Gotham Academy #11 Review

Writers: Brenden Fletcher, Becky Cloonan / Artist: Karl Kerschl / DC Comics As if the squad isn’t already enough, Gotham Academy #11 adds Red Robin to the mix, because why not? It could’ve been Red Robin the restaurant with the bottomless fries and I still would’ve looked at the cover like ¯_(ツ)_/¯ before copping this heat. Let’s get into it! First off, all praise to Maps for being the consistent comic relief that keeps this series hilarious. Maps is to Gotham Academy what Barney Stinson was to How I Met Your Mother – a supporting character charming enough to often become the de facto star, and entertaining enough that a Black writer might publicly admit to having watched How I Met Your Mother*. Issue #11 sets the stage with our Detective Club on their way to Kyle’s tennis tournament, but definitely on their way to something more. No disrespect to Kyle’s tennis prowess but you know they have an ulterior motive. I’m not buying any high schoolers’ hype about a tennis tournament, acting like they’re about to go see the Dillon Panthers. This ain’t Friday Night Lights, this is tennis. Pomeline has the same reaction I give when my friends drag me into a crowded New York bar:

Anyway, Kyle’s a diversion, and he’s okay with that. Sure he’s just a smokescreen, but at least he’s not Katherine. Katherine’s still Gotham’s Eeyore. She’s the Detective Club’s Jerry Gergich, minus the loving family. “Your dad’s Clayface? Why don’t you shape shift into Gordon Ramsay and make dinner?”

After a…