Identity Crisis by Brad Meltzer, Rags Morales (2005, Hardcover)

I normally do not like 'grim and gritty' comic books that have become the norm since the 1980's !

However I checked out the trade paperback hardcover book of 'Identity Crisis' from DC Comics, created by Brad Meltzer, Rags Morales and Michael Bair at my local library this past week.


I still do not like my comics 'grim and gritty', but this package of compiling all the seven issues of the mini-series of the comic book together actually made a good 'read' for me at a couple of sittings.

It is not something I would give to my youngest child, even tho it has Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman and other superheroes that the mainstream public think should be an all ages read. The 'School Library Journal' suggests that this book is for Grade 10 and up readership, which I would agree is the proper age group due to the content and violence.

This mini-series was both wildly acclaimed and also wildly reviled when it was first published post 9-11. It tampered with the DC Universe continuity, but also brought 2nd and 3rd tiered superheroes into the limelight which they had not seen before.

Because I am not an active monthly reader of most DC comics, I found this compiliation of the seven issues a 'good read' but found some of the background of the story objectionable including the use of 'mind-wiping'.

Michael

To tell you the truth, I had not even bothered with Identity Crisis when it first came out. "I'll just wait for the trade paperback" was what I told myself. The first issue came out and I didn't even notice.

Then I attended the San Diego Comic-Con and went to an Identity Crisis panel, which I was surprised to find to be very full. Brad Meltzer, Rags Morales and the rest of the creative crew were there. The first issue had sold out and was going to go to a 2nd printing, but these guys didn't seem as happy as they should be with their top-selling book.

"Why Sue Dibny?" was the first question from the audience. "Huh?" I thought. "What about Sue Dibny? Who cares about the wife of a second-rate hero like the Elongated Man?" As Brad described his reasoning for killing off Sue Dibny, I immediately lifted my head out of the magazine I was reading and started paying attention.

The audience and the panel talked about the great dialogue leading up to Sue Dibny's death, but also the beautiful art by Rags Morales. "Rags who? I thought Michael Turner was doing the art."

Needless to say, I was extremely curious at the end of the 1-hour panel...60 minutes on a mini-series that had only released one issue!

I purchased a copy of Identity Crisis #1 at the Con and read it...three times before putting it down! The story and art were well beyond my expectations. I knew Sue Dibny would die, but the dialogue and scripting with the moving art made that a moot point...and yes, by the end, I did care that Sue Dibny had died.

From then on, it was an agonizingly long wait every month for the next issue of Identity Crisis. So many questions...

Who could get past security systems using advanced Kryptonian and Thanagarian technology?
The Calculator...a super-villain who sells information? Why didn't anyone think of that before?
Who knew Deathstroke could kick butt like that? He used to get beat up by the Teen Titans but he takes out the JLA?

Sue Dibny, Elongated Man, The Calculator, Deathstroke, Captain Boomerang...these are not your A-list cast of characters, but you certainly find yourself drawn into their world. While there's still plenty of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and the top tier of the DCU, it's the usage of these lesser characters that makes this book different from say "Kingdom Come".

And I definitely knew who Rags Morales was after this incredible artwork in this series. With all of the characters he had to draw and the large splash pages, he must have been channeling George Perez!

This is a definite must-read for any comic book or science fiction fan. Luckily for you, it's already been collected in a hardcover! Buy it now in our eBay store at http://stores.ebay.com/ComicTrekNet and be reading it for yourself in a few days.