Review: The Miracles by Joe Glass
Written by Joe Glass with art by Vince Underwood, The Miracles tells the story of Elliot, a comic-loving teen who discovers that his own latent superpowers are actually a reality-bending connection to his own favourite comic book heroes. As well as navigating his newfound powers and the double life that comes with them, Elliot grapples with issues surrounding his own identity and sexuality. Also covering themes of trust, betrayal, and belonging, The Miracles is bursting with narrative depth.
Even from the first glimpse of The Miracles' cover, it's an enthralling piece of visual storytelling. Kevin Wada's cover art evokes the best of modern comics, with the same polished professionalism as would be seen on any mainstream hero's cover. It's simple enough to be striking, with just enough flair to fully communicate the promise of the story inside. And boy, does the story deliver on that promise.
Employing the time-honoured approach of opening with a tease from later in its story, The Miracles is engaging from its first panel. The tantalising foundation that the opening lays is one of secrets and devastation, touching on The Miracles' narrative themes without overselling its story. The abrupt switch to an entirely different and gorgeously nostalgic art style is excellent, helping The Miracles to get off to a start that's all but assured to grab readers firmly with the clear communication of the talent of its creative team.
Glass's writing touches on some heavy themes, which is outlined by the disclaimer on The Miracles' first page. Its story doesn't shy away from darker aspects, but they're kept as light as possible, rather than being overemphasised. In this, The Miracles is able to address difficult real-world problems without seeming heavy-handed, as its superhero origin story is still very much at the fore. In terms of writing, Glass's ability to inject subtext into the story without getting tied up in its emotional weight is incredibly achieved.
The art by Vince Underwood makes up the other side of The Miracles' singular appeal. Underwood's clean lines give The Miracles a sleek and polished look, allowing its story to speak for itself. Moments of artistic flair help add yet another unique element to The Miracles, with the execution of specific panels clearly demonstrating Underwood's singular ability to fuse more straightforward art with thought-provoking and singularly striking scenes. There's a clear personality to Underwood's art that meshes perfectly with Glass's story, making their pairing seem especially fruitful.
Harry Saxon's work on The Miracles' colours is brilliant in a very literal sense. The use of vibrant tones help to make every panel striking, with the use of shadow especially noteworthy in its superhero action sequences. Saxon's colour work helps to give The Miracles its exceptional personality, and serves as the beating heart of its visuals.
Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou's lettering is also worth noting. The use of different styles to represent the protagonist's blog and the lettering of the in-universe comic that appears feel organic to The Miracles' world. Otsmane-Elhaou's work is understated but competent throughout, further shoring up The Miracles' overall quality.
Finally, the book and logo design by Daniel Gruitt and Dominic Xavier, respectively, are incredible. They're the sort of small touches that add an additional professional flavour to The Miracles, and they simply should not go unmentioned. Though they may not have any bearing on the story itself, they only compound the polished look of the comic, marking it as an especially memorable read.
In short, The Miracles is exceptional. Its story is touching and exciting and offers exactly the sort of real-world representation that helps an audience connect with a narrative. Its characters feel organic and likeable, and its world is deeply intriguing. It's got the heart of Robert Kirkman's Invincible with art that evokes the personality of modern Ms. Marvel or Superman runs. There's something for everyone contained within the pages of The Miracles, as it's one of the freshest new superhero stories of recent years.
Rating 5/5
