Superman: Red Son

Author: Mark Millar

Another Elseworlds title, and another masterwork of alternate history. Writer Mark Millar takes the all-American super-powered alien that is Superman and turns him from Apple Pie to Borscht by having rocket land in the Ukraine instead of Kansas, thus making him a Soviet super-weapon, leading to a Cold War that is less about bombs and more about creating supers. That concept alone would be worth it, but it is the reinvention of the other characters who people the Superverse that feels so right; re-birthed are Jimmy Olsen, Lex Luther, Lois Lane, and others. The story examines what Superman means beyond simply saving the day. It's an examination of the 1950s politically, as well as socially. It is a look at what happens when our villains and our heroes switch places, and when the greatest of all heroes is fighting for the other side, but also for everything we believe he has always believed in. There's might nuance, and beautiful art, but it is the impressive story, clinging to every word, that makes Superman: Red Son an absolute gem. Why it's on the list: Impressive storytelling and a gorgeous book to boot.