Secret Identity - a novel about comic books and murder

Secret Identity is for the comic book community as Escaping Dreamland is for the children's series book community.  Escaping Dreamland mixed the real and fictional worlds with the story of an author who was researching some fictional children's series books, and along the way, there were tons of references to real series, authors, and publishers (such as Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, Tom Swift, Edward Stratemeyer, the Stratemeyer Syndicate, and so on).  It started off a little slow, but the deeper you read into it, the more engrossed you get, and every reference to real series books and authors just brings more and more smiles to your face.  Well, this is exactly what I found while reading Alex Segura's latest novel, Secret Identity.  It starts off a bit slow, but the further I get into the story, the more invested in the main character I got and the more I enjoyed all of the numerous comic book references!

Secret Identity is the story of Carmen Valdez.  It is the mid-1970s, and Carmen works for a fictional comic book company known as Triumph Comics.  Carmen grew up reading comics, thanks to her father, and her love for comics inspired her to be a comic book writer.  If she can only get that one big break.  While working as a secretary/assistant for the owner of Triumph Comics, Carmen thinks she is about to get that big break.  One of the company's writers is desperate for a new idea, and Carmen shares some scripts that she has been working on with him.  The two collaborate, but Carmen's world comes crashing down around her when she finds the writer dead in his apartment and she discovers that he turned in all of their scripts with only his name associated with them!  Not only is her one chance to enter the field gone, but someone she thought of as a friend betrayed her in the worst way and is now dead, to boot!

While the story has a dark undertone of murder, lies, cover-ups, blackmail, and betrayal, it also has a lighthearted feel to it that any true comic fan will enjoy.  With plenty of references to comics from that era, as well as creators who are now well-known and established, but who were just starting out and relatively unknown back in the mid-70s, there is no doubt that Segura had a lot of fun with this open playground.  Marvel and DC, Paul Levitz and Jim Starlin, Bob Kane and Stan Lee, Metamorpho and Tigra, Defenders and House of Mystery, Trina Robbins and Ramona Fradon, and so many more pop up here and there throughout the story and Carmen tries to make sense of everything that is going on around her.  Because if you think it's only comic books that are monopolizing Carmen's time, you'd be wrong!  There's also the family background of an alcoholic mother and a father who wants nothing to do with a daughter who is "that way."  Plus, when Carmen is confronted by an ex that she thought was in her past, old memories are dredged to the surface, and she has to wonder whether this is truly another chance to make it right, or if she is simply being played again.

And what happens when another comic writer is attacked and nearly killed?  And it looks like Carmen's ex was at not only one, but both crime scenes? Could her ex truly be so vicious as to eliminate anyone that even appears to be interested in Carmen?  Or is the killer someone much closer, someone that has an ax to grind, going back to the days before Triumph Comics and the previous company that the current owner bought out?  This book definitely has a LOT going on, but rest assured - Segura handles it nicely, and everything flows, with no disjointed or unconnected plotlines, nothing left open, and everything definitely makes sense by the end.  Segura even throws in a number of pop culture references from the '70s, such as new bands who are just hitting the scene (such as the Talking Heads, the Ramones, Patti Smith, etc.).  The more you read, the more you really feel like you are in the '70s right along with Carmen and her co-workers, her boss, and her roommate.

Oh, and did I mention that throughout the books, there are "pages" of art from The Legendary Lynx comic book that the main character created and wrote?  The black and white art is by Sandy Jarrell, with whom I am not familiar.  However, in keeping with the book itself, the tag line below the pages of comic book art provides credits to Harvey Stern (writer) and Doug Detmer (artist), the characters with whom Carmen associated with the creation of the book in the story.  It gives a semblance of reality to the story, as if this is more than just a work of fiction, but the biography of a woman comic writer in the 1970s who was doing everything she could to break into the field and establish herself in a male-dominated field.  And, like Escaping Dreamland, the end of the book comes full circle, leading the reader right back to the beginning of the tale...

This book is a lot of things.  It is a murder mystery with an amateur sleuth trying to solve the crime.  It is a story of friendship and betrayal.  It is a romance filled with broken hearts and lies.  But above all else, it is a story of Carmen Valdez - a woman who is determined to make her dream come true, despite all the obstacles placed in front of her, and who will not give up at any cost.  It is inspiring, it is enjoyable, it is heart-wrenching, and it is a slice of real life put in fiction form.  Kudos to Segura for weaving such an amazing work of art into a thoroughly enjoyable read.  If you're a comic fan, you'll love it.  If you are a murder mystery fan, you'll love it.  If you simply like to read - you'll love it!

Now, the only question I have is - when are we going to see The Legendary Lynx leap out of this book and into a real comic of her own?!?!

RATING:  10 pack of Parliaments out of 10 for a magnificent tale of comic books and murder!