Excellent – could use more Batgirl, though.*

I’ve never been patient enough to be a religious comic book reader – With the pace I read at, where one issue won’t last 10 minutes, the idea of waiting for the next issue was often enough to keep me from picking up the current issue – but I still like comics.  I like the subtle and outright humor; I like the artistry; I like the continuing plot-lines (once there’s enough of a backlog for me to read a bunch of them at once). And I’ve been hearing really great things, industry-wise, about Gotham Academy.  (My favorite comic creator, Gail Simone, has been touting it for a while now, but she’s certainly not alone.)

 

And, after reading this first collection, I can see why: It’s sharp, quick & promising.  There’s mysteries galore in these first six issues, and characters I’m looking forward to learning more about.  There’s some old favorites – How could there be a Gotham without everyone’s favorite caped crusader? – but it’s all these new, young characters that I’m really interested it.  What is Olive’s story – Why was her mum in Arkham Asylum, and where is she now?  What’s Damian doing at Gotham academy? I’m sorry, but did you just shoot down an actual bat/man? Because that’s new. And why is this little girl – my personal favorite – called Maps, and does she know she’s basically the entire Scooby Gang (both iterations) wrapped up in one adorable package?

 

Volume 1, issues 1-6 of Gotham Academy is available next week, although I got my copy from NetGalley, a tiny bit early.  I think it’s definitely worth picking up, and it looks like the book could use the boost, so if you like a little mystery and some manga-inspired art, I’d add this to your next pull list.

 

*The title just reflects my personal opinion that Batgirl should be in more books.  All the books.  Every book. Preferably as Oracle, but I’m not picky.