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Superman: Secret Identity (Superman Secret Identity Complete)

by Kurt Busiek, Stuart Immonen (Illustrator)

4.14 of 5 stars 4.14 · rating details · 2,193 ratings · 91 reviews

What's in a name? Everything, if you share it with the Man of Steel!

SUPERMAN: SECRET IDENTITY is a 208-page trade paperback collecting the critically lauded 4-issue miniseries written by Kurt Busiek (JLA/AVENGERS, ASTRO CITY) with art by Stuart Immonen (SUPERMAN: END OF THE CENTURY, THOR).

Set in the real world, SECRET IDENTITY examines the life of a young Kansas man with...more

Paperback, 208 pages

Published April 9th 2013 by DC Comics (first published January 1st 2005)

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Apr 15, 2010 Mike rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jan 05, 2009 Randy Lander rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novels, dc-superheroes

Every time that Kurt Busiek and Stuart Immonen have worked together, they've done something I've really enjoyed, and Superman: Secret Identity is no exception. It sounds at first like a high concept story, where a weird coincidence sees a small town boy named Clark Kent actually realizing he does have super-powers, but in reading the whole story, it becomes clear that it's as much about the central notion of Superman and the common life cycle we'll all live through as it is about a neat gimmick...more Every time that Kurt Busiek and Stuart Immonen have worked together, they've done something I've really enjoyed, and Superman: Secret Identity is no exception. It sounds at first like a high concept story, where a weird coincidence sees a small town boy named Clark Kent actually realizing he does have super-powers, but in reading the whole story, it becomes clear that it's as much about the central notion of Superman and the common life cycle we'll all live through as it is about a neat gimmick premise. Busiek tells a story about what it might be like to have super powers in a more real world, where the government wouldn't leave you alone and everything, from love to marriage to kids to retirement, might be affected by your super powers. With Immonen providing an unusual, painted style artwork that is realistic and yet hauntingly beautiful and otherworldly at the same time, readers will be transported to the world of "Clark Kent" even as they keep one foot in their own thoughts, dreams and wonders about the future.

The story is grounded by Clark Kent's narration, by the feeling of what might really happen to a man who developed powers. To some extent, it reads like the culmination of Busiek's work, examining the nature of celebrity and superheroes the way Busiek and Immonen did on Superstar, looking at the superhero with a more rounded approach as Busiek does in Astro City and showing a love for classic superheroes like Busiek has done in Untold Tales of Spider-Man and Avengers. I don't know if I would have enjoyed this book as much had I read it when I was single and childless, but now, as a married father of one, Secret Identity hit me just in the right spot. It's a reflection on the changes we go through in life and the world we try to build for (and with) our children and loved ones, with a very optimistic, hopeful outlook that stops just short of being pollyanna or unrealistically bright.

There's an impressive balance that Busiek maintains between superhero sense of wonder and realistic character-building. It's the easiest thing in the world when doing this type of story to apply more human frailties to the characters, giving them feet of clay or a tendency toward using their powers for selfish or ignoble purposes. Busiek sidesteps this notion by making Clark an honest, giving and noble person, but he doesn't go too far in the direction by making Clark a saint either. We see him lose his temper, we get inside his head (and his heart) thanks to his narration and falling for Lois, and we see when he's terrified of being captured by the mysterious agency that's looking for him. And while Clark does use his powers in fairly spectacular ways, they are always contrasted against a realistic backdrop, whether that is high school or the fields of Kansas or the geopolitical structure of the real world. There's no Lex Luthor or Braniac here, and just as Clark's strengths come from his humanity, so do his opponents and the dangers he must overcome.

Busiek shows the fears and joys of Clark Kent's life, and by extension, the lives we all lead. The worry that something (not necessarily a government conspiracy but maybe an accident or a violent crime) will hurt us or our loved ones is balanced by the joys that come from finding the love of your life, seeing your children grown and seeing them take the lessons you've taught them and their own intelligence and deciding to make the world a better place. Busiek's story here is one of a father truly making a difference for his children, as well as one man making a change in the world, and I can't think of a better message for a Superman story.

Though I've always been fond of Stuart Immonen's artwork, he adopted a new style for Secret Identity that is perfectly matched to the tone of the book and undeniably beautiful. It's a sort of washed out, oddly colored approach that is very realistic and yet at the same time has an unreal quality to it at the same time. The colors, with some panels sometimes done entirely in cool blues or hot reds, tend to enhance the mood of the story, and some of the pages have the same emotional punch as some of the work of Alex Ross or Tim Sale. In particular, the double-page splash of the gas main explosion is very evocative, although Immonen also does a great job on smaller moments, such as the joy on Clark's face when he first discovers he can fly or the anger visible in his burning red eyes when he discovers Case's betrayal. He also does an exceptional job with the aging of Clark throughout the series, as we watch him grow from a child to a man, from a teenager to a husband to a father. There's a reality and warmth that comes through in the Christmas celebrations, and a terrific fatherly look that Clark takes on later in the series.

Superman: Secret Identity took me by surprise. I expected it to be good, maybe even great. But what I didn't expect was to find something that not only reaffirmed my interest in the Superman character and provided some actual lessons about real life, all the while telling a kickass yarn. It is truly "mature readers" comics, not in that it features curse words or nudity or extreme violence (in fact, it features none of that) but in that it is going to appeal the most to those who want to see the story of a life, one that is different because of superpowers but also similar to the lives that many of us will go through. It's probably the best Superman story I've read in years, even though it doesn't feature the "real" Superman at all.(less)

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Apr 28, 2013 Sam Quixote rated it 5 of 5 stars

What if you grew up in a world like ours where everyone knows who Superman is, from comics, films, toys, etc? And then what if you were also named Clark Kent and lived in a small town in Kansas? It’d be a bit crappy wouldn’t it? Being teased for being so similar but clearly not having such incredible, fantastical powers? And then, what if - one day you got those powers? This is the story of another Clark Kent who becomes a Superman and navigates the choppy waters of being a superhero in a world...more What if you grew up in a world like ours where everyone knows who Superman is, from comics, films, toys, etc? And then what if you were also named Clark Kent and lived in a small town in Kansas? It’d be a bit crappy wouldn’t it? Being teased for being so similar but clearly not having such incredible, fantastical powers? And then, what if - one day you got those powers? This is the story of another Clark Kent who becomes a Superman and navigates the choppy waters of being a superhero in a world where they exist solely in pop culture while keeping his identity secret from everyone around him.

“Secret Identity” by writer Kurt Busiek and artist Stuart Immonen is one of those books whose premise just seems too corny as hell to work and yet it does - really well. In fact, Secret Identity might be one of the best Superman books ever written.

This might be because it doesn’t read like a lot of Superman books as there’s very little action and the focus is on the characters, always. The four 48 page issues touch on different moments in Clark’s life - 1) teenage years when he discovers his powers, 2) young adulthood, 3) starting a family, 4) old age and retirement - and there is (of course) a Lois to his Clark (though she is an interior designer and Clark is a writer for the New Yorker - not a journalist!), and the bulk of the book follows their relationship from courtship to marriage to parenthood and beyond.

The Clark and Lois relationship is central to the book beyond everything else and it’s a really sweet and convincing portrayal of true love. I believed they were real people who cared about one another and their love was like what a lot of people experience - though there are a few unbelievably romantic moments like Clark and Lois smooching above the Statue of Liberty as the sun set.

There’s no Lex Luthor in the book, no real villain, though the US Government does keep bugging Clark throughout his life and there is one nightmarish sequence when Clark is young and captured by would-be vivisectionists before escaping.

But the best thing about this book? How it perfectly envisions the true nature of Superman. The best Superman writers understand Superman is an inspiring figure, someone who does the right thing always, no matter what, and when Superman destroys the government lab containing dead babies who’ve been vivisected by shadowy agent-types, he still saves these sickos from the flames even though they would’ve done everything they could to kill him just to find out how he got his powers. And he saves them without thinking about it - he just does it. He just saves them because he’s Superman and that’s what Superman does. Beautiful.

And it is a beautiful Superman book, showing up all the pretenders who think Superman is all about glowing red eyes and wearing armour (!) and the godawful representation of him in Injustice: Gods Among Us - this is instead a book that showcases why Superman means so much to so many. It shows the character’s best traits and restored the wonder of the character to this jaded Superman reader (damn you JMS!).

No, it doesn’t explain how Clark got his powers. Yes, it’s not the “real” Superman (Busiek informs us in the intro that the book was initially about Superboy Prime from Crisis on Infinite Earths). None of it matters though. It’s Superman. And that’s all that matters. (less)

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Jan 24, 2013 Yoga Pradipta rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: comic, superhero

This is not your reguler Superman. Bagaimana kalau seorang manusia mendapatkan kekuatan super seperti seorang jagoan dalam komik? Komik ini berkisah tentang seorang anak bernama Clark Kent. Ya, namanya diambil dari 'avatar' Superman sebagai manusia bumi. Tumbuh sebagai bahan olokan, ia mendapatkan kekuatan Superman di masa remaja tanpa penyebab yang jelas. Kisah bergulir, ia dikejar-kejar oleh jurnalis, pemerintah, hingga ia menikah dengan seorang perempuan bernama Louis (what a joke, eh?) dan m...more

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Apr 21, 2010 Steve rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: comics

Kurt Busiek always does an excellent job of writing about super heroes with human feelings. "Astro City," as outlandish as the characters are, is always grounded in the reality of emotion the reader can emphasize with. "Secret Identity" could be an "Astro City" story if it wasn't about Superman (and it is but isn't). The main focus, told mostly through narration, is on feelings of alienation, anxiety, familial love and morality. It's an interesting aspect of comics that costumed heroes are usual

...more

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Mar 05, 2013 Steve rated it 4 of 5 stars

Superman: Secret Identity is a grounded look at the Man of Steel, or rather what would it be like in the real world.

A boy named Clark Kent is given Superman related stuff on his birthday, teased by classmates for his namesake, and generally wonders what life would be like if he had powers. And then he does.

This look at Superman is a more realistic view of what would happen, and the government is constantly on his tail because they are scared.

Clark later marries an Indian woman named Lois and has...more

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Jun 18, 2010 Kevin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novels

People can slag on comic books/graphic novels as much as they want, but I maintain that a well done one can constitute a fantastic piece of literature. And this is one of those.

Secret Identity exists in a world just like ours where Superman is a known entity, but solely as a comic book/cartoon/movie character... fully fictional. However, a kid is growing up in the middle of nowhere Kansas with the unfortunate name of Clark Kent; his parents thought it would be cool. Well, he doesn't. He has to d...more

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Aug 14, 2007 JT rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphicnovels, graphic_novels

This was a graphic novel that came highly recommended to me by the good people of Hatrack. It's about a boy who grows up with the unfortunate name of Clark Kent, and so he's mercilessly teased for that. Until he starts to develop superpowers. He becomes Superman, for real, but leads a double life.

The novel actually chronicles Clark's whole life -- it's really compelling. My review does not do it justice.

If you like Superman, go read this.

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Jan 30, 2010 Sophie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: comics, owned, elseworlds, dc

So far I've avoided the "regular" Superman books, but each and every "standalone" Superman comic I've read so far has been amazing (maybe discounting "Son of Superman", but even that wasn't bad at all). And "Secret Identity" was no different.

It's the story of Clark Kent, a perfectly ordinary boy whose parents displayed a "particular" sense of humor when they named him Clark. He's really nothing special, except that he gets teased a lot because of his name. And then, one day, he discovers he can...more

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Apr 09, 2013 Les Douglas rated it 5 of 5 stars

In these days of deconstructed, darkened, or actually deranged super heroes, here is a tale that is, pardon the expression, uplifting.With a main character who is and isn't Superman, it shows that a decent man with a good heart and a strong moral compass could handle power, that it doesn't have to corrupt absolutely. I read it in one sitting (well, its not like its War and Peace), and it held my interest completely, and in the end, warmed my heart. Also, longtime comic readers may have become ja...more

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Feb 22, 2010 Jacobi rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: trades-read-in-2010

I'm not very good with favorites (I'm fickle and always change my mind), but I'm pretty sure this is my favorite Superman comic ever. On paper, the premise for this book is ridiculous. Essentially, it looks at a guy, who lives in a small town in Kansas, and is named Clark Kent, who begins to get the powers of Superman. It's another one of those "what would really happen if heroes existed" stories, except this one is subdued and heartfelt. There aren't a whole bunk of bombastic scenes of giant ki...more

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Oct 05, 2011 Mcgyver5 rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: nobody

Shelves: graphic-novels

What if a boy named Clark Kent lived in a world were Superman existed as a comic book and our Clark was constantly teased because of his name and then one day he woke up with super powers and soon had powerful shadowy government forces after him? What if Clark woke up in a lab where he found the dead bodies of other people? What if there were hints that other people with super powers were out there? That would be pretty cool, right? Then what if Clark got married and had babies. What if the othe...more

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Aug 30, 2007 Lasairfiona Smith rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone who likes a good plot and pretty picutures

Shelves: comics, iown, havereadmorethanonce

I usually hate superman. Good thing this isn't him. This book is set in a world where superman is only a comic book hero. But what happens when a boy, named Clark Kent of all things, gets superman like powers? What will his life be like? One volume of gorgeous artwork and a feel good story.

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Oct 24, 2009 John rated it 3 of 5 stars

Imagine you're you, in a universe where there's a fictional, heroic you worshipped and adored by the populace. Imagine finding out that you are just as superpowered as that fictional character, but you dare not let anyone know. Well, that's the scenario drawn out in this interesting graphic novel. Clark Kent finds out at a young age, that he is just like his namesake in DC Comics, including all of the superpowers. We learn how he rises to the same moral and ethical height as his fellow fictional...more

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Apr 18, 2013 Mike rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novels, stand-alone-sequential-art, favorites

"A story that takes the concept of the secret identity and uses it as a metaphor for our own inner selves, the part of us that most of the world doesn't get to see, that we share with few others across a lifetime." - Kurt Busiek's own description from the forward.

Superman was never a character that really called out to me. For "normal" superhero adventures a neigh-invulnerable man never interested me much. But the potential for more was always there, and when creators really embrace the problem...more "A story that takes the concept of the secret identity and uses it as a metaphor for our own inner selves, the part of us that most of the world doesn't get to see, that we share with few others across a lifetime." - Kurt Busiek's own description from the forward.

Superman was never a character that really called out to me. For "normal" superhero adventures a neigh-invulnerable man never interested me much. But the potential for more was always there, and when creators really embrace the problems someone with super powers WOULD have I find the results are quite spectacular. One such story was For All Seasons, in which Loeb and Sale examine the insecurities a normal farm boy would face when he grew up to be more than normal. For years it was easily my favorite Superman story...

Until Busiek and Immonen produced a tale of a Clark Kent that READ those stories along with me. SI's Clark is a boy in the real world, who's been taunted all his life due to his parents' unfortunate sense of humor and the decision to name him after Superman. His concerns are school, bullies and the girl he likes. Then the unthinkable happens, and Clark finds his both choices and troubles multiplied a hundredfold.

The greatest fiction gives readers something to relate to. Suspension of disbelief becomes easier if the reader cares about what's happening. Secret Identity, in line with Busiek's lofty goal from the above quote, shares the journey of a man with extraordinary powers, but worries and problems common to us all. It's remarkable how genuine and real it all feels given it stars a boy who can fly. We know how Clark feels. We've been there in some way. The shared emotion pulls us in and makes us really care about what happens to Clark.

Stuart Immonen's art is an incredibly vital piece of this accomplishment. The subdued color palette and softer character designs enhance the desired atmosphere of Clark's world being our own, and the intricacies of Busiek's nuanced layers to the story would be lost without Immonen's excellent facial expressions and detail work to convey tone and meaning.

Secret Identity is one of the most resonant comic stories I've ever read, and instantly one of my favorites.

Highly recommended.(less)

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Feb 26, 2012 Sunil rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, favorites

Given Kurt Busiek's treatment of Clark Kent in Superman: Up, Up, and Away! , I was interested in reading this book, which is all about Clark Kent. That is, a boy in the real world who just happens to be named Clark Kent...and have superpowers. By setting the story on Earth Prime, Busiek is free to retell the Superman story in a more realistic fashion, focusing on a boy—then a man—dealing with a secret identity and wanting to use his powers to help people. There are no alien invaders, no mad supe...more

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Apr 03, 2010 Richard rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novel

A few weeks ago I saw this graphic novel at our local public library and decided to check it out....and what a pleasant surprise. Superman: Secret Identity is not your normal rebooting of a super hero, in this case Superman, and Kurt Busiek hits a home run! In this story, the only Superman is in a comic book and poor Kansas teenager Clark Kent is mocked his whole life. One day, young Clark Kent somehow develops Superman-like powers. Kurt Busiek's graphic novel, written from Clark's point of view...more

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Aug 17, 2012 Thomas Maluck rated it 5 of 5 stars

One of my new favorite Superman stories. Goes deep into Clark's mindset as a guy with a secret identity and how that shapes his view of the world, as well as how the world salivates after his secret. For once, Clark doesn't serve as a villain tenderizer - we just get to witness his life unfold.

Side note: this story deals with an alternate Earth in which there are no superheroes and "Superman" is nothing more than a comic book character within that world. To that end, this story is a little more...more

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Jan 19, 2013 Jason rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read2013

This isn't quite a metacomic in which a character is self aware that s/he is in a comic book, but the main character of this book does happen to be named Clark Kent and he is quite aware of the comic book character with the same name. As a teen, Kent has some realizations about what he is capable of--in terms of both writing and physical skills--, and the story goes in a fascinating direction from there. Sometimes our Clark Kent leads a life parallel to the Clark Kent and Superman of comic book...more

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Apr 28, 2012 Eric rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: superman

Wow. I love books like this. Stories about people dealing with super powers is such a real way, with such real reactions, I can't get enough of it. Busiek writes an optimistic "Chronicle" here and it's great. The emotion of Clark as he deals with his power and changing life is written with a realistic tone that never breaks the believability of the story, Superman or not. Watching Clark get his powers reminds me of all the things I would want to do with that same gifts. Flying around the world,...more

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Apr 19, 2009 Zombieaps rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novel

I was amazed by this piece. I am not a Superman fan but, this comic really wowed me. Superman becomes humanized and the story shifts away from the defeat of evil to the more personal struggle a man like Clark Kent faces. The focus is on family, career, moral responsibility and detachment. Although there's an underlying current of white man's burden and romanticized privilege I still enjoyed it, because the story really does appeal to the large secret identities that we keep and the choices we ma...more

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Apr 20, 2013 Charlie Stubblefield rated it 4 of 5 stars

What if someone in the real world got Superman's powers? That's the premise behind this book. It's a great premise, and is carried out extremely well. We learn how, as a teenager (whose name happens to be Clark Kent), one would react upon receiving such extraordinary abilities. Then we follow Clark into adulthood, falling in love, dealing with the government who's chasing him, having children and growing old. While going through all this, Clark is still able to help people with his powers. The s...more

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Mar 04, 2013 Chris rated it 5 of 5 stars

One of my favorite Superman stories ever, and he's not even in it. If you've ever wanted to be drawn into a story that allowed you to project yourself into it, allowing you to live the life of Superman... this is it. This is a wonderful and endearing tale that takes place in "the real world", of a young boy who is named Clark by his parents, the Kents, paying homage to the Superman character. Growing up being the brunt of jokes for his name, as well as never receiving anything but "Superman" gif...more

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Mar 20, 2013 ❂ Sam rated it 5 of 5 stars

I love comic books. Most people who know me know that I can go on and on about characters and their stories. So you should put a lot of weight in to what I am about to say.

Hands down, this is my favorite DC comic ever.

You don’t need to know anything about Superman or any other DC comic to understand what’s going on in Secret Identity. The four-issue miniseries (which you can pick up as a trade paperback compilation next month) is not about the Clark Kent most of us are familiar with. It’s about...more I love comic books. Most people who know me know that I can go on and on about characters and their stories. So you should put a lot of weight in to what I am about to say.

Hands down, this is my favorite DC comic ever.

You don’t need to know anything about Superman or any other DC comic to understand what’s going on in Secret Identity. The four-issue miniseries (which you can pick up as a trade paperback compilation next month) is not about the Clark Kent most of us are familiar with. It’s about another Clark Kent. A “real” Clark Kent. This Clark Kent lives in a world much like ours. A world devoid of superheroes. A world were Superman, Batman, and all the other comic book characters are just that – comic book characters. They aren’t real. No one has special powers.

This Clark Kent resents his name and his namesake. He hides all the joke Superman presents he gets for his birthdays at the bottom of his closet and tries his best to avoid the guys at school who tease and harass him. Clark takes refuge in the fields around his family’s home where he hides away with a typewriter and dreams of someday becoming a writer. But he discovers one night that he has suddenly and inexplicably gained the sort of super powers that previously only existed in comic books. He becomes the real Superman – but he does so in a world that is not as ready to accept superheroes as the ones shown in comic books. As he begins to discover his powers and use them to help people, any number of individuals come along who want to manipulate him. Journalists and government agents make his life difficult and he struggles to keep his real life secret while they all try and get what they want from him.

All Clark wants to do is help people and try to lead a normal life. He’s just trying to build his career, find the right girl, and ultimately provide for a family.

That’s what I love about this comic and this Superman.

This Clark Kent is a normal person. It’s a very realistic, likeable portrayal of a character that many people have grown weary with over the years. This Clark Kent is something special in a world where no one is special. And though he really holds to a lot of the same principles that the more well known Superman does, he’s different. He’s like us. There are very few people like him in the world and many of those who are out there are being manipulated by their governments, experimented on, etc. It’s not an easy life. And that’s exactly what this comic is about. Life. It’s not about superheroes or superpowers. It’s about a boy growing into a man and the sort of extraordinary and painfully ordinary situations that come with it.

I also enjoy the way they sort of make fun of the original Superman. Clark Kent hates Superman but adopts a Superman personae to hide his real identity. He hates Superman but marries a woman named Lois. He refuses to name his children anything even remotely related to the series but that doesn’t mean that they keep to that. It’s all very cute and simple.

And the characters are great. You root for Clark from day one. He’s just an awkward, small-town boy trying to figure out what his place is in the world. You can relate with him. But I even started to feel for the secondary characters – including his government handler who grows on you and becomes more than just a shadowy, manipulative figure. Everyone in the series will remind you of someone you know or maybe even yourself. And you’ll probably think that a lot of it is a lot like what would happen to you in this day and age if you were to just some day wake up with super powers. (Providing you have the moral fiber not to go crazy and become a maniacal dictator, of course.)

This is a great comic book for comic fans and newcomers alike. I definitely recommend it to everyone but I recommend it in particular to people who aren’t really fans of the bigger comic universes. It’s okay to like comic books in small doses and not want to get dragged into something massive and complicated. In four issues you get a fantastic story and it’s one that you can enjoy and walk away from feeling content and fulfilled. It ends on an up note and you don’t have to worry about what comes next. Because you know it’s all worked out for the best.

You can read this miniseries for yourself on April 9th. The pre-order price on Amazon is pretty sweet so if you want to get it that’s your best bet. Everywhere else has it for the regular price. $12 for this is a freakin’ steal.(less)

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Dec 02, 2011 Jean-Pierre Vidrine rated it 4 of 5 stars

During the ninth year of my life, I began a lifelong love affair with superhero comic books. Though this love is still very strong, I find myself these days looking for things people are doing with the artform of comic books other than vigilant do-gooders in costumes. Now and again, however, I find an example of something different being done with superheroes, and I just can't pass it up.
With Secret Identity, Kurt Busiek has taken the classic character of Superman and actually (not misusing thi...more

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Sep 24, 2007 Speedtribes rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: comics

I believe this is one of the DC alternate universes where Clark Kent isn't Superman. Clark Kent is a normal man, and Superman is a character of a comic book. The art is drawn and colored beautifully by Stuart Immonen who uses a style that's both realistic but also quite gestural. His own coloring and lack of inks lets his lines show through far better than some of his other works under other inkers and colorists.

The story flows and reads like a short novella, or independent movie. It is a break...more

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Sep 13, 2007 Vivek rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone interested in a good story

Shelves: graphicnovels

I'm not a big fan of Superman, but this book is great even for those that don't care for anything in the "super-hero" genre. Busiek writes a story that tries to take a truly realistic take on superheros - what would it be like if someone one day actually woke up with powers?
Clark Kent grows up in a world like our own, where superheroes only exist in comic books, and is constantly ridiculed for the irony that a mild-manner boy from a small town in Kansas is named after a powerful comic book chara...more

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Nov 15, 2012 Subroto rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novels-comics

If you thought Millar's Kick Ass was bringing a superhero into the real world - this one makes that seem like kindergarten fiction.

A well thought out as real as it can get alternate superman story (be warned this is not the superman you knew).

No big super villains, no show down in the middle of the city - very realistic - very sensitive.

Very very well written.

Must read for anyone interested in superhero comics and yet likes a bit of reality at times.

Good Good Good Book - Thumbs up !

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Sep 15, 2008 Trin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphicnovel

A cool AU take on the Superman mythology. Clark Kent’s parents named him “Clark Kent” for the LOLs, and now he’s a teenager and really sick of being made fun of for sharing a moniker with a fictional superhero. But then he discovers he actually has Supes’ powers.

In this ’verse, Clark has to keep things even more on the DL, and the resulting story is much more understated. It follows Clark through four stages of his life: discovering his powers as a teenager, meeting and falling in love with a be...more

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Jul 28, 2011 Sarah added it

Shelves: comic-book, graphic-novels

A fantastic what-if superman story. What if Superman lived in the real world? Yeah saving people and stopping crime sounds great until you have the US government hunting you and treating you like a hostile weapon. Until you can't be sure who to trust or build a life with. Until you try to take your life into your own hands, learn about what happened to make you this way, and build something that resembles normalcy. A great and thought provoking story.

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About Kurt Busiek

Kurt Busiek is an American comic book writer notable for his work on the Marvels limited series, his own title Astro City, and his four-year run on Avengers.

Busiek did not read comics as a youngster, as his parents disapproved of them. He began to read them regularly around the age of 14, when he picked up a copy of Daredevil #120. This was the first part of a continuity-heavy four-part story arc;...more Kurt Busiek is an American comic book writer notable for his work on the Marvels limited series, his own title Astro City, and his four-year run on Avengers.

Busiek did not read comics as a youngster, as his parents disapproved of them. He began to read them regularly around the age of 14, when he picked up a copy of Daredevil #120. This was the first part of a continuity-heavy four-part story arc; Busiek was drawn to the copious history and cross-connections with other series. Throughout high school and college, he and future writer Scott McCloud practiced making comics. During this time, Busiek also had many letters published in comic book letter columns, and originated the theory that the Phoenix was a separate being who had impersonated Jean Grey, and that therefore Grey had not died—a premise which made its way from freelancer to freelancer, and which was eventually used in the comics.

During the last semester of his senior year, Busiek submitted some sample scripts to editor Dick Giordano at DC Comics. None of them sold, but they did get him invitations to pitch other material to DC editors, which led to his first professional work, a back-up story in Green Lantern #162 (Mar. 1983).

Busiek has worked on a number of different titles in his career, including Arrowsmith, The Avengers, Icon, Iron Man, The Liberty Project, Ninjak, The Power Company, Red Tornado, Shockrockets, Superman: Secret Identity, Thunderbolts, Untold Tales of Spider-Man, JLA, and the award-winning Marvels and the Homage Comics title Kurt Busiek's Astro City.

In 1997, Busiek began a stint as writer of Avengers alongside artist George Pérez. Pérez departed from the series in 2000, but Busiek continued as writer for two more years, collaborating with artists Alan Davis, Kieron Dwyer and others. Busiek's tenure culminated with the "Kang Dynasty" storyline. In 2003, Busiek re-teamed with Perez to create the JLA/Avengers limited series.

In 2003, Busiek began a new Conan series for Dark Horse Comics, which he wrote for four years.

In December 2005 Busiek signed a two-year exclusive contract with DC Comics. During DC's Infinite Crisis event, he teamed with Geoff Johns on a "One Year Later" eight-part story arc (called Up, Up and Away) that encompassed both Superman titles. In addition, he began writing the DC title Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis from issues 40-49. Busiek was the writer of Superman for two years, before followed by James Robinson starting from Superman #677. Busiek wrote a 52-issue weekly DC miniseries called Trinity, starring Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman. Each issue (except for issue #1) featured a 12-page main story by Busiek, with art by Mark Bagley, and a ten-page backup story co-written by Busiek and Fabian Nicieza, with art from various artists, including Tom Derenick, Mike Norton and Scott McDaniel.

Busiek's work has won him numerous awards in the comics industry, including the Harvey Award for Best Writer in 1998 and the Eisner Award for Best Writer in 1999. In 1994, with Marvels, he won Best Finite Series/Limited Series Eisner Award and the Best Continuing or Limited Series Harvey Award; as well as the Harvey Award for Best Single Issue or Story (for Marvels #4) in 1995. In 1996, with Astro City, Busiek won both the Eisner and Harvey awards for Best New Series. He won the Best Single Issue/Single Story Eisner three years in a row from 1996–1998, as well as in 2004. Busiek won the Best Continuing Series Eisner Award in 1997–1998, as well as the Best Serialized Story award in 1998. In addition, Astro City was awarded the 1996 Best Single Issue or Story Harvey Award, and the 1998 Harvey Award for Best Continuing or Limited Series.

Busiek was given the 1998 and 1999 Comics Buyer's Guide Awards for Favorite Writer, with additional nominations in 1997 and every year from 2000 to 2004. He has also received numerous Squiddy Awards, having been selected as favorite writer four years in a row from 1995 to 1998, (less)

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Quotes from Superman: Secret Identity

“Maybe I had a "secret identity", but then when you think about it, don't we all? A part of ourselves very few people ever get to see. The part we think of as "me". The part that deals with the big stuff. Makes the real choices. The part everything else is a reflection of.” — 12 people liked it

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Superman: Secret Identity (Superman Secret Identity Complete)

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