| Author |
Message |
Dorey
| | Posted on Saturday, January 06, 2007 - 2:08 pm: | |
IDENTITY CRISIS |
Snowangelica
Username: Snowangelica
Registered: 2-2007
| | Posted on Monday, May 14, 2007 - 6:35 pm: | |
What would you like to know about Identity Crisis? |
Journey
Username: Journey
Registered: 2-2007
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 15, 2007 - 6:50 am: | |
Dorey, I just bought Identity Crisis and yet have to read it, however, am sure Colin and Porter would be more than happy to assist you, if you could be a bit more informative about what you would like to know about it.
If you are just giving a great big HOORAH! for Identity Crisis, I will go along with you and say WooHoo!!  |
Superfriend
Username: Superfriend
Registered: 2-2007
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 15, 2007 - 7:09 am: | |
Identity Crisis is great as a stand alone story. If you look at it as a TV show, like CSI, where you do not know the victim, they die in the opening scenes, and the majority of the story is focused on solving the murder.
Where it falls apart is for long time fans who know the victim, have known the victim and seen them play an important role in in other stories.
For me, using the CSI analogy, it felt like DC had killed the assitant prosecutor. Admittedly, it would have had to be the assistant prosecutor from a dozen years ago who after an important role for 5 years had been off the show completely for 8 of the past 10 years, and was only brought back very recently for a few episodes before becoming the victim.
The other place where it falls apart is it creates a rift between the members of the JLA. It sets up the team in 3 camps. Those who think mind alteration is necessary, those who think it is a bad idea, and those who were not there at the time and the act will be kept a secret from. This is NOT the cohesive JLA I grew up with. The JLA I read was always portrayed as a close group of friends (with the exception of a feud between Green Arrow and Hawkman, which they settled a few issues before I started reading as a kid). |
Superfriend
Username: Superfriend
Registered: 2-2007
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 15, 2007 - 7:15 am: | |
I much prefer Brad's first comics work, "Green Arrow: Archer's Quest" (available now in collected format) and his more recent JLA story, "JLA: Tornado's Path", which is coming soon in collected format if not out yet. Brad's next JLA story, "The Lighning Saga", is underway, with 2 parts out now and the third scheduled for release tomorrow (5 parts in all: JLA 8, JSA 5, JLA 9, JSA 6, JLA 10). I am enjoying this VERY much. |
Snowangelica
Username: Snowangelica
Registered: 2-2007
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 15, 2007 - 7:47 am: | |
Superfriend,
You and I have the same taste! I LOVE "Green Arrow: Archer's Quest"!
How do you know about Brad's next JLA story "The Lightning Saga"? I thought things like this should be very big secret? Like at the national security level?
Gale |
Superfriend
Username: Superfriend
Registered: 2-2007
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 15, 2007 - 9:34 am: | |
Well, I have been reading JLA in all its forms since 1978 and watched the cartoon religously. Seriously, reread the sentence. "2 parts are out now". JLA issue 8 and JSA issue 5 are out in comic stores now. JLA issue 9 is due out tomorrow (new comics arrive at stores every Wednesday, like clockwork. Every title comes out roughly once per month. This story crosses over from the Justice League of America (JLA) into the Justice Society of America (JSA) book, which allows the story to come out two parts per month.) |
Porter
Username: Porter
Registered: 3-2007
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 16, 2007 - 3:30 pm: | |
Ah. Identity Crisis. Although many of you love Archer's Quest, which is a solid piece of work. I love Crisis just a bit more because he dives into a darker side of the league. Not only is the book a murder mystery, it asks the question "What would you do to protect your loved ones?" This is what makes the book so moving. And it draws an interesting line between certain characters in the league...those who will do anything to protect their loved ones and those who go by the book. Plus it created a lot of stress for the league in the year that followed the story(O-mac and JLA). And I love the scene where the league fights Deeathstroke!
If you don't have the trade paperback ($15), Dorey, I say go get it now and read it from cover to cover. It also reads like a movie due to it's wonderful art and pacing.
I also agree that the first 8 issues of JLA are extremely high quality and are the best thing I have read this year. I think they will be released in hard cover format ($25) in June. This would be a good time to jump on board and begin reading JLA. As for the JLA/JSA saga, I think the team-ups are fun but the story has yet to explode. But then again, I'm not a huge Legion fan. |
Superfriend
Username: Superfriend
Registered: 2-2007
| | Posted on Thursday, May 17, 2007 - 6:20 am: | |
To me, there are too many problems with the story.
1. the victim is a member of the regular DC cast, instead of an unknown.
2. The job of heroes is to protect others, so while hostage taking should be rampant in comics, murder itself should not. If someone dies, the hero has failed.
3. The JLA is THE greatest fighting force for good in their universe. They are unified. There should be NO division shown amoung the ranks. Individual differences should be handled in solo stories in their own books. As a team, they are a team. Retroactively creating a rift is just wrong.
4. Deathstroke is NOT that great a villain. Is he good? yes. Is he good enough to take on 1/2 of the Satellite era JLA? No. Look back at his origin. he is Captain America working for the bad guys. So he's capable of taking some of them one on one, but not the team.
5. The 'thrown in' other deaths for no reason. Ronnie Raymond. Tim's father. Digger. these deaths had no point in the story. Again, the job of the hero is to save lives. This only showed them failing again.
6. The resolution. It came out of the blue. The clues weren't there. And the reason the murderer gave at the end made no sense.
In my opinion, this was a fine story, it just did not belong set in this established universe. |
Porter
Username: Porter
Registered: 3-2007
| | Posted on Thursday, May 17, 2007 - 4:50 pm: | |
Here's my response to the issues Superfriend has with the story.
1. the victim is a member of the regular DC cast, instead of an unknown.
Having the member be a regular makes the want and lash back (from the heroes) and find the killer that much more desperate and passionate. And no one would care if some no-name died.
2. The job of heroes is to protect others, so while hostage taking should be rampant in comics, murder itself should not. If someone dies, the hero has failed.
But this murder (I'm not going to give it away) happens because it comes from an unexpected person. That's why the murder happens. And I think we can all say that every hero is pissed because they failed. No hero is perfect. That's what makes us read comics...because the characters are believable and have human flaws.
3. The JLA is THE greatest fighting force for good in their universe. They are unified. There should be NO division shown amoung the ranks. Individual differences should be handled in solo stories in their own books. As a team, they are a team. Retroactively creating a rift is just wrong.
This book shows that there are some breaks in the league. And the league being perfect. Guy G was in the league and he's an F-up! (Read Formerly known as the Justice League...It's freaking funny!) And Batman freaking clobbers him. I'd call that some dissention in the ranks. But honestly, it's the flaws in the characters that make it interesting. If the league was just like you say it should be, no villian would ever pose a threat and it would be no fun to read. And we all know certain members of the league dislike eachother and, I think, that makes it more fun to read.
4. Deathstroke is NOT that great a villain. Is he good? yes. Is he good enough to take on 1/2 of the Satellite era JLA? No. Look back at his origin. he is Captain America working for the bad guys. So he's capable of taking some of them one on one, but not the team.
Sure, he's not the best but he is a fighter who plans his fights. But as we all know, the league still kicks his butt in the end. "Watch the birdie!"
5. The 'thrown in' other deaths for no reason. Ronnie Raymond. Tim's father. Digger. these deaths had no point in the story. Again, the job of the hero is to save lives. This only showed them failing again.
No reason? It's all there. Tim's father dies because Digger is trying to make a name for himself. He wanted to prove to his son and the villian community that he still had it. But it all goes bad and people die. Plus we all know that the characters that work with Bruce on a regular basis end up getting hurt. Dick is the only one who has escaped this bad luck.
6. The resolution. It came out of the blue. The clues weren't there. And the reason the murderer gave at the end made no sense.
SPOILER (DON"T READ ON IF YOU HAVEN'T FINISHED THE BOOK!!!)
The clues are there. Just look closer. And if you read the end section again, I don't think the murderer intended to kill the victim. The murderer just wanted to hurt her. By doing this it would make the murderers lover come back, so that they could have a relationship. The real question to ask is "Have you ever wanted someone back so bad that you would do anything to get them to come back to you?" This is the true motivation. Desire. Lust. Love. Loveliness. Desperation. That's why the murder happens.
In my opinion, this was a fine story, it just did not belong set in this established universe.
I'm on the opposite of the spectrum. Although I understand where you are coming from, I just can't agree with you. This is a well crafted story that shook the DC universe and set so many things in motion in the following year. Bad stories don't do that. Good ones do. Unless you're Marvel. Then bad stories create worse stories. (Sorry...low blow. I'm just not a Marvel Fan.)
For those interested on Brad's take on particular scenes, just pick up the trade. He discusses most of them in the back section. |
Porter
Username: Porter
Registered: 3-2007
| | Posted on Thursday, May 17, 2007 - 4:51 pm: | |
Sorry for the novel of a response.
Cheers! |
Superfriend
Username: Superfriend
Registered: 2-2007
| | Posted on Friday, May 18, 2007 - 8:42 am: | |
Glad you took the time to write it out. very well put. It will take some time to come up with as good a response. Kudos. in brief, we may just have to agree to disagree. |
Snowangelica
Username: Snowangelica
Registered: 2-2007
| | Posted on Friday, May 18, 2007 - 10:42 am: | |
Porter,
You inspired me to read the book again! |
Colin
Username: Colin
Registered: 2-2007
| | Posted on Friday, May 18, 2007 - 4:46 pm: | |
The thing that bugs me about the fall out is that the heroes still throw their secret ids around amongst themselves, which is what screwed them in IdC (particularly Jack Drake) |
Porter
Username: Porter
Registered: 3-2007
| | Posted on Friday, May 18, 2007 - 10:15 pm: | |
Very true. And we all wonder why Batman has trouble trusting others. If I were him, I wouldn't trust anyone but the Big Blue Boyscout. I would love to see a story written about a new hero that comes on the scene and doesn't want to take off his mask, even in the presence of the league...Someone who knows how to keep a secret
As for disagreeing...that's ok. I love the debate and love seeing how others see thing in a different light. But I am interested to se what you have to say, Superfriend.
And I'm happy to inspire you, Snowangelica. I am the same way with stories when my friends are talking about them. We all had a conversation about the Red Hood trades and I had to run home and re-read them. All I have to say is that Jason Todd is a PIMP! |
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