Study Hall of Justice

DC Comics: Secret Hero Society #1

by Derek Fridolfs (Illustrator), Dustin Nguyen (Illustrator)

My name is Bruce Wayne, and I'm the new kid (UGH) at Ducard Academy. I can't say for certain, but I think something fishy's going on. There's a gang of clowns roaming the halls, a kid named Bane want to beat me up, and the guidance counselor, Hugo Strange, seems really, well, strange. At least I have two new friends: Clark and Diana are kinda cool, I guess. We're going to solve this case no matter what, even if I have to convince Alfred to let me stay up past eleven.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Middle Grade, Superheroes, Childrens, Fiction, Dc Comics

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 26, 2016

About the author

Derek Fridolfs has worked professionally as an writer, inker, cover & sequential artist for DC, Marvel, Dark Horse, Boom, IDW, and a majority of comic companies the past 20 years.

#1 New York Times Best Selling Writer for the DC Secret Hero Society book series through SCHOLASTIC. And Eisner Nominated co-writer of Batman: Li'l Gotham at DC.

He's also written for such titles as Adventure Time, Regular Show, Clarence, Looney Tunes, Scooby-Doo, Teen Titans Go!, Dexter's Laboratory, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The New Animated Adventures, Batman Arkham City, Batman Arkham Unhinged, Adventures Of Superman, Sensation Comics Wonder Woman, Justice League Beyond and many more.

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another buddy read with my little Supergirl!



Sophie's review: <--because hers is the MOST important
All five stars!
It was good. It was very kid-like, and I liked that a lot. I didn't like that you didn't get to see the Bat-cave. My favorite character was Batman because he had the coolest stuff. Like, he didn't have his Bat-belt, so he used his regular belt to swing from a tree. And he saved Little Superman (*giggles* I don't know what to call him) and Wonder Woman from being turned evil.
But I wish they were in color.



My review:
If it were up to me, I'd give it 3 stars. Max.
Why, you ask?
Because this bitch is in black and white! WTF, DC?! This would have been a bjillion times better if it someone had colored it in with a crayon or something.
Ok, and you wanna know what's sad?
I'll tell you anyway.
I think I was actually bothered more by the lack of colorful ink than my 8 year old. I mean, she got through it in a day or two, and it took me a solid week to finish this one.
Wow. I'm wondering what that says about me...



I thought this had the potential to be much cooler, but since it impressed my 3rd grader, I suppose I should let it go.


Oh come on, I can't help it! I've got two girls, so that shitty song is ingrained in my head so hard that I can't even say the words without singing them, at this point. And if you haven't had to watch tiny squealing females sing that song over and over again in your rear view mirror, then fuck you.
*sobs*
Fuck. You.

The gist is that Bruce has just arrived at a new school, and it turns out that not all is what it seems to be when it comes to the teachers and other kids. The story is told through not only the panels, but texts, journal entries, detention slips, emails, etc..
I would have thought the crammed wording would have turned Sophie off, but she said it was fine.
shrugs
Anyway. Little Batman reluctantly makes friends with Diana & Clark, and together they snoop around for clues. And ninjas. Because Bruce is convinced there are ninjas everywhere.



Obviously, this isn't a book for adults. The plot is simple, cute, geared toward younger children.
There were a few cameos and references that made me smile, but I doubt my kid got many (if any) of them. It's also not a floppy comic, it's a book. Like Diary of a Wimpy Kid, you know? So, this would probably be perfect for someone small in your life you enjoyed that one!

[Jim Ef · Rating 3 out of 5]

6.8/10

A nice and cute book that i believe it will be enjoyed even more by its target audience.

Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman meet for the first time and form a team in order to unravel the mystery surrounding their school.

We have a lot of familiar faces from the DC universe. Some are students, some are teachers and Alfred is Alfred.

This would be much better in colour, i don't know why they went with black and white.

[Lex · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was delightfully adorable and fun.

[Lexie · Rating 4 out of 5]

So fun! I love Dustin Nguyen and Derek Fridolfs "Lil Gotham" and this appeared to be just as delightful.

did not disappoint. It's a fun what if of the school AU variety that is very popular in fanfic, reimagining the Caped Crusader, Man of Steel and Amazonian Princess as elementary school kids investigating super shady shit at their new school. Like NINJAS. So. Many. Ninjas.

Anyone with passing familiarity with the universe with recognize the students and teachers alike (Pamela Isley? Victor Fries? Brainiac?) and guess the Principal's identity, but as a primer for the young set this will appeal to them I think.

[Mehsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Batman, Superman, and Wonderwoman team up and investigate their new school!

I have been meaning to read this since this one came out, sadly I never had the chance until now! I am not a big DC/Marvel reader, but I do know the characters and I do enjoy reading some comics. So I was pretty excited to see Batman, Superman, and Wonderwoman team up. Though not as adults, but as kids. And all of them are still discovering who they are and what they can do.

For instance Clark is slowly finding out his powers, Diana still has no control over her strength or temper, and Bruce is still very much a kid and not the tough hero he becomes as an adult. But you could still easily see who they were. Not just because of their clothes (Bruce wearing something fancy, Clark dressed up as if he has a scoop to hunt for, Diana with her headband) but also because of how they act and talk. :)

But these are not the only characters in the book, oh no, be prepared to step into this school and go mad on the references to characters and stories. We spot the Joker (and his girlfriend Harlequin), Lex is also there to cheat, lie and take control, Poison Ivy, Circe, and so many more, I can keep talking but I will leave it to the readers to discover it for their own. I loved when it was Halloween and you truly saw the villains as they were/going to be when they are older.

The book is all about our trio (and then mainly Bruce as he is the MC) and them discovering that their school might not be that good. Everything is suspicious. From the lessons, to how wrong is good and good is wrong, to teachers and students. Our trio has to discover what is going on and why they are being monitored so closely. I had so much fun going along with our trio and see if I could help out, if I could spot some hints. It was definitely fun to see them figure things out and to get closer to the truth.

The most fun thing about the book was definitely how the book switched between story through comics and report cards, reports, chats, mails, and more. It made the book even more fun to read and made it very engaging and interesting. I was just eager to flip the page and see what I would get this time, mail? Chats? Report cards? Posters? Something else?

The ending was great, exciting, we got a battle, a reveal, and more. I am a bit on the fence if I like every part though, as I am not a fan of cliffhangers. :P Guess I will just have to check out the next books in this series.

The only thing I didn't entirely like was the art. I get that the artist put tons of work in it, but sorry to me it often seemed hurried. At times you could still see various help-lines (hopefully that is the right word), and sometimes people were just blobs. Of course there were times that it did look quite nice and I liked the style. Too bad that was only sometimes.

All in all, a very fun, exciting, great read, and I would recommend it to everyone!

Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This read was quite a bit of fun. I didn't know what to expect going into it, but what I got was entertaining.

Middle school aged Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman: Why not?

Solving mysteries at a young age, trying not to break the rules as they go.

It's worth the read, especially if you are a fan of the original stories. Alternate universes that are done well are great. For a young adult, adult, or kid, this book could entertain anyone. I look forward to more of the series.

[Emily Zonker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book so much. I like that they made a story of villains and heroes in middle school. It's amazing how Bruce, Kent, and, Diana at the same school. It's got funny parts and serious parts. This is like me because in the book Bruce is trying to get use to middle school and I don't understand that much of middle school yet.

[Ben Truong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Study Hall of Justice is a graphic novel written by Derek Fridolfs and illustrated by Dustin Nguyen. It centers on young students, Bruce Wayne, Diana Prince, and Clark Kent teaming up to investigate the nefarious agenda of their school’s administration in this batty series opener.

New student, Bruce Wayne has just began school at Gotham City's exclusive Ducard Academy, when he glimpse of lurking ninjas, an encounter with cream-pie–bearing bully Joe Kerr, and other signs raise his suspicion that something’s not right. With plenty of help from exchange student Diana Prince and hayseed classmate Clark Kent, they expose a scheme to recruit young villains, which is explained in detail by principal Ra's Al Ghul, before he escapes in the wake of a climactic ninja battle. Along the way Bruce and company try out for extracurricular activities, attend classes, and adopt distinctive Halloween costumes for the climactic dust-up.

Study Hall of Justice is written and constructed rather well. The narrative is spun out in a mix of journal entries, chat transcripts, screenshots, and panels of comic art as loose as the plotline hurtles its inconclusive way to a close that leaves the characters looking forward to the mysteries of summer camp. Nguyen's loosely drawn and brushed in transparent inks illustrations has a quick, sketchy look reinforced by wonderful backgrounds.

All in all, Study Hall of Justice is a well-crafted tale of middle school woes from very familiar faces of comic book heroes.

[Olivia · Rating 3 out of 5]

My little sister wanted me to read this series. So here I am, reading a DC Comics graphic novel. It wasn't bad, it wasn't good, either way, it was just eh. She asked me to read the second and third one, so I am looking forward to that experience.

[Stay Fetters · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The dos and don’ts to pulverize your opponent:
•Do fight
•Do cheat
•Do steal
•Don’t play fair
•Don’t be a good sport
Give Out Discipline Or Be Disciplined!!!"

This was exquisitely cute. I really enjoyed the mix of how the story is laid out. It switches from comics to private messages to surveillance stills and even private diary entries. As an entire whole, this was a well thought out kiddie mystery with some of our favorite villains and heroes.

Can’t wait to continue this wacky series.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed first at Brunner's Bookshelf

So the hype behind Batman v Superman is so huge that so many things have spun off from this movie. My kids loved the cereal that hit grocery store shelves. Not only have food companies and car companies found a way to make money off this movie but a lot of kids books have come out. I love the fact that this movie created more books because I love to read and anytime my kids are excited to read I will make myself broke buying books for them.

My son is 6 and in Kindergarten and he loves to read, especially now that he has learned how. I was looking through his Book Fair catalog and was really excited to see a a paperback version of this that was affordable. I made sure we went to his school on open house night so we could get this and it was really cute.

Bruce has been transferred to Ducard Academy. His classmates and teachers are more on the evil side of things. Mad Hatter is the science teacher, Hugo Strange is the guidance counselor, and Brainiac is the librarian. Bruce feels something isn't right about this school so he decides to get some help from the only other normal students at the school. Clark Kent, and Diana Prince. For the most part they are just kids but we do get a brief Halloween party where our child heroes dawn their costumes for the first time.

I've already said it once but this book is really cute. There is a lot of light humor throughout the book for the grown ups who are fans. Tiny references for the fans that make this worth the read. There are comic strips, journal entries, text chats, and school reports and notes which help tell this story. My son and I had a lot of fun reading this book and I am so glad I was able to get this paperback version. I hope he wants to read it again soon. There were some parts that were just ok which is why I give this 4 out of 5 stars. If you have some time and just want a fun book to read with your kids then I recommend this one.

[Crysta · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting take on the DC universe. The use of notes and and journal entries was a neat way to tie together sections. And then there's that moment when I realized that the kid I was looking at in a panel was a young version of the Joker.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is so funny. There should be a series!

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Study Hall of Justice by Derek Fridolfs is a what if story that Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman all went to middle school together and the other classmates and teachers are full of future villains. The story is a mystery where the Trinity try to find out who the mysterious principal that runs the school and recruited everyone. The story is told as a graphic novel mostly but we get all the Batman notes and memos, student evaluation forms, articles from the student newspaper and group chats with the group. The story is middle grade approved but there references to future villainy that will go over a lot of not informed kids head. But that could lead them to look into characters more. I liked the end reveal of the mystery principal that explained why the kids were recruited for the school. There was some obscure villains that I was happy to see inserted like Vandal Savage and the Shriek. The highlight for me was the student newspaper with Mr. Freeze doing the weather report and Poison Ivy doing the nature report. This is the first book in a series called the Secret Hero Society, I would be curious what they do for the next book since the school gets shut down after all is revealed. The Art of the book was good at some parts, (the art is all in black and white, except for the cover) they drew adults better than the kids. The art work was done by the team behind the comic Lil' Gotham.

Plot Summary: Bruce Wayne has been recruited/selected to the Ducard Academy an elite Academy that is invite only, from day one Bruce feels watched. Bruce grows concerned when he finds most of his classmates are evil and some have special gifts the school is trying to harness. He meets two other classmates that share the concern Diana and Clark Kent who have their own secret powers which Bruce starts trying to figure out as well. They try to find out who the principal is and who remains in the shadows.

What I Liked: The school newspaper was my favorite part with Mr. Freeze always predicts frosty weather, Poison Ivy and her nature report called Plants Are Better Than People. Poison Ivy also as a funny scene with a Christmas tree where she yells at others, trees and leaves are not for your amusement. A great moment in book is the Halloween costume party were Bruce comes out as Batman, but he gets mad since Clark took his glasses off and changed his hair and Diana just put on a costume. I liked the aspect of trying to figure out which villain is which.

What I Disliked: The pace was a little slow fora middle grade book. The art for the kids was sometimes bad, the noses were a real problem, the joke had no personality to his face, and girls face look all the same.

Recommendation: I think the middle grade audience will enjoy this, the more they know about comics and characters they will get a lot more out of it. As an adult the mystery was solved pretty fast on who the principal is really quickly, but I did think the reason for the school worked. I would recommend it for children but adults will get bored very fast with this, but it will be a fun shared read with kids as well to elaborate on villains. I rated Study Hall of Justice by Derek Fridolfs 3 out 5 stars.

[Clemy-chan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
Θετικά:
1. Mixed media. Διασκέδασα πολύ με τα διάφορα μηνύματα, μουτζούρες, αναφορές, άρθρα και ημερολόγια που συνέβαλαν στην αφήγηση της ιστορίας.
2. Βρήκα την απόδοση των πρωταγωνιστών ως παιδιά πολύ πιστή, κάτι που είναι σημαντικό για να μπορέσει ο αναγνώστης να χαθεί μέσα στην ιστορία- ειδικά όταν πρόκειται για τόσο γνωστούς ήρωες.

Μέτρια:
1. Πλοκή. Δεν περίμενα κάτι ιδιαίτερα πολύπλοκο, ειδικά από το πρώτο κιόλας τεύχος, αλλά ήταν λίγο πασιφανές το τι συνέβαινε στο σχολείο. Περίμενα ότι αν όχι όλοι, ο Μπρούς τουλάχιστον θα το καταλάβαινε νωρίτερα.

Αρνητικά:
1. Κρίνοντας από το εξώφυλλο, (και από το γεγονός ότι δυνατό σημείο του συγκεκριμένου εικονογράφου είναι τα χρώματα και όχι το σχέδιό του) δεν περίμενα ποτέ ότι όλο το κόμικ θα ήταν ασπρόμαυρο! Το ασπρόμαυρο σχέδιο του είναι σ' αυτήν την περίπτωση τόσο απλοικό, που σε πολλά σημεία οι χαρακτήρες δεν είναι αναγνωρίσιμοι ακόμη και όταν μιλάνε.
2. Η μετάφραση... Ο εκδότικός έκανε μια γενναία προσπάθεια και το εκτιμώ. Ωστόσο παρατήρησα μερικά (ευτυχώς όχι πολλά) λάθη στη μετάφραση που έβγαζαν μάτι. Το "kk" που γράφουν σε μηνύματα δεν αντιστοιχεί σε "κκ" στα ελληνικά αλλά στο "καλά" ή ακόμη και "οκέι", "'ντάξει". Επίσης το "as a last resort" δεν μεταφράζεται ως "τελευταίο καταφύγιο" αλλά ως "έσχατη/τελευταία λύση"...

Γενικά ενώ δεν πρόκειται απαραίτητα για ένα αξιομνημόνευτο κόμικ, διασκέδασα πολύ όσο το διάβαζα!

[Lynsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really fun! I like how readers both familiar with and new to the DC universe could easily read this, although those who already know the adult versions of these characters will get more enjoyment out of it. I'm somewhere in between, and I thought the characters were written well, and the mystery element was intriguing. The artwork was really pretty, too! Almost like a black-and-white watercolor.

[Tom Malinowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a charming gem! Young Bruce Wayne gets inducted to Ducard Academy where the classmates and teachers are sorta jerks and promote being bad. Amidst the chaos he befriends Clark and Diana, who are sorta like him, they want to be good and do good. So they team up to get the bottom of things, even to figure out why there are ninjas in the trees.

[Eva-Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

You know, as silly as it may seem, I'm actually REALLY enjoying this series. (This from a girl who didn't think she liked graphic novels.) There's so many little inside references for DC fans (and I know I'm not getting them all). I loved the "aha!" moment when I realized why the academy was called Ducard Academy. :D

[Jessica Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good and fun book.

[Dee Dee G · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun short book.

[Cress · Rating 4 out of 5]

superman is so cute here, i love him

[Ian Roditi · Rating 4 out of 5]

¿Como sería el DC Universe en la primaria?

Algo tipo JL8 pero escrito por alguien más. Está bonito y sonso y divertido :3

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Thoughts
I picked these up at my daughters book fair for her and decided to read it myself. I loved the characters and thought it was really cute to see them as young kids. Each with the personality of their adult counterparts.I found the story to be very cute.I wasn't sure if I liked who it is presented. The back and forth between characters and the way the story is told is a little all over the place. Probably really cute for kids and they would enjoy it but as an adult I was looking for more of a story and not a bunch of notes, letters, texts and emails.
Overall I think it's a great book, super cute for kids. Even without liking the layout I still enjoyed the characters. I totally recommend.




My Thoughts
What I didn't like in the first one, was even worse in this one. I know I gave it 3.5 stars but I wasn't happy with this like I was the first. The story was ok but the bouncing around was hard to follow and at times I got lost with who was talking. This might be a fun read for kids but for me, it just didn't work as well.

Thanks for stopping by to check out my review.

Have a great day and Happy Reading!

This review was originally posted on Because reading is better than real life

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Should a school age Bryce Wayne be fun? Why does Batman in middle school sound like fun?

I didn't go in thinking this kids graphic novel was going to be that good. I didn't think it'd hold my attention and make it hard to put down. I knew the art would be beautiful. Dustin Nguyen's art is always amazing. He doesn't disappoint. Plus he's the perfect artist for kid batman. The writing was where I was surprised. I wasn't excepting Derrek Fridolfs to write anything special, but he did!

A quick look at the plot. Bryce Wayne is in middle school and is going to a private school. On the first day he thinks things are a little off here, so he investigates. He gain some friends and tries to solve the mystery of Ducard Academy.

If you have kids that like batman they need to read this book. If you want a fun batman story then read this book. It was a lot if fun and a quick read.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up on a whim because I decided to get my hair cut on the spur of the moment and needed something to read. It has to be one of my favorite DCU reimaginings in recent memory. Not only is the art adorable, but the characters are both recognizably the people who will grow up to be Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman while still being able to poke fun at them. Dense little Clark Kent is hysterical, and young Bruce Wayne's frustration makes him both a relatable protagonist for the intended audience and a fun character for adult readers. As usual, Diana/Wonder Woman is the least developed, but her keen sense of fairness and boundless energy make her a lot of fun to read about. Hopefully there will be more in this series.

[Kristen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this one, but I was disappointed. I like the idea of "superheros as kids" and I like the idea of a story told in multiple forms (cartoons, diary entries, online chat conversations, etc.), but unfortunately this just didn't work for me. The graphics are extremely minimalist, and while it's a cool effect, it made the story harder to follow. When there's not many words, readers (particularly my middle grade students) rely on the pictures, and sometimes it was hard to figure out what was going on. There were some funny jokes that poke fun at some of the superhero's traits, and it was fun to see so many villains pop up as students and teachers, but it just wasn't enough for me.

[Scott Robins · Rating 2 out of 5]

Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman are all kids, pre-superheroes and all enrolled in a school with a dark secret. Told in comics, text messages, emails, journal entries, lists, this disjointed and fragmented narrative attempts to tell a story but I don't think it's very successful. The same criticism I have with many of DC's publications for kids like Tiny Titans, I found this to be yet another collection of inside DCU continuity jokes and obscure references that kids won't likely get. My ARC didn't have completed artwork but I'm certain that Nguyen's work will be amazing here. It's unfortunate the story just doesn't hold together.

[Ismael Medina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about Clark’s, Diana’s, and Bruce’s past when they were in high school. This book is amazing not only because they are DC comics but also this book is more like an extra side story. Furthermore, the art is also great! My favorite part was when Ducard high school had a Halloween party. Bruce dressed up as batman, Diana and Clark did the same so they revealed their hero identities as costumes! Then after that Bruce got mad because when they were texting each other he asked them to wear mask but none of them did! I recommend this book to people who like heroes and DC comics!

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I burned through this quick little graphic novel one afternoon after school. I picked it up because I had one kiddo race through them (he is eagerly awaiting book 4) and I had a copy at home because my son is reading it as well.

Overall, this was a cute/fun spin on comics and the origin stories of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. Kids will enjoy the format and the humor. My only complaint: some of the plot moved too quickly and jumped without enough of a bridge. Minor detail and something that the target audience for this book probably won't mind.

[Adriana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nguyen's art is as pretty as ever and Fridolfs has a lot fun playing around with the characters, but the story is a bit rushed and disjointed. The way the story gets told is original and keeps things from getting stale, but it also interferes with the narrative.
I enjoyed it, but it was mostly from finding easter eggs and seeing how classic elements were included and transformed into a school environment. I'm not sure a younger or casual reader would find them as interesting as I did.