Review - My So-Called Secret Identity #2

"I guess now that bat's out of the cag."

Anyone can be a superhero. All you need is a motivator, a costume and missions. The fact that anyone can do it sort of levels the playing field and ensures that those with powers don't get too powerful. While not everyone is blessed with superpowers, some people are blessed with heightened abilities, such as Cat in My So-Called Secret Identity #2.

The second issue is written by Will Brooker and illustrated by Suze Shore and Sarah Zaidan.

Cities need defenders and Urbanite is just that: a defender. He's a defender with a very public life as a rich playboy named Farley Grange who--alongside his partner Brandon Stewart--throw lavish parties and are rumored to be the aforementioned superheroes. Sort of. Cat pulls threads at the fabric of their story and learns there's a bit more to it than just that; mainly, Enrique is involved a lot more heavily than she previously thought. This prompts Cat to enlist the help of her friends and find her own superhero.

Brooker continues to explore the dynamics behind exploring a vibrant city. Cat is treated by both the Urbanite and Enrique not necessarily as someone who should mind her own business, but as someone who may be getting in a bit over her head. She's smart enough to make a few connections that others aren't quite seeing and using the knowledge gained from those connections threaten to expose a rather large secret. That's the bulk of where Brooker has taken the second issue--Cat doing some of her own detective work to uncover more about the Urbanite and Misper.

Art by Shore and Zaidan maintain a simple sensibility. They do a great job illustrating Cat's transformation from merely being inquisitive to taking an initiative to investigate, leading her to answers. Certain character actions do seem a bit rigid though, such as Cat drinking a cup of coffee or Enrique rubbing a cross around his neck. There's one really great panel showing a blurred Urbanite absconding with someone, an effect that really helps liven up the book itself.

My So-Called Secret Identity #2 takes Cat in a new direction: that of a superhero. She's moved on from just being curious. Now, she's being downright proactive and taking it upon herself to learn more about the city and its inhabitants. She leverages her intelligence into a superpower of sorts and it's clearly already started to pay off in her quest for knowledge. How those around her react remains to be seen and will make for an interesting third issue.

My So-Called Secret Identity #2 is available now.