Gotham Academy #17 Review

Writers: Brenden Fletcher, Faith Erin Hicks, Michael Dialynas, David Peterson / Artists: Adam Archer, Sandra Hope, Faith Erin Hicks, Michael Dialynas, David Peterson / DC Comics “Yearbook” continues with its series of short stories with great new writers taking their stab at our favorite Gotham campus. It’s a whole lot of reminiscing of untold adventures from the past year, a great means of adding depth to our favorite characters and bringing life to the campus itself. It has a history, it has secrets, it has… well, so much that we want to know. Developing such a backstory in a lighthearted short-story format makes the campus so much more interesting. Is the backstory easy to follow? Yup — there’s a lot of history but not nearly enough to feel overwhelmed. Is it fun? Definitely — these mini-adventures feel like hanging out with friends at the end of the year, remembering the best of the craziness that was. Is it going to get old? Well, if you were just starting to feel weary of Yearbook and ready to get back to more serialized action, issue #18 will be the last one. Perfect timing, and a great way to add a fun look back without becoming a cheap, overtired gimmick. Well played, Gotham Academy. Well played. The first story in Gotham Academy #17 is “This One’s For You,” with Black Canary guest artist Annie Wu bringing Black Canary herself to the campus. This one belongs to Pomeline, showing a little more of the softer interior that hides behind the snark, and is a much-welco…