Originally published on Patreon
There's a lot of specials and annuals from DC this week, an the one-off DC Saved By the Belle Reve might be one of the more enjoyable ones on offer. This 80-page collection brings together eight short stories that deal with schools in the DC universe, and features some fun characters and touching moments too.
The first story, 'Sophomore Year' is all about Gotham Academy, and fans of that series will probably want to pick this book up just for this. Knowing nothing about these characters or their stories, I was honestly quite lost in this, and didn't really engage with it beyond taking it as an okay story about some kids sneaking around their school trying to check out their new zombie groundskeeper.
'High School Lows' takes a Suicide Squad made up from the more memorable members that appeared in the movies and has them infiltrate a school to find their target. You have Katana working in the library, Peacemaker as the gym teacher, and Harley Quinn as a guidance counsellor; which all makes a kind of sense. But when Weasel ends up working as the new lunch lady and King Shark ends up teaching English (even explaining the past tense of 'Nom') you know something weird is going on. This is a fairly fun short with some good laughs along the way.
The Super Sons return in 'Back To School' which sees Jonathan Kent and Damian Wayne returning to school after their summer break. The two of them meet a new student, who's being bullied because they're non-binary. Damian tries to teach them how to fight back, whilst Jonathan talks to them about rising above stuff and turning the other cheek, and come the end Sydney ends up using a bit of both. This was a pretty nice story that seems to introduce the kids to queer identities (something that will be important to both in their futures) and there's a great moment with Jonathan about embracing who you are that feels perfect for him. There are some nice messages in here, and Damian arriving to school in a helicopter blasting out the Imperial March was pretty amusing.
'Earn It Back' is a nice story about Green Arrow learning how to be the best kind of parent to Roy Harper that takes us back to the silver age, complete with dodgy costumes and things like the arrow cave, arrow car, and arrow jet. It's nice to get to see more of their parent child dynamic as it's something that has kind of been forgotten now that Roy is older.
The Tiny Titans appear in 'Piece Making', which sees the kids arrive at Belle Reve prison, thinking it's a farm they have a flyer for, and meeting members of the Suicide Squad. It's a bit weird seeing the adult oriented concept of the Squad meshing with the Tiny Titans, and luckily it doesn't stick around too long so you don't really have to think about it too much. Fans of the Tiny Titans will probably like it.
'This Is Why' deals with Black Lightning and his time as the Secretary of Education under President Luthor, and we get to see a lot of Jefferson as a teacher, the relationships he has with his students, and the great work that he's done. It does a lot to justify why a decent man like him would work for a criminal president, and following Trump being the US President going back to a President Luthor story really does land different.
'How Angels Are Made' is a great Azrael short story that could easily tie into the current series (especially as it's by the same author), and takes a look at the past of Jean Paul Valley, and reveals that his programming by the Order of St Dumas happened a lot earlier than he first thought. This feels like the only story in the bunch that actually could be part of the DC Universe, and has any kind of impact or bearing outside of this book. I wouldn't be surprised to see this short story included in Azrael books at some point.
The final story in the bunch 'Night Off' follows a teenage Barbara Gordon and Dick Grayson as they attend prom together. However, along the way their limo gets attacked by armed thugs and Mr Freeze, and the two teens are forced to suit up and take action; making them late to the prom. This story is okay, though doesn't really seem to line up with the characters actual histories or timelines. But as a standalone story its decent enough.
DC Saved By the Belle Reve is a fun, enjoyable anthology book that has a lot of different stories on offer, and will appeal to a lot of different readers thanks to the different styles, characters, and tones on offer.
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