DC Comics returns to the much-beloved Gotham Academy campus in February 2024, where fan-favorite character Maps Mizoguchi will aid Batman on a new case. Alongside fellow student Tristan Grey, the “team” will attempt to uncover the twisted legacy of Kirk Langstrom — otherwise known as Man-Bat.
Gotham Academy returns to DC’s pages in February’s Batman: The Brave and the Bold #10, which is part of an anthology series featuring Batman and his many allies across the DC Universe. Written and drawn by Gotham Academy (and Maps Mizoguchi) co-creator Karl Kerschl, the three-part story will feature Maps and Tristan in a new mystery with Man-Bat at its center.
DC’s full solicitation for the issue also includes details about stories featuring Lois Lane and Artemis of Bana-Mighdall. Gotham Academy fans can expect to follow this three-part story in Batman: The Brave and the Bold through April of 2024.
Mia “Maps” Mizoguchi is the undeniable breakout star of 2014’s Gotham Academy series by Becky Cloonan, Brendan Fletcher, Kerschl and Babs Tarr. The plucky daughter of the Mizoguchi family, her irrepressible curiosity and love of fantasy and mystery makes her a natural part of Gotham’s detective-noir environment. Despite the Gotham Academy series concluding in 2017, Maps has continued to make numerous appearances throught the DCU, such as fighting Killer Moth alongside Cassandra Cain in Batgirls #11 by Cloonan, Michael W. Conrad, Neil Googe, Scott Godlewski, Wayne Faucher, Rico Renzi, and Becca Carey.
Most recently, Maps’ future self — using the superhero identity “Meridian” — has been lending a hand rescuing Black Canary’s sister in Birds of Prey by Kelly Thompson, Leonardo Romero, Jordie Bellaire, and Clayton Cowles. Maps is a much-beloved character and has clearly been showing up more frequently throughout 2023. Maps’ future in the DCU has been consistently teased in various issues: sometimes she appears as Robin, while her new appearance as Meridian suggests that she will eventually carve a new identity for herself.
All this emphasis on Maps’ future exploits, alongside increasingly frequent appearances, strongly implies that DC has not forgotten about her popularity and is invested in telling more stories with her in a featured role. Gotham Academy set the stage for a new generation of Gotham heroes and remains one of DC Comics’ most fertile and compelling settings. Batman’s return to Gotham Academy’s haunted halls is an exciting commitment to further developing this aspect of Gotham, from Tristan Grey’s Man-Bat legacy to Maps’ continually rising star.