For a long time I hated the term “graphic novel”. I thought that it felt pretentious, even apologetic, suggesting that comic books are something to be embarrassed about and thus veiled. But then I read acclaimed novelist Brad Meltzer’s controversial 2004 miniseries, Identity Crisis, and came to the realisation that the terminology has, quite rightly, changed along with the product. Every element pathognomonic of a great novel can be found in Meltzer’s Identity Crisis, but instead of being borne of mere words they are given life and dimension by the enticing imagery created by Rags Morales.
For a tale vested with such weight, Identity Crisis begins in a decidedly modest corner of the DC Universe with Ralph Dibny, the recently-outed Elongated Man - or rather his wife Sue, whom he finds brutally murdered. An emotionally wrought superhero version of a police procedural soon ensues, with the Justice League splitting off into factions to pursue their own respective avenues of investigation.
The League’s unease is as palpable as Ralph’s grief - Sue’s death and the events that follow it force its members to consider their own loved ones, and the potential cost should their secret identities ever be exposed. Such fears are thrown into overdrive when they learn that Jean Loring, the Atom’s ex-wife, has also been attacked, with the Tim Drake Robin’s father targeted next. Yet in the background, quiet and persistent, is a nagging sense of disquiet that’s eventually personified in the shape of Wally West. Barry Allen’s successor as the Flash is the key that unlocks the darkest secrets of the Justice League; the veritable lightning bolt that takes the notion of a superhero and briefly illuminates it, before burning it to the ground. Identity Crisis suspends the suspension of disbelief - for a perfect, blazing moment, everything makes sense.Some might question why I’m focusing on a graphic novel that features precious little of the Caped Crusader in a series entitled Legends of the Dark Knight. And, granted, Identity Crisis isn’t a Batman story in the usual sense - the Dark Knight is really only on its periphery as Meltzer’s narrative focuses more heavily on the investigation led by the Green Arrow. Yet Identity Crisis is as much about the Dark Knight as any other Justice League tale. It’s the story that sets him apart from many of his comrades, not just morally but in a very real sense. The devastating reveals of Identity Crisis would ripple back and forth through the DC Universe, setting the stage for future battles while retrospectively making sense of character tension and even the obvious, logical holes that until this story went hand-in-hand with superheroes’ secret identities. This story’s eponymous crisis applies to just about every hero - and many a villain too - but not to Batman. He knows who he is, and it will never change.
