The Red Star is Sci-Fi/Fantasy comic based in a country highly analogous culturally and geographically to the Soviet Union of the latter half of the twentieth century. The United Republics of the Red Star occupies a similar place on the world map as the real life U.S.S.R.. Their enemy at the beginning of the book, Al''Istaan, occupies the same area as Afghanistan. The military uniforms are similar, many of the character names are Russian in origin, and some of the mystical elements have their roots in Russian lore.