The Funnies: School is in Session

This week on Pages and Panels, we’re focusing on back-to-school and the role academics play in comics. And there’s no way we’d miss out on highlighting five of the comic universe’s most iconic academic institutions.

Midtown High

In Midtown High, most of the students don’t know that they’re attending class alongside one of Marvel’s and comic’s most famous heroes. When he’s not thwiping his way around New York as Spider-Man, Peter Parker attends classes at this science and technological based institution. In most versions of Spider-Man’s origins, Parker received his powers while attending a science expo on a trip sponsored by Midtown High. So without Midtown, we’d have no Spider-Man.

Gotham Academy

The exclusive private school favored by Gotham’s elite, Gotham academy has counted both Bruce Wayne and most of his children as students at one time or another. It also hosted its own title in DC’s New 52 line-up, for a total of thirty issues. Gotham Academy is a bit spooky and dark, adding a supernatural twist to Batman’s mythos.

Smallville High

The DC Comics alma mater of both former President of the United States Lex Luthor and ace reporter Clark Kent is Smallville High. Oddly enough, some weird stuff happened there when they were students. It’s almost like Superman went there or something. Crazy.

Riverdale High

Not every school needs to be full of rising superheroes. Instead, it can just be full of rascally teens. Unless it’s the CW adaptation. Then the school’s full of drug dealers, maple syrup mafia, serial killers, two or more biker gangs, a cult, and a really intense game of Griffins and Gargoyles. So your average public school.

_{And yes, that is an actual screencap from the show. That’s a real quote, that was said.}

Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters

Arguably the most iconic educational institution in the world of comics is Professor Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters. Opening his home as a school for the misunderstood, the mistreated, the mutated, Professor X made a golf course clubhouse-looking boarding school seem X-cellent.