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Secret Identities: The Asian American Superhero Anthology by Keith Chow, Parry Shen, Jeff Yang
hobbitfreddie's review
2.0
My actual rating would be 2.5. I like the idea of this anthology, basically Asian American cartoonists telling stories they wanna tell. Also some of stories are loosely connected which is cool! It’s a clever idea for an anthology.
However even though this anthology has a lot of stories none of them really made me go “wow!”. Most of the stories just feel like a miss. Most of them just feel too short. Either they go nowhere or just feel like an intro to the character. Not many of them left an impact.
I think the parts that tackled politics and race were probably the strongest and most interesting. I found the more generic superhero stories weaker and more of the cartoonist showing their cool character.
I don’t usually read comics from the 2000’s. Idk why I just read what I can find usually. This one’s from 2009 iirc, feels very much like something from that era idk how to describe it. Also Obama appears.
I think my favorite stories were probablh Trinity (liked the art style), A Day at CostumeCo (fun story also very much a 2000’s comic), and The Blue Scorpion and Chung (good short story and uses the short length well)
Anyways interesting concept but most of the stories weren’t anything to write home about.
However even though this anthology has a lot of stories none of them really made me go “wow!”. Most of the stories just feel like a miss. Most of them just feel too short. Either they go nowhere or just feel like an intro to the character. Not many of them left an impact.
I think the parts that tackled politics and race were probably the strongest and most interesting. I found the more generic superhero stories weaker and more of the cartoonist showing their cool character.
I don’t usually read comics from the 2000’s. Idk why I just read what I can find usually. This one’s from 2009 iirc, feels very much like something from that era idk how to describe it. Also Obama appears.
I think my favorite stories were probablh Trinity (liked the art style), A Day at CostumeCo (fun story also very much a 2000’s comic), and The Blue Scorpion and Chung (good short story and uses the short length well)
Anyways interesting concept but most of the stories weren’t anything to write home about.
saidtheraina's review
4.0
I really dig the idea of this. Provide a place for Asian-American graphic novelists to present their vision of Asian-American superhero comics. It should be noted that I am not a rabid reader of superhero comics (tending to gravitate toward indie/alternative/small press graphic novels), so this is not an expert's perspective and I may not be the target audience.
And, like most anthologies, in terms of success, it's a grab-bag. Some of the selections are less well-executed than others, some of the selections are more didactic than others. Some of the comics are more sexist than others (yes, comics focusing on women superheros are relegated to a chapter titled, "Girl Power," which is... not particularly excusable).
The standout selections for me were as follows:
1. Justified (pg. 170-71) by Ken Wong & Tiffanie Hwang
When I picked up this book to review it a couple of months after reading it, this two-page spread was the only story I remembered before actually opening the book again. I'm pretty shocked to see that it's only two pages long. Really, really good work.
2. A Day at Costumeco (pg. 119-125) by Jeff Yang & A. L. Baroza
When I flipped through the thing to refresh my memory, I saw this one and gasped in glee. Though apparently not aggressively memorable, this is a great take on day-to-day superhero society (not unlike [b:Top 10 The Forty-Niners|59706|Top 10 The Forty-Niners |Alan Moore|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348393076s/59706.jpg|2647078], [b:Powers Vol. 1 Who Killed Retro Girl|105864|Powers, Vol. 1 Who Killed Retro Girl?|Brian Michael Bendis|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348572693s/105864.jpg|102045], [b:Born in Fire Rising Stars 1|771577|Born in Fire (Rising Stars, #1)|J. Michael Straczynski|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347605403s/771577.jpg|757632], [b:Soon I Will Be Invincible|645180|Soon I Will Be Invincible|Austin Grossman|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320554514s/645180.jpg|955983], [b:Watchmen|472331|Watchmen|Alan Moore|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327866860s/472331.jpg|4358649] etc. etc. etc.). I especially dug the focus on kids and coming of age in such a world.
3. The Blue Scorpion & Chung (pg. 63-74] by Gene Yang and Sonny Liew
Totally obvious behind-the-music on The Green Hornet. But really, it needed to exist.
I'd love either of the first two to be expanded into a longer graphic novel. And I hope that more anthologies like this one will come out, maybe focusing on other underrepresented populations. Quite possibly my favorite part about this is that, as detailed in both the extra material and their contributions, the editors were inspired to create this organically. We can tell it was a labor of love. There's even a timeline of when these comics are set in the back, y'all!
Based on my personal experience with this, I'd probably give it three stars, but because more books along these lines should exist (at least as long as we don't have a perfect society, race-politics-wise), it gets an extra.
And, like most anthologies, in terms of success, it's a grab-bag. Some of the selections are less well-executed than others, some of the selections are more didactic than others. Some of the comics are more sexist than others (yes, comics focusing on women superheros are relegated to a chapter titled, "Girl Power," which is... not particularly excusable).
The standout selections for me were as follows:
1. Justified (pg. 170-71) by Ken Wong & Tiffanie Hwang
When I picked up this book to review it a couple of months after reading it, this two-page spread was the only story I remembered before actually opening the book again. I'm pretty shocked to see that it's only two pages long. Really, really good work.
2. A Day at Costumeco (pg. 119-125) by Jeff Yang & A. L. Baroza
When I flipped through the thing to refresh my memory, I saw this one and gasped in glee. Though apparently not aggressively memorable, this is a great take on day-to-day superhero society (not unlike [b:Top 10 The Forty-Niners|59706|Top 10 The Forty-Niners |Alan Moore|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348393076s/59706.jpg|2647078], [b:Powers Vol. 1 Who Killed Retro Girl|105864|Powers, Vol. 1 Who Killed Retro Girl?|Brian Michael Bendis|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348572693s/105864.jpg|102045], [b:Born in Fire Rising Stars 1|771577|Born in Fire (Rising Stars, #1)|J. Michael Straczynski|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347605403s/771577.jpg|757632], [b:Soon I Will Be Invincible|645180|Soon I Will Be Invincible|Austin Grossman|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320554514s/645180.jpg|955983], [b:Watchmen|472331|Watchmen|Alan Moore|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327866860s/472331.jpg|4358649] etc. etc. etc.). I especially dug the focus on kids and coming of age in such a world.
3. The Blue Scorpion & Chung (pg. 63-74] by Gene Yang and Sonny Liew
Totally obvious behind-the-music on The Green Hornet. But really, it needed to exist.
I'd love either of the first two to be expanded into a longer graphic novel. And I hope that more anthologies like this one will come out, maybe focusing on other underrepresented populations. Quite possibly my favorite part about this is that, as detailed in both the extra material and their contributions, the editors were inspired to create this organically. We can tell it was a labor of love. There's even a timeline of when these comics are set in the back, y'all!
Based on my personal experience with this, I'd probably give it three stars, but because more books along these lines should exist (at least as long as we don't have a perfect society, race-politics-wise), it gets an extra.
gimchi's review
3.0
i *wanted* to like this book more, but though i applaud it for what it is, much of it was very 'meh'. the artwork wasn't always clear and some of the stories were damn hard to follow, which always irritates me to no end.
oliviak07's review
4.0
Phil Yu, from AngryAsianMan.com, states it best in his review of Jeff Yang et al's "Secret Identities: The Asian American Superhero Anthology": "Where were these comics when I was a kid? At long last, here are the Asian American superheroes I've always wanted."
I worried that, in not reading both of Yang's anthologies in chronological order I would miss something key that unifies both graphic novels. However, it was not held against me, and should not be held against other readers, since like most superhero movies and comics it is best to jump right in. The water is fine!
Like the second anthology, there is something to learn from each line of dialogue, from each cell, in each story. My personal favorites from this collection were: "The Citizen" by Greg Pak, with art by Bernard Chang (56), "S.O.S." by Tanuj Chopra, with art by Alex Joon Kim (93),"Section Three: Girl Power" written and illustrated by Kripa Joshi (99), "You Are What You Eat" by Lynn Chen, with art by Paul Wei (100), and "Supergrrrls" written and illustrated by Hellen Jo (126).
I was also introduced to the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, a unit composed of almost entirely second-generation Japanese Americans, who in World War Two became the most decorated regiment in United States military history. I cannot fully fathom what that experience was like for them, given the atrocities they faced on the frontlines overseas, and where their families were relocated to back home. If there are any books (novels, biographies, etc.) on these men please let me know.
There may be some out there who think once the month of May is through that they do not need to continue to read books about the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) experience. I thoroughly disagree, and would encourage you to check out www.secretidentities.org for more stories and resources to enjoy all year long.
I worried that, in not reading both of Yang's anthologies in chronological order I would miss something key that unifies both graphic novels. However, it was not held against me, and should not be held against other readers, since like most superhero movies and comics it is best to jump right in. The water is fine!
Like the second anthology, there is something to learn from each line of dialogue, from each cell, in each story. My personal favorites from this collection were: "The Citizen" by Greg Pak, with art by Bernard Chang (56), "S.O.S." by Tanuj Chopra, with art by Alex Joon Kim (93),"Section Three: Girl Power" written and illustrated by Kripa Joshi (99), "You Are What You Eat" by Lynn Chen, with art by Paul Wei (100), and "Supergrrrls" written and illustrated by Hellen Jo (126).
I was also introduced to the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, a unit composed of almost entirely second-generation Japanese Americans, who in World War Two became the most decorated regiment in United States military history. I cannot fully fathom what that experience was like for them, given the atrocities they faced on the frontlines overseas, and where their families were relocated to back home. If there are any books (novels, biographies, etc.) on these men please let me know.
There may be some out there who think once the month of May is through that they do not need to continue to read books about the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) experience. I thoroughly disagree, and would encourage you to check out www.secretidentities.org for more stories and resources to enjoy all year long.
puggreader's review
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
curiouslibrarian's review
2.0
This is a 2.5 from me.
Shortly before this book was published, I went to a panel at NYCC with some of the editors and creators. The enthusiasm was palpable and contagious, so I was greatly looking forward to reading this anthology.
Maybe my hopes were up too high, but I was very disappointed. I almost abandoned it after finishing section one, because I was just that uninterested. The stories in that section felt more like snippets than complete stories, and they felt connected in some vague way that I wasn't following.
I picked up the book a few times in the following weeks, reading a story here and there. It wasn't until I got to Section 3: Girl Power that I started to get into a groove with this book. I starting find more stories that I liked.
Overall though, disappointed with this anthology.
Shortly before this book was published, I went to a panel at NYCC with some of the editors and creators. The enthusiasm was palpable and contagious, so I was greatly looking forward to reading this anthology.
Maybe my hopes were up too high, but I was very disappointed. I almost abandoned it after finishing section one, because I was just that uninterested. The stories in that section felt more like snippets than complete stories, and they felt connected in some vague way that I wasn't following.
I picked up the book a few times in the following weeks, reading a story here and there. It wasn't until I got to Section 3: Girl Power that I started to get into a groove with this book. I starting find more stories that I liked.
Overall though, disappointed with this anthology.
kejadlen's review
2.0
A few decent comics in here, but mostly full of meh web-comic-esque art. However, reading this made me realize that the only asian superhero that immediately came to mind for me was Amadeus Cho...
depreydeprey's review
4.0
Any anthology is going to be uneven. Especially one with this high a volume of up and coming writers and illustrators. You know that going in but what makes Secret Identities special other than the obvious, groundbreaking nature of getting this many Asian writers and artists all in one book is that the overall quality is so high. The super hero genre is almost completely under the control of well meaning. white people from Portland that it is a breath of fresh air to hear some new voices in the room.
aprileclecticbookworm's review
3.0
Sequential art anthology by Asian Americans featuring Asian Americans. Some of the comics were fantastic but others were harder to follow or not as well done so it averaged out 3 stars for me. :) I do hope some of them continue.