I'm doing my best to keep my reading momentum going in this stressful time. This week, I've got a read that screams "my childhood". BACKGROUND:
Just as I grew up watching DC superheroes in various cartoons, I also used to watch the original Scooby-Doo, Where Are You cartoon as a kid. Looking back, it blows my mind that Cartoon Network used to air all those classic Hanna-Barbera cartoons; I got to enjoy all those shows I otherwise would have missed out on just by the virtue of being born in 1996. I often saw this comic series on the "new releases" posts DC Comics makes on social media, and I always think about how weird the idea of Mystery Inc. and members of the Justice League teaming up is. And then I learned about crossovers like Archie vs. The Predator, and suddenly it feels less weird. THE WRITING: Scooby-Doo! Team-Up is a collection of short stories featuring Mystery Inc. solving mysteries alongside popular DC superheroes. Each collected issue is one standalone story (though there are references to previous issues in some of the stories as you go along). The first three issues feature Batman and Robin (whose depiction leans more towards the campy 1966 show with Adam West) as they take on various villains from Batman's rogues gallery. Issue #1 involves the team hunting down Man-Bat, issue #2 sees Scooby and Ace the Bat-Hound step up after an attack on the humans by Scarecrow, and issue #3 features Bat-Mite and his annoying fifth-dimension shenanigans. The latter three issues feature other DC characters. Issue #4 has the Teen Titans (in the style of the Teen Titans Go cartoon) in the middle of a haunting, issue #5 sees Velma and Daphne alongside Wonder Woman in Themyscira, and issue #6 has everyone solve a mystery in the Hall of Justice. All the stories play out much like any Scooby-Doo cartoon; the gang arrives to try and solve a mystery, some weird shit happens, Shaggy and Scooby-Doo panic and run away, and they eventually catch the bad guy and pull their mask off. Now, the formula has the added twist of the DC heroes swooping in to help (or, in some of the issues, it's the heroes who enlist the help of Mystery Inc.). The heroes aren't glorified cameos, either, as they interact directly with Mystery Inc. for majority of the stories. If you've watched any of the Scooby-Doo cartoons like I have, this comic won't really break any new ground in terms of storytelling. That doesn't stop it from being a fun read, however. Sure, the stories are cartoony, and the heroes aren't depicted as having the character depth or seriousness they do in their own stories, but I still enjoyed reading this comic nonetheless. Perhaps I'm just nostalgic for this cartoon. Though the stories are pretty much aimed at kids, there's definitely some clever jokes and neat references strewn about the comic. The comic even pokes fun at itself, pointing out how formulaic Scooby-Doo episodes usually are and incorporating that fact into funny gags. One reference in particular really made me laugh, because it was a recreation of the iconic panel from Dark Knight Returns (the shot of Batman's silhouette against the lightning), but with Scooby-Doo striking a wacky martial arts pose. There are other jokes like this that combine what I know about the comics and the trademark silliness of Scooby-Doo, and they all got at least a chuckle out of me. THE ART: The art style looks and feels very much like the old cartoon, albeit with brighter colors and clearer outlines. There really isn't much to say about it, other than the artist did very well to capture that classic Hanna-Barbera style. VERDICT: Scooby-Doo! Team-Up does a solid job of putting two of my childhood favorites together, integrating the world's greatest superheroes seamlessly into the classic mystery-solving formula. The comic is definitely more targeted at children, but there was still enough in each story to keep me entertained. If you're looking for a silly, Saturday morning cartoon-esque read to relax with, you might enjoy this one. Here's Vol. 1 on Comixology: https://m.comixology.com/Scooby-Doo-Team-Up-2013-Vol-1/digital-comic/195405?ref=c2VhcmNoL2luZGV4L21vYmlsZS90cmFkZUl0ZW0 - end -
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June 2024
Derryck
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