A superhero movie shelved for tax reasons. A disgraced director attempting a comeback. And a shady company rebooting a classic comic book hero. It all sounds very Hollywood 2024 — and that was one of the goals for Alex Segura with his new novel, Alter Ego.

Alter Ego, which arrived Dec. 3 from publisher Flatiron, serves as what he calls a “standalone” sequel to his well-received 2022 novel Secret Identity, which focused on comic book culture of the 1970s and chronicled the creation of a hero known as The Lynx. The new novel takes place decades later in the same world as Secret Identity, but can be read on its own.

Alter Ego centers on Annie Bustamante, an acclaimed comic book artist and filmmaker who is sent into a tailspin when her new superhero movie gets shelved for tax reasons. She gets a lifeline when a mysterious company hires her to help reboot The Lynx comic and consult on the property (a disgraced filmmaker is directing a Lynx movie as part of a comeback attempt). Annie signs on, but she soon starts receiving messages from someone called Apparition, who warns she is in danger.

The novel took life after Flatiron editor Zack Wagman suggested Segura add a modern-day epilogue to Secret Identity, which followed the 1970s exploits of comic book creator Carmen Valdez.

“Once I did that, I felt the setup for another book — something darker that didn’t necessarily star Carmen, but continued the saga of the Lynx,” says Segura.

Secret Identity won the LA Times Book Prize in the mystery thriller section, and despite its success, Segura did not want the new book to feel like an echo of the first one.

“Carmen Valdez’s story could only have happened in the ‘70s, and in the same way, Annie’s story of IP, creative control, and carving out her own path could only exist today,” says Segura. “Yet the two characters share one common thread — both are presented with their dreams — but those dreams have major strings attached.”

For his Alter Ego protagonist Annie, Segura drew upon a number of people he knows in and out of the comic book industry, where the author has recently worked on titles such as Spider-Society, The Question: All Along The Watchtower, Star Wars: The Battle Of Jakku and Dick Tracy.

“She’s a mom to a pre-teen, she’s an artist, and she’s in recovery. As much as this book is a thriller and page-turner, it’s also a character piece about creating art and the hurdles artists have to go through to make it possible,” says Segura.

Secret Identity featured art from Sandy Jarrell, who created comic book panels for the fictional Lynx comics. Jarrell returned for Alter Ego to draw excerpts from The Lynx Returns, the new take of the Lynx character.

Says Segura of the new novel: “Though very much a love letter to comics and movies, Alter Ego also doesn’t flinch from showing what happens when great ideas are controlled by people with bad intentions.”

Sandy Jarrell

Sandy Jarrell

Sandy Jarrell

Sandy Jarrell