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quetzelish's review against another edition
4.0
Volume two of Gotham Academy starts off with an odd story featuring Damian Wayne that, was kind of hard to follow. While the artwork in that story was very nice, it doesn't lend itself to action very well. . This volume just attempts to juggle too many characters at once and ends up not being able to deliver any development on any of them. While volume one focused heavily on Olive, this one sees Maps take over the lead but we don't get any development. There is the mystery that carried over from the first volume and continues into the next but the story feels just a bit incomplete, like something is missing. I don't know what it is though, because the stories themselves are fairly solid and so are the characters.
The artwork continues to be clear and moody and expressive as well. Also, they mystery of is so intriguing but I think my main issue with the volume is that the academy feels lifeless. Or at least, empty. We explored the campus during volume one but instead of exploring more, learning more about the teachers and the students and the mysteries of the campus itself, we're given a moody teenager (who has a right to be moody) and a couple action mysteries that don't build to anything. We don't get to hear more about the campus or its history or its own mysteries, which feel like they should take center stage. Although we do get to see a few returning heroes and villains from the greater Batman universe, they kind of feel out of place.
Which isn't to say that these are necessarily bad things. Not everything has to be super deep but Gotham Academy seems to be trying to do a quite serious story but with teenagers that feel real instead of stock brooding machines. And it's in this inability to balance these two that hold this back from being amazing. Maps, who so far is the best character and it pains me to not see more development of her yet, didn't need to be the focus of this volume. We should have stuck with a focus on Olive and balanced the monster of the week with the underlying mysteries and ties to the greater batman-verse. Instead of shuffling most of the gang off to the side, making them feel very secondary, balance them into the story. This all being said, I'm still going to continue reading this series. It's got really great ideas and artwork that is unique (although the facial emotions do fail to convey impact from time to time) and works really well for this story (except again that first story, it was a bit confusing to follow the art, as well done as it was). I would still say check this out, even with all its flaws it is doing something that not many other DC comics are doing and I hope that the next volume is even better.
Spoiler
It doesn't help that this was also the only story featuring Damian Wayne, who felt very shoehorned inThe artwork continues to be clear and moody and expressive as well. Also, they mystery of
Spoiler
what happened to Olive's mother and what exactly is calamityWhich isn't to say that these are necessarily bad things. Not everything has to be super deep but Gotham Academy seems to be trying to do a quite serious story but with teenagers that feel real instead of stock brooding machines. And it's in this inability to balance these two that hold this back from being amazing. Maps, who so far is the best character and it pains me to not see more development of her yet, didn't need to be the focus of this volume. We should have stuck with a focus on Olive and balanced the monster of the week with the underlying mysteries and ties to the greater batman-verse. Instead of shuffling most of the gang off to the side, making them feel very secondary, balance them into the story. This all being said, I'm still going to continue reading this series. It's got really great ideas and artwork that is unique (although the facial emotions do fail to convey impact from time to time) and works really well for this story (except again that first story, it was a bit confusing to follow the art, as well done as it was). I would still say check this out, even with all its flaws it is doing something that not many other DC comics are doing and I hope that the next volume is even better.
willowgriffin's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
hanz's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury and Grief
Moderate: Death of parent
seawarrior's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
aliterarylion's review
5.0
This series is spectacular and I enjoy every aspect of it: artwork, characters, plot, streamline of events, and general atmosphere of the book. The story is very gripping and I can't wait to see what else Gotham Academy has in store. I've been writing these reviews too long after I read them but I definitely know Gotham Academy is quite the humdinger. See you next semester, Olive!
allonsythornraxx's review
4.0
BOOKTUBE-A-THON 2018 #1
30/07/18
Really enjoying this series and where the story is going. I'll definitely be picking up volume 3 soon!
30/07/18
Really enjoying this series and where the story is going. I'll definitely be picking up volume 3 soon!