Justice League: Identity Crisis is one of my favorite comics of all time. Like many superhero comics that precede it, the story is a mystery, but at its core, it is a complex narrative tackling mature themes such as revenge, secrecy, and death. The comic has very little to no action, instead, the drama and world-building take center stage. Identity Crisis’s strengths are derived from its amazing artwork, well-written dialogue, and shocking story. The comic has no real villain other than the past actions of the Justice League that haunt them.
There are a few things that need to be prefaced before Identity Crisis can be fully understood. Like all comics, the one cinematic event exists in a larger universe and timeline that spans decades of rich and sometimes convoluted history. Long before the events of the Identity Crisis, two major superheroes died, Barry Allen as the Flash and Hal Jordan as the Green Lantern. Both their positions as heroes have been replaced. Barry Allen’s nephew Wally West now wears his Flash uniform, and Kyle Reiner has taken the post of Hal Jordan as Green Lantern of Space Sector 2814. Both Kyle and Wally are new members of the league, and their innocence is juxtaposed with the lies and deceit that has plagued the League long before their arrival. This is not to say that the classic League members such as Batman and Green Arrow are not heroes. They are still fighting against evil, but in this comic, we see their flaws and how their morality is just as complicated as the villains they fight, creating a more complex environment than an average comic. In most cases, the villains are framed as more human and moral in their actions than many of the league members.
Identity Crisis is unique to other crossover events in the fact that the graphic novel focuses on the actions of the more obscure and less famous justice leaguers. The main narrator of Identity Crisis is Green Arrow who is the only hero without superpowers excluding Batman in the justice league, and he serves as our guide through this universe of gods and supermen. Green Arrow, in essence, is the most human-like character. He is mortal and does not have the brutal and grim mentality of Batman, making him the voice of reason and a humbling presence in the Justice League. In this novel, the Justice League is not the shining example of hope and unity. Division in the league caused by fear leads to secrecy between factions in the league. There is a social barrier created between the three founding members of Wonder Woman, Superman, and Batman, who act as the overseeing godlike figures that the other members simultaneously fear and respect. The lower-class members such as Hawk Man, the Atom, Black Canary, Green Arrow, Zatanna, and the Elongated man all act independently from the league due to the fear and distrust they have for the rest of the heroes. The artist Rags Morales depicts this class division inside the justice league by framing the three leaders of the League: Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman as symbols of authority and imperial power. In an interrogation scene between Wonder Woman and a criminal, the artist purposely never draws Wonder Woman’s face. Instead, the only view of Wonder Woman’s presence is close-ups of her lasso and her suit. Rags Morales states in an interview that he chose to focus on the iconography of Wonder Woman in order to frame her as a godlike figure compared to the B and C list superheroes in the league. The division amongst the Justice League highlights the hypocrisy among the superheroes’ union, blurring the line between who is good and bad.
The story itself is catalyzed by a murder. Sue Dibny, the wife of the Elongated Man, is killed at the beginning of the novel by an unknown assailant. The murder is personal for the League, leading their investigation to be fueled by rage and fear more than any sense of justice. This means that darker shades of seemingly perfect and pure heroes are seen. As the story progresses, the threats become more serious, and the leaguers become more violent. Innocent supervillains are targeted and beaten down by league members, driven by their loved one’s safety and revenge.
Emotions and how they come into conflict with duty is the main theme. This can most clearly be seen in the dichotomy between Batman and Tim Drake, aka The Robin. Tim Drake’s Robin is not your typical orphaned superhero in this story. He has an average Joe father who struggles with the fact that his son is putting himself in danger each night. Robin, as events proceed in the story, struggles to maintain his duty as a crime fighter when he fears for his own dad’s safety because the loved ones of the league members are being targeted. Batman, on the other hand, has no one to come home to, minus Alfred of course. The novel makes the claim, that as heroes, you are weaker and held down by your love of others. In order to be a successful hero, any form of private life must be extinguished because having loved ones not only gives villains an easier way to hurt you but also distracts the hero from his duty. That is why the secret identity exists, to protect the private life of the hero. Many villains do not fall into the same trappings of the heroes because being a villain is their life, they have no secret identity because they have no private life outside of trying to destroy their heroic counterparts. Lex Luthor is Lex Luthor, and the Joker is the Joker, but Clark Kent is Superman, and Bruce Wayne is Batman. This reveals that the choice to become a hero is harder than the choice to turn to villainy. Sue Dibny’s threat is such a cataclysmic death because it reveals the vulnerability of the Justice League and highlights their true weakness.
Overall, I recommend that everyone read Identity Crisis whether they have read a comic or even if marvel movies are their only exposure to superheroes. Knowledge of the greater DC universe is not necessary to understand and appreciate the deep, complex themes and plot as well as the flawless artistry. Identity Crisis is innovative and creative; it nails the twist ending that too often becomes a pitfall for dramatic drivel. It may not be a literary masterpiece like Watchmen, but it provides a simple and streamline story with a comprehensible and profound plot.
