The Good
There's just something about this book that raises my spirits. It pretty much oozes charm as we embark upon reading the adventures of some new characters in the DC Universe. Usually it takes me a little bit to warm up to new characters. There's the matter of learning who they are and finding a reason to care about them. From the first issue, I had no choice but to start caring about the new characters, Olive and Maps.
While we don't know a lot about the characters, you just get the feeling that there is something going on with them. With Olive, there's is the matter of what happened the previous summer that has her, and others, on edge. Why is she avoiding Maps' brother, who was her boyfriend last time anyone checked? It sounds like there might be a lot of school-type drama complete with some mean kids tormenting and poking fun at Olive but, as I said, there's just a great sense of charm that has grabbed my attention. With the bigger mystery of what happened to Olive and what's the deal with her family, there is also the fact that something possibly sinister is going on at the school. Becky Cloonan and Brenden Fletcher's story simply has me completely hooked.
And then there's Karl Kerschl's art and the colors by Geyser and Dave McCaig. You can definitely say this is visually different from the average New 52 title. Sometimes change and 'something different' can be good. We're still in the New 52 but it's like we're getting to explore a whole new section. With just two issues out, I couldn't even imagine someone else handling the art duties.
The Bad
Some may be put off by the lack of immediate answers. Without knowing everything, it might feel like there's too much high school drama in the title. Hopefully readers can really see what's going on in this series. We don't really get many answers here but there is enough to capture your interest in wanting to find out more.
The Verdict
GOTHAM ACADEMY is quickly moving up the ranks to becoming one of my favorite titles. Brand new series with an entirely new cast of characters can be tricky to pull off, especially with so many other titles on sale. Becky Cloonan and Brenden Fletcher are giving us a new series with a lot of charm. You can't help but be interested in the plight and unknown backstory of the main character. Karl Kerschl's art and colors by Geyser and Dave McCaig make this visually different from the other DC books and it's a nice change of pace. Check the book out if you're looking for something different instead of the same old formula we've seen too many times.