Teen Titans: Snowblind, at Paley

KGBeast is one of DC’s most sinister villains, but his alter-ego, Anatoli Knyazev was converted into a good-guy on Arrow, because who could believe Russians might commit heinous crimes against humanity? So far, DC animated productions have been much more successful incorporating its Cold War characters and legacy, especially in Superman: Red Son. As a further case in point, the early 2000’s animated Teen Titans series offered an interesting take on Red Star in the episode “Snowblind,” which screens at the Paley Center as part of its Winter Frolic programming.

In this version of DC reality, Leonid Kovar, a.k.a. Red Star, was the lucky subject of a Soviet “super-soldier” experiment devised by the notoriously reliable Prof. Chang (a recurring villain in the animated series). Yet, much like the Hulk, the super-Soviet could not control his powers. When over-agitated, he expelled tremendous bursts of radioactive energy. Consequently, Red Star sequestered himself in an adapted bunker outside the secret military installation where he was formerly based.

Suspicious radioactive readings brought the Teen Titans to Kovar’s remote Siberian homeland. However, Red Star is not producing the energy they detected. There is something else terrorizing the local village, but they just assume it is the same radioactive devil they know.

Screenwriter Rob Hoegee does his best to play down Red Star’s Communist era origins, but they are inescapable. Indeed, Raskov, his former commander turned persecutor, bears all the worst hallmarks of the Soviet era military. However, this version of Red Star is an acutely tragic character, who is developed fairly thoroughly for a half-hour episode.

In fact, Red Star is clearly the star of this installment. He and Starfire develop an engaging, if sadly brief, relationship, beyond the affinity of their super-handles. Frankly, Beast Boy will likely annoy viewers who are not already familiar with the Teen Titans, but at least he looks cool (and cannot talk) when he shape-shifts into a big Kamchatka brown bear.

As Beast Boy annoyingly keeps complaining, the Siberian climate is even brutal for superheroes, which is why this episode makes a fittingly selection for Paley’s winter-themed programming block. However, the lonely, unfortunate fate of Red Star, which is intrinsically linked to the brutality of the Soviet Socialist system, really elevates this episode above the majority of superhero weekly cartoons. Highly recommended, it screens (along with good stuff from Frosty the Snowman, Charlie Brown, Babar, and Fraggle Rock) at the Paley Center, starting this Wednesday (1/8), through February 2.