The title of this 12-issue mini-series may have to change as Mystery Inc are decidedly on the outs with Batman this issue. They show up to help when they learn of a Bat Spirit terrorising Gotham, but Batman has a new team of dog adjacent detectives to hand.
Told in no uncertain terms that they’re not needed, Fred, Daphne, Scooby, Velma and Shaggy puzzle over who this new crew might be.
The mystery of the Bat Spirit is supplanted by the riddle of Batman’s baffling behaviour – why is he rejecting his longtime ghostbusting partners?
And that’s the set-up for another fantastically funny, super-smart all-ages story – heck, you have to be of a certain age to get the gag about teen tecs, but if like me you are, you’ll love it. And if you aren’t, no harm, no foul, there’s still a terrific tale here, with jokes that don’t depend on having watched Hanna-Barbera cartoons in the early Seventies.
Writer Sholly Fisch again shows he loves the DCU as much as he does Scooby-Doo, with delightful story points such as Gotham business owners’ avoidance of certain names.
Erich Owen is back with full colour art showcasing his knack for body language and page design, not straying far from Scooby house style while adding visual flair here and there.
Regular letterer Saida Temofonte keeps things neat and natty, with the Bat Spirit’s font a particular treat, while editor Kristy Quinn is the master manipulator behind the rubber mask.
At US $2.99, The Batman & Scooby-Doo! Mysteries is as cheap a DC comic as you can buy, and it’s probably the most fun of any of the lime – how they do that is a mystery that would baffle even Scooby and friends.
Too Dangerous For a Girl 2 