Gotham High: Your Favorite DC Villains and heroes At Their High School Best

Gotham High is my second graphic novel from the DC Ink line from DC Comics, and I’m already so in love with this collection. DC Ink makes quality YA graphic novel retellings for classic DC characters, and they’re full of beautiful art and even more beautiful diversity. Gotham High is a stand-alone re-imagining of the origin stories for all your favorite DC heroes and villains, and has really strong characterizations for both its main characters and its secondary characters.

Characters you’ll see in this graphic novel: Bruce Wayne (Batman), Dick Grayson (Robin), Selena Kyle (Catwoman), Jack Napier (Joker), Harvey Dent (Two-Face), Barbie Gordon (Batgirl/Oracle), Ivy (Poison Ivy), and more. We don’t see these people in their superhero or villain roles, but we see them as high schoolers in a setting very reminiscent of all those addictive television high school dramas.

After Bruce Wayne is kicked out of his private boarding school, he returns home to attend Gotham High. At Gotham High he reconnects with his childhood best friend, Selena, and her close friend, Jack. When kidnappings start happening to Gotham High students, Bruce suspects something bigger is going on, and that someone he knows might even be involved. The story that unfolds is deliciously dramatic and full of twists and turns.

Bruce is brooding, flaunts his wealth, and knows his power over others in the school. Jack is scrappy, a typical bad guy, and completely obsessed with Selena. Selena is sleek, sly, and won’t stop at anything to get the life she wants for her family and herself. It’s the perfect high school love triangle, and ends in unexpected ways. I love that romance doesn’t end up coming between any of these friends at the end of the day, and think it’s a great modern take on the YA love triangle trope.

Bottom line: 4/5 stars and full of frothy YA drama that’s addictive and so much fun.

Thanks to Netgalley and DC Comics for providing me and arc of this title in exchange for an honest review! Gotham High comes out on April 7, 2020.