Gotham High

Title :

Gotham High / written by Melissa de la Cruz ; illustrated by Thomas Pitilli ; colored by Miquel Muerto ; lettered by Troy Peteri.

Title:

Gotham High

Author:

De la Cruz, Melissa, 1971-

Format:

Books

Physical Description:

167 pages, 30 unnumbered pages : color illustrations ; 23 cm

ISBN:

9781401286248

Production / Publication Information:

Burbank, CA : DC Comics, [2020]

General Note:

"Batman created by Bob Kane with Bill Finger."

Contents:

Remembrance of things past -- The party of the century -- Behind the mask.

Summary:

"A reimagining of Gotham for a new generation of readers. Before they became Batman, Catwoman, and The Joker, Bruce, Selina, and Jack were high schoolers who would do whatever it took--even destroy the ones they love--to satisfy their own motives. After being kicked out of his boarding school, 17-year-old Bruce Wayne returns to Gotham City to find that nothing is as he left it. What once was his family home is now an empty husk, lonely but haunted by the memory of his parents' murder. Selina Kyle, once the innocent girl next door, now rules over Gotham High School with a dangerous flair, aided by the class clown, Jack Napier. When a kidnapping rattles the school, Bruce seeks answers as the dark and troubled knight--but is he actually the pawn? Nothing is ever as it seems, especially at Gotham High, where the parties and romances are of the highest stakes ... and where everyone is a suspect."--Provided by publisher.

Target audience note:

Grades 10-12

Language:

English

Added Author:

Pitilli, Thomas, 1985-

Genre:

Personal Subject:

Batman (Fictitious character)-Comic books, strips, etc.

Catwoman (Fictitious character)-Comic books, strips, etc.

Joker (Fictitious character)-Comic books, strips, etc.

Subject Term:

Superheroes -- Comic books, strips, etc.

High school students -- Comic books, strips, etc.

Kidnapping -- Comic books, strips, etc.

Graphic novels.

High schools -- Fiction.

Schools -- Fiction.

Kidnapping -- Fiction.

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Material Type	Library	Call Number	Item Barcode	Location
Book	Searching... Andover - Memorial Hall Library	SUPERHERO GOTHAM	31330008928339	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Billerica Public Library	YA GRAPHIC/DC/GOTHAM HIGH	33934004304714	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Boxford Town Library	YA DE LA GRAPHIC NOVEL	32115002087334	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Burlington Public Library	YA DC GRAPHIC	32116003716822	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Haverhill Public Library	YA/COMIX/GOTHAM	31479007383390	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Ipswich Public Library	YA GN DE LA CRUZ	32122002894057	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Lawrence Public Library	FIC DEL YA GRAPHIC NOVEL	31549004814421	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Merrimac Public Library	YA DEL - GRAPHIC	32125001350567	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Methuen - Nevins Memorial Library	YA GRAPHIC DEL	31548003297059	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Newburyport Public Library	YA DE LA CRUZ / GRAPHIC	32128003847614	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... North Andover - Stevens Memorial Library	TEEN GOTHAM - GRAPHIC NOVEL	31478010151646	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... North Reading - Flint Memorial Library	YA GRAPHIC DE LA CRUZ	31550002427778	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Tewksbury Public Library	TEEN COMIC GOTHAM	32132003197855	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... West Newbury - G.A.R. Memorial Library	YA GN-GN DE	32135001487202	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Westford - J.V. Fletcher Library	YA F DE LA CRUZ (GRAPHIC)	31990004900325	Searching... Unknown

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Alex and Eliza and The Witches of East End comes a reimagining of Gotham for a new generation of readers. Before they became Batman, Catwoman, and The Joker, Bruce, Selina, and Jack were high schoolers who would do whatever it took--even destroy the ones they love--to satisfy their own motives.

After being kicked out of his boarding school, 17-year-old Bruce Wayne returns to Gotham City to find that nothing is as he left it. What once was his family home is now an empty husk, lonely but haunted by the memory of his parents' murder. Selina Kyle, once the innocent girl next door, now rules over Gotham High School with a dangerous flair, aided by the class clown, Jack Napier.

When a kidnapping rattles the school, Bruce seeks answers as the dark and troubled knight--but is he actually the pawn? Nothing is ever as it seems, especially at Gotham High, where the parties and romances are of the highest stakes ... and where everyone is a suspect.

With enchanting art by Thomas Pitilli, this new graphic novel is just as intoxicating as it is chilling, in which dearest friends turn into greatest enemies--all within the hallways of Gotham High!

Reviews (3)

School Library Journal Review

Gr 8 Up--Before they were DC headliners, Bruce Wayne, Selina Garcia Kyle, and Jack Napier were teenagers trying to cope in the brutal world of high school. Narrated by Selina, this tale follows Bruce's return to Gotham High after being expelled from boarding school. Bruce befriends Selina and Jack, and when fellow student Harvey Dent is kidnapped and held for ransom, Bruce investigates with the help of his uncle Alfred. All the clues lead Bruce to suspect his friends' involvement, but nothing is ever as it seems in Gotham. Jealousy mounts as both Bruce and Jack vie for Selina's affections. Full of intrigue and betrayal, this drama-laden graphic novel offers a new take on the motivations and origins of Batman, Catwoman, and the Joker. De la Cruz subverts classic DC lore by including well-known characters in new roles: Principal Gordon is an overworked mom whose daughter "Barbie" attends Gotham High, the infamous "Poison" Ivy is a local apothecary clerk with knowledge of questionable herbs, and Alfred is Bruce's uncle back from business in Hong Kong. Pitilli adeptly sets an ominous tone with a gorgeous, dark palette and thoughtful character designs. Unfortunately, despite the diverse cast and expressive art, the book suffers from far too much rich kid angst and not enough depth to make the payoff at the end seem plausible. VERDICT While some readers will enjoy this tale, others may find it shallow. Recommended for casual comics readers and fans of teen melodrama.--Lara Goldstein, Orange County Public Libraries, NC

Kirkus Review

The high school beginnings of favorite Batman comic characters.Seventeen-year-old Bruce Wayne just got kicked out of the fancy boarding school his Uncle Alfred sent him to when his parents died. Now he's back in Gotham City, living in the family home and attending Gotham High. Bruce runs into his childhood neighbor Selina Garcia Kyle, who invites him to a party where he meets cardsharp Jack Napier, who becomes a new friend. One day, high school classmate Harvey Dent is kidnapped while trying on Bruce's leather coat, and Bruce gets shot with a tranquilizer dart. Bruce, convinced he, not Harvey, was the real target, goes on a hunt to find the truth. As he uncovers more information, he discovers that his new friends aren't what they seem. Narrated by Selina, the story puts Batman, the Joker, Catwoman, and other Batman favorites into a teenage setting, giving them more of a backstory. De la Cruz's (The Queen's Assassin, 2020, etc.) graphic-novel debut is dark and alluring. The characters do what they need to survive, creating suspense. Pitilli's (Archie, 2019, etc.) vivid and captivating illustrations are the highlight of this graphic novel, and the darker palette adds to the ominous feel. Bruce's mother was Chinese from Hong Kong, and his father's ethnicity is not specified; Selina is Latinx, and there is diversity in secondary characters.Fast-paced and entertaining. (Graphic fiction. 13-18) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Booklist Review

After 16-year-old Bruce Wayne is expelled from boarding school for fighting, he returns to Gotham City, where he enrolls in Gotham High. There, he reacquaints himself with neighbor--and narrator--Selina Kyle, as well as bad boy Jack Napier. When fellow student Harvey Dent, after being mistaken for Bruce, is kidnapped and held for ransom, Bruce sets out to find the culprit. Superhero fans will appreciate this fresh take on the Batman universe, meeting young superheroes and supervillains before they emerge into their future personas. De la Cruz has shaped a diverse cast of characters by taking welcome liberties with their backstories: Bruce's mother is a Hong Kong native, his uncle Alfred is married to John Pennyworth, and Selina is Latinx. The story maintains the gritty style found in the Tom King series, yet it paints the characters sympathetically, portraying them as typical teenagers (vaping, flirting, making out). Pitilli's illustrations are detailed and Rodriguez's colors dark, enhancing the mysterious tone. Offer this to fans of teenage superhero tales, especially the DC Icons series.