Setting a thriller in the world of 1970s comic books was a winning combination for author Alex Segura’s 2022 novel Secret Identity. He returns to the modern world in his new sequel Alter Ego.
Alter Ego takes a critical look at the present landscape of comics, corporations, and IP, while plotting a new thrilling mystery involving the creation of comic “The Legendary Lynx.”
This time the story focuses on Annie Bustamante, a revered filmmaker who cut her teeth in comics before leaving the medium behind. She’s convinced to return with an offer to work on her favorite obscure character, The Legendary Lynx.
When the company behind the comic’s revival begins to act shadily and fires Annie from the project, Annie realizes there is more at stake than just her story being published.
The character of Annie takes a little while to connect with on the page because the early sections heavily use shifting timelines to connect Annie’s past, present, and the murder of her friend, journalist Laura Gustines. As you get further along in the book the flashbacks flow better and Annie starts to feel like a more fleshed-out character.
Her origin in comics, her tragic relationship with her best friend Danny, and her life after motherhood all lead to the crossroads presented to her with the Lynx. Saving the Lynx’s legacy is Annie’s driving force — and source of danger.
Annie isn’t just an avatar for comic book fans who fall in love with older stories, she has a surprising personal connection to the comic that fuels part of the intrigue of the story. You’ll be invested as she tries to unravel what really happened during the creation of the Lynx and why someone is now willing to resort to murder to hide the truth.
Although technically the novel provides enough details about the events of Secret Identity that you don’t have to read the first book to understand the second, having an existing connection to the Lynx’s origins will endear you more to the plot. It’s easier to understand Annie’s obsessions with these figures of the past if you’ve already spent time with them, though being a deep fan of anything can also help you relate.
It also allows you to focus more on the primary mystery of who wants to cover up the Lynx’s creation rather than making sense of the minute details of what happened during the creation. The details of those events is enough to be its own book and it was!
If you’ve read Secret Identity you’ll also be familiar with the work of artist Sandy Jarrell, who has adapted her style to create “Annie’s” beautiful pages sprinkled throughout the book. What fun is a book about comics if you can’t include any artwork?
Like the original, the novel still borrows from the real world of comics for references and world-building that will speak to comic book fans while also relying on the history of the purely fictional Triumph Comics. The world-building expands further this time to also include Hollywood and a director figure, Arturo Spinoza, who feels like a hodgepodge of lauded directors, some of whom have been exposed for bad behavior.
The focus on the danger of AI and struggle for creator’s rights will feel timely for anyone who follows any of the creative industries (and should be a flag to anyone not familiar to become aware of how it impacts the ethics of consuming entertainment).
For fans of mystery thrillers who love the world of comics, or who at least won’t mind the heavy dose of comic book enthusiasm in the pages, Alter Ego is a great pick.
Alter Ego is available now wherever you buy books.
