. He can prevent them from starving, but they need to feast on his influence.
Losing Myself
Sometimes, determination can be a hindrance. There are only so many places you can be at one time. Thoughts of rest never cross a lot of our minds. Whether it be having multiple jobs, children, responsiblities whether real or fictional, keep piling up. Stress is eternal, even for those who pierce the clouds. Cries of suffering can be heard all around, yet there are some who don’t even whimper.
Miller depicts a lost child who’s a victim of a horrendous crime, but not cowardice. Darkness surrounds the borders, and it engulf this murderous situation. Superman was nowhere to be found, for wails of agony transform into a sentiment of vengeance.
Aloofness from the commoner’s struggle provides a crack for gloom to seep through. Being the source of reliability for billions has its downfalls. Human life is not a business tactic, as each preventable death cuts the steel ones skin.
The smell of iron erodes his concrete-lined nasal cavity. Squeals of animals fleeing from disaster assault his eardrums, while the taste of betrayal permeates the atmosphere.
Seeing the mountain top of unity may be worth losing touch with my soul. The afflictions of billions could easily overload his senses as Millar makes sure the man who can lift the most feels the weight of unanswered prayers.
Poison
Guidance dipped in toxicity corrodes Superman’s ethics. He's not the first to take advice from the worst, but most can’t change the trajectory of a missile. Many have found themselves ensnared by the woes of despair, for the sin of having sympathy. Cutting off a friend is extremely hard, but sometimes it's the only option.
Hues of Gray undercuts the peachiness of Diana’s skin as Millar makes one feel something beyond exhausted. A sense of dread, a blackness that no light can escape from. Her physicality and Clark’s descent into madness are intertwined as each paid the price for being in bed with the devil.
Ever so gently nudging you into lunacy, ill counsel goes a long way when someone is alone. Malignant thoughts eventually stop the flow of compassion to the heart. They push for conflict when there are roads to peace available. A man's motivation to protect contorted into ino a terrible representation of itself.
I am the Reflection
The light that leaves Clark’s eyes encapsulates the troubling times. The wrinkles of tiredness ravaged his youthful dermis, paired with a glare that barely resembled the orphan boy from the Ukraine. The frustration with society is buring though the page. A blight of failures hovers over his statue. A man who would sacrifice it all sees the upsides to lobotomization.
An image of loathing incarnate. Violent, manipulative, impulsive, we cant name an atrocity that hasn’t been mentioned. Millar’s Superman still fought for the good of mankind, but the world molded him into a tyrant. Maybe self-appreciation has been taken for granted, especially after witnessing Superman hold hands with dictatorship.
Contrasting forces constantly pull at an individual, swirling peace with devastation. Fearing the unknown is common; it’s when those fears are justified that results may vary.
Please check out the original to embrace the full story and detail of Millar’s work.