DC Announces Gotham Manner and Arkham Academy

DC Comics has just announced two brand new ongoing series tangentially related to Batman. The books include Arkham Manner, an exploration into the Batcave where the infamous Wayne Manor turns into a death trap. There is also Gotham Academy, featuring a group of Gotham's youngest experiencing the school where Batman himself grew up. EW broke the news this morning, and paid special attention to the fact that Wayne is an important benefactor for Gotham Academy.

Gotham Academy #1 Cover:

The teams for both of these books seem promising with Gerry Duggan on art and Shawn Crystal on writing with Arkham Manner, along with Becky Cloonan and Brendan Fletcher writing Gotham Academy. Karl Kerschel is on art duties for the latter comic. Finally the site mentioned that Academy is coming on October 1 while Arkham Manner is shipping October 22.

Arkham Manner #1 Cover:

The announcement of these two titles comes as a big surprise. Batman Eternal is running till next year in 2015 with DC just canceling Batman the Dark Night. Fans likely did not expect any more material featuring the Dark Night after Batman Eternal. Two ancillary books focusing on minor Batman characters is a very strange publishing decision. Hopefully this big gamble from DC will pay off with some interesting creative teams on both titles. Comic Book News UK will continue reporting on any stories regarding the books and DC's interesting publishing decisions as new details continue to surface.

DC Comics has posted the first bit of plot details for both comics.

 

Welcome to GOTHAM ACADEMY! Gotham City’s most prestigious prep school is a very weird place. It’s got a spooky campus, oddball teachers, and rich benefactors always dropping by...like that weirdo Bruce Wayne. But nothing is as strange as the students!

Like, what's up with Olive Silverlock? Is she crazy or what? Where did she go last summer? And what's the deal with her creepy mom? And how come that Freshman MAPS is always following her around? Is she still going out with Kyle? P.S. did you hear the rumor about the ghost in the North Hall?

GOTHAM ACADEMY, written by Eister-Award-nominated Becky Cloonan (DEMO) along with Brenden Fletcher and illustrated by Karl Kerschl, arrives on October 1st. It’s a new, monthly teen drama set in the shadow of Batman and the craziness of Gotham City with new characters and old plus a secret tie to Gotham's past...

And Arkham’s madness comes home in ARKHAM MANOR! A bold new series brought to you by the mad minds of Gerry Duggan (Deadpool, Nova) and Shawn Crystal (Deadpool, Wolverine and the X-Men). When catastrophe strikes Arkham Asylum, where will Gotham City house the world’s most dangerous criminals, and when inmates are found murdered, what is Batman prepared to do in search of justice? ARKHAM MANOR arrives on October 22nd.