Finally! It’s here! The wait is over! Lumberjanes Gotham Academy meet up for joint-shenanigans in this crossover to end all crossovers. This 6-part series will showcase Chynna Clugston Flores’ writing ability and Rosemary Valero-O’Connell’s art style in tackling two sets of established characters, bringing them together for an action-packed all-ages adventure that’ll please both Lumberjanes and Gotham Academy fans alike, and might even make some new ones along the way.

Publisher: Boom! Box/DC Comics
Writer: Chynna Clugston Flores
Artist: Rosemary Valero-O’Connell
Price: £2.49 from Comixology

Our rating: [star rating=”0″]

It was destiny that Lumberjanes and Gotham Academy have their own crossover comic, bringing together two groups of like-minded young people who solve mysteries. If you haven’t read either comic book, well, you should get on that. Lumberjanes is set around a group of five friends at  Miss Quinzella Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet’s Camp for Hardcore Lady Types summer camp. Supernatural shenanigans happen, and it’s all very feminist and very beautiful (Charlie wrote a review about it here), and just very life-affirming. Gotham Academy revolves around a similar set-up with the Detective Club, a group of five like-minded students, who solve mysteries at their academy with a lot of laughter and tears. Both titles are very beautiful and products of a lot of love and passion.

Issue 1 of our crossover gets straight to the nitty gritty: Rosie (the camp leader in Lumberjanes) is kidnapped before our very eyes on page 1. In turn, a Gotham Academy teacher is missing from their office in what looks like a burglary/kidnapping attempt. The investigation moves on quickly with the Detective Club rolling up in a spooky forest where they walk into the Lumberjanes. This issue is very quick to bring our two groups together so that we have more time to watch how they interact and bring their different skill sets to the fore.

The artwork from Rosemary Valero-O’Connell stays true to both comic book sources, even down to the little details that we come to love and expect from each set of characters. The amount of work that’s gone into portraying these characters we’re used to is simply staggering and we take our hats off to Rosemary for staying true to each character, but also putting her own little spin on them.

Issue 1 is a set-up issue: our characters haven’t met each other before and they have to meet somehow. Sometimes set-up issues are quite bland and sometimes the reasons for bringing two groups of characters together can be a little flimsy, but Chynna has really pulled the cat out of the bag, with a fast-paced story that keeps them pages turning, and the character voices really shine through. You can hear each character voice in your head individually and other writers should take note on how to write pre-established characters fluidly and with such flare.

What is fantastic about this crossover series is that the writing is so tight, and the art style so beautifully suited to the characters and shenanigans going on, you don’t need to have read either comic book before to understand the characters’ motivations nor personalities. This is just some good silly fun for all-ages and well worth giving it a look. Bring on the next issue!