5. Red Son
What if Superman never landed in Kansas and was found by the Kent's? What if he never landed in America at all? What if, instead, he landed in Russia during the height of Cold War and become a hero of the Motherland? That is the intriguing premise behind Mark Millar's Superman: Red Son. What is so interesting about this world though is many of the characters are still the same; Superman still believes in doing the right thing, but only takes a more hands on approach to changing the world, Lex is still relatively evil, but believes he's the hero and Lois is the anchor for truth and integrity as always. Several other DC heroes have small roles or cameos, but one of the most fun aspects of Red Son is the tweaked history of the world. Aside from Superman succeeding Stalin and leading Russia into rich and prosperous times, Richard Nixon was assassinated while JFK lived a much longer life. It's very enjoyable to see how much history changed because of a course correction of one alien refugee. The changed dynamic between the characters is interesting as well, especially as you almost root for Lex Luthor to win. His checkmate move against Superman is also brilliant in its near simplicity while saying much about why our Superman wouldn't attempt to take over the world the way Soviet Superman does. It is a very well crafted alternate reality tale which, unlike Flashpoint, doesn't hinge on the actual DC continuity, giving Red Son a huge plus.