Line #47 ComicBook/GladstonesSchoolForWorldConquerors


1	[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/s_6654.gif]]
2	[[caption-width-right:250:MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA!]]
3
4	-->''“Didn’t anyone tell you? The fights between superheroes and villains are fake.”''
5	-->'''~ The Red Storm Breaker'''
6
7	''Written by Mark Andrew Smith, artwork by Armand Villavert''
8
9	''Gladstone’s School for World Conquerors'' is a series that deals with the lives of students attending the titular school. The series serves as a unique {{Deconstruction}} of the super hero genre because in this universe the superheroes and villains have reached a mutually beneficial peace agreement and now stage ‘fights’ for entertainment. However the young villains at Gladstone’s aren’t aware that these pro-wrestling-esque fights aren’t real. Things get still more interesting when rogue villains who rejected the hero-villain peace agreement try to bring a return to the old ways of villainy.
10
11	The series boasts a cast of [[RoundCharacter round]] and unique characters, a compelling deconstruction of the standard superhero story, and excellent cartoony artwork.
12
13	The first series was published by Creator/ImageComics in 2011, another series was self-published in 2013 and the third series was published by Maneki Neko Books with funding from Website/{{Kickstarter}}.
14
15	A Website/{{Kickstarter}} campaign to [[https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gladstonessschool/kid-nefarious-one-shot fund a one-shot about Kid Nefarious]] was held in 2019 and then followed with [[https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/manekinekobooks/gladstones-school-for-world-conquerors-double-features a campaign for two double feature comics]], ''The Skull Brothers and Martian Jones'' and ''Ghost Girl and Mummy Girl''.
16	----
17	!!''Gladstone's School For World Conquerors'' provides examples of:
18
19	* AccidentalMurder: [[spoiler: Shakurankai]] Subverted in that he's not really dead.
20	* AlmightyJanitor: Greensleeves the groundskeeper.
21	* ArtShift: When the kids are reading comic books the colors go into half tone and Villavert makes it look more like a traditional comic book.
22	* BadassFamily: Every supervillain family, but particularly the Skulls.
23	* BerserkButton: '''Don't''' touch Greensleeve's roses.
24	* BloodlessCarnage: Goes the ''WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack'' route of fighting mainly non-bleeding opponents.
25	* CallingYourAttacks: All the time.
26	* ChewingTheScenery: Often, but Kid Nefarious' ''Victory Speeches 101'' presentation stands out.
27	* ChildrenAreInnocent / InnocenceLost: An ongoing theme is the students realizing that their world is a lot more complex than they previously knew it to be.
28	* CurbStompBattle: Mr. Nefarious v. anonymous robots. When he comes back later they simply give him what he wants and ask him to leave them alone.
29	* DarkerAndEdgier: The series starts off following the main characters at school, but the reader quickly realizes there is some heavy stuff going on in the story.
30	* DeterminedExpression: Marty with the unification ray.
31	* DidntThinkThisThrough: None of the super villains (neither parents or teachers) explain to the kids that the battles are staged. In addition, they send the kids to a school for how to be a super villain. Unsurprisingly, the kids [[spoiler: end up accidentally killing a superhero, which the Skull Bros intend to use to spark a superhero / villain war]].
32	* DisappearedDad: The Skull Bros' father Wolfgang. Supposedly killed by a superhero.
33	* DreamSequence: Mummy Girl's dream about her and Kid Nefarious.
34	* EnergyWeapons: To go along with the BloodlessCarnage. It is technically an all-ages book after all.
35	* {{Expy}}: Ironside is clearly meant to Doctor Doom.
36	* ExtendedDisarming: Skull Brothers.
37	* FriendlyEnemies: Some heroes and villains are like this.
38	* GenreDeconstruction: Of the superhero genre. In this universe superheroes and villains have made peace with one another but perform staged fights for entertainment purposes. Both parties prefer the peace situation over the typical superhero-villain fighting that went on before except for hardliners who still pine for the old days of super villainy.
39	* GreenThumb: Greensleeves.
40	* HeroicBSOD: Kid Nefarious when he discovers comic books.
41	* {{Homage}}: Ironsides looks awfully similar to ComicBook/IronMan. Also Martian Jones is clearly inspired by [[ComicBook/MartianManhunter J'onn J'onnz]]
42	* HopeSpot: ''"Is that all he had?" "Well that wasn't so hard."''
43	* IneffectualLoner: Averted. Rather than go off on his own to [[spoiler: fight Shakurankai]] Kid Nefarious gets the other students in on it.
44	* KillerRabbit: One of the teachers mentions a villain who tried to take over the world using garden gnomes.
45	* LampshadeHanging: ''"The unification ray! Oh sweet DeusExMachina!"''
46	* LetsGetDangerous: The kids sneak out of their houses and congregate before going to [[spoiler: battle Shakurankai]].
47	* MaskedLuchador: El Campeon from Mark Andrew Smith's ''The Amazing Joy Buzzards''
48	* NearVillainVictory: By The Red Octopus in his performance with Centurion.
49	* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: Ironsides on Abraxas.
50	* OhCrap: From Abraxas when Ironsides joins the fray, and from the kids when they realize [[spoiler: Shakurankai]] has just shrugged off their attacks.
51	* PlayingPossum: Red Octopus
52	* RealMenWearPink: The first time we see Ironsides, one of the series most infamous supervillains, he is in a pink apron having just cooked 'Grandmumum's Super-Secret Cranberry Muffin Recipe.'
53	* ShoutOut: One of the teachers mentions a plot being foiled by [[Franchise/ScoobyDoo 'those meddling kids']].
54	* ShoutOutToShakespeare: Skull Brother 2: "Alas, Poor stone manster. I shot him well."
55	* {{Squee}}: Mummy Girl and Ghost Girl when Kid Nefarious suggests they get together to study.
56	* TheReveal: Mummy Girl without her bandages, Skull Brothers without their masks, and many characters real names.
57	* TwoGirlsToATeam: Mummy Girl and Ghost Girl on their otherwise male team.

Context ComicBook / GladstonesSchoolForWorldConquerors