Over the course of just five issues, Gotham Academy has become a must-read comic book.
The perfect mashup of Harry Potter boarding school hijinks and Batman's dark world, Gotham Academy is the brainchild of writers Brenden Fletcher and Becky Cloonan, and artist Karl Kerschl.
Charming from its first issue, the series has been full of mystery and loaded with terrific characterizations.
Speaking of, the most enjoyable aspect of Gotham Academy has been meeting these characters and watching them grow over time.
In issue #5, events lead right up to the climax of the series' first story arc, culminating with revelations galore and some incredibly satisfying character beats. Our two main characters, Olive and Maps, are joined by two very unlikely cohorts to form something of a team, and it's easy to see that this was the writers' plan all along, though we never saw it coming. (That's a hallmark of great writing by the way)
Our hero Olive Silverlock gets closer to answers about her mother and what happened over summer break, while growing more sure of herself and less angsty. Her gal Friday, the always-adorable Maps, asserts herself more than ever here, showing greater self-confidence and becoming the glue that holds the group together. Resourceful Colton takes up residence as the group's grease man, while Pomeline, who began the series despising Olive and mercilessly harassing her, is, rather surprisingly, becoming a her friend and a willing member of the group.
This issue finds Olive and her friends confronting Killer Croc, who's been hiding in the school's secret passages after escaping from Arkham. But this Croc — who Kerschl draws in a way unlike we've ever seen before — is a sympethetic character and more of a gentle soul than the vicious Batman villain you may be used to. He also holds some answers for Olive about her mom.
But this brings us to my one major criticism of the series. Cloonan and Fletcher rely way too much on a literary device where a character appears that finally delivers some long-awaited answers, but just when they're getting to the good part, they're interrupted and never finish their story. Once or twice is fine, but this exact scenario has happened again and again throughout the series.
In other developments, we finally get some answers about that dreamy blonde guy Tristan, who is much more than he appears to be. We hear a little bit more about Sybil Silverlock, Olive's mother. And the issue also provides some big hints as to what really happened over that mysterious summer break that Olive can't remember much about — the implications of which are ominous.
Kerschl's art is growing stronger with every issue, and his style is now not only recognizable but comfortable. His work is proving to be the perfect complement to the story that's being told, and I hope he never leaves the book. It's true that his Killer Croc is not one you'll recognize (he's blue, for crying out loud), but apparently this was intentional. So, okay then. We'll roll with it.
Overall, this is easily the most satisfying issue of Gotham Academy yet, and not just because it finally starts providing answers to all the mysteries that've been stacked up. More than anything, the "big picture" of the series is starting to come into focus at last, which really strengthens your faith in the writers. They do have a master plan, all of these disparate plot points and mysteries are being played out and won't be forgotten, and these characters are worth coming back month after month for.
All this, and you get a clever Ghostbusters reference, too. What are you waiting for?
If you're not reading Gotham Academy, you're missing one of the most creative and rewarding comic books on the market.
Story:
★★★★½
Art:
★★★★☆
Overall:
★★★★☆
