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A review by eliwray
Secret Identities: The Asian American Superhero Anthology by Keith Chow, Parry Shen, Jeff Yang
4.0
This anthology has stories that bowled me over, made me cry, and left me wanting more. Dozens of complex lives are artfully shared in snapshots, in a wealth of different artistic styles. Themes of heroism, role models, strength and weakness, family and culture, pride and shame, being seen and being invisible, and loving and being loved are lived and experienced in these pages.
I know this volume is set against the backdrop of a dearth of Asian American superheroes. I was grateful to see new faces and new stories explored. Though I'm white, and whiteness is overrepresented in superheroism, I've often felt marginalized and unwelcome in the world of comics for my gender. I was honestly surprised to find only a single full story here that I skipped past for imagery that was too damned sexist. Women are not quite an afterthought here; there's some decent representation in characters and in the artist list. I can't speak for anyone else, but I was personally encouraged by the female representation, though I eagerly await more from female Asian American graphic artists.
I had a great time reading this anthology. And it's my impression that it's a great start to making sequential art more reflective of the lives of all the people that are creating it.
I know this volume is set against the backdrop of a dearth of Asian American superheroes. I was grateful to see new faces and new stories explored. Though I'm white, and whiteness is overrepresented in superheroism, I've often felt marginalized and unwelcome in the world of comics for my gender. I was honestly surprised to find only a single full story here that I skipped past for imagery that was too damned sexist. Women are not quite an afterthought here; there's some decent representation in characters and in the artist list. I can't speak for anyone else, but I was personally encouraged by the female representation, though I eagerly await more from female Asian American graphic artists.
I had a great time reading this anthology. And it's my impression that it's a great start to making sequential art more reflective of the lives of all the people that are creating it.