ECC Ediciones brings us the deluxe edition of Identity Crisis, the masterful work by Brad Meltzer and Rags Morales as one man investigates the mysteries of the Justice League.

Nowadays, perhaps the themes of identity crisis are less common, but in the early years of the 21st century, the story, written by Brad Meltzer and drawn by Rags Morales, was a revolution that directly showed the dark side of the hero. It works like Watchmen, and that handles a plot that works like a Swiss watch. Now thanks to ECC Ediciones we can enjoy a deluxe edition of this award-winning work.

Whodunit con malas

Sue Dibney is one of the characters who captured the hearts of readers when this story was conceived. Despite his lack of powers, the Rubber Man’s wife was another member of the Justice League family, and that’s why his gruesome death in the early stages of this volume was so shocking.

Who killed Sue Dee? This is the question that pulls us towards the end of the story, in a plot where not only the criminals, but all the suspects. And the investigation leads us not only to mourn the death of this beloved character, but also to reveal the controversial events in the team’s history and their foundation-shaking and deadly consequences for the DC Universe years later.

Before working at DC Comics, Meltzer was a popular novelist heavily involved in political thrillers. He certainly didn’t have the profile of a writer who would go on to write a superhero story, but somehow he did an amazing job. His work background gave him the kind of fresh perspective and outside-the-box thinking needed to create something different than what everyone expected: a whodunit with characters from the DC Universe and an introspective, dark look at the team.

Heroes with feet of clay

The idealized Justice League of simpler times was a very old concept at this point. It’s been a long time since the concept of heroes changed significantly in the eighties, but until the identity crisis, Alan Moore tormented us with Sally’s rape, so this black vision of the hero could not be seen in a raw and realistic way. Jupiter.

But beyond this, look at the other side of Capital, which is notable in this story for the humanity with which Meltzer portrays the main characters, in a way that is more expressive than usual in Morales.

The weaknesses of these gods who walk among the people are clearly seen when certain events are revealed and even when his murder is placed in the second place. The morally ambiguous terrain we sometimes tread is something that really elevates the impact and importance of this work to levels rarely seen.

The deluxe edition deserves the job

Due to its success and high quality, it is not surprising that this work has been published in different editions and formats, each with its advantages and disadvantages. For compilers, it’s undoubtedly the XP edition that ECC Editions published a few years ago, as it includes all the necessary add-ons. But considering the general failure that these represent on average and how the main event itself works, this new edition will be suitable for both the quality of the materials used and the success of the added accessories.

Published by ECC Ediciones, this deluxe volume is presented in hardcover cardboard format in a plastic sleeve. It contains 288 color pages with a page size of 180 x 274 mm. And the US edition includes all seven of the Identity Crisis limited series as well as some juicy and interesting extras, including the original covers of the issues involved and a final chapter to help you understand the resolutions. By the authors, in addition to the usual designs and parts of the original scripts. The recommended retail price is €44 and it goes on sale in May 2024.