So far in this series, the direction and overall story of the characters has been a bit convoluted.  it has focused on Olive Silverlock, a girl that is sequestered at a boarding school set in Gotham, and among the many mysteries that she and her best friend Maps have to investigate, they all seem to be somehow associated with the school’s North Hall.  The series has kept its readers guessing as well.  In a superhero setting that is arguably more realistic than others, Gotham Academy might have been the type to mix a bit of reality into the supernatural.  It becomes evident in this issue that it is not the case.  Instead the series takes a different approach and one which has never been tried before in comics, as the regular people in Gotham are portrayed as regular people from the real world, but that the superpowered nature of some is explained by supernatural explanations.

In this issue both a vampire and a lizard man are explained in this way, and while it is not necessarily either Man-Bat or Killer Croc that are being referred to, it it still evident how people could make the mistake.  While this is the most noteworthy innovation of this issue, it is also the source of the main drawback, as minor as it is.  For the first time maps is shown talking in Dungeons and Dragons lingo, which is likely understood by most comic fans, but as this comic has the ability to reach out to mainstream interest, it also comes across as a bit heavy.  A couple or references would be fun, but it is risks becoming too niche in its references.

This series is still one of the standouts among the big two, and while others are being rolled out to compete with the success of this and Batgirl, it is evident that (while the newer series are not necessarily bad) that this is a step above.  The characters are approachable and the story is enchanting and engaging, and this series remains a success story and provides an example of how to do comics right.

Story: Becky Cloonan and Brendan Fletcher Art: Karl Kerschl
Story: 8.9 Art: 8.9 Overall: 8.9 Recommendation: Buy