Gotham Academy Second Semester #6 Review and **SPOILERS**

Keep It Symbol, Stupid

Story: Brenden Fletcher, Becky Cloonan & Karl Kerschl 

Script: Brenden Fletcher 

Pencils: Adam Archer & Msassyk 

Inks: Sandra Hope & Msassyk 

Colors: Msassyk 

Breakdowns: Rob Hayes 

Letters: Steve Wands 

Cover: Karl Kerschl 

Editor: Rebecca Taylor 

Group Editor: Mark Doyle 

Cover Price: $2.99 

On Sale Date: February 8, 2017

**NON SPOILERS AND SCORE AT THE BOTTOM**

If I went to Gotham Academy, I’d definitely call it “Snot-ham Academy.”

I was that kind of student. Check out my review of Gotham Academy Second Semester #6!

Explain It!

So…what was happening last issue? Something with a map and Pomeline investigating some symbols and Colton was about to be expelled? Looks like now most of the gang is at Gotham Academy’s stadium (Home of the Gotham Grackles!) watching midnight band practice? I don’t understand this at all. Isn’t there supposed to be some sense of urgency here? At least it’s another chance for Olive’s phantom friend Amy to act like a total bitch to everyone. At that moment, Pomeline and Tristan are walking a secret passage within a tree, where they find a sarcophagus, which is something normal kids would leave alone. Just then, Kyle finds Colton hiding out in a random trailer on campus grounds and comforts him. Getting dizzy yet? This thing has more quick cuts than an MTV music video. Which is something that channel used to air. Take my word for it.

Following a completely different set of symbols eventually reunites Maps, Olive, and Fake Amy with Kyle and Colton, and then they all wind up with Tristan and Pomeline, who actually descended into a well inside the sarcophagus that opens to a dimly-lit room with eight passageways extending out from it. On the ground is the same symbol that’s been plaguing Pomeline since forever. Before the others get there, Pomeline is fooling around with some machinery when Eric the asthmatic shows up, his shirt and blindfold having the Arkham Asylum symbol we saw in like the first ever issue of this comic book, and wearing a cape covered with symbols. He announces himself as the Symbolist, which is about a C+ as far as supervillain names go.

Tristan Man-Bat’s out just as Eric fires a bolo at him, binding his arms and wings. Then he bites Eric on the arm and the rest of the Mystery Club show up? I have to admit I started checking out here. This is just so much rushing to and fro, diddling with this widget and fiddling with that doo-dad only to wind up at the same place. I mean, what happens in this issue? Tristan and Pomeline find an arcane, secret room, Eric has been driven nuts by symbolism, and Olive and the rest of the crew show up in time to watch the center of the room descend rapidly to parts unknown while a bound Tristan is knocked off the platform to his doom. That’s it. And it took 20 pages to tell that story. At the end it looks like Olive might flame out at the behest of Fake Amy, but ask me if I give a crap.

What happened to this book? It’s totally lost its focus. I know I’ve been joking about there not being enough focus on Maps—and there’s not, incidentally—but the problem here is that there’s no focus on anyone, we get a bunch of incidental snippets of people literally hanging around until it’s time for the big cliff hanger. I guess Pomeline’s story is the “main” thing here? It doesn’t feel like it. Is it Colton’s story? Is his admitting an attraction to Kyle supposed to be a big deal? It was a cool scene but it went on for three pages, meanwhile I’m waiting for Pomeline to get to the bottom of this mystery. She didn’t even get to the bottom of the well she was spelunking with Tristan.

Bits and Pieces:

Last issue Pomeline and Tristan were investigating an ancient Gotham Academy mystery. And they continue to do so! Also featured in this issue: not much else. Eric has a symbol-related freak out, but you can tell that from the cover.

4/10