Gotham Academy #11
Becky Cloonan, Brenden Fletcher, Karl Kerschl, Msassyk, Minhjue Helen Chen, Serge Lapointe
DC $2.99
As much as I loved Gotham Academy pre-Convergence break, I haven’t been as keen on the book since its return, the Damian Wayne issue aside. I think the problem was that the last few issues felt too busy for their own good, crammed with way too much content with little room to breathe. Issue #11 finally puts that to an end, as the gang heads into Gotham City proper to do some research on Olivia’s deceased super villain mom, or in Kyle’s case, play tennis. And much liked the previously mentioned last issue I really dug, a Robin shows up for a cameo! This time it’s Tim Drake, aka Red Robin, aka the best Robin, who never takes up too much space, and plays off of the cast incredibly well.
The creative team doesn’t cut back on the amount of exposition or action that we’ve seen in the previous issues, but the issue seems to flow much better than the previous ones Maybe I’m biased and think it has to do with the increase of jokes/focus on Maps? While it 
certainly could be a factor, it’s not the only reason why I’m big on this issue. This issue seems less removed from the proper Bat Universe (there’s Red Robin, a flashback involving the Dick Grayson Robin and Batman that ties into Olivia’s mom heavily, as well as a shout out to We Are Robin), and the inclusion of all of that works in the book’s favor. I also love how we’re getting more of proactive Olivia, who determined to get some answers and work with a team than the reluctant sack of angst we’ve been getting as of late.
This issue sees 3 artists working on the book: Karl Kerschl, regular fill in artist Mingjue Helen Chen, and colorist Msassyk stepping up to lend Kerschl a hand. I really like Msassyk’s line work, as it’s very much in line with Kerschl’s style, to the point where I was assuming it was mostly Kerschl drawing this issue until I re-read the credits. The coloring is a little uneven sadly, but it’s still good enough that it doesn’t take away too much from the art, especially in the earlier portions of the book, the flashback scene, and the book’s climax. A lesser book would have suffered from having too many in the kitchen, but these 4 creators really do a excellent job of giving this comic a nice, cohesive look.
Becky Cloonan and Brenden Fletcher‘s dialogue is excellent in this issue. The duo do an excellent job of sprinkling some quality humor throughout the issue, which contrasts nicely with the all the action and sleuthing that goes down. Also, I could read Maps interacting with a member of the Bat Family forever, because it is delightful.
Gotham Academy #11 is a well crafted comic that’s nice mix of everything really. It’s a book that well aware of the current on-goings of they’re darker sibling books, but thanks to a filter that heavily influenced by Batman The Animated Series, it also posses’ a sense of charm the other books don’t have. I’m back on board with this book 100%, and I’m excited to see how the mysterious surrounding this issue will be resolved when this arc is over.
