In 2004, a very different kind of crossover was born. Brad Meltzer’s Identity Crisis was the absolute exact opposite of Crisis on Infinite Earths in every way possible. In fact, it was the opposite of every event crossover that had occurred since that time as well. Focusing on the sins of the heroes of the DCU, Identity Crisis explored the emotions of the heroes rather than focusing on giant fight scenes. The crossover revolves around a mystery and the consequences of unraveling that mystery rather than heroes facing a major threat. In the end, readers were shown a different side to the heroes they had known and loved for so many years.
This book is probably more important than CoIE simply because it shows a human side to the DCU that people can relate to. When Wally West learns that his mentor, Barry Allen, actively participated in allowing Zatanna to mind wipe a number of supervillains (along with Batman), the look of disappointment is something all readers can relate to. Who hasn’t had learned something that has cast an idol in a negative light? By seeing the Flash’s pain, we can all try and cope with our own disappointment towards the people in our own lives.
Some people look down upon this book for not being as epic as other crossovers, and while it’s a quieter comic than others, it is certainly no less epic. Meltzer has always been able to take C grade characters and make them relatable to readers. At times it may be a bit convoluted, but it has real consequences and more heart than any other crossover ever.
#1 – Memorable Deaths – The central plot revolves around the murder of Elongated Man’s wife, Sue Dibny. After Sue’s death, it was revealed that she had been raped by Z-grade villain Dr. Light in the past. Many fans were upset that Sue was murdered in such a brutal fashion and many more were upset by the very graphic depiction of her rape. Some flocked to Gail Simone’s “Women in Refrigerators” website to sound off about how unfair women were treated in comics.
Honestly, had Sue Dibny not died, I wouldn’t have even known that Elongated Man was married. It wasn’t until after her death that I read Starman and I saw the happy couple interacting with one another. It speaks volumes to Meltzer’s writing ability that a minor character like Sue could have a death that effected so many people. Her relationship with Ralph was a pure and beautiful love and it aches at the heart to see her die. The emotion that Meltzer draws from such a death is more poignant than any slugfest in other mega crossovers.
While it’s true that some scenes involving women are grotesque and inappropriate, Sue Dibny’s death is not the case. Sometimes, women are raped. This is a fact. The depiction of Sue’s rape wasn’t glorified in any way, and in fact, it was absolutely horrific to see on the page. It was done to create a real world connection and to show how sometimes, all people can do is forget and move on from the past. We’ve all had bad things we’ve had to work through and Sue Dibny’s example should be seen as powerful rather than shameful.
In addition to Sue’s death, Tim Drake’s (Robin’s) father, Jack Drake was killed at the hands of Captain Boomerang. The scene where Batman and Robin race towards the Drake home in order to save Jack Drake’s life is a heart wrenching scene that still holds a tense pace. No matter how fast they drive, they won’t make it in time and it’s agonizing for the reader as well as the characters. Again, Meltzer deftly crafts genuine emotion as Batman holds his partner close and comforts him.
Oh yeah, and don’t forget to include the underwhelming, almost shoe-horned in death of Firestorm (the less said about it, the better).
#2 – Powerful villains – The main villain of the story turns out to be the Atom’s ex-wife, Jean Loring. The reveal was underwhelming, and her motive was a little lame, but it all turned out okay in the end, I suppose.
While the main villain fails, the series seriously elevated three minor villains into the major leagues. First, the aforementioned Dr. Light turns into a legitimate threat and a creepy bastard to boot. His powers are ramped up by the end of the series, and any scenes that the character has with female characters carry a new weight to them.
"Fear me! I can crunch numbers!"
The Calculator went from being a lame villain with buttons on his chest to the dark version of Oracle. He is a criminal fixer of sorts; the fence between big bosses and muscle guys.
Perhaps the biggest winner from the series is Deathstroke, however. While he had always been a threat in the past, Deathstroke takes on the entire JLA and nearly beats them all by his lonesome. He even nearly activates Kyle Rayner’s GL ring merely by being near it. Very hardcore.
#3 – Everyone gets involved – This isn’t necessarily a universe spanning event, but that’s okay, because Meltzer makes the most of the little guys in the JLA. This series reminds us that everyone has a family that they love dearly and something bad could happen at any time.
#4 – Memorable Showdowns – Issue three’s battle with Deathstroke is a tense and wild battle. Jack Drake cowering in his home while Captain Boomerang skulks through on the hunt is equally as fascinating (which is saying a lot considering these are two relatively lame characters).
Most memorable moments from this comic are quiet character moments. When Tim talks to his dad, and Jack says “I’m proud of you, son” after Tim has left. When Captain Boomerang connects with his own son for the very first time. When Oliver Queen and Hal reminisce about how much they miss one another. When Ralph Dibny talks about why his wife loves him so much (“Some women prefer Butter Pecan ice cream”). When it’s revealed that the Big Three have always been their own “League” and they left out the other characters. The scenes where heroes are mourning their lost loved ones.
All of these are amazing and powerful parts of the series, but nothing is more cool than when Batman says, “People think it’s an obsession. A compulsion. As if there were an irresistible impulse to act. It’s never been like that. I chose this life. I know what I’m doing. And on any given day, I could stop doing it. Today, however, isn’t that day. And tomorrow won’t be either.” With this bit of monologue, Meltzer shows us more insight into the psyche of Batman than most writers do in entire runs.
#5 – Ending – The end of Identity Crisis leaves readers with more questions than answers. It’s clear that the League has kept secrets from Batman, the Atom has disappeared to who knows where, and the effects of Sue and Jack’s deaths will be felt for quite some time. The contrasts between this series and CoIE are absolutely stunning when one realizes that CoIE killed an innumerable amount of people with little emotional fallout and this series killed less than five people with effects that still remain today.
By far, this has been one of my favorite crossover events. Why? Meltzer nailed it. I’d never heard the guy before, and he swoops n, writes a book that hits on every character level and gets the voice of each character right. The bastard. But I digress…isn’t this the book where we realize that Zatanna has been messing with Batman’s head, and he doesn’t like it?
To answer your question about Z, yes. Batman showed up while they were trying to rewrite Dr. Light I’s mentality, so they mindwipe him.
The one problem i have with this crossover deals with som of the follow up titles like Crisis of Conscious and Zatanna appearing the the Catwoman solo to claim she’s only good now because her mind was also rewritten. Those two arcs definitely fell flat for me, though admittedly i’ve never been fond of Catwoman volume 3, but the mindwipes didn’t help.
Identity Crisis however i loved, Firestorms death was kind of sad to me, and i agree shoehorned, but I still saw the emotion in the panels when he realized he was screwed and he would take out everyone and the city around him if he didn’t get away. Plus it brought about Jason Rusch who i love with a passion.
Identity Crisis was the first Crisis title that I read. I remember the hype going in to it and wondering if I should buy it. I desperately wanted to know the hyped death. At first, I didn’t buy it due to financial issues. When I found out Sue Dibney had been raped and killed, my first reaction was, “Who?”
As I grew more fascinated with the DC Universe, I finally picked up Identity Crisis and was thoroughly impressed. Yes, it is a superhero story, but it is a character piece and a traditional mystery novel. Meltzer fleshes out the characters in this story and makes them sympathetic. On some level, I believe you can have little knowledge of these characters and still connect with the story. Perhaps his choice of Sue Dibney and Elongated Man was essential for the most impact. If he had picked a larger, more iconic character, the impact could have been lessened. We aren’t as familiar with Sue, she doesn’t have superpowers, and so she seems more vulnerable as a result.
While this piece was not as epic as some Crisis titles, the ripples from Identity Crisis are still felt. Batman’s paranoia led to the current incarnation of the OMACs, as well as his distrust of many of the Justice League. Deathstroke has been a solid villain for a long time, thanks to Meltzer’s writing. Tim Drake struggled with the loss of his dad in The Resurrection of Ra’s Al Ghul. And of course, it all leads directly to Infinite Crisis, but I’m sure we’ll get more on that later. Between Identity Crisis and Infinite Crisis, Meltzer and Geoff Johns pushed the tension that exists between the characters of the DC Universe to the forefront. Everyone had to deal with their demons.
Prior to reading Identity Crisis, my experience with comics from the DC universe consisted of a few Batman stories (hand picked for me by my husband), Green Lantern and Green Lantern Corps (I started subscribing to these titles with Rebirth and Recharge respectively). Thus, many of the characters in this story were new to me, but Meltzer did such great characterizations in this compelling story that my lack of familiarity did not prevent me from nearly crying over the deaths. In fact, they were more moving than some that I have read since then involving characters I know (i.e. Kyle Rayner in Blackest Night).
I disagree with Cody about Jean Loring as the main villain; I thought her motivation was very believable given how I’ve seen female jealousy play out in the real world. I thought the reveal that Sue’s murder was not the result of a super villain’s quest for revenge but rather a ordinary woman’s attempt at manipulating a reconciliation with her ex-husband was a good twist and made Sue’s death all the more tragic.