Class is back in session this fall at Gotham Academy, as original creators Brenden Fletcher, Karl Kerschl and Becky Cloonan are joined by new interior artist Marco Ferrari for the six-issue Gotham Academy: First Year.
“I’m so excited to return to the world of Gotham Academy with Becky and Karl,” Fletcher said. “It’s a joy to be back with the original team, and to welcome the incredibly talented Marco Ferrari to the fold. His work brings such life to these characters and to the halls of the Academy itself.”
The miniseries will focus on Olive Silverlock’s first year at Gotham Academy and is set before the events of the previous series. With Ferrari on interiors, Kerschl will provide covers for all six issues. Like this one for issue #1:
DC shared more details on what to expect:
Gotham Academy: First Year continues the critically acclaimed story of Gotham Academy’s young students, perfect for longtime fans and new readers alike. Mystery and mayhem await Olive Silverlock, a shy, working-class teen from Gotham’s Narrows, as she navigates school life in a super-powered world, offering a unique perspective on Gotham through the eyes of a youngster as scared of its heroes as its villains. In addition to visits to Arkham Asylum and surprise appearances from billionaire weirdos, you never know who—or what—you might meet wandering the halls of Gotham Academy.
“We went back to where it all began,” said Fletcher. “Gotham Academy: First Year takes us into Olive Silverlock’s pivotal first year—the mysterious summer before it all started—and introduces one of Batman’s most iconic villains to the series for the very first time. We can’t wait for readers old and new to join us this October, exactly 11 years to the day since the original series debuted!”
Gotham Academy debuted back in 2014 as part of the New 52 line, introducing Silverlock and her fellow students Maps Mizoguchi, Tristan, Kyle and more. The series included several links to the Batman mythos — Tristan, for instance, had been infected by the Langstrom Virus and was a Man-Bat, while one plot involved the ghost of Millie Jane Cobblepot. Killer Croc, Damian Wayne and his dad also made appearances. The second series debuted after the New 52 ended and ran for 12 issues, and featured appearances by Two-Face and the Penguin. There was a also a crossover series with BOOM! Studios’ Lumberjanes.
Check out the first issue’s variant covers by Dustin Nguyen and Sweeney Boo:
The first 40-page issue arrives Oct. 6.