Greetings from Gotham High! My first ever graphic novel read and it was amazing! This novel takes a dive into the background of Jack, Bruce, and Seline before they became Joker, Batman and Catwoman. I've long been a fan of all things Batman (mostly through the animated shows...I have to admit I've never before read the comics). So getting the chance to read an origin story was intriguing! We start off with Bruce being kicked out of his most recent prep school and sent to Gotham High. While we spend most of the time with Bruce, the true narrator of the story is Seline. Her scattered comments throughout the story add a nice edge to the overall story. We're thrust into the high school drama that's been in full swing for awhile now. Bruce feels a bit like an outsider but his millions don't hurt and soon enough he has a few friends. Jack being one of them. Jack is the resident bad boy with a heart of gold. He might be a jokester but he cares for and looks out for his best friend, Seline. Seline...this girl is on fire! She keeps you guessing and never slows down! I love her sense of freedom, her sense of independence, her sense of strength! She might be the ruling Queen Bee but she still has a heart. She shows such strength when it comes to trying to keep it together on order to take care of her dad. The final pages were a bit heartbreaking....but I'll let you guys read it and find out why I'm excited to get the sequel!

Our DC heroes and villains made quite the page-turner; I not only really liked seeing teenage Joker, Batman and Catwoman- but I loved how they were developed in the graphic novel!
I'll go as far as to say that I liked the Joker too!
It was so masterfully written and illustrated, I loved the glimpses into each character's lives, personalities, and trials!
Melissa de la Cruz did great with the 'showing and not just telling' rule.


The pov and way it was told was mysterious and suspenseful, I really like how it was done and added extra to the story.
There were a lot of different vibes because of the narrator, but it blended together really well and actually distracted you for a plot twist that I found very satisfying and epic!
There was a boy-next-door-vibe, bad-boy-and-bad-girl-vibe, and several others but I don't want to spoil! ;)

The moment everything clicked and made sense was spiraling for me. I had to keep reading to find out who-did-it, and what was really going on with these characters I already was almost in-love with.
I absolutely loved the mystery, the romantic and anti-hero vibes, and how you didn't really know who was good or bad- even though you knew the characters really well.

Can't wait to re-read this graphic novel!! *claps hands excitedly*

4.5 stars!

Rating- 3.5 stars

GOTHAM HIGH, PEOPLE!!!!

Listen. I know nothing about the original DC comics, but I’ve seen a few films and I know the overarching story and I really enjoyed this graphic novel! It’s definitely set in an alternate universe to the conventional canon. Bruce’s parents still kick the bucket and all that, but Bruce goes to some preppy boarding school and he gets kicked out and comes to Gotham to finish his education. Also. he’s always been friends with Catwoman because she lives next door to his mansion. Also, also, Selena is in this FwB situation with someone called Jack who is totally the Joker. ALSO ALSO ALSO she is for-reals in a weird, sexy relationship with Poison Ivy. It’s, like, a lot. But it’s also super fun!

Oh, also, Batman is like half-Chinese and I am telling you, he’s never been hotter.

The novel follows a pretty standard plot for a DC Superhero book - there’s someone trying to kidnap Bruce for his monies, but they end up kidnapping Harvey Dent (i swear everyone is like the same age and in the same highschool it’s both lowkey cool and hilarious), and then Bruce teams up with Jack and Selena to try and find out what is actually happening. Except- he can’t really trust anyone and there’s a love triangle and yada yada yada

Honestly, the art style was fun, the story was fun and the characters were fun. Everything about this graphic novel was simply just fun. It wasn’t some life changing, ground-breaking piece of art, but it was a really quick read, it gave me that adrenaline rush that I always look for when I come to these superhero/supervillain-infested worlds, and so I have no real complaints about this!

I hope there’s a sequel, because I would love to keep reading! A huge shout-out to The Fantastic Flying Book Club for providing me with an ARC of this book! I really enjoyed it, and if you’re someone who is not too attached to the canon when it comes to these stories, I think you will, too!

I so wanted to adore this book. If you have visited my reviews and blog before, you know how I feel about DC Comics and the world and characters of the Batman saga... I generally love them so much. This was a good book, it took a lot of liberties that I just found weren't for me and hard to swallow as a follower of this world through the years.

So Gotham High is a new take on the Batman characters. In this book, the narrator is Selina Kyle and we meet her, Bruce Wayne, Harvey Dent as well as Jack Napier (which eventually becomes the Joker from what I remember). Bruce has been moved into the regular high school and is making new friends when weir things start to happen around him and he comes to learn that someone or something is after him. His new friends try to help as best they can, but there is also a love triangle between Selina, Bruce and Jack which is complicating matters. All of this was great, the story line was engaging and the twists were there and well done. The illustration and coloration was really well done as well.

What I found off-putting was how many things were changed, a few is fine and understandable in a retelling, but there were a lot more changes than I expected in this retelling. So first obvious thing is the amount of diversity that has been added into the characters, a great thing, but since the characters have been around for so long it was hard to adapt to. Selina is Spanish, Bruce seems to be at least half Chinese and Ivy is introduced as Korean. Once more diverse character ok, but three! That was A LOT to take in. Also Alfred... in this installment Alfred was Bruce's uncle, again would have been an ok adaptation to the original canon but as another cherry on the cake of changes, I was not a fan. As an uncle, after what happened to his family, you would think there would have been more bonding and family to help Bruce adjust.

Overall, if I had not been so enthralled with the normal Batman canon this would have been a good, typical, teenage soap of a graphic novel, but as it stand it was just too many changes for me at one time.

Hello Again!


Recently I have been reading a ton of graphic novels. Now if you missed like any of those reviews you can check on my reviews page but I have also been reading a ton of DC content. I never really knew much about the DC universe and a little while back was given an E-ARC of a comic in exchange for an honest review since that first E-ARC I have been hooked and wanted to know more. So I have been reading all the new DC comics that have been coming out and honestly, I have really been enjoying each and every one. The most recent one I read was Gotham High, this one comes out today and I was lucky enough to receive an E-ARC on Netgalley from the publisher. This one also happens to be written by one of my favorite young adult authors Melissa De La Cruz!


SPOILERS AHEAD


In this comic Bruce Wayne is 16 years old and has just been kicked out of his most recent boarding school. Now he is going to go back to living at Wayne Manor and attend Gotham High. Once he is at home again he sees his neighbor and childhood friend Selina Kyle for the first time in a long time but he also meets and makes some new friends (like teenaged Poison Ivy). However, Bruce's new life at home is not bliss for long because soon people start getting kidnapped and of course Bruce is involved but he is also on the case!


I loved this story! I thought it was a fresh and unique take on Bruce Wayne and his friends or future enemies (depending on how they want to go with things). I loved seeing teenage Catwoman, Batman, Poison Ivy, and I think teen Joker? I also enjoyed the whole mystery behind the kidnappings and I thought that plot was intriguing (I honestly did not see the ending to that coming). The final thing I wanted to mention was I really loved the art style, I thought it really suited the story and was super appealing to the eye, I found myself going over the panels, again and again, wanting to just look at the pages. I am giving this comic five stars on Goodreads and I can not wait to see if there will be a follow up to this!

**Thank you to the publisher for the E-ARC!

Gotham High was a major departure from what I usually read but I was really interested as a fan of Melissa de la Cruz. I was blown away by the illustrations. They were stunning and really creative. I had trouble connecting with the story but this will definitely appeal to big fans of the Batman/Gotham world. It also shows the view of why the “bad guys” do bad things and tried to build complex characters. Definitely an interesting read for comic lovers!

I really enjoyed both the storyline and also the bright art style in this graphic novel. I loved that this book focus on younger versions of batman, Batman and Joker. I found it to be fun read and really captured my attention. The story line went in a direction that I did not expect and that was exciting. I really loved the dynamics between the characters. It was super quick read and hope me get more books following these characters.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.
Thank you DC for sending me a free copy of Gotham High!

After being expelled from his boarding school, young Bruce returns to Gotham City and lives in his family house, with his uncle Alfred and his husband. But now everything is different. The sweet girl next door, his past friend, Selina, is burdened down by her father's sickness and the inability to provide the best care for him. She and Jack Napier, the school clown, are involved in dangerous situations and when a kidnapping and poisoning occur, Bruce decides to investigate and to try to understand what is happening, if he was the real target. Or is he the pawn in this mysterious game?

Set in an unusual setting, the high school of Gotham City, Gotham High, this graphic novel is written by Melissa de la Cruz and illustrated by Thomas Pitilli and it focuses on Bruce Wayne, Selina Kyle and Napier before they became Batman, Catwoman and the Joker. It was interesting seeing them as teenagers, dealing with school, crushes, love rivals, friendship and investigations.

The characters are interesting and well rounded and the story, if simple, is captivating.
Bruce, Selina and Jack have to deal with a difficult family situation. Bruce lost his parents years ago and he has to deal with the grief and living again in his family house, while Selina is unable to care for her father, she can't pay for the best care for him, because can't use her trust fund until she's 21 years old and Jack's family and life are burdened by alcoholic parents and a poor home.
The investigation, the introduction of Ivy, Bruce trying to protect Selina and discover who is behind the kidnapping was interesting and thrilling..

I really liked the diversity in this book. Bruce is half-Asian, Alfred is his uncle and he's gay and married. It was a fresh perspective of our loved characters, seeing them so young,. I liked the characters and the dynamics between them, between love, jealousy, manipulation and friendship. Selina is an interesting, strong and complex character, ready to do anything to get what she wants and protects her loved one, even manipulating others.
Gotham high talks about important themes, like the wealth gap, the difficulty of getting a good healthcare, love and friendship.

OVERALL, I recommend Gotham high because the story provides a fresh view of loved characters, Batman, Catwoman, Joker and Poison Ivy too.
The illustrations are simply amazing, I loved the colours, the contrasts, the way the art conveyed emotions.

I enjoyed this one. I liked how the writer and the artists kept up with the dynamic between the three classic DC characters: Bruce, Selina and Jack. It was highly enjoyable to see how the story would turn out. The low key mystery will keep young readers on their toes and have them interested in reading in the original comics of these characters. A nice addition to the DC Ink collection.

5 star illustrations, 2 star plot. (*** I bumped my official rating from 2 stars to 3 stars since my 9 & 11 yo boys loved it***)

The illustrations by Thomas Pitilli were incredibly vibrant, and the colors popped from the pages in a brilliant dark/neon contrast. Seriously, gorgeous! However, the plot and dialog fell short in my opinion. The story line was choppy at times and could’ve used a handful of more panels to better transition the scenes and build the plot to feel more like a graphic novel.

My biggest issue lies with the female lead character and her portrayal in the book. I think DC entertainment is a male dominated franchise and should take more pains to represent feministic friendly plot lines within their works. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve loved several stories where women are comfortable with their sexuality and maybe use it to their advantage, but the manner in which this character arc was done was not that. It irked me to me honest. And for that reason, I don’t see myself recommending this book to friends and feel like the 2 star rating is appropriate.

Visit my blog for an extended review & more spoiler free details on this YA Graphic Novel - including short reviews from my 9 & 11 yo boys!

Thank you DC for providing me with a free copy of Gotham High in exchange for an honest review.

GOTHAM HIGH is a comic book that follows the iconic Batman-related characters as they were before they were famous/infamous. Bruce Wayne has returned from the private boarding school where his Uncle Alfred had sent him, and is now living at Wayne Manor with Alfred and Alfred's husband. Bruce is attending the public high school with Selena, the neighboring girl he loved as a boy. They are grown up now, and the time apart has not really changed the way they feel.

Selena's father has early-onset Alzheimer's with more bad days than good. She cannot afford to keep the home nurse he has at the end of the year. She has a trust left by her mother, but she cannot access it until she is 21- which is several years away. In the book, we also meet Harvey, Jack, and Ivy, though their stories are not as fleshed out.

Bruce finds himself poisoned and Harvey kidnapped seemingly randomly, though it is not clear who the actual target was- as he investigates, he finds himself tangled into something dangerous.

I really liked that Bruce was half-Asian and that Alfred was his Asian uncle who was also gay. The illustrations here are really fantastic and portray the story really well. It also speaks to problems around wealth disparity and healthcare, which add an interesting element. I liked the romance that pops up, and I think this could be a really interesting series.

Overall, GOTHAM HIGH is an interesting new series that shows the "before" of the iconic characters in a fresh new way.

Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

This whole thing was uninspired from start to finish. None of the characters were really interesting, including Bruce himself, and any attempt to make them interesting fell flat. Nothing really seemed organic and it made the story feel forced to me. This was particularly true for the bulk of the story: the love triangle. This ended up burdening the story with something it could not handle and it was overwhelmed.

There were three main characters but they were so underdeveloped that they had about half a character's worth of characterization. This was a major case of telling too much instead of showing. Given how little the characters were developed the ending fell incredibly flat. I wasn't impressed and to be honest, by that point I had no vested interest in it. The whole story really dragged for me and I was relieved when it was over.

The art was great and I really enjoyed it. The colors, shading, and line art were done really well but I wish it was for a better story. The bulk of the two stars goes to the art.

I am bummed because I was really excited for this one.

I wasn’t super impressed by this one. The story, overall, was just kind of confusing. It was hard to tell what exactly was going on. I think this was a combination of the story being a little strange and perhaps the author not really utilizing the format of a graphic novel. It also felt like the author tried to cram in every single Batman character which wasn’t really necessary to the story.

Note: I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I received an advanced copy of Gotham High from Netgalley so that I could share my review with you!

Bruce Wayne is back in Gotham, and he’s about to plunge headfirst into the drama that comes with being a teenage billionaire. Bruce was sent away from Gotham after the death of his parents, to help him get distance from the calamity. He didn’t spend his time being idle, though, and now that he’s back in Gotham he will need every one of the skills he learned to navigate both high school and the world of crime. Set in an alternate universe where Batman and his collection of villains all were teens at the same high school, Gotham High puts a fun spin on some old favorite characters!

You can get your copy of Gotham High on April 7th from DC Comics!

Melissa De La Cruz’s way of rewriting classic Batman characters is quite enjoyable to read! I especially enjoyed her interpretation of Alfred, in that he is Bruce’s uncle rather than being his butler. Thomas Pitilli’s illustrations were wonderful to look at! I really enjoyed the outfits and styles he gave each of the characters (especially Poison Ivy)!

My Recommendation-
This high school Batman story would be a good fit for someone familiar with Batman characters, but who is willing to give different interpretations of them a try. There is some violence, so this one is better suited for slightly older audiences than some of the other titles I’ve reviews from DC Comics.

This was one of my first graphic novels, and I was excited to give it a try! Unfortunately, it missed the mark for, but that could be because I’m not used to the graphic novel format. The story was a little hard to follow at times for me. Though I did enjoy all the twists and turns and the mystery of it, and the art was stunning! If your a big DC fan or graphic novel fan it’s still definitely worth giving a try!

Big thanks to Netgalley and DC Comics for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This story is a twist on Batman and what his life might have been like if he had to navigate high school. The art is beautiful and the take on Gotham City High was fun and unique. I enjoyed the plot line and the relationships between the characters. I enjoyed the back story the author created and how it played out throughout the story. I definitely will be continuing with this series in the future.

A really good comic, I loved the art style! The story was very good and kept my attention. It was a nice twist on an origin story for Joker, Catwoman, and Batman.

This is a take on the Batman mythology, a sort of "what if". For exmaple, what if Bruce Wayne's parents were from Hong Kong. What if Alfred was not his butler, but his gay Uncle. And What if Bruce Wayne went to Gotham High School, which was also populated by all the people who would become his arch-enemies in later life.

While I like the twist on having Bruce be of Hong Kong decent, the other characters haven't changed all that much, other than being all teenagers. They are all a bit of cliches, especially the women, which is a shame, because we could have gone somewhere with that.

If this is going to be a series, perhaps this will be built out more, but for the first issue, I was disappointed.

For example, we are only shown that Alfred is gay, by showing his husband, for one panel, and then nothing more. Not that I want a big deal made of it, but there should have been more a point.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

I was immediately drawn in by the cover. The graphics inside are just as good as the ones on the cover. The colors are amazing and obviously as someone who enjoys DC characters I had to give this one a try.

Overall I had a good experience with this one. I liked being reintroduced to Batman, Catwoman, The Joker, and Poison Ivy in a new way.

It was interesting to see how they diversified the characters and story from the originals. It was kind of hard to separate the two at first but as I continued reading it got easier and left me intrigued by the plot.

The plot was definitely engaging throughout the book. I had a couple of guesses on how it would play out and I definitely wasn't close. The ending was good and sets the stage for this to be a series.

My only complaint would be the vaping done by two of the kids. I think that it was unnecessary and shouldn't be portrayed in books to a young audience.

If you are a fan superhero/villain origin stories then I would definitely recommend this new take on beloved characters.

This graphic novel follows Batman, Catwoman, and the Joker in high school as their paths cross and intertwine: for better or for worse.

One of the things I loved most about this book was the artwork. Gotham High has a very cool and antiquated comic-book feel to the artwork which was lots of fun for me as a reader and reminded me a lot of the animation in Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse: absolutely incredible. I also really appreciated how Poison Ivy's high school self was incorporated into the story line because it was definitely a surprise I did not see coming.

While this was a compelling read, and I never felt as though I wanted to put it down, I finished feeling very unsatisfied. I mostly had a problem with how the majority of the characters were depicted; most of the characters kept contradicting themselves in several sections of the graphic novel, and I felt like the interactions and dialogue between them were very forced and fake. Since this appears to be the start of a series I would suggest trying to improve on character development and depth for following books.