By Lauren Barbour

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Since the last thing I posted was about Marvel’s Spider-Verse, this time I’m going for a DC exclusive. And when it comes to DC heroes everyone knows, there’s Batman, right? But the Dark Knight isn’t the only resident of Gotham. Since its start in 1939, the series has produced a host of iconic characters that have since branched out into their own series, whether as solo acts or as part of a team. I’m here to recommend a few you might not have heard of.

1. Gotham City Sirens

If you’ve read my first entry, you’re familiar with my love of Barbara Gordon but if the heroine isn’t your thing, I’d definitely suggest this series, which features three of Gotham’s most notorious villainesses: Catwoman, Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn. Having read the first 13 issues, I’m about halfway through the series myself and am really enjoying watching the relationships between the women develop, especially since it’s not always an upward trend. They’re criminals after all and moreover, they’re Gotham residents – trust doesn’t come easy. However, I trust that the rest of the issues aren’t going to disappoint me.

2. Harley Quinn

If you’d rather see Harley go solo (or just want to check out how she’s doing after Gotham City Sirens and other, more recent events), the New 52 reboot is just the thing. Although I wasn’t initially very keen on it, I have to say, Harley’s particular brand of insanity has grown on me. A heads up though, this series doesn’t actually take place in Gotham. Instead, it starts with Harley moving to Coney Island for a chance at a new life.

3. Gotham Academy

Okay, so this series doesn’t follow any established characters; it’s actually fairly new, with only six issues out so far and it’s a far cry from some of the other grim and gritty Gotham series we get. Gotham Academy takes the form of a teen drama unfolding in the halls of the prestigious boarding school, complete with ghosts, bat cults and all sorts of other rumors. Not to mention the occasional appearance from “that weirdo Bruce Wayne.” The series follows Olive Silverlock and promises a look at the past of the city itself. While I will admit that it’s not for everybody, if you’re looking for a lighter read more along the lines of a school life/mystery than action/suspense, this might be worth checking out.

This comes nowhere close to touching upon all the different series that you could be reading so I would highly recommend checking out either the DC Comics website or another digital distributor like www.comixology.com to poke around and see what you can find. If digital copies aren’t your thing, you can always head into a local comic store afterward to pick up a print issue of whatever you want. And, as always, happy reading.