"Arkham Manor" & "Gotham Academy" Ongoings Hit Bat-books in October

[byrd156]

Arkham Manor sounds really dumb. I guess they wanted to do something Arkham to help promote the New Arkham animated movie and the Arkham Knight game possibly. It being set in the New 52 really just doesn't make sense. Sounds like a huge mess.

Gotham Academy I think would have been more interesting if it was about the early Robin and Batgirl days of Dick and Babs set in Gotham Academy.

If Gotham Academy was like that, I would buy the crap out of that book.

[Carabas]

Plus it's hard to say, given it's premise, how often Batman himself will appear.

I'd prefer he wasn't in Academy at all.

[Kuwagaton]

Academy sounds like a really random idea... not that we know a lot about it. But that's a pretty awesome creative team so why not.

[Claude]

Gotham Academy sounds like a really excellent way to tell a more all-ages, fun story that actually has a chance of selling because it's Bat Connection.


"Keystone Academy" wouldn't last three issues - at least in Gotham, the book has a fighting chance.

[doctormistermaster]

Gotham Academy sounds like a very interesting premise I will check it out.

I actually hope there is little interaction with the principal Gotham cast. If Tim or Steph are in the same school I won't mind but I hope for a somewhat idiosyncratic American comic not focused on super heroics.

[Badou]

Tim lives in New York and goes to school there. So I don't see why he would be going to an academy in Gotham.

[Pinsir]

These sound like Avengers titles....

[doctormistermaster]

Tim lives in New York and goes to school there. So I don't see why he would be going to an academy in Gotham.

As I said I would rather the book not feature any main bat-family members but if integrated in a naturalistic fashion I wouldn't mind.
Thanks for informing me about Tim's whereabouts as I have not really followed him in the New 52.

[K. Jones]

I'm all for a good, fun story. Cloonan's vibe and Kesel's art and an academy setting sounds fun. I'm torn on continuity or not, because there's agency with continuity, but I've decided that out-of-continuity would be better because you're not at risk of being sucked into lame status quo shakeups or putting any of your cute characters into editorially effed up "serial killers on the loose" positions. But if they can sort of borrow the vibe of whatever genre or "current status quo Batgeist" while they're doing it, more power to them. It sounds like a good idea that could strike a town not unlike a bit of the Dixon-era Robin, or BQM Batgirl, or even some proper classic 70s Dick Grayson stuff. I actually like that it's just "some kids at a school in a town like Gotham" rather than something akin to that "Young Gotham High" concept that was on the Net a while back (which might be a little too similar to, well, what the young future-supers in GOTHAM will be up to, just campier.)

Arkham Manor, I'll wait on. It seems a bit on-the-nose; like, moreso than Johns' Earth-One "ALL OF GOTHAM IS ARKHAM" ridiculousness. But you know, if it's a story for the ages, word will get 'round.

[godisawesome]

Tim lives in New York and goes to school there. So I don't see why he would be going to an academy in Gotham.

Where did this info come from? I thought New York was just his base of operations.

And while I'm hopeful for both books, and am very curious what the heck is supposed to attract me to Academy (and there's got to be a bit more that just a high school in crazy town) my knee jerk reaction was this:

"New books in Batman's line! Cool! Where's my Red Robin?...

...

...Well, where is it? C'mon man, Tim Drake had a solo for most of my life and was selling good! Where is he? Where is he!?!? Please don't tell me he's still shanghaied to Teen Titans alone! Please!"

[ReverseReverseFlash]

Academy looks cute. It's nice to see Gotham Youth that aren't dead sidekicks.

[Badou]

Where did this info come from? I thought New York was just his base of operations.

And while I'm hopeful for both books, and am very curious what the heck is supposed to attract me to Academy (and there's got to be a bit more that just a high school in crazy town) my knee jerk reaction was this:

"New books in Batman's line! Cool! Where's my Red Robin?...

...

...Well, where is it? C'mon man, Tim Drake had a solo for most of my life and was selling good! Where is he? Where is he!?!? Please don't tell me he's still shanghaied to Teen Titans alone! Please!"

Yeah, Tim did operate out of New York, but I am pretty sure that is because that is where he lives now. I think in one of the more recent Eternal issues he mentioned coming to Gotham from NY when Batman called him or something. So he is still there. Plus Teen Titans is obviously set in NY.

[Dzetoun]

One word: Owlman. Owlman is a different Wayne, can prove he's got equal rights to the manor, and then he turns it over to Batman's enemies. Batman, in turn, will move his cave to a different estate, which allows DC to have the manor-less Batman just in time to match the upcoming feature film.

Which Owlman, Lincoln March or Thomas Wayne? March would have better legal claim, if he could prove his ancestry. Wayne would fit better with the title, as Arkham Manor was his home on Earth-3.

As for Gotham Academy… what a great opportunity that's ruined by the way it's handled. Tim's got his G.E.D., but Stephanie and Harper have to go somewhere. As will the returned Damian (assuming that's where the Robin event is going). So why avoid those characters for new ones — new ones that bear an uncannily striking resemblance to the stereotypical teen mystery solvers of all teen fiction? You could just as easily make Stephanie the lead character here and have a great bunch of stories.

Good concepts undone by poor execution unfortunately seems to be a theme these days.

[Vil_Dee]

Maybe Wayne Manor will eventually become the new Arkham Asylum since it ain't looking to good for the old AA in Eternal, and with a string of Big Bads constantly invading his cave (that sounded wrong), Bruce may ultimately decide to live somewhere else.

[Jody Garland]

Weird ideas, but good creative teams on both. A good creative team can make good with just about anything.