Looney Tunes #272

A while back when I reviewed an all-Stupor Duck issue of Looney Tunes, I closed my post asking DC for an all-Duck Dodgers issue. Well, 2 out of 3 isn't bad!

Derek Fridolfs penned an all-new Duck Dodgers epic with the semi-heroic mallard being sent on a mission to the future to find a rare element. However, the time machine has a glitch and instead of sending Dodgers to the future, it sends him to medieval times. As Duck Dodgers keeps tinkering with the faulty time machine, our hero risks changing the time line; thus potentially preventing the existence of Earth's defense forces from alien invaders!

The reprint story at the end of the book, also by Fridolfs, sees Duck Dodger's sidekick, the Eager Young Space Cadet, getting promoted. Now he's Duck Dodger's superior! Of course, our 24 and 1/2th Century hero is NOT happy about this!

Sandwiched between the two Duck Dodgers stories is a classic Looney Tunes parody of Star Trek. From 1994, this Ivan Cohen story is a riff on everyone's favorite Star Trek movie, The Wraith of Khan! Seeing your favorite Looney Tunes characters dressed in the maroon uniforms was great and I loved the flashback scene of characters in those TOS tunics. 

Okay, so we didn't get 3 stories starring Duck Dodgers. Instead, we got an all-space parody issue and I am completely okay with that! That Star Trek send-up was hilarious! I guess if DC is paying any attention to my blog, I'm going to make another wish. I want an over-sized 80 or 100 page special of nothing but all-Christmas themed Looney Tunes stories (No reprints, if possible!) If DC isn't reading my Madman rants, then I guess I can dream, right?

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries #1

 

As a huge fan of DC's previous all-ages team-up title Scooby-Doo Team-Up, I was first in line when I found out about this new miniseries. While extraordinary author Sholly Fisch doesn't seem to be attached to this project, fan-favorite artist Dario Brizuela is back!

In the first issue, Batman summons the Mystery Inc. gang to the Gotham City Museum when he discovers that an artifact from the Dark Knight's early days has been stolen. To get to the bottom of this mystery, the sleuths, along with Robin will split-up, naturally. But in a twist, Scooby, Shaggy and Velma will travel back in time!

Sadly, I was kinda torn with this issue. I loved the nostalgic nature of this comic what with the  appearance by Professor Nichols as well as seeing Bruce Wayne in his earliest attempt as a vigilante (which looks an awful lot like the millionaire's first crime fighting get-up in Mask of the Phantasm.) But as with many stories involving time travel, the perils of paradoxes cause, uh well, a paradox...

I had to read this story twice. Not out of love for the comic and wanting to relive it. Instead, I really felt like I missed something. And believe me, I am pretty sure I did. 

Don't get me wrong. I didn't hate this book. But Ivan Cohen (Beware The Batman) is no Sholly Fisch. However, I will say that I do very much enjoy Cohen's writing of Batman, like with his adaptation of BTB. He does seem to dig deep into the annals of Dark Knight lore. I mean Professor Nichols is pretty obscure if you've not familiar with Batman from the 40s and 50s. It's that I really can't connect all those dots...

There's also a big plot point that seems unneeded with Batman, Daphne and Fred going underwater into Gotham harbor. But I don't want to dig into that too deeper here without spoiling a surprise. (A surprise that seems rather superfluous) This mystery is filled with a couple red herrings. Maybe that scene was another turn to keep readers guessing.

There are 11 issues left. And low and behold, guess whose coming for dinner next month?! It's Sholly Fisch in a caper that promises a ghost haunting the Batcave! Zoinks! I can't wait for issue #2! It's gonna be epic!

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.