Reviews

Gotham Academy: Second Semester, Vol. 1: Welcome Back by Karl Kerschl, Brenden Fletcher, Becky Cloonan, Adam Archer

bookmarked642's review

5.0

I absolutely love this comic series! My boyfriend introduced me to the first semester and I just adored it right away. The writing is fantastic - the dialogue between characters is so funny. And the art is always great and easy to follow. It's just so well written overall, I think. So much action and mysteries everywhere; nothing is ever what it seems at Gotham Academy.

The characters are so well written, and I absolutely adore Olive, Pom and Colton. I'm not so keen on some of the others, but that was probably the intended reaction. Not all characters are made to be loved.

This comic ties into others in the Rebirth universe - such as We Are Robin - and features famous characters like Batman, Damian, Clayface and Killer Croc (not all in this particular volume, though). So whether you're a big superhero comic fan or not, I think everyone can appreciate and enjoy this comic.

The Detective Club is on their way to discovering the true past of Gotham - and Olive's real heritage. Unexpected allies and foes are found along the way, including Batman himself - Olive's least favourite hero of all.

Another good aspect in this is the inclusion of homosexuality - which is brilliantly weaved in without defining the character or affecting the plot. I'm not going to give away who the character is, but I so think they could've chosen a better "crush". (Let's just say it's one of my favourite characters falling for one of my not-so-favourites.)

This has definitely encouraged my new-found love of comics to grow, and I'm going to read on right away. 5 stars. A fantastic comic.

hanz's review against another edition

medium-paced

2.0

seawarrior's review

adventurous emotional lighthearted mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury

allonsythornraxx's review

3.0

30/09/18
I'm glad the story is finally picking up but this volume was pretty boring.

jessica_dw's review

4.0

I really loved learning more about the history of the silverlocks and arkhams.

jamietherebelliousreader's review

4.0

4 stars. This series is finally getting back on track! This was definitely my favorite volume since the first one. The artwork was back to being consistent and vibrant which I was so happy to see after the mess of the last volume. The story was a whole lot of fun and took a turn that I was not expecting with Olive’s character and I’m so excited to see where it goes next. The action and adventure was exciting and just served as a reminder of why I love this series so much. I’m definitely looking forward to the next volume and I hope they don’t lose this momentum.

booksatlunch's review

5.0

I was so excited to get an opportunity to read Gotham Academy! I had heard a lot about the series, and it definitely not disappoint. In a lot of ways it is YA, but it also deals with some pretty heavy topics. If you're into the lore of Batman this is a great ready as it covers a lot of background in the series.

Thanks to DC and Netgalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

ruthsic's review

4.0

Olive's story continues in this new semester, as her loneliness becomes more apparent and her dubiety over her friends threatens to drag her further away from them. A new character in the form of her roommate, Amy serves to pull Olive further away from her friends, while Pomeline is chasing the secrets of the Academy and Arkham. Meanwhile, during the detective club's shenanigans, Colton gets caught and his future is on the line, calling forth a gathering of support and some secondary characters. However, with all these storylines playing out, it seems like the series is unsure of what it wants to focus on. While they are connected, the way the story jumps between them and the sense of missing elements (like, for instance, the introduction of certain characters' pasts) makes for a confusing read, even if the story itself may seem interesting enough. The artwork is on point, though, and with a consistent illustrator, it isn't jarring at the very least. Ultimately, though, I am hoping the next volume is better written because this felt a little all over the place.

megbrod's review

5.0

I'm going to need my parents to adopt Maps and Jesus Christ, Pomeline is the Slytherin schoolgirl of my dreams. Another excellent volume in the series! This one really starts to bring a lot of the past threads together and I can't help but think we're heading for some kind of conclusion. Still, hoping this runs for a long while from now, I love it so much!!!

connieischill's review

4.0

4/5 stars

Holy shit, Amy is the worst. Eric could have died and Olive (spoiler for issue 2 I guess) just forgives her for being a straight up bitch, stealing Eric's work and locking Olive and him away for no reason other than because she's spiteful and rude. Also, why is everyone so horrible to Eric? He's just a kid with a crush who likes investigating stuff. Him and Maps are actually very similar with the latter, so I feel like Eric should have a bigger role than some kid who gets beaten up and harassed just because he's a little weird.