A 10/10 doesn't have to be the Mona Lisa. It doesn't have to change your life, or make you orgasm holy water, or remind you of the taste of your mother's homemade cooking. To me " by the standards of a Batman News website, at least " a 10/10 is a comic that does exactly what it wants to do, in exactly the way it should be done, with a subject that's exactly the kind of thing I like. This book hits all of those standards for me, and I honestly can't think of anything to critique it for. Reading a book like this is exactly why I love comic books, and I can't give a better reason than that. Read Full Review

While other characters like Punchline and Clownhunter had origins that march up with what I expected, Miracle Molly is a great example of how to still surprise your audience. Read Full Review

Batman Secret Files: Miracle Molly #1 is the origin story for Miracle Molly that we didn't know we needed, and it hits deep. Read Full Review

Overall, the issue nails the theme that someone else's dream isn't always your dream. Using Mary to transform into Miracle Molly is relatable to many as many people want to quit their jobs and follow their passions but are too afraid to try. Tynion and Dani's story takes the idea of dreams and forces the reader to decide if it was theirs to even begin with. Read Full Review

If you wanted to know more about Miracle Molly, a brand new character in the DC universe, that's a treat for the eyes, then this issue's for you. It's great to give new heroes and vigilantes a good introduction, and a chance, just like the Justice League often does. It seems characters in the Secret Files have suffered grave inequalities, which, like The Joker said “all it takes is one bad day.” Although currently, her alignment is villainous, all she wants is to break a system that isn't working anymore. Gotham doesn't just suffer from criminal corruption, but societal as well. Read Full Review

Dani does great work with the art in the issue. There are hints at Tim Sale's style in the art and that works perfectly for a Gotham story because the city looks amazing and the contrast between the rich areas of the city and the poor areas are visually stunning. Read Full Review

While I was looking forward to this Secret Files to give me a reason to really care about Miracle Molly and the Unsanity Collective this issue just doubled down on what you already knew about Molly and the group while sprinkling in a few new tidbits along the way while showing it with art that seriously left me wanting more by the end. Ultimately, this issue felt rough all around. Read Full Review

Of all the new characters introduced by JT4 during his run, Miracle Molly has been arguably the most unique. And that's something that fits her character immensely.

This book explores her origin, and while it treads on some ideas we've seen before, it's approach and execution makes it am effective and gorgeous issue to look at.

JT4 has crafted a character that is reflective of many sentiments some may feel today. Feeling boxed in by opportunity and prospect, governed by how much grace and attention you are given by superiors, rather than your actual merit or potential. And overall, monotony and melancholy which can turn into dread.

Gorgeously portrayed by artist Dani, whos minimalistic thick lined figures and environments evoke the late great John Paul Leon, and makes the books look at feel memorable and effective. Colored like a cyberpunk trip, its lends itself to its tonality by means of aesthetic.

As for the story, its handed pretty well and has nice moments of nuance. Most of the issue is in flashback, but the backdrop on which its presented isn't nearly as interesting. However thats a small gripe. As it pertains to Molly herself, the juxtaposition of her old life to her new one is down fantastically and we can see she wasn't necessarily a traditionally downtrodden and poor or oppressed individual with nothing, but rather she was unfulfilled, and restricted from free expression.

The artist uses repeated imagery brilliantly to give you the sense of repetitive monotony that the titular character is villain, and when everything reaches a head, you can feel it coming. Its very well done.

Despite the characters shift being one that would normally be a dark and gloomy end, here it is presented as bright and hopeful totally while still cast in thick shadow.

Really well done book. Worth a read if you've been following the arc or wanna get what this character is about. I hope we see her in multimedia appearances soon. more

I enjoyed the story. Not a fan of the art though.

I said it in one of my Batman reviews, and I'll say it again here. Tynion's work seems to take these base, cheesy ideas and tries to mix them with social commentary. It doesn't work for me a lot of the time, and this issue is no different. I like the ideas here. I agree that society forces these norms on people that a lot of people just don't fit, and that can create a life that is incredibly depressing. It can lead to all sorts of mental anguish. I like that concept. You could have a whole discussion on oppression and hierarchy, but instead, she falls for a cult leader who promises to make it all better, and that's not treated like the bad thing that it obviously is? And I guess it's not going to ever be explored, at least not by Tynion, because Fear State is the end of his run. You don't free someone from the social hierarchy by indoctrinating them into another. Does Tynion not understand the basic problem here? Is it just something he planned to get to but now won't due to Substack? I don't understand how it went so wrong. more

Didn’t finish the issue. Couldn’t get past the art. It’s just not for me.

How is it that Tynion's origin stories for his characters are always so, so predictable? Of course his most boring creation is yet another sum of cliches. Of course she is an apathetic girl who didn't fit in and she was disrespected at work and wanted kids instead of career blah blah blah. I can't wait for him to move to Substack and the likes of Punchline, Clownhunter, Miracle Molly, the Gardener and Ghost-Maker to be forgotten and never used again in a Batman story. Art was bad, too, there's nothing redeeming this story.