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Well, I'm back in this New Year. I had to take another break in order to save my sanity (or what I have that substitutes for it). I had planned on taking a look back at what seemed to be the "big" things at Marvel and DC, those being the 'Avengers Disassembled' storyline and Identity Crisis respectively. However, I really don't think it's fair for me to say anything much about Avengers Disassembled, because to me it was one of the worst atrocities that has ever been put out by Marvel recently. The "reasoning," the execution and especially the delivery of the storyline was not done well (and I'm reading the new X-Force limited folks . . . I have high tolerance for lameness). Lots of potential lost merely because someone wanted to kiss Brian Michael Bendis' butt and let him wreak havoc for no apparent reason. I haven't read anything that actually says anything good about Avengers Disassembled as a whole, so that's all I'll say about it because you can read what others have to say at other locations.
So, instead I'll turn my sights towards Identity Crisis. This series has finished off with a much more mixed reception, even to me. On one hand you've got a big shakeup that has definitely caught the attention of readers in regards to how the heroes of the DC Universe have, and perhaps may even now, do what they do to safeguard people, especially each other. On the other hand, you've got the question of whether or not the story was "necessary" to bring forth the concepts that it has. For me to really get a serious look at Identity Crisis there are a few specific things that I've been thinking about.
Why Sue?
The first thing that I have to say is that this question has two parts to me. Why did Sue suffer as she did at the hand of Doctor Light, and second is the question of why did Sue have to be the one to die? Two separate questions, but tied together in my mind for the sake of impact.
Looking at what Doctor Light did, there are a number of individuals that could have been in Sue's place, the one "requirement" for the situation to play out EXACTLY the same being that they be female. With that in mind, there could have been a female hero or a character created to be in the situation. My guess is that in the mindset of having someone that would be both "familiar" and "vulnerable," Sue was chosen because she could be both of those things and her being at the satellite made sense due to her unusual level of involvement with the JLA as an everyday person (so to speak).
As far as why Sue had to be the one to die, that's completely a plot necessity to me. The death of a family member or significant individual in the lives of a JLA member would have repercussions no matter what. However, for Identity Crisis to be carried out as it was supposed to be, the person who died had to have some connection to an unknown secret of the JLA. That was unfortunately Sue.
It's almost a battle of "chicken or the egg." Which came first, the idea that Sue be killed or that she was assaulted by Doctor Light? It doesn't really matter because for the concept of the story to be pulled off one would have to be created immediately following the other, so don't lose sleep over it.
Finally, I'll add this bit because it seems to be the big thing a few people have trouble wrapping their heads around. It's the idea of Sue's death being the "reason" for Identity Crisis. Sue's death wasn't the reason for it, specifically. Sue's assault and death were the necessary CATALYSTS for Identity Crisis. If anyone else had died there would have been no revelation of what the JLA members had done in the past. Their secret would have remained. In the DC Universe Sue's death was just BY CHANCE the ONE THING that could have opened up the can of worms that it did. To the readers, yes it was part of the overall plot, but not in the DC Universe. Sue being the person killed at the start was just blind luck from within the perspective of the DC Universe, nothing more (as much as I hate to say it).
Tainted Heroes
This idea is one that really confuses me, plain and simple. I've read various posts about the Silver Age of the JLA being tainted and how some people can't read those stories anymore in the same mindset. If that's what you think, you're a tool, plain and simple. Get over yourself. Your heroes were who they were, they are who they are. People bury their head in the sand over the real atrocities that exist in the world, their countries, and their home towns. Yet, people are ticked because now "the JLA is tainted." Get a grip. Be happy there was a time when comics were written like that. Better yet, if that's the kind of stuff you miss do something to make the real world a place that can be a positive influence for comics. After all, Identity Crisis was just another stepping stone to making the DC Universe a little more like the real world, it's not Meltzer's fault the real world is what it is. He's just holding up the mirror.
Misogynistic?
Ok, here is my say on this (feel free to disagree). You may think Meltzer is misogynistic, I don't. He told a story. Was there some stuff in it that was unpleasant? Sure. Did it happen to a female? Yes. Does that immediately mean it's misogynistic? No.
People calling Meltzer "misogynistic" in my eyes ranks right up there with calling someone a "homophobe" because they don't approve of the homosexual lifestyle, or a "liberal" or "conservative" just because they don't agree with you. In all cases their opinions or views don't match yours so you label because what they're saying/doing makes you uncomfortable and haven forbid you have an intelligent discussion and actually LISTEN to what they're trying to convey.
My advice? Pull your head out of the sand and be prepared to deal with reality. I'm not saying just suck it up, but be prepared to deal. As I said before, Meltzer held up the mirror of the real world. He didn't make the world what it is, he just brought a piece of it (a harsher one) in to a specific medium (if that was a good place for it or not is highly debatable) and some folks would rather shy away. Well, you can't always ignore reality. Get a clue and get a grip. It didn't really happen. If you're so ticked then do something to help people who have REALLY been through what Sue's CHARACTER went through.
The Killer
Now, I'm actually going to avoid describing the killer directly for those who haven't read the series (or don't know) for some reason. I really don't need to mention them anyway because who they are and what they did is probably the biggest problem of Identity Crisis for me. The "who" I can deal with, even the "why" because people do VERY bizarre things in order to achieve their goals, especially when it has to do with them finding something to make themselves happy.
However, the actual process of how things were done just didn't make any sense. Now, perhaps part of the problem may be with Rags Morales' artistic representation of events unfolding. In the final issue we saw many things which we hadn't seen before because we were seeing the "truth" finally. In that truth were multiple clues that were never discussed but very important. There was blood that should have given indications of where to start looking for the cause of Sue's death and there were footprints in all locations of the attacks that should have been found if the investigations were as thorough as Brad Meltzer would have us believe.
Add to that the question of how the killer knew as much as they did about the various heroes' personal lives and things start making MUCH less sense in regards to the murder of Sue. True, the killer did know a lot and had access to many things, but I really don't think the identity of Robin and his father were details they had access to.
Chosen Ignorance
One of the concepts brought forth in the pages of Identity Crisis was that perhaps sometimes Superman and Batman (at least those two) turn a blind eye or a deaf ear to the world around them at times. Leave it to Green Arrow to make such a statement because much like his aim the statement was accurate.
I never really thought about it, but the only way the DC Universe could continue on as it has is if such things happen. Do you really think that Superman or Batman just happen to always miss the big underhanded dealings of the real world ranging from the thug on the street to the powerful elitists? It couldn't happen. However, for the world to move on under its own power it has to.
It's as Superman told Kyle once while Kyle was Ion, "People have to make their own way, Kyle. They have to do for themselves. We need police to enforce law, firefighters to douse the flames, doctors to heal the sick. Humanity helping humanity. And when you take all that out of their hands . . . they aren't living. They're being kept. And when that happens . . . it changes." Plain and simple, the "regular" folks of the Earth (at least) in the DC Universe have to figure out how to make the everyday things better themselves, because that's not what the heroes are for. They're for the big stuff.
Overall I will say I enjoyed Identity Crisis. Sure, it doesn't all sit well with me, but overall I think the ideas carried through. Why do the heroes wear masks? What can push them to take questionable actions? What will the world be like now?
That last one is the big one for me. People don't seem to be picking up on the fact that Identity Crisis is not just quick flash that dies out. It's a point of origin. It's the point from which the future year (at least) of the DC Universe is going to feel many changes. We're moving on to Countdown and then the big Crisis anniversary. I think it's safe to say the results of Identity Crisis will be affecting those stories. Identity Crisis is simply a means to an end, and we've got quite a while until we see the end.
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