Gotham High by Melissa de la Cruz

Paperback, 208 pages
Release Date: April 7, 2020
Published by: DC Ink  
Read from: June 12-13, 2020

Stand-alone
Source: Library
TW: Parent with Chronic Illness

For fans of: Graphic Novels, Superheroes, YA

      From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Alex and Eliza and The Witches of East End comes a reimagining of Gotham for a new generation of readers. Before they became Batman, Catwoman, and The Joker, Bruce, Selina, and Jack were high schoolers who would do whatever it took–even destroy the ones they love–to satisfy their own motives.
     After being kicked out of his boarding school, 16-year-old Bruce Wayne returns to Gotham City to find that nothing is as he left it. What once was his family home is now an empty husk, lonely but haunted by the memory of his parents’ murder. Selina Kyle, once the innocent girl next door, now rules over Gotham High School with a dangerous flair, aided by the class clown, Jack Napier.
     When a kidnapping rattles the school, Bruce seeks answers as the dark and troubled knight–but is he actually the pawn? Nothing is ever as it seems, especially at Gotham High, where the parties and romances are of the highest stakes … and where everyone is a suspect.
     With enchanting art by Thomas Pitilli, this new graphic novel is just as intoxicating as it is chilling, in which dearest friends turn into greatest enemies–all within the hallways of Gotham High!

*MY THOUGHTS*

When I heard about this, I was so excited! I love DC and Teen Titans: Raven came out last year and I LOVED it. So I was expecting DC Ink to keep bringing the hits. Unfortunately, this wasn’t all that I was expecting it to be.

Bruce Wayne has returned to Gotham City to find many things different than when he was last there. His friends are not the same and Gotham City has become more dangerous than it was. Parties and romances are popping up left and right, but it’s so much more menacing than meets the eye.

First things first, I LOVED the art. I felt like the artist really captured everyone’s character, even if it was just in their art. The color scheme for everyone, the way they were portrayed. Just everything about it was awesome. Thomas Pitilli really knocked it out of the park with the illustrations.

As for everything else, I enjoyed it, but it wasn’t anything to write home about in my honest opinion. The plot twist at the end was very easy to figure out. I’m talking from the first time one character connected to this character is mentioned. I know I’m not the audience this was made for, but it’s still easy enough to pick up on no matter what age group you are.

And then there was the love triangle. I thought we’ve all gotten past them. Definitely something I could have done without. Did that really have to be part of the plot? It wasn’t enough that there was romance in there anyways? Like come on.

Overall, I give this

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