Having no background in Gotham Academy I thought it would be a great time for me to start with Gotham Academy Annual #1. This issue is meant to be a prequel to Gotham Academy: Second Semester so it’s sure to set up some brand new story lines.
There is a disconnect in the Detective Club which leads to an uncertain future for the group; with a mysterious disease becoming a problem for the student population it couldn’t come at a worse time. It’s a race to see who can solve the case first (and before the disease takes its toll). Is it good?
Gotham Academy Annual #1 (DC Comics)
The first few sentences of the issue pulled me in. Brenden Fletcher, who has worked on previous issues of Gotham Academy, does a great job capturing the insight of the teenage personality with a nice twist of weird. “What would you be willing to sacrifice to live forever?” It threw me off a bit until I got more into the issue. The question isn’t meant for everyone.
The disagreement between Pomaline and Colton on the origin of the sickness plaguing some of the students is expressed with overwhelming emotion. I loved the adolescent overreaction with each student’s version of the horrific villain responsible. With the story eventually leading to garlic, glowing skeletons and time travel it’s safe to say that I was thoroughly entertained. The art team did a delightful job with the villains; they remind me of an early ’90s bad guy in those Saturday morning Scooby Doo cartoons; that is, scary enough to make it interesting but with a sense of humor so you really believe the kids can take them on. I know these are not just normal kids but from being a new reader I thought it fit well.
Once the club’s two baddies came together for the final scene I got a bit lost with the hustle of the action. Still an amazing ending but make sure you read for each character and the battle they started with. There are also a few panels closer to the end that some facial expressions looked almost copied and pasted-a few lazier lines within some pages also.
Is It Good?
I enjoyed my first look into Gotham Academy. I’m hoping the more I read the more I understand the dynamic between all these interesting people.
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