Gotham Academy Second Semester #11 Review and **SPOILERS**

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Where’s Your Manor?

Story: Brenden Fletcher, Becky Cloonan & Karl Kerschl 

Script: Brenden Fletcher 

Pencils: Adam Archer 

Inks: Sandra Hope 

Background Paints & Colors: MSASSYK 

Breakdowns: Bob Haynes 

Letters: Steve Wands 

Cover: Karl Kerschl 

Cover Price: $2.99 

On Sale Date: July 12, 2017

**NON SPOILERS AND SCORE AT THE BOTTOM**

I have a feeling this is the second-best issue of Gotham Academy Second Semester ever! Because it’s the second-to-last one! Mwah ha haa! Okay, that was mean. But seriously, this book needs to be put down to stop the hemorrhaging. We’re almost there, so look at my review of issue #11, right chea!

Explain It!

If Gotham Academy Second Semester intends to finish up the series with a one-two punch, this would be the “one.” Though this is a three-part arc, so it’s really the “two” in a one-two-three punch. If such a thing exists. Maps is by her burn victim brother Kyle’s bedside, still pissed off at Olive for flaming on while Kyle was trying to perform a Heimlich maneuver on her. Maps says Olive is a villain, and she can’t be friends with a villain, which just gives Silverlock more reason to mope and brood than before. She hurries outside, and there is seen by the Terrible Trio, who address her as Amity Arkham in a creepy red word balloon. Wait, I thought these three were wrapped up last issue? Maybe it’s someone else with the same masks or something. Or maybe getting in trouble at Gotham Academy is limited to candle-snuffing duty and forgoing figgy pudding at afternoon dinners for a fortnight.

Back at the Gotham Central Burn Ward some dorm room at Gotham Academy, Kyle tells Maps that the thing to save Olive is in Wayne Manor, for some reason, and incidentally he really doesn’t look too badly burned from what we see. I mean maybe his chest is covered in lesions but his arms and head just look a little flush from what I can tell. Maps isn’t down with helping Olive, but Pomeline and Colton steer her back towards helping the focal character of this comic book. So it’s time for what’s left of the Detective Club to do what they do best: skulk around in old, dark buildings and then get accosted by ghosts and/or adults! In this case, folks think Maps can use her tenuous friendship with Damian Wayne to get into Wayne Manor, but when they find the door already open they waltz right in. Inside, the place is being robbed by Two Face, who is looking for the very same thing Maps & Co. are trying to get, and Two Face’s henchmen are able to nab Colton and Pom pretty handily. Maps then teams up with Damian and, uh, it’s sort of a meet-cute.

While Damian takes Maps on their first date through the secret passages of Wayne Manor, he tries to mansplain but Maps already knows that the same architect, Ambroos Lydecker, designed Gotham Academy, Wayne Manor, and Arkham Asylum. They make it to Wayne’s secret green-lit arsenal of old school weapons, which is crazy because this is like…another hidden room full of weapons, aside from the Batcave. How many of these does he have? Are there spaces peppered all throughout Gotham City where he can grab a sword and have a cheese sandwich? Primarily with Damian’s help, they subdue Two Face and his goons, but then Damian sends the kids on their way without whatever book or talisman or other boring shit is supposed to save Olive. But before they get too far, Robin shows up and says that Batman is inside with the Wayne family, and said it would be swell if he showed the super-great thing to them just this once because he’s a real nice guy once you get to know him. All I know is, one more issue! Then we can put this whole mess behind us.

I understand they’ve got to cram a lot in before the series ends, but this issue was full of superfluous information and very little actual story. Once again, the Detective Club decides to help Olive by going as far away from her as possible and reading a dumb book or something. There’s just a lot of moving parts to this story and my interest in all of them has almost completely waned. Next issue is the last chance to do something exciting, but I don’t think this comic has the chops.

Bits and Pieces:

This book should be coming to its ultimate point, but it's still fumbling around in the dark. Maps and Damian make a cute couple, but most of this issue is snoozers. One more shot, fellow Academites! (That's what Gotham Academy fans are called, right?)

5.5/10