Advanced Review: Gotham Academy #4

Gotham Academy #4

Release Date: Jan. 28th 2015

Publisher: DC

Creators: Becky Cloonan, Brenden Fletcher

Art: Karl Kerschl

“Seriously. I dare this day to get worse”

-Olive

I’ll try to keep this as spoiler free as possible. Gotham Academy was one of my favorite series from last year. The writing team of Becky Cloonan (who is quickly become one of my favorite writers), and Brenden Fletcher expertly craft a compelling who-donnit story. All the while building a roster of characters who are not only enjoyable, but easy to connect with and feel for (also Maps is THE most adorable young person in comics today). Issue four continues in this strong tradition. It picks up a couple days after the events in issue three with the gang trying to come to terms with what had happened. Turns out that In their rush to leave the North Hall they forgot to close the front door behind them. Now everyone knows that someone was there last night and the whole hall is  shut down. Luckily for the gang no one knows they were the ones who entered in. Cloonan and Fletcher continue their quick, dialogue heavy story telling throughout the comic, solving a few mysteries and presenting a few more. Balancing their narrative and leaving the reader feeling satisfied, yet famished for more all at the same time. This issue also features a certain special cameo by a certain special someone (again no spoilers, if you want to know go buy the book!). This issue moves at a torrid pace, not leaving any time for the reader to become bored or complacent. The art by Karl Kerschl raises the bar on what was already spectacular art for this series. Kerschls use of spacing a framing really sets this comic apart. An example of this would be pages 4-5 He uses clever spacing and paneling to convey movement and as a mode of story telling in and of its self. In doing so he creates a world that is equal parts intricate and beautiful. He has a knack for creating facial expressions that perfectly match the situation the characters are in. The coloring by Msassyk & Serge LaPointe is a perfect pallet for the world of Gotham Academy. The use of light and glare make it feel like a perpetual twilight, which adds to the overall tone and feel of the comic.

This comic is an excellent addition to an already strong series. In my opinion this issue is the best entry yet. Cloonan and Fletcher continue to lead readers down a twisting, ever expanding story, and I personally cannot wait to discover whats at the end. Seriously go buy this issue.

I give this issue a 8.5/10

-Andrew Horton