There have been a lot of different Batman comics over the decades. Understandably, most of them focus on the Dark Knight himself, or his extensive “Bat-family”, with stories ranging from street-level detective stories to time-hopping adventures to intergalactic journeys, and anything in between.
An aspect of the Batman mythos that too often gets overlooked is just how deep and rich the overall world of Gotham City actually is, though, be it the personal lives of Bruce Wayne and his wards, investigations conducted by Jim Gordon and the Gotham City Police Department, or the history of the late, great, and will hopefully returning from the dead soon Alfred Pennyworth. In the right hands, a great Batman story can be told without Batman ever actually appearing in costume. That’s how great the world-building has been over the past nine decades.
For my money, one of the freshest, most entertaining books in recent years was Gotham Academy, which took place in the titular school and followed the adventures of young Olive Silverlock. Joined by an eclectic and lovable cast– including honorary Robin Maps Mizoguchi, who Is The Best– Olive uncovered mysteries around the Academy that shed light on Gotham’s past, as well as her own. It was an incredibly fun book, spawning a few spin-offs, sequels, and continuations since its debut back in 2014.
This fall, the original creative team of Brenden Fletcher, Karl Kerschl, and Becky Cloonan will be joined by new interior artist Marco Ferrari on the six-issue miniseries Gotham Academy: First Year. A prequel to the original series, First Year dives into Olive’s… well, first year at the Academy, shedding new light on her tragic past and her personal connection to the Dark Knight.
Any book that tries something new and different is worth celebrating, especially when it’s aimed at getting new and young readers into comics. This series definitely fits the bill, so for more information, check out the DC blog, as well as covers from Sweeney Boo, Dustin Nguyen, and Karl Kerschl below.
Gotham Academy: First Year #1 will hit comic shops and digital retailers on October 1.
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