Batman: Secret Files: Secret Files #2

This is a bloody great one shot to pick up, with some amazing contributions from a number of different creators as they dip their toes into the world of Tom King's villains of Batman. This is an easy purchase as it can be read as a standalone collection one-shot, or it will add value to the current King Batman run. Read Full Review

Batman Secret Files #2 is worth the investment. The stories are solid and each one displays Batman as either a detective, a master of disguise, a brute force against crime or a someone that mad men are queuing up to defeat. This was a great read. Read Full Review

Handled by a powerhouse group of creatives like Andy Kubert, Mairghread Scott, Steve Orlando, and many more, Secret Files #2 turns the focus on the villains as "City of Bane" comes to the anthology title. And in that focus comes real strength and chilling fun with the Joker, Bane, Hugo Strange, and the Psycho-Pirate all taking center stage in stories that cut right to the core of their villainy and their relationship with the Batman. Read Full Review

This isn't essential reading, but it does feature some quality stories and is a nice appetizer for the big City of Bane arc. Read Full Review

"Batman: Secret Files" issue 2 is one that every Batman fan should pick up. Read Full Review

The comic as a whole is an above average book that does better than most of the "side books" that come out. I enjoyed it very much. Read Full Review

The art styles varied along with the stories and each artist brought something unique to their story that was fun to experience. Read Full Review

Batman Secret Files #2 two feels like a tie-in book for reader who may not have been around for a while, serving perhaps those who have only just recently jumped on to Batman. For the log time reader, there is the stylishly taken route and the not quite comparable quirky which can show just how different Batman, and his infamous rogues can be. Read Full Review

Overall, aside from the Orlando story, most of these tales are good but not great. That one, though, is worth the price of admission alone. Read Full Review

A collection of good stories from some great creators, plain and simple. There was lots of potential for greatness here, and while it wasn't ever really achieved, everything contained within these pages is at the very least solid with pretty stellar artwork throughout. I was sufficiently entertained, and genuinely wanted to read more from some of these creators. I mean, Mairghread Scott exploring the Riddler's compulsions, and Hugo Strange acting like a slasher movie villain? Yes, please. Batman Secret Files #2 is never as great as it could be, but it's more than good as it is. Read Full Review

In Batman Secret Files the amazing artwork outshines the storytelling in the majority of the stories featured in the anthology. The Bane story, Alethephobia provides an added layer of backstory to City of Bane, which enhances the story for those following the series. Read Full Review

Though not a necessary addition to anyone's collection,Batman Secret Files #2 manages to squeeze some hidden gems out of its format, and while there's certainly some stories that are weaker than others, no one is out-and-out awful. At the end of the day, it isn't essential reading both in and of itself or as a marketing tie-in to "City of Bane," but by the same turn you won't regret reading it. Read Full Review

If you're a fan of Batman and enjoy seeing different writers tackle the Dark Knight, you may enjoy this collage of short stories. Other than that, it's really not worth picking up, as there isn't really anything new or exciting other than the story by Steve Orlando and Eduardo Risso. Read Full Review

That being said, this was fairly enjoyable if a somewhat uneven collection of stories. While some stories had issues, it still features consistently strong art and a few stand out moments. Read Full Review

Like any anthology, Secret Files #2 is more bad than good. But if you can find this in a dollar bin in six months, it's worth the price for a couple stories and a sampling of smaller DC talent who'll no doubt go on to write huge, acclaimed books in the upcoming years. Read Full Review

I guess these files are secret because most really aren't worth telling.  They don't tie into the City of Bane like the cover alludes to and they aren't strong enough to stand on their own.  There really isn't much reason for this collection to exist and I suggest avoiding it as if it didn't! Read Full Review

While this might be worth picking up to peruse for Risso's pages, the collection rates a big "keep it." Read Full Review

Br'er Lapin AKA 20-Ish Ceiln

Aug 03, 2019

Better than I expected. I especially liked Mairghead Scott's Riddler story.

Darkseid24

Jul 31, 2019

This isn’t as entertaining as the Secret Files, which was released a few months ago, but it had still some fun stories to read. It contains short stories for Joker, Psycho Pirate, Riddler, Hugo Strange and Bane. I think the one with Joker was the best, since it was a classic Joker vs. Batman story. Joker trying to take Batmans suit off was just funny to watch. Hugo Strange finding out Batman‘ s real identity was done better in Prey& Terror, but nonetheless it was entertaining how he tried to find out this time. The one with Psycho Pirate was ok, but honestly I don’t know why he gets so much attention lately. He’s boring& nowhere as powerful as King thinks he is. Another villain like Scarecrow ( he was responsible for the Knightmar e part after all) should have got a story instead. Riddlers story was ok, but he looked weird. As for Bane it was a short character study, but nothing outstanding. What I find really sad, that we don’t get any bios in Secret Files as it was done years ago. Or patient interviews with the Arkham inmates would have been cool or an insight to Arkham. It’s just a collection of short stories these days. The art wasn’t always good. more

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• myconius

myconius - Jul 31, 2019

glad i skipped this one then.

Darkseid24 - Jul 31, 2019

Yeah I wouldn’t say it’s bad, but it could have been so much better.

Psycamorean

Aug 02, 2019

The Joker and Psycho-Pirate stories were good, but the rest were very forgettable, and outright bad. Especially the Bane story. Tim Seeley strikes again.

Spacey Medicine

Sep 03, 2019

Some of these were okay.

Batman Jones

Jul 31, 2019

What a wasted opportunity. This could have been a City of Bane tie-in that might have connected some of the dots. Instead, in the middle of a major 'Villains Take Over Gotham" arc, we got a forgettable collection of shorts that could have come out in any of the last 30 years or so. The Risso art was nice but there was nothing else at all to distinguish this issue. .

LunaMoody

Jul 31, 2019

Totally forgettable crap that doesn't tie into the City of Bane at all despite the fact that the cover suggests otherwise. The only story I found to be somewhat interesting was the Hugo Strange one. Though the art for it was horrendous. The story with the Joker, if you totally forget about this being a well established character and just out right lie to yourself that the Joker is a new character instead then this story is very funny. However knowing that the Joker is a very intelligent and crafty character that has gone up against Batman many times over the years and fully knows Batman is loaded with tricks in his suit,that just makes this story more an injustice to the character. The Joker would not be this stupid and get knocked on his b ut over and over. Maybe in the very beginning sure. However this story does not give any hint to this being something that happened years ago. So the end result is a stupid, disappointing joke. As for the story on Bane. I'm not a fan of the character but I will give it credit for being a Bane like story. I could see Bane doing this easily. I do have to question one thing though. In the story it is stated that Bane was interviewed as a child yet clearly the imaged shown was not that of a child. A young man yes but a child no. There was nothing about that image that says child unless Bane has a really underdeveloped " joy stick " that is not shown to us but is where the child reference comes from...... I don't know. more