Identity Crisis [Hardcover]

Brad Meltzer (Author)

Book Description

Release date: October 1, 2005

This is the most talked-about and successful mini-series of 2004 - the story that has created ripple effects throughout the DC Universe for many years to come - is now available in a stunning hardcover volume! "New York Times" best-selling author Brad Meltzer ("Green Arrow") teams with artists Rags Morales & Michael Bair ("Wonder Woman") and cover artist Michael Turner ("Superman"/"Batman") to deliver an all-too-human look into the lives of super-heroes, and the terrible price they pay for doing good. When the spouse of a JLA member is brutally murdered, the entire super-hero community searches for the killer, fearing their own loved ones may be the next targets! But before the mystery is fully solved, a number of long-buried secrets rise to the surface, threatening to tear apart and divide the heroes before they can bring the mysterious killer to justice. Bonus features for this special hardcover edition include extended commentary by Meltzer and Morales, the rest of the creative team talking about their favorite moments, a look at Morales' sketchbook and more!

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This seven-issue miniseries by bestselling author Meltzer (The Zero Game) was both wildly popular and reviled, and the collection shows that both views have merit. It does knock the rust off scores of DC characters while opening avenues to explore post-9/11 morality. On the other hand, it trashes the roles of characters whom readers have come to consider old friends and tampers outrageously with years' worth of continuity. The story begins shockingly when the wife of the minor super hero Elongated Man is brutally murdered. Things get increasingly serious as other members of the Justice League of America find that their loved ones are targets. The super villains are a lot nastier than they used to be; the heroes, meanwhile, are forced to admit that they could have been responsible for some of what's gone wrong when they started tampering with the minds of villains who deserved it or even fellow heroes who merely disapproved of the idea. This makes familiar heroes more morally ambiguous;more human;and the old, easy trust is lost, with long-term consequences still to be revealed in future DC story lines. In the meantime, Meltzer's script and Bair's inking of Morales's penciled art serves the realistic aspect of the characters very well, making this book a genuine comics landmark. (Sept.)
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From School Library Journal

Grade 10 Up–After the tragic death of Sue Debny, the wife of the Elongated Man, the members of the Justice League of America and most of the DC superheroes are brought together to investigate. Sues murder is unsettling for a couple of reasons: she was a friend, and whoever committed the crime knew enough personal information to be able to sneak past security. Even more troubling are the letters that the family members of other heroes receive, indicating that they are the next targets. The superheroes split into teams to follow the leads that they are most suited to solve. The novel asks: how far do you go to protect your loved ones? What if everything you stand for goes against your need to protect your family? The story moves quickly and the full-color artwork is splendid. Morales captures human emotion in such a way that he breathes life and authenticity into the characters. The coloring job is superb: the dark, somber tones perfectly set the mood. Some of the action occurs offscreen, such as the flashback to Sues rape, making what happens even more dramatic and powerful. Featuring a good mystery, great fight scenes, and good writing, Identity Crisis is an exciting read for fans of the DC universe.–Erin Dennington, Chantilly Regional Library, Fairfax County, VA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: DC Comics (October 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401206883
• ISBN-13: 978-1401206888
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 0.9 x 10.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (115 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #506,554 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

63 of 78 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Looking at "Identity Crisis" Emotionally September 29, 2005

By Stephanie Crawford VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

Up until recently I've been a very casual comic book reader. After reading various comics published by DC that mentioned "Identity Crisis" and finding it hard to avoid "spoilers" everywhere on the web I picked this up the day it was released to get caught up and find out what all the fuss was about. After closing the book, I was shocked about how much a "superhero book" could affect me emotionally. I had lost a very beloved family member a few days before reading this, and I'll admit it did affect the way I viewed this book. But in looking back at it "cold", I believe it stands incredibly well as a graphic novel, a tragic love story and a mystery.

The plot has already been gone over well, so I won't go there. Basically, it's what would be a fairly standard mystery except for that it surrounds the murder of the wife of someone named "The Elongated Man", has Wonder Woman deliver the eulogy, and a perplexing question is how a murderer could get around technology from places including Krypton. Typing it, it does sound like the book could have been a huge joke and misstep for DC- but in my opinion it was very effective.

I was not familiar with Sue Dibny, but I cried when her husband held her dead body in his arms (and saw the surprise present she gave him for his birthday) and the scenes at her funeral. My heart went out when another character lost a very close loved one, and I really felt the tension when the Justice League were at moral odds with one another. I will admit I was very unhappy when we were shown that Sue had been attacked before- by being raped by someone usually referred to as a fairly silly villian. This scene was the hardest for me to read. However it was done off panel, and we are basically shown reactions and some slurs from the rapist- it is not done graphically or sleazily but the very nature of it is harsh. Personally, I read comics for entertainment and as a break, but I did understand what this book was going for. I do not think sexual violence should have any place in 'superhero' comics and I do not believe it was needed in this story to give it more impact, but that's my own opinion.

I think this story has polarized a lot of comic readers. Some would like this genre to stay more classic with pages of fights with supervillians- and that's an extremely valid point. Others are open to and even prefer more adult stories like this one, and the sales of this storyline and the amount of buzz surrounding this have shown it's brought many people back to comics- or even into them the first time. Neither view is wrong, but it makes books like this tricky. Personally I love classic superhero tales but Identity & Infinite Crisis have got me reading current "big title" books for the first time and I'm really enjoying them.

If you go into this story already judging it, and picking apart the mystery aspect and every character action- you'll probably be left dissapointed. It's very well-structured, but parts are manipulated to get things rolling in a different direction. If you're debating reading this, all I can do is recommend that you go in with an open mind and read this with your heart on your sleeve. In the end this is just a book about people, relationships, and the pain we automatically accept when we love and care about someone. If you're ready to believe a superhero, under the mask, can love and lose as much as yourself... then I believe you will get something out of Identity Crisis.

17 of 23 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A good comic, but a great story September 20, 2005

By riding shotgun

Format:Hardcover

This story single-handedly led me to pay attention to DC's mainstream superhero fare after years of, justifiably, considering the publisher to be the stumbling dinosaur of the Marvel/DC dichotomy. Who cares about continuity when you've got a story this compelling that makes even the most dust-choked DC relics seem new and fresh and gives modern purpose to the most anachronistic of characters.

It's too early to say whether this represents a serious turning point for the publisher, but for seven edge-of-your-seat issues, Meltzer and Morales fleshed out a tale as entertaining and relevant as anything DC has ever produced.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Unmasked February 28, 2010

By J. Sherman

Format:Paperback

New York Times best-selling author Brad Meltzer takes a crack at the comic book spectrum with penciller Rags Morales, and the result is a life-changing event centered mostly on the minor players of the DC universe. When Elongated Man's wife is murdered, the other heroes suspect a plot to kill their families. As the entire crimefighting community scours the country for answers, five familiar heroes stay behind to guard a secret that not only brings their loyalties into question, but blurs the line between right and wrong.

If Gail Simone's "Women in Refrigerators" theory (the use of the death or injury of female characters as a plot device) is true, this is a prime example (and perhaps the best use) of it. Few minor character deaths leave such an impact on comics as that of Sue Dibly; in a way, her death is felt as much as that of even Gwen Stacy (you're welcome to debate this). Meltzer, also an established novelist, translates his style well in what would otherwise be unfamiliar territory, though the climax of "Identity Crisis" is somehow lacking. Included are several pages of commentary from the "Identity Crisis" crew as well as a variant cover gallery.

This comic is unrated: Graphic Violence, Adult Language, Adult Situations.