My name is Annie Bustamante. I’m from Miami, live in New York and LA, and have a kid. I’m in my mid-forties and I’m generally pretty happy. You might have heard of me – I’ve directed a few movies, some popular, some ‘critically-acclaimed.’ Hell, I was even nominated for an Oscar. It was nice. But before that, before I made a living in film, I had another career – one you might not be all that familiar with: I worked in comics.

Mainly, I was an artist – for a lot of stories casual readers might not be familiar with, like The Renegade or T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents. I was acclaimed but little-known, but I loved it. You see, I grew up reading comics. And I was drawn into comics by one character – one comic – in particular.

If you thought *my* career was under the radar, you’ve definitely never heard of this one: The Legendary Lynx. It was published by a tiny outfit called Triumph Comics in the 70s, written by a guy named Harvey Stern and drawn by one of my biggest artistic influences, Doug Detmer – a true artist’s artist, and the kind of draftsman I would drool over as a kid. I remember spending hours tracing over his linework, soaking in every bit and detail into my own work. But that wasn’t all. You see, in THE LEGENDARY LYNX #11, I noticed something else – years later, in my Miami bedroom. The issue, Doug Detmer’s last on the series, was written by a woman! A Cuban woman, I soon discovered. Carmen Valdez, I would learn over time, didn’t have a ton of writing credits, but that one issue of the Lynx stuck with me. The comic itself became a powerful talisman for me. If I saw it at a convention or comic shop, I’d be compelled to buy it. It was everything I loved about comics, rolled into one tiny package. It’s no surprise that I’ve been spending the last few months – as I wait for my agent to get me another film deal – drawing my own, free, Lynx fan comic. For fun. It’s been a blast.

Well, free and for fun until…today. The email came out of nowhere, but here’s the gist – there’s apparently a “Triumph Entertainment” that plans to relaunch the Lynx. And they want *me* to write and draw it. Pretty amazing, right? I thought so. At first. My initial meeting with the suits at Triumph didn’t go well, and a bevy of red flags popped up. But still…it could be cool, right? That’s what I tell myself. I’d love to do this. Would love for my pre-teen daughter to see me do this.

So why do I feel so anxious about it? So scared?

And who the hell is this APPARITION person that keeps texting me – warning me to stay away?

Only one way to find out…

Alter Ego: A Secret Identity Book 2
Genre: Thriller
Release: December 2024
Format: Print, Digital, Audio
Purchase Link

Alex Segura, award–winning author of Secret Identity, returns with a clever and escapist standalone sequel set in the world of comic books. In the present day, a comics legend is given the chance to revive a beloved but forgotten character. But at what price?

Annie Bustamante is a cultural force like none other: an acclaimed filmmaker, an author, a comic book artist known for one of the all time best superhero comics in recent memory. But she’s never been able to tackle her longtime favorite superhero, the Lethal Lynx. Only known to the most die-hard comics fans and long out of print, the rights were never available—until now.

But Annie is skeptical of who is making the offer: Bert Carlyle’s father started Triumph Comics, and has long claimed ownership of the Lynx. When she starts getting anonymous messages urging her not to trust anyone, Annie’s inner alarms go off. Even worse? Carlyle wants to pair her with a disgraced filmmaker for a desperate media play.

Annie, who has been called a genius, a sell-out, a visionary, a hack, and everything else under the sun, is sick of the money grab. For the first time since she started reading a tattered copy of The Legendary Lynx #1 as a kid, she feels a pure, creative spark. The chance to tell a story her way. She’s not about to let that go. Even if it means uncovering the dark truth about the character she loves.

Sharply written, deftly plotted, and with a palpable affection for all kinds of storytelling, Alter Ego is a one-of-a-kind reading experience.

About the author
Alex Segura is the bestselling and award-winning author of Secret Identity, winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller and a New York Times Editor’s Choice and an NPR Best Mystery of the Year. He’s also the author of the Pete Fernandez series, as well as the Star Wars novel, Poe Dameron: Free Fall, and the YA Spider-Verse adventure, Araña/Spider-Man 2099: Dark Tomorrow. In 2024, he published a sci-fi/espionage novel, Dark Space, co-written with Rob Hart; the graphic novel The Legendary Lynx, illustrated by Sandy Jarrell; Encanto: Nightmares and Sueños; and Alter Ego, a standalone sequel to Secret Identity. In addition to his prose writing he has written a number of comics for Marvel and DC, including Star Wars: Battle of Jakku, Spider-Society, and The Question: All Along the Watchtower. With Michael Moreci he is the writer behind the noir re-launch of Dick Tracy. He lives in New York City with his family.