Does DC's Identity Crisis deserve all the hate?

Рет қаралды 2,757

Күн бұрын

In 2004, Brad Meltzer wrote Identity Crisis for DC Comics, with Rags Morales on the art. It told the story of a mysterious killer targeting the members of the Justice League family, and in turn revealing a secret that could tear apart the JLA and shatter everything going into Infinite Crisis.
Over the years it's been labelled one of the worst comics of all time by some, and a misunderstood classic by others, so in this full review, I give my take on it.
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#IdentityCrisis #DCComics
00:00 - Intro
00:35 - Art
03:25 - Story
11:57 - Spoilers
13:56 - Final Verdict

Пікірлер: 35

@MaddoggComics 10 ай бұрын

🐶🐶 WOOF WOOF! NEW VIDEO! 🚨🚨 Some love it, others hate it, so either way there's a 50% chance you'll think I'm wrong in this video! But how could I do another Season Of Events without tackling... IDENTITY CRISIS! No matter which side you weigh in on it, you don't want to miss this one! 📚🤯 . Yes, you heard right, MADDOGG MERCH IS HERE! 🤯 We've got some phenomenal designs by @shadowcatmanga that you can pick up today and support the channel! This has been a long time coming, so please show some love! Www.MaddoggComics.com 🐶 . If you want to support the channel, why not treat yourself to something from the channel sponsor: OrganicPricedBooks! Make sure you use code WOOFWOOF for $2 off your orders! 💵 Ordering 3 or more books together? Use code WOOFWOOFSHIPITTOGETHER for 5% off your entire order! 🤯 . If you're in the EU and you want free shipping, free gifts in every order and Hulk-proof packaging, Comics Bugle is the only website you need! Use code WOOFWOOF for 3% off all non-sale items! 👑 . Hope you guys enjoy! I'm picking up the pace with the videos again, so all the support means a lot. Give it a like, subscribe if you're new, and share where you can! . Should have a double dip or skip out next, but until then, stay Mad, Doggs! WOOF WOOF! 🐶

@DanielDeLeon69 10 ай бұрын

What was Wrong with Identity Crisis?

@tonym.s7988 9 ай бұрын

I think the main problem the story has is the retcon really. That single retcon tainsts nearly everyone involved in past stories. Thing that the book doesn't acknowledge is that, even after becoming more associated with the Titans, Light was still not some loser buffoon. The guy faced the Titans 5-to-1 and *won* in their very first conflict, only defeated for underestimating a non-powered friend of theirs called Mal Duncan. He later led the Fearsome Five, beat them again, brainwashed them into killing the League and took over their fortress. And once managed to kidnap Wonder Girl and Robin. To think the Leaguers lied to their face during all of thoae encounters, even when Light showed time and again he was juat as dangerous as before juat turns them into a bunch of sociopaths. The fact it was never addressed after the story really bothered me, as if the Titans were suddenly no real bother to anyone (which sadly, it really is what's happening these days). And then of course, Light became the rape baddie, only there to remind people of what he had done and became even more of a loser, to the point of pathetically dying 4 years after the story. The only thing I like about the story is when the villains are hanging out, cracking jokes about time travel and whatnot, but that was it.

@mladenkulic446 Ай бұрын

I liked Identity Crisis. I love the slow unravelling who done it murder mystery, then the reveal happened and it was a let down.

@mackoftheuniverse9780 10 ай бұрын

Back in 2004, I had a Wizard magazine issue with a full breakdown of Identity Crisis. I used to flip to those pages all the time. When I finally got to read the actual story, I cried. I never knew people thought it was bad. I loved it, including the art. It was very different for comics, and I loved the darkness of it even as a kid.

@Rockies007 10 ай бұрын

How don’t more people smash the 👍. You make great content dude. The work you put into every video is mad appreciated. Thanks for all the great insight.

@theonlygamer2808 10 ай бұрын

If I had two nickles for DC crises's about murder mysteries that are universally hated, i'd have two nickles (this one, heroes in crisis)

@stephentheshywarrior2759 10 ай бұрын

I'm so far behind on my DC especially events but I generally love stories that are controversial so I'm all in. And the art is cool so cannot be too bad.😄 Love the choice of thumbnail you chose this time too!!🙂

@MaddoggComics 10 ай бұрын

Thank you mate, probably spent more time stressing on the thumbnail than I did the editing, so I'n glad it paid off :) Hope you are well mate!

@MP.860 10 ай бұрын

It's one thing to evaluate it as a story on its own. But looking at the effect it had on the wider continuity and characters of the Post-Crisis DCU, then yeah. It does deserve much of the hate. It really sours the DC heroes in a way that could really only be undone via a major reboot like the New 52.

@superby1 Ай бұрын

This and Hush were where I started seeing problems as a DC fan. Ironically both are mysteries with terrible payoffs, but got blasted to instant classic status. Identity Crisis wasn't a good mystery for the points stated in this video. Dr. Light was a competent villain before this, but now he's known FOR this story. It's also another case of other heroes being wrong and Batman being right, because this was a point in DC where writers had to make Batman the center of attention and he could never be wrong. It's also the story where DC really started pushing Deathstroke to unbelievable heights. I blame this and Hush for that era in DC when they went for big names, shocking stories over characterization and good storytelling

@Deadman-rt8dq 8 ай бұрын

Before I finish watching this video, I will get up in the loft and dig these 7 issues out of their box, I read this 19 years ago, and haven't read it since, so don't want to hear the spoilers, even though I think i remember how it ends! New to your channel, interesting take so far, don't know whether I will be able to ignore the eyes though when I re-read it, thanks for that, lol!

@moyza_ 4 ай бұрын

Yes. Yes, it does.

@thelittlehomie658 4 ай бұрын

In my opinion, it does not. I can get behind the criticism (like Doctor Light being magically lobotomized as well as Deathstroke one shotting the league or even most of the League agreeing TO magically lobotomize Dr. Light in the first place), I can also realise that in the end it was a powerful story. It tackled the age old trope of secret identities being made public and WHY heroes have secret identities. I loved the book for what it did all things considered.

@samuel6353 20 күн бұрын

No, it does not. People need to grow up. Identity Crisis is one of the best DC stories ever.

@alexandrefrauches132 10 ай бұрын

Identity Crisis represent perfectly the problem with DC approach in "trying to be mature by being dark". There's no problem in wanting a story to deal with heavy dark stuff and shocking moments but those things shouldn't come at cost of a good story and characters. In many occasion DC tries to do this (this comic, new 52, Snyder films), they go too far with the dark stuff that results in empty shock value. Some things in this didn't need to happened in order for the story to be taken seriously. For exemple: Dr Light could just attack Sue and would be impactful and show the danger of villain knowing the heroes secret identity and loved ones. Why did they need to turn him into a rapist? It was pointless. Same goes for the heroes messing with Batman. They choosing to mess with Dr Light mind in order to protect their families is already a interesting dillema for heroes to deal and also a strong motivation for Batman to distrust the JL. Having the heroes choosing to change Batman memories to cover up what they did just takes away the sympathy for the heroes as well ruins the years of stories before Identity Crisis. I can't belive that Barry or Hal would be able to talk to Bruce after what they did to him.

@dddaaa6965 10 ай бұрын

I never got that part, how is sexually assaulting someone = more edgy than killing a bunch of babies or people? I recall something similar in grant morrisons seven soldiers with buleteer and several of alan moores comics but never seen any complaints about those, not to mention people say he was ruined (including some big name writers themselves) but currently im reading a lot of comics that take place a bit after infinite crisis and I see dr light all the time, hell, he's even included in final crisis a few times. The batman thing I agree, now that I've read a million comics that it is out of place though, but I loved it when I first read it lol but I can't really defend that one at all.

@codysummers6842 10 ай бұрын

@@dddaaa6965 the sexual assault itself isn’t the biggest qualm, the aftermath is. Instead of allowing Sue to empower herself from this situation, Meltzer had the heroes silence her and fridged both her and the baby. It was incredibly tone-deaf.

@TevyaSmolka 10 ай бұрын

identity crisis had potential but i feel like execution was so disappointing

@andrepaul3483 9 ай бұрын

I liked this book up until the ending. Like,wow. Also,Meltzer's Justice League is the polar opposite to this. I enjoyed his run on Justice League of America quite a bit.

@she-hulk7577 10 ай бұрын

I haven’t read this dc event because omg who has the money to buy this. But this sounds so interesting and it could just because you make everything sounds amazing.

@OleanderRainbow 7 ай бұрын

I did like the aspect of this was where Captain Boomerang Jr first debuted. There was potential for him in a "I don't wanna be like my dad." way. Other than that, I didn't like that this was torture pr0n towards Elongated Man. What did he do wrong to deserve losing Sue? (This isn't even going into male Dr Light being a creep and a scumbag. Yes I'm differentiating between male Dr Light and female Dr Light. Female Dr Light is awesome though but I digress.) Finally, Jean Loring murdering Sue Dibny just because she misses her shrinking ex husband is stupid. Ray "Welcome To Pain" Palmer and Jean didn't hate each other after the divorce was finalized. Hell, it would've been great if this was handled in a Jean just calls Ray and they have a casual lunch and they catch up. It would've been a great way of dealing with the concept of amicable exes and that not every breakup/divorce has to end in bitterness, anger and murder. All in all, there was an alright silver lining involving the fact that Captain Boomerang Sr had a kid and the storytelling potential that could come from that. But, the needless torture pr0n of Elongated Man coupled with the quite frankly stupid motivation is gonna be a no from me. Now this ain't to say that I hate anyone who does like this story. That's fine. Do you boo. This story just ain't for me. Thanks for coming to my Ted talk.

@austinpopdan4190 Ай бұрын

Yes.

@notsosmartguy6254 10 ай бұрын

I think murder mystery event comics just don't work for a lot of reasons

@MikeQuarterIrish 10 ай бұрын

I never thought it was bad but I just couldn't get into it.

@nicktroisi6347 5 ай бұрын

This is one of my favourite comic book stories. The writers had balls to tell what they told. Identity Crisis is dark but a great story, it’s a page turner I get that it did a lot of controversial things but I think it was a brave move on DC’s part because and like what Batman Hush (2002-03) did it introduces old and new readers to the Modern Age of DC like this is where it moves away from light hearted stories, this setting the stage for more mature ones like Identity Crisis, 52, Blackest Night, Flashpoint ect, It tells you “Hey, the bad guys aren’t playing around anymore, people are gonna get hurt, they are going to die, everything is going to change from here until now and in fact the Justice League have some secrets too, not good ones”

@DanielDeLeon69 10 ай бұрын

Love Your Comics!

@Allister.1 10 ай бұрын

Woof woof I believe it does not need the hate it just the topics it covers that people hate but it is necessary for you and the people that believe it

@rap3208 10 ай бұрын

Yeah, they didn't want a dose of stark reality, they wanted a happy-happy for their favorite characters.

@Allister.1 10 ай бұрын

@@rap3208 yeah you’re right not all heroes need to be good against bad people some people want to connect with these heroes and other characters to make them better and feel human is the reason Batman is the best character in comics all because of his story’s and the people that he wants to protect from the evil that he does not want killed them

@codysummers6842 10 ай бұрын

it’s an awful and problematic story. Ray and his wife were divorced for 20 years yet she suddenly decided they needed to be together. So much so that she decided to endanger the life of her longtime friend to “bring him back.” however, if she were only trying to give Sue a stroke why did she conveniently have a flamethrower to burn her corpse after? Sue is also pregnant so DC murders the beloved side character and her unborn child. Her subsequent plan led to Firestorm’s murder and an encouraged encounter between Boomerang/Tim’s dad. where she somehow thought he would murder Captain Boomerang and leave it unscathed. The next part of the story involved the heroes collaborating to lobotomize several villains after silencing a rape victim. Leading to an encounter that Deathstroke defeated the entire JLA. the story is a poorly written mess by Meltzer that lacked the comprehension of how to handle sensitive topics.

@rap3208 10 ай бұрын

20 years in your time, not so in the comics.

@rap3208 10 ай бұрын

I liked it when it first came out then, I still like it when I re-read it a week ago. I believe the comic fans did not like it or rejected it because they didn't like what happened to their favorites. Most probably the readers who liked it more were the beginner readers who didn't have preconceived expectations because they didn't know anything.

@dddaaa6965 10 ай бұрын

I liked it too, this, infinite crisis and 52 is my favorite sequence of comics