Scooby Apocalypse #2
DC Comics
Plot & Breakdowns: Keith Giffen
Dialogue by: J. M. DeMatteis
Pencils & Inks: Howard Porter
The apocalyptic plague was released last issue and it doesn’t take long until the gang sees the first monster within the complex, proving this new iteration of Scooby is much more serious. There is some great inter-group dialogue going on that has the members of the yet formed Mystery Inc. at
each others throats. Everything so far about this new series screams to me that this isn’t some Saturday morning cartoon. They aren’t friends, they don’t instantly get along and the monsters are real.
Another deviation from the original series, is that the members of the gang aren’t completely scaredy cats. The normally reluctant Scooby Doo shows his fierce canines and leaps into action to save the others when a very toothy monster ambushes them. With everyone in disbelief that the plague has really hit and it was only a false alarm, they are shocked when they see some CCTV monitors showing the outbreak of monsters within the facility itself. And again through a few more panels and a wonderful splash page, the grim reality of a complete monster apocalypse is setting in.
I am in love with this story, from the characters each having much more serious tones, to the gravity of the situation they find themselves in. Arming themselves with actual guns to combat a beautiful (to me) illustrated demon-woman, we almost see our first casualty to the team, but once again the more mature composure of the main characters comes through. Though Daphne doesn’t come out of that experience unharmed as she is emotionally wounded by the revelation she just blew apart something that was a someone.
As this story progresses I wont get sick and tired of seeing just how mature and serious these characters are now. I think it is going to be needed to be reiterated each issue in order for the creative team to separate the readers previous notion of the slap-stick “Scooby Snack” cartoon a lot of different generations grew up with. And with each page, I am further pulled into the story to rediscover the Scooby Doo universe that is being built. Point in case, the “Mystery Machine” reveal was like seeing Batman’s tumbler Batmobile in the Nolan=verse. This Mystery Machine gets its name from being a secretive science project vehicle, and it looks like every bit the apocalypse survival transportation vehicle it should be in this new series.
Scooby Apocalyspe #2 once again proves Giffen, DeMatteis, and Porter are meddling the Scobby Doo universe in the best possible way.