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Anne's Reviews > Identity Crisis
Identity Crisis
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by
Anne's review
bookshelves: comics, graphic-novels, read-in-2009, favorites, read-in-2012, read-in-2016
Dec 10, 2009
bookshelves: comics, graphic-novels, read-in-2009, favorites, read-in-2012, read-in-2016
Read 3 times. Last read August 30, 2016.
This is one of my favorites, and (to me) it still holds up after multiple re-readings.
Word of warning: People seem to either love it or hate it.
Obviously, I'm in the Love It! section, but that doesn't necessarily mean you will.
How many of you out there know who Elongated Man is?
Better yet, of those of you who know, how many of you care what happens to him? Thought so. Well, if you read Identity Crisis, you will find yourself caring not only about him but his wife, Sue, as well. As it turns out, they have a great love story all to themselves.
One that I had never even heard about before I read this book, which is what makes the opening pages even more heartbreaking.
Sadly, the story begins with Sue's murder. Naturally, members of the Justice League from all over spring into action trying to hunt down her killer and prevent anyone else's loved one from becoming a target. Secretly, though, several members meet in private to discuss past sins. As the story unfolds, we learn that there is a secret League within the Justice League.
And like most things in life, their story is neither black nor white.
Identity Crisis tilts everything you know about the DC universe on its axis by asking a simple question: How have the costumed heroes kept their identities a secret for so long?
One of my favorites, but definitely not for everyone.
Word of warning: People seem to either love it or hate it.
Obviously, I'm in the Love It! section, but that doesn't necessarily mean you will.
How many of you out there know who Elongated Man is?
Better yet, of those of you who know, how many of you care what happens to him? Thought so. Well, if you read Identity Crisis, you will find yourself caring not only about him but his wife, Sue, as well. As it turns out, they have a great love story all to themselves.
One that I had never even heard about before I read this book, which is what makes the opening pages even more heartbreaking.
Sadly, the story begins with Sue's murder. Naturally, members of the Justice League from all over spring into action trying to hunt down her killer and prevent anyone else's loved one from becoming a target. Secretly, though, several members meet in private to discuss past sins. As the story unfolds, we learn that there is a secret League within the Justice League.
And like most things in life, their story is neither black nor white.
Identity Crisis tilts everything you know about the DC universe on its axis by asking a simple question: How have the costumed heroes kept their identities a secret for so long?
One of my favorites, but definitely not for everyone.
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Reading Progress
Started Reading
January 1, 2009
–
Finished Reading
December 10, 2009
– Shelved
Started Reading
January 1, 2012
–
Finished Reading
August 30, 2016
–
Started Reading
August 30, 2016
–
Finished Reading
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message 1:
by
Gavin
(new)
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rated it 4 stars
Apr 30, 2014 07:51AM
Oh Good, I'm glad someone else liked this a lot. I still feel like even if you don't like the Ralph/Sue, you can ignore that part and just focus on the internal issues of the JL and the reality of problems faced there.
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How can anyone not like this? I gave it to my friend's kid a few months back, and he was blown away. Of course, he's only 14...
Some people say it was overblown and that no one would care about minor characters like that. I think that it doesn't matter as much about who died as to what happens, and what it reveals about the team and how it's held together. I very much enjoyed it. If I were 14 I'd be like whoa dude.
Who are these 'people'? This is one of my favorite stories ever. Counting novels. It's just good.
LOL. Sam gave it 2 stars. Other things I've read say the same, that no one cares about the Dibnys and that it's overblown. But look, I am on your side :) I like it.
If Sam and I ever agree on a comic book, you need to go play the lottery. Yin and Yang!
i liked it a lot, too. need to re-read it.i think a lot of us who grew up reading comics in the 60s - 80s really, really like Elongated Man and Sue. EM had a back up in Flash and Detective comics for many years, and he was among the first, if not the first, hero at DC whose identity was public. they had all these little crimes to solve, and the stories were light-hearted and fun to read. And when Ralph joined the JLA, it was great having a "minor" character join the big guns.
So, yeah, this story is dark, and it was very sad for us long time fans, but it still worked for me. Comics obviously are not the same as in the days of my youth, but the story was well told and there were lots of small interactions that added such great commentary to the DCU.
I need to re-read and give a review of Goodreads. Glad you liked it.
Definitely want to see you review this one Joseph! I'd love to hear your take on this, especially with your longtime background in comics.
You and Sam agreed on Superman: Secret Identities!
Everyone loves that one...even curmudgeony guys like Sam. *shifty eye thing*
Pssst...Sam isn't aware of this thread, right?
*LOUDLY*
I appreciate all of the GREAT and WONDERFUL opinions express by my DEAR friend, Sam. All hail his awesomeness!
maybe people hate it because it's more of a mystery novel, than a comicbook. like a detective story.
Well, I've heard people say that the 'bad guy' had lame reasons for committing the crime. An, yeah, I can see what they mean, but I still loved it.
Josh wrote: "This may be the most divisive comic ever. I've never met anyone who thought "meh, it was OK.""Right?! It's crazy how polarizing this one is!
*notices Josh's 2 star review*
*picks up torch and pitchfork*
No, just kidding. I get it. :)
LOL! Yeah, and I have to agree with you. There were some serious plot holes in that ending. STILL!Tell me that some of those panels weren't just ICONIC!
Batman holding Robin? That horrible scene with Dr. Light and Sue in the beginning? When Batman and Robing were racing in the car to try to save Tim's dad? All of those choke me up. Every. Time.
That eyeball thing! Ack! Yes, definitely a top ten moment.
I've always wanted to read this. I'm going to have to track down a copy, especially since I'm not a big fan of current DC storylines.
I really hope you like it, Kirsten!So, you aren't liking the Rebirth stuff? I haven't read any yet, but I've been seeing lots of positive buzz. Not from everyone, but...
Agree that this is really good. I've loaned it to a number of people and everyone always likes it. I felt like it dealt with a question that always comes up of do heroes keep their secret identities, and more importantly what happens if they get out real well.
There's some dark parts, but it's a comic so if anything happens that people don't like it gets rewritten and removed down the line anyway.
I've been shying away from this for a while. As you said, some love it, others absolutely hate it.
I loved this one! But then came...Final Crisis....
Vasharesh wrote: "I've been shying away from this for a while. As you said, some love it, others absolutely hate it."I know the feeling. Go with your gut!
Jeremy wrote: "There's some dark parts, but it's a comic so if anything happens that people don't like it gets rewritten and removed down the line anyway."YES! That may be one of my favorite things about comics. Or it's possible it's what I hate the most...
I can't decide. ;)
Quentin wrote: "I loved this one! But then came...Final Crisis...."Uuuuuugh. Yep.
I fall on the "love" side of things
I just knew you were cool...
I thought Elongated Man is Plastic Man 😁😁😁😁Anyways, I enjoyed this book. I have the complete arc on single comics.
Nitoy wrote: "I thought Elongated Man is Plastic Man 😁😁😁😁Anyways, I enjoyed this book. I have the complete arc on single comics."
LOL! You're not the only one. I can't believe they had TWO stretchy guys. I mean...really?
Unlike everyone this one wasn't black and white for me... I was somewhere in the middle. Didn't hate it or loved it. Mostly because i read it as a detective novel. And there are many loose ends which bugged me. The story was good (the idea at least), and i get the feeling they started with the how and then moved to the who dunnit and why.
@anne so weird...I would be weirder if they team up haha!
@elvenc like what Anne said you'll love it or hate it. It's a pretty weird story nevertheless it's good
Nitoy wrote: "@anne so weird...I would be weirder if they team up haha!"There HAS to be a team-up story somewhere! lol
Elvenc wrote: "Unlike everyone this one wasn't black and white for me... I was somewhere in the middle. Didn't hate it or loved it. Mostly because i read it as a detective novel. And there are many loose ends whi..."Which parts bugged you? Curious to know...
@anne oh yes I look it up. There are a bunch of them lol
@Anne the parts that bugged me were the beginning of the mystery (spoilers ahead...)...
...
The rape that occurs,the foolish fight, the lobotomy. All these things are used as a distraction, a tool. I dislike it as a tool there are so many other ways yo distract from the story, to seed doubts.
A good example of this is Agatha Christie. She distracts from the mystery using tiny details and hides other details amidst a mix of other details that turn out to be nothing.
I think that the story is too much in a way. The killing of tim's parents doesn't really serve a purpose and neither do the other things. The one saving grace is wally who acts as he would, but there are too many issues. Too many simple shortcuts taken that I don't think fits with the characters.
So that in all are some of the elements that bugged me.
I enjoyed seeing my favorite characters as people, having quality time with their families, going about the mundane side of their lives. Living, loving, and mourning as a family
Elvenc wrote: "@Anne the parts that bugged me were the beginning of the mystery (spoilers ahead...)...
...
The rape that occurs,the foolish fight, the lobotomy. All these things are used as a distraction, a tool..."
I can understand that!
T-cup wrote: "I enjoyed seeing my favorite characters as people, having quality time with their families, going about the mundane side of their lives. Living, loving, and mourning as a family"Me too!
