Gotham Academy #2 Review

Written by Becky Cloonan & Brenden Fletcher Art by Karl Kerschl Already hooked on Gotham Academy? You’re not alone! Issue 2 revisits the mysteries of Olive’s forgotten summer and her obsession with Penguin’s ancestor, and builds on the character relationships we were ready to explore after issue 1. We see more of Olive’s antagonist, Pomeline, as Olive and her bully are paired together in a history project by their young teacher, Professor MacPherson. If you have bad memories of uncomfortably sharing space with someone who detests you, you might share Olive Silverlock’s pain.

We also see Olive’s first interactions with Kyle, the sort-of-ex-boyfriend she is actively avoiding for reasons still unknown. It’s clear she still loves him, and he may very well love her, but there’s a roadblock parked between them and we’ve yet to discover what it is. That roadblock seems to have implications reaching beyond their relationship, which is great for readers who want a female protagonist who is much more than her love interest.

As if she doesn’t have enough to worry about, there are ghosts haunting the campus grounds that she and Maps are crazy enough to investigate; in a cemetery, no less. Their curiosity leads them to their second mini-adventure, with an awesome final page that will pretty much guarantee issue 3 will sell out. There’s a laundry list of mysteries: Why were that guy’s eyes burning red? What does Millie Jane Cobblepot have to do with everything? Why do I get the feeli…