Identity Crisis: 9 Things It Got Right (And The 1 Big Thing It Didn't)

When it comes to Identity Crisis, Brad Meltzer usually gets all the praise or scorn, depending upon your point of view. What often goes underappreciated is the contribution of artist Rags Morales.

Identity Crisis is a masterclass in how all publishers should do mainstream comics. The story contains dozens of different heroes, villains, and sidekicks who each look unique. A common failing of comics with large casts is that you end up with many shots of the exact "figure" wearing a bunch of different uniforms, but here, every panel is consistent and each character distinct.

That there is no loss of quality between a page of Elongated Man failing to hold himself together at his wife's funeral and a drop-down knock out battle between the Justice League and Deathstroke is no tiny feat either. All seven issues were delivered on time and did not require swapping Morales out for another artist, a testament to the man and his talent.

Morales' is backed up by the one-two punch of Alex Sinclair's colours and Michael Bair's inks. The three combined deliver a formidable and consistent tone and texture that compliments Meltzer's words rather than simply servicing them.

Identity Crisis also marks the return to mainstream comics of Michael Turner, who provided excellent covers for each issue.