Written by: Xavier Dorison
Art by: Rachel Dodson/Terry Dodson
Publisher: Image
Instead of my normal kind of introduction, I’m just going to explain the premise of Red One, because honestly, that should be enough to sell this one.
Set in the 1970’s, a vigilante “superhero” called The Carpenter is going around and murdering what Christians/The morally right/People who hate porn deem reprehensible. The more The Carpenter puts a stop to debauchery, the more of a following Jacky Core, a religious/political leader gains. This proves to be a rather large problem for the Soviet Union, as Ms. Core wants to put a stop to those godless communists and potentially bring about another war. The solution is convoluted and awesome: Send a Russian super soldier to America, turn her into a vigilante super hero, and then destroy The Carpenter and the religious organization that backs him.
I mean, do I have to write any more ? Isn’t that enough? The premise here is absolutely insane, like nothing I’ve ever seen before, and that alone makes it worth reading. The world has become so stale lately, so void of creativity and pointless remakes for a lazy cash grab, so anything like Red One should be praised on principal alone. The fact that it’s a great first issue to a story I really, really want to follow makes it all the better.
What’s even more surprising is that the premise, which is almost a bit stupid (and probably breaks down under scrutiny) actually works. I don’t know how, but consider my suspension of disbelief suspended. I can totally jive with a Soviet Union that wants to keep the United States a cesspool of sex and consumerism, even if that’s antithetical to everything I know about Russia as a place.
That irony, actually, is maybe what makes it all work.
Red One paints a very scathing picture of the United States, both in its rampant consumerism, need for escapism, and fundamentalism. Going from the cold, impoverished Russia where some canned fruit is treated like a Christmas present to the United States where broken televisions are more apt to be thrown away instead of fixed provides all that needs to be said on what our society fixates on and considers important. The Carpenter works not because the majority of people agree with him, but because he’s a symbol that a violent movement can form around. It’s less about killing gays or porn stars and more about having a Batman.
Vera is our protagonist and future superhero, a sexy super soldier who is perhaps a bit too good at everything. She’s quick to outpace the soldiers around her, quick to fix broken machinery, quick to adapt to America, quick to have empowering female sex, and also very, very pretty. She’s a bit much. I don’t think she’ll devolve into a Marry Sue style character, but given what’s there right now, it is possible. I also might not care if that happens because she’s funny and charming, though I guess I should also add those to her very long list of qualities.
On the art front, Red One looks quite good, with plenty of bright colors and wonderful facial expressions. Vera always looks stunning, though that’s maybe par the course.
Red One is off to a fantastic start on every front imaginable. Here is a comic with something to say, and honestly, picturing our consumerist culture from the eyes of a poor communist is a shocking experience. We as a society need more works of art like this, because whether you agree or not isn’t the point as long as you’re prompted to step back and think about something more than vapid explosions and sex appeal.
This comic is worth your time, and I’m damn excited for the next issue.
