Gotham Academy #8 Review

The gawd trio’s back, son! Only this issue of Gotham by Midnight Academy is mad dark, fam. Almost thought I was reading the wrong comic. This shit gloomier than Bruce Wayne on Take Your Parents to School Day. This shit more depressing than tears of a clown. Mark Cuban is slouched in a chair drinking expensive whiskey right now, and someone just came up and said “it’s okay, DeAndre Jordan is a jerk,” and Cuban said “It’s not that” as he handed them issue #8 of Gotham Academy.

"It's... Olive."
“It’s… Olive.”

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Issue #8 is driven by the sibling duo of Kyle and Maps, which is something we’ve only seen glimpses of in the past. Their’s is a fun dynamic as they work together on two different, yet intersecting, priorities. Smack dab in the middle is our girl Olive, the protagonist of Ice and Fire, who can inexplicably set a room ablaze while managing to give Kyle the coldest of shoulders. Of course, we’ve all been there, and that only makes you want the other person even more. I kept thinking how Kyle needed a close friend to give him some objective guidance but all I could think of was Uncle Denzel coming over and talking about things completely unrelated.

So Kyle’s on his own, faced with Olive, Maps, and in an unexpected move, Tristan. Jealousy ain’t a good look on anyone, but it’s fun to read how others respond with it because, like I said, who hasn’t been there? I half expected the Spectre to come up out of Kyle and try to throw hands with Tristan in the ultimate battle of thirst. Tristan’s busy trying not to turn into Lexington from Gargoyles but Kyle is still thinking to himself, like “I bet he’s funny. I bet Olive laughs at his jokes.” But you know who really is funny?

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That’s right — the homie Maps would’ve seen the Spectre and got excited, like “OMG OMG OMG WHO ARE YOU GOING TO SMITE?!” As one of the darker issues of this series, Maps was great at cutting the drama with moments of comedy here and there, making the jokes that much funnier, and the drama that much heavier. Basically, the writing in this book continues to be superb by finding a great balance.

Every issue of Gotham Academy is a long-awaited issue, fam. Keep enjoying the ride. You can read previous reviews of Gotham Academy here.

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  • Jordan Calhoun is a writer in New York City. His forthcoming debut book "Piccolo Is Black" is a celebration of the common adaptations we made while non-diverse pop culture helped us form identities. He holds a B.A. in Sociology and Criminal Justice, B.S. in Psychology with a minor in Japanese, and an M.P.A. in Public and Nonprofit Management and Policy. He might solve a mystery, or rewrite history. Find him on Instagram and Twitter @JordanMCalhoun

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