I was planning on pimping this pretty hard anyway, especially after how much fun I had at the Comic-Con booth. (They were wonderful. Everyone introduced themselves, there was hand-shaking, we had a lovely conversation, and they let me hang out at the booth until Parry Shen signed my book. Parry Shen! Even though I keep spelling his name "Perry.") Also, they gave me a paper superhero mask. LOVE.

Secret Identies is a deliberate project, spawned by some conversations about how many Asian creators write and draw superhero comics and how few Asian superheroes existed. Secret Identities was created to fill in the gap, and it does a remarkably good job.

Almost all (if not all, there's a Handy Chart at the end but I'm lazy) of the characters are interconnected, and have lives, cultures and backstories (some better illuminated than others). There are two-fisted tales of the Second World War, an encounter with John Henry, and a silly, fun take on outsourcing.

There are, of course, a few complaints. I would have liked more openly gay characters and more women, and the creators themselves have noted that their characters and creators (at least this time around) were mostly East Asian. But overall it is so. Good. Particular gems include a cynical take on the Green Hornet, a clever and tremendously funny story set at a superhero costume laundry and repair shop, and the story of a girl who's the only one in her family without superpowers...or so her family thinks. There are ordinary heroes, extraordinary heroes, and everything in between, in an engagingly diverse selection of art styles-- if you don't like one story, you'll probably like the next one, and there are dozens and dozens here.

The book is black and white with a beautiful section of full-color glossy character concepts and origin stories.

Buy it directly from the creators here!

EDIT: Links to the (legitimate) criticism of this book and the creators' response.