Sometimes, the end really is the end—and sometimes it’s only the beginning.
As Alex Segura was finishing up work on his historical comic book caper Secret Identity, his editor suggested including an epilogue that would take the narrative from past to present. Despite his firm belief in the finality of a story’s conclusion, Segura wrote a coda—and found that it served as a natural jumping off point for his next novel. December’s Alter Ego, then, is a “standalone sequel” that revisits the mysteries and myths of the Legendary Lynx without being a retread of them.
The book’s protagonist, filmmaker and single mom Annie Bustamante, found solace and strength in the Lynx as a child—not to mention a sense of solidarity in learning that the character was written, at least in part, by fellow Cuban-American Carmen Valdez. So when Annie is approached to help reboot the character for a new generation, she jumps at the chance. But her dream job becomes a waking nightmare when questions surrounding the Lynx’s origins and ownership result in a string of deaths that lead Annie into the very heart of danger.
As with its award-winning predecessor, Alex Segura imbues Alter Ego with all the enthusiasm and knowledge of a lifelong comic book aficionado. Fittingly, he has turned passion into professional opportunity, writing scripts featuring iconic characters and their worlds for DC and Marvel as well as revitalizing Dick Tracy for Mad Cave Studios. In addition, Segura penned the noirish, Miami-set Pete Fernandez crime series; its protagonist appears briefly in Alter Ego to assist Annie Bustamante in her quest to get justice for the Legendary Lynx and her creator(s).
Here, Alex Segura reflects on the end as the beginning, and what’s still to come …
John B. Valeri: Alter Ego is a companion novel to Secret Identity. Tell us about finding a natural entry point for continuing the story. What was your approach to handling backstory within the framework of a (mostly) contemporary tale?
Alex Segura: It happened around the time I was finishing my close-to-final draft for Secret Identity. Zack Wagman, my amazing editor at Flatiron, noted that the book might benefit from an epilogue – a flash forward that would give readers a sense of where Carmen and the Lynx ended up. I don’t think either of us were thinking about another book, but by the time I wrote the coda, I could sense there was another story in there – a thriller set in the modern comic book industry that was the other side of the Secret Identity coin. I think the big challenge for me, the main thing I wanted to focus on, was making sure Alter Ego didn’t feel like a rehash of Secret Identity – but a natural and needed continuation. I believe firmly that it’s okay for stories to end, for the story to wrap up. So if I was going to write something else in this world, I wanted to be sure the story felt essential and additive, not just “Carmen solves a mystery in another era of comics.” As fun as that would be to write, it didn’t feel right. So, I had the idea, but I needed a protagonist to fill Carmen’s very big shoes.
JBV: As with Secret Identity’s Carmen Valdez, this book has a trailblazing hero in Annie Bustamante, who is both an icon of the arts and entertainment world and a fiercely devoted single mom. In what ways did you want to honor the complexities of modern life (and womanhood) – both professionally and personally? How is this an extension of Carmen’s experiences without being a retread of them?
AS: I wanted Annie to feel three-dimensional, and that meant pushing back on some of the narrative tropes of crime fiction – like the untethered protagonist. Annie is a parent with a job, she’s also in recovery and isn’t afraid to speak her mind. She felt real to me, and though it made the writing more logistically challenging from a plot perspective, I felt like giving readers time to get to know Annie, her life, and most importantly, her past, created a more layered character and better story. Like Carmen, I wanted to be friends with Annie by the end of the story.
I think the unifying thing between Carmen and Annie is that both are presented their dream creative opportunity – and are forced to realize that these dreams are often laced with poison. Carmen is asked to create a superhero for a comic book publisher, something she’s hoped for since she was a kid. But when she does it, it’s anonymous, and she has to claw and fight to reclaim that credit. On the flipside, Annie has to pinch herself when she’s asked to write and draw a new Legendary Lynx comic – based on the character that made her a comic fan. But when she finds that the people running the company that purports to own the Lynx don’t understand the property they control, Annie has to ask herself if it’s worth the artistic expense. Both characters find their dreams crashing down to reality, but that also creates a sense of fearlessness and freedom that propels both books.
JBV: Annie has a deep-rooted love of the cult comic, The Legendary Lynx, for both aesthetic and cultural reasons. Why does this character resonate so deeply with her – and in what ways does this inform her motivations as she becomes ensnared in a plot to resurrect the Lynx for modern audiences?
AS: The main reason, I think, Lynx connects with Annie is not only that the character is a strong, independent woman who takes control of her own destiny – but that Annie discovers one of the issues was written by a Cuban-American woman like herself, Carmen Valdez. Of course, we learn that Carmen had a much bigger role than what was credited, and once Annie discovers clues pointing to that, she’s motivated to dig deeper into the mystery – and to ensure that her story is on the side of the angels.
I knew I wanted Carmen to appear in the book but not be an active character. She is felt throughout the book, from page one, and I think that adds to the value of when she actually appears onscreen. To quote Zack, ‘like Luke in The Force Awakens.’
JBV: At the crux of the story is the question of who really created the Lethal Lynx (and thereby who has a claim of ownership). How does this question propel the story forward – and in what ways is it illustrative of the real-world problem(s) that artists face?
AS: The big theme of the novel is art vs. commerce – what hoops are artists willing to jump through for the sake of being able to be compensated for their art? The idea that someone would literally kill someone else to prevent them from revealing the truth behind a potentially billion dollar character didn’t feel that far-fetched to me, especially today – when one hit story can create dollar signs in the eyes of film execs. Carmen saw no recourse but to create the Lynx anonymously, and when her collaborator was killed, her creation was lost to her and lost to time. When Annie discovers the truth, what propels her is a need to right that wrong, and, more selfishly, to get her version of the Lynx out there.
JBV: Like its predecessor, the book is accompanied by a series of eye-catching illustrations that depict The Legendary Lynx in action. Tell us about the relationship between words and imagery and how the two together can enhance the reading experience.
AS: I really wanted to repeat the motif from Secret Identity, but now with the idea that this is being created by a FAN of the original work, as opposed to Carmen and her collaborators creating a character from scratch. A lot of credit needs to go to artist Sandy Jarrell and letterer Jack Morelli, who went above and beyond channeling the energy of the original Lynx art, but also keeping in mind that these pages were “created” today, as opposed to the 70s. There’s a meaningful connection between Annie and the original artist that’s explored in the book, but I always marveled at Sandy’s ability to tweak his amazing style to fit the story.
Sandy is truly the unsung hero of these two novels and The Legendary Lynx comic collection. He is versatile, gifted, and a perfectionist. I couldn’t have asked for a better creative partner and I’m grateful we were able to create this body of work.
JBV: There are some very meta-aspects to this book (I’m thinking: references to Secret Identity, a cameo by from Pete Fernandez, the inclusion of those aforementioned comic panels). What will your returning readers find in terms of easter eggs? And what is your barometer in gauging how to incorporate these things to elevate, rather than detract from, the story at hand?
AS: My barometer is simple – does it serve the story? If not, it can go. I love meta stories and Easter Eggs as much as anyone, but if it felt like, for instance, Pete’s cameo was forced or the nods to past books and my friends’ novels was clunky, I’d lose them. People that read my work know I love little nods – in the Pete novels there are references and crossovers with other PIs like Ash McKenna and more. It’s fun to think these books happen in a bigger world! But yes, it has to feel right and additive, otherwise it’s just empty fan service.
JBV: You grew up revering comics and have achieved the dream of writing them. I’d imagine that loving something so much and then being exposed to the business end of it can be a bit disillusioning. How do you maintain that sense of enthusiasm while acclimating to the realities of it also being a job?
AS: It is a business, sure, and that means it’s a job – but that applies to a lot of things, including writing novels. I’ve been blessed enough to get opportunities to write characters I grew up loving, like the Question, Spider-Man, Batman, Superman, Star Wars, you name it. I am very lucky. And I have been fortunate enough to have had really good experiences with those companies – so I have very little to complain about. But it’s a job – and that’s different from the dream you have as a kid. I think the key is to try and hold onto the wonder you felt over these stories and channel that into your work. It keeps you energized.
JBV: Leave us with a teaser: What comes next – both in the worlds of novels and comics?
AS: A lot! I’m working on a Daredevil crime novel for Marvel, Enemy of My Enemy, hitting sometime next year. In the comics space, I’m writing The Question: All Along the Watchtower for DC and lots of Star Wars stuff for Marvel, so I’m thankfully very busy and able to do this thing I love, which I never forget.
