Gotham High, Book 1
By Michael Berry,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Teen Batman heroes, villains clash in taut high school tale.
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What you will—and won't—find in this book.
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Based on 1 parent review
It's very apparent that this garbage was written with very little love or respect for the original characters that it adapts. I imagine that the people who would enjoy reading this are people who aren't actually fans of Batman or his world, as Maria De La Cruz goes out of her way to ensure that Gotham High bares almost no resemblance to it's superior source material.
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What's the Story?
As GOTHAM HIGH opens, 16-year-old Bruce Wayne returns to Gotham City after being expelled from a prestigious prep school. Haunted by the deaths of his parents, Bruce struggles with loneliness. He's interested in Selina Kyle, the next-door neighbor who rules the campus through her iron will and sexy style. After a Gotham High student is kidnapped, Bruce follows a trail of clues that center on working-class bad boy Jack Napier. But when the final cards are played, who's scamming who?
Is It Any Good?
There's more diversity in superhero comics these days, and this clever multicultural approach to some familiar heroes and villains casts the genre in an exciting new light. In Gotham High, author Melissa de la Cruz and illustrator Thomas Pitilli keep the suspense high and the action colorful, with plenty of fun scenes between Bruce, Selina, and Jack. All three major characters get their due, and there are numerous cameo appearances by other favorites from the Batman world. The mystery plot is a little vague, but there's an interesting twist.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Gotham High depicts high school bullying. Does it seem realistic? What can you do to prevent it? Which strategy works best?
Do you like reading stories that imagine familiar adult characters as teens? Why are origin stories so popular? What's fun about them?
What do you think of the author's choice to assign different ethnicities to the familiar Batman characters?
Book Details
- Author: Melissa de la Cruz
- Illustrator: Thomas Pitilli
- Genre: Graphic Novel
- Topics: Superheroes, Adventures, Great Boy Role Models, High School
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: DC Comics
- Publication date: April 7, 2020
- Number of pages: 202
- Available on: Paperback, Nook, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: April 27, 2020
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