Ah, Identity Crisis, the great divider. A comic so beloved by some and hated by others that it's polarizing as hell. I tend to fall on the middling side of "dislike". I don't absolutely hate the series. It has some good moments, but overall, I think it’s bad on a couple levels.
I wouldn't go as far as ComicsAlliance writer Chris Sims, who's referred to the series as the worst comic book of all time, but I do think it's flawed and worthy of some serious discussion. And so, in the style of my Superman: Grounded and Avengers #200 breakdowns, we're gonna go through the miniseries in depth and analyze the book on a much more serious level. Again, if you like Identity Crisis, this is not a condemnation of you as a person, just the work.
OH, and also, like Avengers #200, this series uses rape as a plot device, so if that's a trigger for you, consider yourself duly notified.
Source: Micronian.com
10. Nosey
Identity Crisis opens on The Elongated Man (Ralph) and Firehawk sitting on a roof, figuring out a mystery. You see, Ralph's wife, Sue, has sent him off to solve a fake mystery so she can plan his surprise birthday party. It's cute.
Ralph does his classic nose twitching thing (a staple of his character) and Firehawk stops him. She says that Green Arrow told her Ralph's nose twitching was all made up for publicity. Ralph angrily stares at her before remarking that Green Arrow wears a hat to hide his bald spot.
Now I know it probably seems petty to point out this tiny little moment as bad, but it’s important to understand the overall problem with Identity Crisis. It's cynical. Really cynical.
The nose twitching, which was a staple of the character's light-heartedness, is apparently a put on. And Ralph takes an opportunity to be mean to his longtime friend behind his back. It's not funny, it's just needless and it misunderstands the characters. And we're just getting started.
