It’s rare that a piece of fiction, whether it be movies, tv, or novels, is told around the world of creating comics like Secret Identity by Alex Segura. Yes, we have an abundance of comic book fiction pieces, but these revolve around the characters in the comics, not those who create them. Secret Identity crosses the boundary between novel and comic in such a perfect way with suspense, action, mystery and intrigue while also dealing with the day-to-day of making comics.
It’s 1975 and the comic book industry is struggling, but Carmen Valdez doesn’t care. She’s an assistant at Triumph Comics, which doesn’t have the creative zeal of Marvel nor the buttoned-up efficiency of DC, but it doesn’t matter. Carmen is tantalizingly close to fulfilling her dream of writing a superhero book.
That dream is nearly a reality when one of the Triumph writers enlists her help to create a new character, which they call “The Lethal Lynx,” Triumph’s first female hero. But her colleague is acting strangely and asking to keep her involvement a secret. And then he’s found dead, with all of their scripts turned into the publisher without her name. Carmen is desperate to piece together what happened to him, to hang on to her piece of the Lynx, which turns out to be a runaway hit.
But that’s complicated by a surprise visitor from her home in Miami, a tenacious cop who is piecing everything together too quickly for Carmen, and the tangled web of secrets and resentments among the passionate eccentrics who write comics for a living.
Alex Segura brings his expertise in writing comics to Secret Identity by bringing to life the richly unique world of comic book creation. His inside knowledge on making comics is apparent in the pages of Secret Identity. This novel has amazing connections to publishing comics, while also brining complex characters and intricate plot twists to the table. The novel seamlessly blends fiction with the uniqueness of the comic book industry, creating an immersive reading experience.
Secret Identity starts off with a bit of a slower pace, but quickly picks up as Carmen delves deeper into the mystery surrounding her. The novel dives deep into comic creation, but is truly about Carmen’s journey as she grapples with issues of identity, ambition, betrayal and loss. The character development adds depth to the narrative allowing us to connect with Carmen on a personal level. It doesn’t hurt that she loves comics.
Getting a taste, albeit a fiction and exaggerated taste, of the inner workings of publishing comics is fun in its own right, but adding mystery and intrigue to the story is simply a home run in our books. The mix between mystery/thriller and straight ahead comic book publishing fiction is unique and just up our alley.
Telling a story dealing with comic creators, publishers and those who work in the comic industry doesn’t seem to have a broad audience, but am I ever so glad Alex Segura took this risk with Secret Identity. What Segura gives us in the end is a masterfully crafted novel that offers us a glimpse of the world of creating comics while delivering a gripping mystery. Those with a huge love for comics as well as those who have only a basic knowledge on how comics work will enjoy this novel.
Secret Identity is available at bookstores everywhere. Listen to the audiobook on Libro.fm narrated by Aida Reluzco.
