Writer: Brenden Fletcher
Artist: Adam Archer
There are some strange things going on this month within the pages of Gotham Academy #17, subtitled, Yearbook part 4, where books are mysteriously disappearing from the Gotham Academy campus and the search for Map’s missing yearbook becomes priority one.
It started awhile back with the disappearance of Millie Cobblepot’s diary (actually taken by Batman), then in last month’s issue Map’s yearbook went missing (taken by Damian Wayne, a.k.a. Robin, at the end of last month’s issue) and now, evidence found inside a secret room within one of the schools many hidden passages suggests that a Serpents & Spells players handbook—last used in 1984 during a role-playing game by a group of teenaged students calling themselves the “Gilkey Warlocks”—was recently also taken.
No one’s sure what’s up, but suspicion of Batman and Robin’s involvement has not escaped the sharp eyes of the Gotham Academy mystery gang, especially Maps. It’ll be interesting to see how things develop. Hopefully, we’ll find out why Batman and Robin are so interested in collecting these particular books.
I very much appreciated the writing in this month’s issue. I think it’s decidedly better than the earlier Yearbook issues. The cohesiveness of the story and its return-dabble into the mysterious elements surrounding the school are “spot-on”. For me, the issue successfully evoked memories reminiscent of my adolescent days spent with friends, which is part of the fun of reading this title. As an added bonus to our glimpse into the past we get to see Headmaster Hammer as a very young man during his first years as Headmaster. What’s not great about that, right?
I also enjoyed the artwork better in this issue compared to the other Yearbook issues. It closely resembled the pre-yearbook art to which I had grown accustomed, giving it a familiarity that made me feel right at home.
The Yearbook series concludes next month. With several unknowns still left up in the air, I look forward to seeing how things are wrapped up. And who knows, we might even get a long overdue visit from the Caped Crusader.
