Growing up, I was a huge Batman fan, so when I saw a graphic novel version set in high school, I had to give it a try. I was excited to see all the characters I know and love in a different setting and at a different time in their lives. Aside from that, I didn't know anything about the story going into it.

In this iteration of the Batman universe, the characters are much more diverse. Bruce Wayne himself is half Chinese. Alfred is upgraded from a butler to Bruce Wayne's married, gay uncle. Selina Kyle is Selina Garcia Kyle, Ivy is Korean, and "Barbie" Gordon is black.

The art in Gotham High did not disappoint. It's colorful, vibrant, and beautiful. If I had based my rating on that alone, it would have been 5 stars.

As for the story itself, it kept me turning the pages, but in my opinion, it felt disjointed and rushed at times. It would have been much better and more impactful with a little more detail and development. I was confused by some choices in the storytelling, but unfortunately, I can't clarify any further because of spoilers. That being said, it was cool to see this author's take on teenage versions of some of my favorite characters.

Bruce, Selina, and Jack all have heavy issues to deal with regarding their parents, and they're all trying to manage in their own ways. Bruce is back in town after being kicked out of boarding school and is reunited with his childhood best friend/crush, Selina. She invites him to a party where he makes friends with Jack, and from there, the story takes off with poker games, mysterious kidnappings, more parties, and a love triangle.

My favorite character throughout the entire story was Jack (the Joker), which surprised me. He came across as a much better person than either Bruce or Selina, and in my opinion, they didn't deserve his friendship or anything else. I don't want to say more than that, because I don't want to give anything away.

Overall, I did have a fun time reading Gotham High. It wasn't what I hoped it would be, but it was an entertaining read nonetheless. If you're a Batman fan, I would temper your expectations, but if you're curious, it's not a bad way to spend a lunch break.

Ok, hear me out. I was dying to read this. I LOVE Melissa de la Cruz and Pitilli's illustrations are amazing.

Unfortunately, as much luck goes, it got archived before I could actually read it.

To be completely transparent, I did receive an e-ARC of Gotham High from DC Ink, however as I'm a couple of years behind, I read a final copy from my library.

Gotham High's art-style is incredible; loved the colors vibrancy & just the characters themselves. However, the story just didn't hit. It definitely had potential & I have a lot of respect for Melissa de la Cruz for taking such a well-known character/universe and making it her own. However, in the end, the story felt a bit all over the place for me & it's not something that's going to stick in my head for a while.

This YA graphic novel of a reimagined Gotham really did it for me. I grew up watching Batman cartoons, and this brought me back to Saturday mornings and my love for that universe.

I had fun reading this and LOVED the art style. One of our main characters, Selina Kyle, was definitely my favorite—and can't wait to see her transform into Catwoman over this series.

Favorite quote: "In my opinion, a triangle is a perfect shape. Why does a girl have to choose?"

Melissa de la Cruz was one of the first YA authors that I remember loving. Her Blue Bloods series was so captivating and fun. I was so excited to get a chance to read and cover Gotham High for The Young Folks, because I knew her take on DC's favorite characters would be fresh and original.

Bruce Wayne has returned to town and is still grieving his parents. He does not identify as Batman, but is a smart, techie high school student. He becomes involved with a case, trying to find out who kidnapped two teens from his school, one being his former best friend and crush, Selina. Selina, on her way to becoming Catwoman, lives next door and wants to access her trust fund to help her ill father. Future Joker is also present in the form of a con artist named Jake and is central to the plot. The amazing illustrations are appropriately in darker colors for much of the book, highlighting the many night scenes with pops of color. The diversity of the characters' and their ethnicities may appeal to teens looking for faces like their own. This is one of the DC graphic novels for older readers and has a suggestive scene and some strong language. Definitely a book that will appeal to DC fans as well as those looking for mystery in a superhero story.

This review is based on the published version. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-galley.
My reviews and ratings are my own.

I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher (DC Comics) in exchange for an honest review. Firstly, the illustrations by Thomas Pitilli are beautiful. I almost always enjoy graphic novel's art. Secondly, the story was interesting and had good characters in it. The story is about Batman, Catwoman, and The Joker while they were kids/before they became the heroes and villains we all know. It gives me Riverdale vibes a little bit, with the mystery and drama. I did have an issue with how predictable the story was, though still enjoyable. 

I gave this graphic novel a 3 out of 5 stars. Would recommend it if you are fine with it being predictable.

This book took me on quite the adventure. It went through so many twists and turns that it left me speechless. Many things happened that I was not expecting. The ending of this was also amazing.

I loved the depth of all the characters. I haven’t read many comics but this one is by far my favorite. The art style drew me in. It’s so colorful and fun.

If you like comics or DC then I would most definitely add this to your tbr!

Gotham High was meh. The art was gorgeous but the story was not that great. I was able to foresee much of the plot, which made the book very uninteresting for me.

Gotham High felt like the superheroes (and anti-heroes) that we know and love thrown into their tumultuous teenaged years - so you can imagine the drama, romance, and betrayal that might ensue. Our three main characters are the focus on the cover: Selena (Catwoman), Bruce (Batman), and Jack (the Joker). I definitely got Bat and Cat vibes from Bruce and Selena, but I felt that Jack was less Joker-y than he should have been and sometimes just felt like a brand new side character for the plot.

Let's talk about the best part of the book first: the art. The illustrator was Thomas Pitilli and he was supported by colorist Miquel Muerto, so I want people to go appreciate them. They brilliantly brought the story to life and made it more enjoyable than it would have been if anyone else created the visuals. Everything was bright and vivid, just like the cover. The art drew me into the story and had me devouring the pages. I am so happy I own this graphic novel because I just want to stare at it, go read at it and then tell me if you don't agree.

The story is pretty entertaining, even if I wasn't a huge fan of the portrayal of women in the story. I really liked Selena at the beginning but over the course of the story she (and other female characters) became manipulative, unlikable, and cruel in a way that made her more villain than anti-hero. I love how nuanced most versions of Catwoman are so that she can blend the line between good and bad, staying in her shades of gray - I felt like I missed that part of her by the end of this book and that was sad. I am just going to pretend that it was only the first three-quarters of the book and say I loved it.

Another thing that I loved about this book was that the characters were more diverse than in their classic representations. Bruce Wayne's mother was from Hong Kong, which makes him half-Chinese, Ivy is Korean (or at least speaks Korean as well as Chinese and works in East Med in Chinatown, so I shall assume she is likely Asian even if they are not totally clear), Selena is Latina, and Babs is African-American. In this iteration, Alfred has a husband and is Bruce's actual uncle. It was fantastic to see a more diverse cast take on these classic characters and bring them to life in new ways. I hope we get to see more from them in their youth and cannot wait to see more from the artists who worked on this graphic novel.

love the art so much! this graphic novel is really interesting. looking forward to reading more from this author in the future.

I was so excited for this graphic novel, I absolutely love DC comics and to see these characters as highschoolers and as teenagers got me excited. But oh boy, this was such a huge disappointment.
The artstyle was beautiful but that was the only good thing I found about this novel. The characters were super annoying which kinda hurt tbh, cause I would literally die for these characters in the comics and TV shows.

Gotham High was one of the first graphic novels I've read but won't be the last!
It was quick paced and held my interest the whole time. I loved the illustrations in it and thought they portrayed the story wonderfully! It was just all around fun to read about Gotham's future heroes and villains in high school with all the drama and angst that high school brings.

This was a very fun graphic novel to read, it was a very diverse read with all of the characters, and it was great to see some beloved characters in a new light. Though I did find the plot to be a bit straight forward, the artwork was absolutely beautiful, and perfect for the story.

Sigh, this is not the review I wanted to write. When I first heard about “Gotham High” I was super excited! I could not wait to read it. This book did not do the DC universe justice. I do not know if it was lack of research about the heroes and their backgrounds or what but there were so many inconsistencies. I do appreciate what the author attempted to do by making the characters more diverse. The artwork was so beautiful. I was just expecting more.

I loved the art in this graphic novel, everything was so beautiful. The story line was a bit flat and nothing special, but this book is perfect for a light read. There is some diversity, which is great. It does feel a bit riverdale-y? so that's a bit of a problem.

i had so much fun reading this! gotham high is a graphic novel featuring dc characters as teenagers who go to high school together in gotham city. it’s so interesting seeing the small references to their future aliases scattered throughout the book.

the diversity is one of my favorite things about this novel. in the movies, most of the characters are white, so i wasn’t really expecting the situation to be different in this book, and i ended up getting a pleasant surprise! selina kyle (catwoman) is latina, poison ivy is korean, barbara gordon (batgirl) is black, and bruce wayne (batman) is chinese. batman’s mom’s side of the family is from hong kong, and it’s like a dream come true for me, because it’s the first time i’ve read a book with a main character of hong kong descent. ❤

i also loved the art style and colors. each character has their unique aesthetic, and the illustrator took the effort to carefully plan out their outfits so that they could reflect the wearers’ styles and personalities. the neon pastel colors of the background, similar to that in paper girls, contrasted with the darker colors used for the characters, which i really liked.

the storyline is very simple, but that didn’t take the fun out of the reading process for me. i won’t reveal too much about the story, only that it involves several kidnappings and a love triangle. 😉 it’s compelling and easy to follow, and i was hooked from start to finish.

overall, gotham high was a short, entertaining read and i highly recommend it especially if you’re a fan of graphic novels and the dc extended universe. i hope there will be a sequel – the cliffhanger ending left me wanting more!

Melissa de la Cruz sells books and I get that, but the world did not need yet another Gotham origin story and definitely not one that felt as vapid as this one. I'll buy it for my library's collection because I think de la Cruz's name will get some patrons to check it out, but if you're on a tight budget, skip it.

What if Batman, Catwoman, and the Joker all went to highschool together when they were younger? This graphic novel has an interesting premise, but misses the mark. The illustration is good, but the story just didn't work for me.

Melissa de la Cruz is a YA powerhouse: my middle graders can't get enough of her Descendents novels, and my teens and YA readers devour her Alex and Eliza books. She can navigate complicated relationships between her characters, and who gets more complicated than the Joker, Catwoman, and Batman? Right? Gotham High is a YA take on Bruce, Selina, and Jack as teens - no capes, no superpowers, just the baggage they already come with (SO much baggage). Bruce is 17, just kicked out of boarding school, and has too many ghosts, in the form of memories, inhabiting stately Wayne Manor. Selina Kyle used to be the girl next door, now a Gotham High student that hangs out with Jack Napier, class clown with a heck of a mean streak. Bruce falls in with the two, and finds himself involved in a love triangle of sorts. But a kidnapping rocks Gotham High, and Bruce is thrust into the role of detective to get to the bottom of things. 

Taking away the capes, gadgets, and makeup, Melissa de la Cruz gives us three incredibly complex, flawed characters, and brings us into their contentious friendship. She gives us chilling moments and dread realizations about the people each character will eventually become - with or without a costume. She makes them easily relatable and recognizable, and artist Thomas Pitilli gives us realistic characters with his artwork, with all the rah-rah high school spirit we expect to find in a high school hallway to the anger always simmering below the surface for each character. He captures the spirit of high school, in all its internal chaos, with style.