The Batman & Scooby-Doo! Mysteries #2 (Family Comic Friday)

I got behind this week. As a result, I'm digging into my stack of books I haven't had a chance to review for today's Family Comic Friday. 

I'm going to a personal fav for this one. It's got Batman. It's got Scooby-Doo. And it's got mysteries galore! Let's take a look at an early issue of The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries.

In this issue, a ghost has taken up residence inside the Batcave. Could a real spirit have been unleashed into the Dark Knight's inner sanctum? Or even worse- has somebody discovered the location of the Caped Crusader's secret lair? With Scooby-Doo and Mystery Inc. on the scene, plus Robin, Batman will get to the bottom of this mystery for sure!

The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries is a 12-issue maxi-series. It's solidly in the vein of a previous favorite series of mine- Scooby-Doo Team-Up. Only we explore the long history of Mystery Inc. and the Batman Family. In the first issue, Scooby and the gang went back in time to the days of just before Bruce Wayne became Batman. While it had a bunch of 1950s era Batman nostalgia, it was lacking something. 

While I still haven't figured out everything issue #1 was missing, I did put my finger on one thing. The great Sholly Fisch was not the writer of that premier offering. Thankfully, Fisch is back. But regular team-up art partner Dario Brizuela isn't. Yet, with the art of Randy Elliott, it's an adequate substitute. Elliott has the mystery gang down pat having illustrated many, many issues of Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?. His Batman is classic DC. Robin looks more like Bruce Timm's version from Batman: The Animated Series. It was all very good.

I also liked the twist to this story. It felt very Batman '66. I don't want to ruin the surprise but I think Randy Elliott spoiled it with the cover. I just won't dig too deep into the Joker's role in this clever detective comic. 

While there are only 2 issues left in this series to hit store shelves, a Volume 1, collecting issues 1-6, is currently available. If the young reader if your life hated to see Scooby-Doo Team-Up disappear, this is the replacement series you've been needing. I just hope when this series ends that another round of Scooby parings will be forthcoming in comics form real soon!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 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.