Book Review: Bruce Wayne - Not Super by Stuart Gibbs with art by Berat Pekmezci

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Laughs in this alternative Batman tale 

Cons: Too super for cons

The Bottom Line:

New take on Batman

Filled with plenty of great laughs

A quick yet fun read

Fun Middle School Origin Story

I’ve not read many graphic novels, but, being a fan of Stuart Gibbs, his Bruce Wayne: Not Super caught my eye. It helped that a friend also worked on the book, so I had to give it a try. I’m so glad I did. 

Bruce Wayne stands out at his middle school, Gotham Preparatory School for the Really, Really Gifted. No, not because of the wealth he’s inherited from him parents but because he’s the only one without any powers. But when he sees a student bullying another kid, he decides he has to do something. Will he come up with a plan?

Yes, this is a Batman origin story. Not being super familiar with the comic books, I’m not sure how this compares to anything else, although I suspect it was fairly original. But I don’t care. I was having fun with the story. Yes, I figured where it was going, but there were still plenty of great details and surprises along the way. 

And lots of laughs. That’s no surprise since Stuart Gibbs always makes me laugh.

I have to give full props to Berat Pekmezci, the artist. Some of the best jokes come from the visuals, so be sure to take the time to appreciate them. 

One area where I know this book takes license with comic lore is that all the other students at the school are future superheroes and villains. I recognized most of them, and I got a kick out of seeing how they were portrayed. The main characters are all from Batman, although I wouldn’t mind seeing some of the others have larger parts if there are future releases. 

This is a fun take on young Batman. If you want a twist on this familiar character, be sure to pick up Bruce Wayne: Not Super. 

NOTE: I received a copy of this book.