Gotham Academy to Return in New DC Story

It looks like DC will be returning to the halls of Gotham Academy very soon. Earlier this month, DC unveiled the solicitations for their February 2024 books, including the forthcoming Batman: The Brave and the Bold #10. The description of the issue reveals that the main story, a three-parter written and drawn by Karl Kershl, will feature the return of Gotham Academy students Maps Mizoguchi and Tristan Grey. This will be the second recent DC story that Maps factors into, as an older version of her from the future, nicknamed Meridian, is currently teaming up with the Birds of Prey.

BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #10

• Written by KARL KERSCHL, TORUNN GRONBEKK, DELILAH S. DAWSON, DAN WATTERS
• Art by KARL KERSCHL, FERNANDO PASARIN, and RICARDO LOPEZ ORTIZ
• Cover by SIMONE DI MEO
• Variant cover by FRANCESCO MATTINA
• Variant cover by CHRISTIAN WARD
• 1:25 variant cover by KELLEY JONES
• $7.99 US | 64 pages | Prestige | (all covers are card stock)
• ON SALE 2/27/24
• Gotham Academy is back in session in the first part of Karl Kerschl’s thrilling three-part Batman adventure, guest-starring Maps Mizoguchi and Tristan Grey! Kirk Langstrom, formerly Man-Bat, now clean of his serum for years, is teaching at Gotham Academy. But Man-Bat is menacing the city. Has Dr. Langstrom fallen off the wagon, or is there a deeper, far more sinister, plan afoot? Plus, get ready for a conspiracy only Lois Lane could solve, a tale of rip-roaring adventure starring Artemis, and a Batman Black & White tale from Dan Watters and Ricardo López Ortiz!

What Is Gotham Academy About?

Originally published in 2014 as part of DC’s New 52 continuity, Gotham Academy chronicled the goings-on of an eclectic group of students at the titular prestigious Gotham prep school. Characters on the series included Olive Silverlock, Mia “Maps” Mizoguchi, Pomeline Fritch, and Heathcliff Ray. The series ultimately ran for over thirty issues, and even crossed over with Boom! Studios’ beloved series Lumberjanes. While elements of the series have bled over into larger DC canon — particularly in Maps briefly being established as one of Batman’s Robins — Gotham Academy has not had any new published installments since August of 2017.

“When we started out with Gotham Academy, we knew a lot of influential touchstones we wanted to hit,” Cloonan explained in a 2017 interview with ComicsBeat. “Batman mysteries, Harry Potter, Nancy Drew; it gave us a flavor of the world we wanted to create and then it became a matter of what tale we wanted to tell. Olive Silverlock became that story and other characters, Maps and Kyle, fell into place around her. Maps, in particular was created as a foil for Olive, she represents her true north.”

“I think these characters just fit well in the Batman universe as we created them,” Kershl added. “Not so much on the surface but Olive and Maps are almost a good analog for Batman and Robin or like Holmes and Watson. But after you see how things pan out after issue #8 those analogs might not be accurate anymore.”

What do you think of DC’s newest Gotham Academy story? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!