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Scooby Apocalypse #1
Scooby Apocalypse, Vol. 1
Fred. Daphne. Velma. Shaggy. Scooby-Doo. Roaming the globe in their lime-green Mystery Machine, they've solved countless crimes and debunked dozens of sketchy supernatural shenanigans.
But what if the horror was real?
Something terrible has transformed our world, turning millions of people into mindless zombie hordes. And only five people—well, four people and one mangy mutt—have the smarts, the skills and the sheer crazy courage to stare down doomsday.
Can these pesky kids and their canine companion—using every incredible contraption in their arsenal—defeat the evil that has overwhelmed planet Earth? We've got only one thing to say about that: ZOINKS!
From comics mastermind Jim Lee and the superstar creative team of Keith Giffen (JUSTICE LEAGUE 3001), J.M. DeMatteis (JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK) and Howard Porter (JLA) comes SCOOBY APOCALYPSE, a whole new spin on the most beloved paranormal investigators in history. Get ready to give Scooby Snacks a whole new meaning! SCOOBY APOCALYPSE VOLUME 1 collects issues #1-6.
But what if the horror was real?
Something terrible has transformed our world, turning millions of people into mindless zombie hordes. And only five people—well, four people and one mangy mutt—have the smarts, the skills and the sheer crazy courage to stare down doomsday.
Can these pesky kids and their canine companion—using every incredible contraption in their arsenal—defeat the evil that has overwhelmed planet Earth? We've got only one thing to say about that: ZOINKS!
From comics mastermind Jim Lee and the superstar creative team of Keith Giffen (JUSTICE LEAGUE 3001), J.M. DeMatteis (JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK) and Howard Porter (JLA) comes SCOOBY APOCALYPSE, a whole new spin on the most beloved paranormal investigators in history. Get ready to give Scooby Snacks a whole new meaning! SCOOBY APOCALYPSE VOLUME 1 collects issues #1-6.
200 pages, Paperback
First published February 7, 2017
218 people are currently reading
1718 people want to read
About the author
Keith Giffen
1,931 books216 followersKeith Ian Giffen was an American comic book illustrator and writer. He is possibly best-known for his long runs illustrating, and later writing the Legion of Super-Heroes title in the 1980s and 1990s. He also created the alien mercenary character Lobo (with Roger Slifer), and the irreverent "want-to-be" hero, Ambush Bug. Giffen is known for having an unorthodox writing style, often using characters in ways not seen before. His dialogue is usually characterized by a biting wit that is seen as much less zany than dialogue provided by longtime collaborators DeMatteis and Robert Loren Fleming. That approach has brought him both criticism and admiration, as perhaps best illustrated by the mixed (although commercially successful) response to his work in DC Comics' Justice League International (1987-1992). He also plotted and was breakdown artist for an Aquaman limited series and one-shot special in 1989 with writer Robert Loren Fleming and artist Curt Swan for DC Comics.
Giffen's first published work was "The Sword and The Star", a black-and-white series featured in Marvel Preview, with writer Bill Mantlo. He has worked on titles (owned by several different companies) including Woodgod, All Star Comics, Doctor Fate, Drax the Destroyer, Heckler, Nick Fury's Howling Commandos, Reign of the Zodiac, Suicide Squad, Trencher (to be re-released in a collected edition by Boom! Studios)., T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, and Vext. He was also responsible for the English adaptation of the Battle Royale and Ikki Tousen manga, as well as creating "I Luv Halloween" for Tokyopop. He also worked for Dark Horse from 1994-95 on their Comics Greatest World/Dark Horse Heroes line, as the writer of two short lived series, Division 13 and co-author, with Lovern Kindzierski, of Agents of Law. For Valiant Comics, Giffen wrote XO-Manowar, Magnus, Robot Fighter, Punx and the final issue of Solar, Man of the Atom.
He took a break from the comic industry for several years, working on storyboards for television and film, including shows such as The Real Ghostbusters and Ed, Edd 'n' Eddy.
He is also the lead writer for Marvel Comics's Annihilation event, having written the one-shot prologue, the lead-in stories in Thanos and Drax, the Silver Surfer as well as the main six issues mini-series. He also wrote the Star-Lord mini-series for the follow-up story Annihilation: Conquest. He currently writes Doom Patrol for DC, and is also completing an abandoned Grant Morrison plot in The Authority: the Lost Year for Wildstorm.
Giffen's first published work was "The Sword and The Star", a black-and-white series featured in Marvel Preview, with writer Bill Mantlo. He has worked on titles (owned by several different companies) including Woodgod, All Star Comics, Doctor Fate, Drax the Destroyer, Heckler, Nick Fury's Howling Commandos, Reign of the Zodiac, Suicide Squad, Trencher (to be re-released in a collected edition by Boom! Studios)., T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, and Vext. He was also responsible for the English adaptation of the Battle Royale and Ikki Tousen manga, as well as creating "I Luv Halloween" for Tokyopop. He also worked for Dark Horse from 1994-95 on their Comics Greatest World/Dark Horse Heroes line, as the writer of two short lived series, Division 13 and co-author, with Lovern Kindzierski, of Agents of Law. For Valiant Comics, Giffen wrote XO-Manowar, Magnus, Robot Fighter, Punx and the final issue of Solar, Man of the Atom.
He took a break from the comic industry for several years, working on storyboards for television and film, including shows such as The Real Ghostbusters and Ed, Edd 'n' Eddy.
He is also the lead writer for Marvel Comics's Annihilation event, having written the one-shot prologue, the lead-in stories in Thanos and Drax, the Silver Surfer as well as the main six issues mini-series. He also wrote the Star-Lord mini-series for the follow-up story Annihilation: Conquest. He currently writes Doom Patrol for DC, and is also completing an abandoned Grant Morrison plot in The Authority: the Lost Year for Wildstorm.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 560 reviews
January 9, 2018
2.5 stars
Scooby-Dooby-Doo!
We've gone through a lot of different incarnations of Scooby & Shaggy over the years, and this is one of the better ones. <-- my opinion.
I'm not sure how to describe what was done with them without spoiling too much of the storyline, but it fits with the original spirit of the characters.
I'd like to say that I enjoyed the update given to the rest of Mystery Inc, but that would make me a big fat liar. Fred was a pathetic, groveling, hanger-on who kept trying to awkwardly ride the Daphne train to nowhere. Daphne was an annoying, holier than thou, rage monster half the time, and the other half she was a b-list journalist who was teetering on the verge of becoming an annoying, holier than thou, rage monster. She was fuckin' mean and accusatory to Velma, hurtful to Fred, and snarky to Shaggy and Scoob. I kept thinking that might translate as badass warrior woman at some point, but she was sadly just a royal bitch for the remainder of the comic.
And Velma. Christ. Originally, Vema was analytical, super intelligent, and bookwormy. But. She was confident in herself and her place within her group of friends.
This Velma?
She wasn't just a tad socially inept, she was so detached from normal human emotions that she was a borderline sociopath.
Then again, a lot of people loved this, so maybe I just read it wrong?
The story itself is interesting enough that I sort of want to come back and see what happens next.
Maybe.
Then again, the (quite overdone) evil Scrappy-Doo angle makes me want to back away from the whole comic as quickly as possible.
I honestly really disliked so much of this that I feel like rating it lower, but I did enjoy Scooby & Shaggy. Plus, the art was quite nice.
I don't know. I might have just have set my expectations too high for this one.
Scooby-Dooby-Doo!
We've gone through a lot of different incarnations of Scooby & Shaggy over the years, and this is one of the better ones. <-- my opinion.
I'm not sure how to describe what was done with them without spoiling too much of the storyline, but it fits with the original spirit of the characters.
I'd like to say that I enjoyed the update given to the rest of Mystery Inc, but that would make me a big fat liar. Fred was a pathetic, groveling, hanger-on who kept trying to awkwardly ride the Daphne train to nowhere. Daphne was an annoying, holier than thou, rage monster half the time, and the other half she was a b-list journalist who was teetering on the verge of becoming an annoying, holier than thou, rage monster. She was fuckin' mean and accusatory to Velma, hurtful to Fred, and snarky to Shaggy and Scoob. I kept thinking that might translate as badass warrior woman at some point, but she was sadly just a royal bitch for the remainder of the comic.
And Velma. Christ. Originally, Vema was analytical, super intelligent, and bookwormy. But. She was confident in herself and her place within her group of friends.
This Velma?
She wasn't just a tad socially inept, she was so detached from normal human emotions that she was a borderline sociopath.
Then again, a lot of people loved this, so maybe I just read it wrong?
The story itself is interesting enough that I sort of want to come back and see what happens next.
Maybe.
Then again, the (quite overdone) evil Scrappy-Doo angle makes me want to back away from the whole comic as quickly as possible.
I honestly really disliked so much of this that I feel like rating it lower, but I did enjoy Scooby & Shaggy. Plus, the art was quite nice.
I don't know. I might have just have set my expectations too high for this one.
May 3, 2017
Pop quiz time!
The graphic novel I have read that contains the most dialogue is:
A) Something by noted magician and obsessive wordophile Alan Moore
B) Something by Mametian dialogue addict Brian Michael Bendis
C) Scooby Apocalypse
Give up?
Yeah, it’s C, and by several degrees of magnitude. I’ve never, in my comic reading life (which, in dog years, has lasted like 7,439 years…or maybe I’m just bad at math), seen a book with this much dialogue (much of it painfully expository and repetitive), nor so many instances of dialogue balloons being stuck in the mouth of the wrong character (Fred is not Shaggy, nor is Shaggy Fred, people).
So, why on earth am I giving this 3 stars? Well, the high concept—the Scooby Gang reimagined for a modern (or even slightly futuristic) era, where nanite-induced zombies and vampires roam the countryside and only a scrappy gang of investigative journalists and the blond, hunky camera guys who love them, socially awkward geniuses, cybernetically enhance smart dogs, and slacker dog trainers can save the world from total destruction—is a pretty delightful premise, and old-school JLA pro Howard Porter throws down some solid pencil work. And there are covers by Jim Lee. Which is neat. (Lee, incidentally, is the brains behind this operation as well, though had naught to do with the actual content creation—he was just the high concept guy.)
Probably not something I’m likely to continue with, but a sufficiently diverting read, notwithstanding the dialogue issues. Still, be ready to read the same dialogue exchange with slightly different words over and over and over and over.
And over.
And did I mention over?
Over.
And over.
And ov…you get the idea.
Over and out.
The graphic novel I have read that contains the most dialogue is:
A) Something by noted magician and obsessive wordophile Alan Moore
B) Something by Mametian dialogue addict Brian Michael Bendis
C) Scooby Apocalypse
Give up?
Yeah, it’s C, and by several degrees of magnitude. I’ve never, in my comic reading life (which, in dog years, has lasted like 7,439 years…or maybe I’m just bad at math), seen a book with this much dialogue (much of it painfully expository and repetitive), nor so many instances of dialogue balloons being stuck in the mouth of the wrong character (Fred is not Shaggy, nor is Shaggy Fred, people).
So, why on earth am I giving this 3 stars? Well, the high concept—the Scooby Gang reimagined for a modern (or even slightly futuristic) era, where nanite-induced zombies and vampires roam the countryside and only a scrappy gang of investigative journalists and the blond, hunky camera guys who love them, socially awkward geniuses, cybernetically enhance smart dogs, and slacker dog trainers can save the world from total destruction—is a pretty delightful premise, and old-school JLA pro Howard Porter throws down some solid pencil work. And there are covers by Jim Lee. Which is neat. (Lee, incidentally, is the brains behind this operation as well, though had naught to do with the actual content creation—he was just the high concept guy.)
Probably not something I’m likely to continue with, but a sufficiently diverting read, notwithstanding the dialogue issues. Still, be ready to read the same dialogue exchange with slightly different words over and over and over and over.
And over.
And did I mention over?
Over.
And over.
And ov…you get the idea.
Over and out.
December 12, 2019
I loved it!! The end!
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
December 27, 2019
Melissa the Dog lover reviewed this and it looked fantastic and it really is a fun read. It combines the nostalgia of my childhood with an update Sci-fy horror take. It took the characters and bumped them up. Scooby has implants that allow him to sort of talk. Daphne is a beauty journalists on a raging bender. She is tough like Lois Lane. Fred is the lovesick camera man who is no longer the leader and Shaggy is mostly the same, but cooler. Velma, the logical analytical genius who might or might not be the cause of the apocalypse.
The world has gone crazy with nanites turning everyone into zombies or vampires. The crew hardly knew each other, but they must come together to survive and can Velma survive the wraith of Daphne. Who knows.
The story is entertaining and my better than the show in many ways, but not so much about solving mysteries, accept how to save the world. The characters work and I simply love this story, with flaws and all. I will be reading more of them. They are too darn fun not too.
The world has gone crazy with nanites turning everyone into zombies or vampires. The crew hardly knew each other, but they must come together to survive and can Velma survive the wraith of Daphne. Who knows.
The story is entertaining and my better than the show in many ways, but not so much about solving mysteries, accept how to save the world. The characters work and I simply love this story, with flaws and all. I will be reading more of them. They are too darn fun not too.
February 6, 2017
Look, I wanted to try it, OK?
It’s bad. But not for any of the reasons I thought it might be bad. The idea is actually quite nice. The art is lovely. I have no problem with the reimagination of the characters. I quite like the overall story in theory.
But the writing? Oh my, the writing. What has happened to Keith Giffen? This is just so repetitive. I lost count of the amount of times a conversation between Velma and Daphne went ‘It wasn’t my fault’, ‘yeah, you keep telling yourself that’, or Daphne soften to then hardened against then softened to then hardened against Velma. Or Shaggy said ‘remember when Scooby was just a scared puppy?’, or ‘I can’t believe you were just a scared puppy’ or ‘He’s just a scared puppy acting on instinct’. And Daphne said to Velma ‘you keep trying to convince yourself this wasn’t your fault’, and Scooby did something brave so we needed to be reminded that underneath he was just a scared puppy. Or Daphne was nice to Velma then decided she didn’t like her after all. And in between those bits we’d be reminded that Scooby was, underneath it all, just a scared puppy. At least they did point out that no matter how many times Velma said the events were not her fault it was possibly that actually they were. They used Daphne as the character to point this out while using Shaggy as the one who reminded us that underneath it all Scooby was just a scared puppy. There were also bits where Daphne blamed Velma, but then softened towards her but then blamed her again before forgiving her for a while until her resentment welled up and she blamed her again. But I think the important thing to remember is that there’s a scared puppy just below Scooby’s surface. It would be easy to forget that but Shaggy does remind us that there’s a scared puppy just below Scooby’s surface.
And Fred? Well, he may as well not be there.
It’s bad. But not for any of the reasons I thought it might be bad. The idea is actually quite nice. The art is lovely. I have no problem with the reimagination of the characters. I quite like the overall story in theory.
But the writing? Oh my, the writing. What has happened to Keith Giffen? This is just so repetitive. I lost count of the amount of times a conversation between Velma and Daphne went ‘It wasn’t my fault’, ‘yeah, you keep telling yourself that’, or Daphne soften to then hardened against then softened to then hardened against Velma. Or Shaggy said ‘remember when Scooby was just a scared puppy?’, or ‘I can’t believe you were just a scared puppy’ or ‘He’s just a scared puppy acting on instinct’. And Daphne said to Velma ‘you keep trying to convince yourself this wasn’t your fault’, and Scooby did something brave so we needed to be reminded that underneath he was just a scared puppy. Or Daphne was nice to Velma then decided she didn’t like her after all. And in between those bits we’d be reminded that Scooby was, underneath it all, just a scared puppy. At least they did point out that no matter how many times Velma said the events were not her fault it was possibly that actually they were. They used Daphne as the character to point this out while using Shaggy as the one who reminded us that underneath it all Scooby was just a scared puppy. There were also bits where Daphne blamed Velma, but then softened towards her but then blamed her again before forgiving her for a while until her resentment welled up and she blamed her again. But I think the important thing to remember is that there’s a scared puppy just below Scooby’s surface. It would be easy to forget that but Shaggy does remind us that there’s a scared puppy just below Scooby’s surface.
And Fred? Well, he may as well not be there.
March 29, 2020
I'm a Scooby Doo fan from way back and I've been enjoying DC's Hanna-Barbera line so far, for the most part. I got this as part of a trade-in at my now defunct LCS but didn't have time to read it until we went into self-isolation.
Scooby Apocalypse is a reimagining of the Scooby Doo gang in a survival horror scenario. The world has been stricken by a nanotech plague that turns people into monsters. The only people not effected are Daphne Blake, a TV reporter, Fred Jones, her cameraman, Shaggy Rogers, the dog trainer from the top secret facility that spawned the plague, Scooby-Doo, one of the failed subjects from the smart-dog project, and Velma Dinkley, one of the scientists from the installation.
I'm largely a purist when it comes to Scooby Doo but I really enjoyed this. Really, though, how could a team like Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMatteis, and Howard Porter put out something less than excellent? It kind of feels like one of those video game movies where there's not enough backstory to do much with so the team is forced to invent a lot of it. Velma's backstory was easily my favorite part of the book. I also liked that the issues are linked but largely self-contained, a result of decades of expertise on the part of Giffen and DeMatteis.
The action is fast and furious and the gang doesn't get a lot of breathing room. There's lots of monster killing action. It's a little lighter on humor than I would like but when the world is going up in flames, there's not a lot of time for jokes. I like the new take on the characters, although Fred seems really unnecessary now that Daphne is the leader of the group.
How are Giffen, DeMatteis, and Porter not on a higher profile book? Howard Porter's art is as great as it ever was and Giffen and DeMatteis haven't lost a step either. Scooby Apocalypse shows that a veteran creative team like Giffen, DeMatteis, and Porter can make a fun comic out of almost any crazy concept. Four out of five Scooby Snacks.
Scooby Apocalypse is a reimagining of the Scooby Doo gang in a survival horror scenario. The world has been stricken by a nanotech plague that turns people into monsters. The only people not effected are Daphne Blake, a TV reporter, Fred Jones, her cameraman, Shaggy Rogers, the dog trainer from the top secret facility that spawned the plague, Scooby-Doo, one of the failed subjects from the smart-dog project, and Velma Dinkley, one of the scientists from the installation.
I'm largely a purist when it comes to Scooby Doo but I really enjoyed this. Really, though, how could a team like Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMatteis, and Howard Porter put out something less than excellent? It kind of feels like one of those video game movies where there's not enough backstory to do much with so the team is forced to invent a lot of it. Velma's backstory was easily my favorite part of the book. I also liked that the issues are linked but largely self-contained, a result of decades of expertise on the part of Giffen and DeMatteis.
The action is fast and furious and the gang doesn't get a lot of breathing room. There's lots of monster killing action. It's a little lighter on humor than I would like but when the world is going up in flames, there's not a lot of time for jokes. I like the new take on the characters, although Fred seems really unnecessary now that Daphne is the leader of the group.
How are Giffen, DeMatteis, and Porter not on a higher profile book? Howard Porter's art is as great as it ever was and Giffen and DeMatteis haven't lost a step either. Scooby Apocalypse shows that a veteran creative team like Giffen, DeMatteis, and Porter can make a fun comic out of almost any crazy concept. Four out of five Scooby Snacks.
December 12, 2019
I had low expectations that were far exceeded. Howard Porter's art is perfect for Scooby Doo. And Hi-Fi's colors are gorgeous. The dialogue is snappy and true to the characters from the various Hanna-Barbera incarnations. The story has been updated to travelling through an apocalyptian landscape instead of solving mysteries.
Received an advance copy from DC and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Received an advance copy from DC and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
December 27, 2019
Very fun take on Scooby Doo, and it has great art as well. The only things I didn't like was the fact that Velma and Daphne have the same exact argument almost every issue (nearly word-for-word), and Daphne has wild mood swings that come out of nowhere.
March 27, 2020
4.5 stars
Who'd have thought a Scooby Doo revamp would be THIS good?
This is Scooby Doo updated for an older audience. So in this new universe, Scooby is an upgraded cybernetic dog and a bit of a badass. He does talk, but now worries, it's still rut roh and his old school dialogue so we never forget it's Scooby. Shaggy is a dog trainer, Daphne the host of an investigative TV show, Fred her cameraman, and Velma one of the smartest scientists in the world.
The trouble begins when the lab Velma works at releases nanites that turn pretty much the entire world into monsters. So all of those rubber suited monsters are now real, and the meddling kids have to deal with a true apocalypse. Even Scrappy Doo shows up, but he's not a good guy (at least not yet) and he can transform into a semi human form..and he's out to kill Scooby.
This could have been a totally silly and campy story but its very good. The art fits the story well and the characters are updated but totally recognizable. The only reason I didn't go five full stars was some of the repetitive dialogue. Daphne constantly blames Velma for what's happened (and she is at fault) but it gets old after a while. Plus whenever Scooby does something heroic Shaggy keeps saying "and the other dogs at the compound picked on him", or something similar.
But honestly those are minor points and this was a really awesome read. Just a great job of updating characters we all know, but keeping them classic at the same time. I can't wait for the next volume.
Who'd have thought a Scooby Doo revamp would be THIS good?
This is Scooby Doo updated for an older audience. So in this new universe, Scooby is an upgraded cybernetic dog and a bit of a badass. He does talk, but now worries, it's still rut roh and his old school dialogue so we never forget it's Scooby. Shaggy is a dog trainer, Daphne the host of an investigative TV show, Fred her cameraman, and Velma one of the smartest scientists in the world.
The trouble begins when the lab Velma works at releases nanites that turn pretty much the entire world into monsters. So all of those rubber suited monsters are now real, and the meddling kids have to deal with a true apocalypse. Even Scrappy Doo shows up, but he's not a good guy (at least not yet) and he can transform into a semi human form..and he's out to kill Scooby.
This could have been a totally silly and campy story but its very good. The art fits the story well and the characters are updated but totally recognizable. The only reason I didn't go five full stars was some of the repetitive dialogue. Daphne constantly blames Velma for what's happened (and she is at fault) but it gets old after a while. Plus whenever Scooby does something heroic Shaggy keeps saying "and the other dogs at the compound picked on him", or something similar.
But honestly those are minor points and this was a really awesome read. Just a great job of updating characters we all know, but keeping them classic at the same time. I can't wait for the next volume.
February 9, 2017
Read as single issues.
Highly recommended! Still on my monthly pull list. This is a solid 4 stars for a title that is better than it has any right to be.
It keeps the core concept and characters, but defines the characters better and places them in a more "realistic" setting where the Zombie Apocalypse has been unleashed
The story crackles, theres good pathos, some humor that doesn't actually derail the title, and good interpersonal dynamics with the characters. This title is actually better than many current DC titles! (Im looking at you Batman!!)
Highly recommended! Still on my monthly pull list. This is a solid 4 stars for a title that is better than it has any right to be.
It keeps the core concept and characters, but defines the characters better and places them in a more "realistic" setting where the Zombie Apocalypse has been unleashed
The story crackles, theres good pathos, some humor that doesn't actually derail the title, and good interpersonal dynamics with the characters. This title is actually better than many current DC titles! (Im looking at you Batman!!)
December 4, 2017
As an old fan of the Scooby Doo gang, I was eager to try this out, but ultimately this was very disappointing. First of all, other than names and color schemes, these aren't really the characters that I love. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, but the execution was all wrong. The depictions of the characters are really mean spirited. They don't trust anyone and they are constantly fighting with each other. This mean-spiritedness affects the writing as well. There is a particular exchange between Velma and Daphne in which Daphne blames Velma for the end of the world, and Velma defends herself. This exchange happens about ten times in this volume (I didn't really count, so don't quote me on that), but it gets really repetitive. Even worse, since they are having the same conversation again and again, it doesn't feel like the characters are developing at all, so it doesn't feel like the events of the story are going anywhere.
On the plus side, the art is vibrant, colorful, and fun to look at, and the variant covers contain some nice pieces of art. However, it's not enough to justify buying this book.
On the plus side, the art is vibrant, colorful, and fun to look at, and the variant covers contain some nice pieces of art. However, it's not enough to justify buying this book.
October 19, 2017
Loads of fun and a nice twist on the Scooby-Doo franchise. The art design for Daphne was somewhat unpleasant and inconsistent, but overall the comic is well done and enjoyable. Reading Volume 2 now.
September 28, 2024
DNF @ 39% ...
This would prob'ly have been a good one (the artwork is great!) IF it had been original characters instead of tryin' to capitalize on the "Scooby Doo" brand. This is NOT your parents' "Scooby Doo" and literally everything that made that classic franchise so ... uh, classic ... is missing from this. This is criminal. 😣
This would prob'ly have been a good one (the artwork is great!) IF it had been original characters instead of tryin' to capitalize on the "Scooby Doo" brand. This is NOT your parents' "Scooby Doo" and literally everything that made that classic franchise so ... uh, classic ... is missing from this. This is criminal. 😣
July 6, 2019
Zoinks and also jinkies, but this is, like, some weird shiz, man!
I've seen just about every episode of the original Scooby-Doo, and both of the live action movies (which are seriously underrated, might I add), so I'm honestly . . . loving this? As a nerdy girl with glasses, I'm having trouble coming to grips with what's happened to Velma here, but as a redhead, I'm loving the Daphne development! And what can I say: I was always a sucker for Shaggy, and seeing him as a muscular hipster, with his loyal sidekick as a genetically enhanced cyber dog is uh-may-zing!
I've seen just about every episode of the original Scooby-Doo, and both of the live action movies (which are seriously underrated, might I add), so I'm honestly . . . loving this? As a nerdy girl with glasses, I'm having trouble coming to grips with what's happened to Velma here, but as a redhead, I'm loving the Daphne development! And what can I say: I was always a sucker for Shaggy, and seeing him as a muscular hipster, with his loyal sidekick as a genetically enhanced cyber dog is uh-may-zing!
February 7, 2017
I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I had no idea what to expect with this book, and I really didn't set my expectations very high. They were pretty low, actually. I'm not a fan of reboots, rewrites, or refreshes. My view is that most of the time, they are not necessary, and are simply a push for nostalgia. I was pleasantly surprised by this book.
It is a reboot, of course, but it is well-written and well thought out. I definitely liked the back story of Scooby being a test lab subject, and Shaggy being his handler/trainer. I liked seeing Velma as an actual scientist and doctor. Even Fred and Daphne reworked, worked. Oh, and I really liked the new Mystery Machine. :D
Aside from the characters, the story was pretty typical for the gang. There are a ton of "inside jokes" referencing the old Hannah-Barbara cartoon. The artwork was good, too.
If you grew up watching Scooby and the gang, you need to get this book!
I had no idea what to expect with this book, and I really didn't set my expectations very high. They were pretty low, actually. I'm not a fan of reboots, rewrites, or refreshes. My view is that most of the time, they are not necessary, and are simply a push for nostalgia. I was pleasantly surprised by this book.
It is a reboot, of course, but it is well-written and well thought out. I definitely liked the back story of Scooby being a test lab subject, and Shaggy being his handler/trainer. I liked seeing Velma as an actual scientist and doctor. Even Fred and Daphne reworked, worked. Oh, and I really liked the new Mystery Machine. :D
Aside from the characters, the story was pretty typical for the gang. There are a ton of "inside jokes" referencing the old Hannah-Barbara cartoon. The artwork was good, too.
If you grew up watching Scooby and the gang, you need to get this book!
June 18, 2017
I loved Scooby Doo growing up and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this modern update. The story was well written, the characters had a modern spin and the artwork was superb. They are the same gang we all loved riding along with in the Mystery Machine. And wait til you see that...
February 7, 2020
I’m pretty sure this entire book was some wild fever dream but I think I maybe kinda loved it?
One thing’s for certain, Shaggy declaring his love for High School Musical might be the most unexpected and yet most deeply respected plot twist I’ve ever read.
(Also, it’s a credit to how much time I spent watching the Scooby Doo cartoon’s and movies as a kid that I heard every single line in this book in the actors voices.)
One thing’s for certain, Shaggy declaring his love for High School Musical might be the most unexpected and yet most deeply respected plot twist I’ve ever read.
(Also, it’s a credit to how much time I spent watching the Scooby Doo cartoon’s and movies as a kid that I heard every single line in this book in the actors voices.)
November 30, 2018
Don’t be fooled: Just because Scooby Doo and the gang are the main characters of “Scooby Apocalypse” doesn’t mean that this comic book series is for children. It is so not. I repeat: THIS IS NOT FOR CHILDREN. There is graphic violence, blood, gore, and foul language galore, so keep that in mind before letting your kid read it.
That said, “Scooby Apocalypse” is the most fun I’ve had reading a comic book in a long time. It’s funny, smart, exciting, and a clever re-imagining of a childhood Saturday morning cartoon classic geared toward adults.
This comic series is everything that Edgar Cantero’s much-lauded novel “Meddling Kids” came close to being but never quite hit the mark. While I enjoyed “Meddling Kids”, I absolutely adored “Scooby Apocalypse”.
Thanks go to Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis, the writers of the series, for their wonderful revision of Scooby Doo, but I am always quick to give just as much (if not more) praise to the team of artists who turn the writer’s words into glorious Technicolor eye candy. Each panel is a work of art. So, thanks Howard Porter, Dale Eaglesham, Wellinton Alves, and Scott Hanna for the beautiful artwork.
The original gang’s all here, if in a slightly updated form: Daphne, the sexy redhead, is now the creator of a reality-TV show called “Mysterious Mysteries”, while Fred is her loyal camera man and heavy (who is, of course, not-so-secretly madly in love with her). Shaggy is in full-on hipster mode as a professional dog-trainer hired to watch Subject 24602 (dubbed “Scooby”) in a top-secret underground government scientific research center run by Dr. Velma Dinkley.
The story opens at the Burning Man Festival where Daphne and Fred are planning to meet a potential whistle-blower for a top-secret government experiment gone rogue. The whistleblower happens to be Velma, who believes that her colleagues, a group of four, are planning to unleash a nano-virus upon the populace. Shaggy and Scooby are cavorting at the festival when they are all auspiciously brought together.
During a tour of the underground facility, alarms start blaring and the five are forced into a safe area. The power goes out, and when it eventually comes back on, the gang discovers that all the other humans in the facility have been transformed into bloodthirsty creatures.
They are quickly forced to fight there way out into the world, only to discover that whatever caused the transformations in the underground facility has spread to top-side. Whether or not it has gone global is anybody’s guess.
This could have been just another “Marvel Zombies” where familiar characters are thrown into a bloody George Romero-esque horror movie scenario. Which would have been fine, of course, but thankfully, the writers decided to do something a bit different and more fun. The monsters in “Scooby Apocalypse” are a hodge-podge of familiar movie monsters. Everything from Ridley Scott’s “Alien” to John Carpenter’s “The Thing” to the classic Universal monsters like the Mummy, the Wolf Man, Dracula, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, and Frankenstein are wonderfully referenced: a fact that is not lost upon the characters.
It is both a clever plot device and a humorous way to straddle the fourth wall. Indeed, “Scooby Apocalypse” is probably a lot smarter than I expected from a comic book based on a Hanna-Barbera cartoon series, which is why I look forward to reading more in the series.
That said, “Scooby Apocalypse” is the most fun I’ve had reading a comic book in a long time. It’s funny, smart, exciting, and a clever re-imagining of a childhood Saturday morning cartoon classic geared toward adults.
This comic series is everything that Edgar Cantero’s much-lauded novel “Meddling Kids” came close to being but never quite hit the mark. While I enjoyed “Meddling Kids”, I absolutely adored “Scooby Apocalypse”.
Thanks go to Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis, the writers of the series, for their wonderful revision of Scooby Doo, but I am always quick to give just as much (if not more) praise to the team of artists who turn the writer’s words into glorious Technicolor eye candy. Each panel is a work of art. So, thanks Howard Porter, Dale Eaglesham, Wellinton Alves, and Scott Hanna for the beautiful artwork.
The original gang’s all here, if in a slightly updated form: Daphne, the sexy redhead, is now the creator of a reality-TV show called “Mysterious Mysteries”, while Fred is her loyal camera man and heavy (who is, of course, not-so-secretly madly in love with her). Shaggy is in full-on hipster mode as a professional dog-trainer hired to watch Subject 24602 (dubbed “Scooby”) in a top-secret underground government scientific research center run by Dr. Velma Dinkley.
The story opens at the Burning Man Festival where Daphne and Fred are planning to meet a potential whistle-blower for a top-secret government experiment gone rogue. The whistleblower happens to be Velma, who believes that her colleagues, a group of four, are planning to unleash a nano-virus upon the populace. Shaggy and Scooby are cavorting at the festival when they are all auspiciously brought together.
During a tour of the underground facility, alarms start blaring and the five are forced into a safe area. The power goes out, and when it eventually comes back on, the gang discovers that all the other humans in the facility have been transformed into bloodthirsty creatures.
They are quickly forced to fight there way out into the world, only to discover that whatever caused the transformations in the underground facility has spread to top-side. Whether or not it has gone global is anybody’s guess.
This could have been just another “Marvel Zombies” where familiar characters are thrown into a bloody George Romero-esque horror movie scenario. Which would have been fine, of course, but thankfully, the writers decided to do something a bit different and more fun. The monsters in “Scooby Apocalypse” are a hodge-podge of familiar movie monsters. Everything from Ridley Scott’s “Alien” to John Carpenter’s “The Thing” to the classic Universal monsters like the Mummy, the Wolf Man, Dracula, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, and Frankenstein are wonderfully referenced: a fact that is not lost upon the characters.
It is both a clever plot device and a humorous way to straddle the fourth wall. Indeed, “Scooby Apocalypse” is probably a lot smarter than I expected from a comic book based on a Hanna-Barbera cartoon series, which is why I look forward to reading more in the series.
March 10, 2017
If you're going to rely heavily on nostalgia to sell your reboot, it's generally considered wise to ensure your new product bears at least a passing resemblance to the original.
This... does not.
Don't get me wrong, there are some very Scooby feels. Shaggy has remained true to himself. (And who would've thought that 70s stoner translates to 2017 hipster stoner... But here we are.) Scooby has strong feelings about pizza. Velma is still wicked smart. They all use their catch phrases at least once.
But it's not enough unless the new material is strong enough to stand up on its own.
And this was not.
They pinned all their hopes on making Daphne and Velma the focal point of the story. Now I have no complaints about this in theory but in execution...
For starters, they attempted to make Daphne stronger by taking away from Fred. Instead of being the leader of our motley crew, he's basically an idiot obsessed with Daphne and following her around like a sad lost puppy.
Secondly, they attempted to give Daphne depth by making her angry. So very, very angry. Who hurt you, Daphne?
And finally, Daphne's voice isn't linear. She goes from being enraged, feeling lost, feeling remorse, killing all sons of bitches like a sociopath, being supportive of Velma, back to enraged with every flip of the page.
I get it, it's the end of the world, but you can't make a character be all over the place without acknowledging that fact and owning it.
There's a difference between a well-executed plot device and lazy writing.
(and this qualifies as lazy af)
By the time I got to the deep dark secret Velma's been hiding I no longer cared. It was sloppy, poorly executed, felt like it was trying to be feminist by giving women the lead, but when you create piss poor female leads you to harm the feminist cause.
so thanks for that...
And this is without me mentioning Scrappy Doo. Listen, I hated Scrappy growing up. Hated him. And I now I feel bad for the abomination of the character he has become.
I just, I cannot. He gives me nightmares. I'm going to block him from my memory and try to pretend that last panel of him walking never happened.
This... does not.
Don't get me wrong, there are some very Scooby feels. Shaggy has remained true to himself. (And who would've thought that 70s stoner translates to 2017 hipster stoner... But here we are.) Scooby has strong feelings about pizza. Velma is still wicked smart. They all use their catch phrases at least once.
But it's not enough unless the new material is strong enough to stand up on its own.
And this was not.
They pinned all their hopes on making Daphne and Velma the focal point of the story. Now I have no complaints about this in theory but in execution...
For starters, they attempted to make Daphne stronger by taking away from Fred. Instead of being the leader of our motley crew, he's basically an idiot obsessed with Daphne and following her around like a sad lost puppy.
Secondly, they attempted to give Daphne depth by making her angry. So very, very angry. Who hurt you, Daphne?
And finally, Daphne's voice isn't linear. She goes from being enraged, feeling lost, feeling remorse, killing all sons of bitches like a sociopath, being supportive of Velma, back to enraged with every flip of the page.
I get it, it's the end of the world, but you can't make a character be all over the place without acknowledging that fact and owning it.
There's a difference between a well-executed plot device and lazy writing.
(and this qualifies as lazy af)
By the time I got to the deep dark secret Velma's been hiding I no longer cared. It was sloppy, poorly executed, felt like it was trying to be feminist by giving women the lead, but when you create piss poor female leads you to harm the feminist cause.
so thanks for that...
And this is without me mentioning Scrappy Doo. Listen, I hated Scrappy growing up. Hated him. And I now I feel bad for the abomination of the character he has become.
I just, I cannot. He gives me nightmares. I'm going to block him from my memory and try to pretend that last panel of him walking never happened.
October 3, 2017
I will agree with some other reviewers that this title is a bit dialogue heavy and that a lot of that dialogue repeats, but honestly I don't think it's THAT bad and you can always just skim if it seems like you're in familiar territory. But despite that small setback I still gave this five stars because it's just so much FUN. I am convinced someone saw that Scooby Doo shirt that's been Threadless for the last 10 years [which I totally own by the way] and said hey we should make a comic about that. Good idea. Also turning Shaggy from a hippy into a hipster was GENIUS and I am absolutely loving it. Velma's backstory was great as well and even though I had some of it figured out from the first isssue there were still a few surprises thrown in there. Daphne is pretty awesome too, but by making her the de-facto leader Fred doesn't really have anything to do except be in love with her so I'm hoping he gets more of a defined role in the next volume. Anyway this was just tons of fun and if you love Scooby Doo I'd definitely recommend it.
May 2, 2017
I grew up obsessed with Scooby Doo. When I found out about this I knew I had to read it.
The way the characters meet each other fit into place so perfectly. Even their famous words (zoinks, jinkies and others) come into the story just right.
What I really like most about this is that the characters are very different from each other but yet they connect to one another.
BTW, the art work is incredible!
The way the characters meet each other fit into place so perfectly. Even their famous words (zoinks, jinkies and others) come into the story just right.
What I really like most about this is that the characters are very different from each other but yet they connect to one another.
BTW, the art work is incredible!
July 16, 2018
Scooby-Doo meets Dawn of the Dead meets The Dollhouse meets A Boy and His Dog. With a possible shout out to We3 that gave me a sad and probably a whole lot of Resident Evil.
The apocalypse comes and it's partially Velma's fault. Scooby is stalwart and true; Shaggy does better than I expected; and Scrappy becomes a sociopathic super soldier. Didn't see that coming.
I liked it. Wish it was a little more meta-textual and a little less standard trope-y.
The apocalypse comes and it's partially Velma's fault. Scooby is stalwart and true; Shaggy does better than I expected; and Scrappy becomes a sociopathic super soldier. Didn't see that coming.
I liked it. Wish it was a little more meta-textual and a little less standard trope-y.
January 30, 2019
I first became a Scooby-Doo fan in 1998, just as I was finishing fourth grade. Since then, I've watched and read various incarnations of "those meddling kids". When Scrappy was introduced, that was the shark-jumping moment according to popular opinion; the 13 Ghosts series was considered to contain occultism by some; the first direct-to-video films (Zombie Island, Witch's Ghost) had monsters and such that were real, which scared young children and upset their parents; 2002's What's New, Scooby-Doo? was a throwback to the original Where Are You? series, but with updated technology; the first live-action movie bothered some discerning viewers by containing crude jokes, profanity, and drug references; and, much more recently, Mystery Incorporated was seen by some longtime fans as a betrayal.
However, no matter how much of that mystery-solving Great Dane you've seen, you've never seen the Scooby gang like this.
I have to hand it to the artists; they did a really good job giving Shaggy, Velma, Fred, and Daphne more detail than Hanna and Barbera ever did. The story was also fun; the "whodunit" format of the original cartoons gets old after a while, so, this breathes new life into old, tired characters.
However, an excess of profanity--the h-word and d-word get used at least three or four times each, and a-words and misuses of God's name also pop up--scary monsters, and some bloody scenes--especially one particularly nasty one--made this not nearly as kid-friendly as the old-school Saturday morning show. True, I expected the scary monstrosities, but I wasn't expecting language and bloodshed. So, discerning readers may want to think twice before checking this out from the library, or (especially) handing it to a kid.
However, no matter how much of that mystery-solving Great Dane you've seen, you've never seen the Scooby gang like this.
I have to hand it to the artists; they did a really good job giving Shaggy, Velma, Fred, and Daphne more detail than Hanna and Barbera ever did. The story was also fun; the "whodunit" format of the original cartoons gets old after a while, so, this breathes new life into old, tired characters.
However, an excess of profanity--the h-word and d-word get used at least three or four times each, and a-words and misuses of God's name also pop up--scary monsters, and some bloody scenes--especially one particularly nasty one--made this not nearly as kid-friendly as the old-school Saturday morning show. True, I expected the scary monstrosities, but I wasn't expecting language and bloodshed. So, discerning readers may want to think twice before checking this out from the library, or (especially) handing it to a kid.
December 6, 2017
This does not need to exist. Appalling.
June 13, 2019
Well that was great 😂 really intreaged to see where this goes, love the hipster art work especially Shaggy and Scooby. Great twists with Velmas character early on, well worth a read!
August 17, 2017
“The freezers have been out for days! All the pizzas have gone bad! Not t’mention the cocktail fanks an’ ice cream! Oh the Humanity!!”
Back in 1969 there was an amazing Saturday morning cartoon show created by Hanna-Barbera called Scooby-Doo, Where are you? This cartoon followed 4 teenagers and an adorable great dane as they went about solving supernatural mysteries (Hint: it was always the grounds keeper or butler).
Although the original show only lasted until October 1970 that didn’t stop its popularity and in 1978 the show was revived, from that point on there was a steady stream of revivals to the series as well an avalanche of movies. Jump forward to around 2000 when a sweet 8 year old Jess is sitting on the couch watching re-runs of this amazing show on cartoon network and complaining when it’s over.
That is when my love for the Scooby-Doo franchise started and to this day if I stumble across it showing on TV I will stop, sit down and watch. So when I was on the DC website looking at comic books and noticed that they were releasing a Scooby-Doo comic taking place in an apocalyptic world it was an obviously must have for me.
So let’s talk about the comic itself now.
When I started out reading I was shocked by how much text there was, I understand that as it’s the first volume of the series they needed to get all the main information and the plot out of the way but it just kept going and if I’m being honest at points I found some of the information really repetitive. Apart from that I enjoyed the story line, it was creative and gave a nice twist to the personalities of the characters I have grown up with.
The characters themselves have changed as I was expecting, they have gone from a group of teenagers with a great dane, to a group of adult with a genetically altered great dane, and just like when I was a kid Scooby and Shaggy are my favourite characters.
They are both just so pure! They are my babies and I love them both to death, I don’t really mind what happens to the others, just as long as Shaggy and Scooby are together and well.
I loved the art style and found the redesign of the characters was very creative, I also loved the designs for the monsters and even the colouring of the comic was very fitting. They managed to make the world colourful while at the same time keeping it looking like the world was going to hell around them.
Rating: 3.5 Stars
I would recommend this comic to any lovers of the old Scooby-Doo TV show or for someone looking for a comic with a deep back story and creative look on an apocalypse.
I enjoyed the first volume and am looking forward to seeing where this story is heading and what will happen to the gang.
Happy reading everyone!
Jess
Back in 1969 there was an amazing Saturday morning cartoon show created by Hanna-Barbera called Scooby-Doo, Where are you? This cartoon followed 4 teenagers and an adorable great dane as they went about solving supernatural mysteries (Hint: it was always the grounds keeper or butler).
Although the original show only lasted until October 1970 that didn’t stop its popularity and in 1978 the show was revived, from that point on there was a steady stream of revivals to the series as well an avalanche of movies. Jump forward to around 2000 when a sweet 8 year old Jess is sitting on the couch watching re-runs of this amazing show on cartoon network and complaining when it’s over.
That is when my love for the Scooby-Doo franchise started and to this day if I stumble across it showing on TV I will stop, sit down and watch. So when I was on the DC website looking at comic books and noticed that they were releasing a Scooby-Doo comic taking place in an apocalyptic world it was an obviously must have for me.
So let’s talk about the comic itself now.
When I started out reading I was shocked by how much text there was, I understand that as it’s the first volume of the series they needed to get all the main information and the plot out of the way but it just kept going and if I’m being honest at points I found some of the information really repetitive. Apart from that I enjoyed the story line, it was creative and gave a nice twist to the personalities of the characters I have grown up with.
The characters themselves have changed as I was expecting, they have gone from a group of teenagers with a great dane, to a group of adult with a genetically altered great dane, and just like when I was a kid Scooby and Shaggy are my favourite characters.
They are both just so pure! They are my babies and I love them both to death, I don’t really mind what happens to the others, just as long as Shaggy and Scooby are together and well.
I loved the art style and found the redesign of the characters was very creative, I also loved the designs for the monsters and even the colouring of the comic was very fitting. They managed to make the world colourful while at the same time keeping it looking like the world was going to hell around them.
Rating: 3.5 Stars
I would recommend this comic to any lovers of the old Scooby-Doo TV show or for someone looking for a comic with a deep back story and creative look on an apocalypse.
I enjoyed the first volume and am looking forward to seeing where this story is heading and what will happen to the gang.
Happy reading everyone!
Jess
February 7, 2017
When I was a kid, my main experiences of Scooby-Doo and the gang were from re-runs of "Scooby Doo, Where Are You?" and the direct to DVD films. Yet somehow, it still managed to become one of my favorite things ever. It definitely sparked a love of mysteries and the "monster of the week" TV format (continuing to this day with shows like "Buffy" and "Supernatural"). That said, I was very wary of a Scooby reboot which dealt with the APOCALYPSE of all things! I was not right to be worried and I think from now on I'll just have to trust in Hanna-Barbera (definitely something to keep in mind when I start their new Flinstones series)!
I was okay with art, though it could have been better, a little more interesting anyways. That said though, I really liked that it rebooted all the character relationships and the whole Scooby being a govt. funded smart dog was a fairly solid explanation for his beyond the norm behavior. Further into the volume we also get a peek at what the villainous Scrappy Doo is up to currently -- lets just say Scooby and the gang have unforseen trouble on the horizon. Daphne and Fred having a show on the knitting channel cracked me up. Velma is an actual scientist and I'm pretty sure she has some sort of personality or social disorder, which fits really well. And Shaggy, while being his normal easy going self, is smarter than anyone gives him credit for and manages to always surprise the others when he speaks. Basically Velma and the others she worked with at her facility wanted to "better" humanity, until she learned it was a lie. Right as she's about to expose them, the shit hits the fan and almost the entire world population is transformed into actual nightmare monsters. It's up to the gang to survive and try to return things to normal, which only they may be capable of; but first they have to find The Four and find out what the Hell even happened.
I'm going to try not to say anymore, if only to avoid any true spoilers. But if you're a Scooby-Doo fan who still has a sense of fun in place, and you're not a purist, I think you'll most likely enjoy this a lot. Also, have an open mind. Don't let me convince you, let the comic speak for itself.
*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this in advance. All opinions are my own and nothing is bought/paid for.
I was okay with art, though it could have been better, a little more interesting anyways. That said though, I really liked that it rebooted all the character relationships and the whole Scooby being a govt. funded smart dog was a fairly solid explanation for his beyond the norm behavior. Further into the volume we also get a peek at what the villainous Scrappy Doo is up to currently -- lets just say Scooby and the gang have unforseen trouble on the horizon. Daphne and Fred having a show on the knitting channel cracked me up. Velma is an actual scientist and I'm pretty sure she has some sort of personality or social disorder, which fits really well. And Shaggy, while being his normal easy going self, is smarter than anyone gives him credit for and manages to always surprise the others when he speaks. Basically Velma and the others she worked with at her facility wanted to "better" humanity, until she learned it was a lie. Right as she's about to expose them, the shit hits the fan and almost the entire world population is transformed into actual nightmare monsters. It's up to the gang to survive and try to return things to normal, which only they may be capable of; but first they have to find The Four and find out what the Hell even happened.
I'm going to try not to say anymore, if only to avoid any true spoilers. But if you're a Scooby-Doo fan who still has a sense of fun in place, and you're not a purist, I think you'll most likely enjoy this a lot. Also, have an open mind. Don't let me convince you, let the comic speak for itself.
*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this in advance. All opinions are my own and nothing is bought/paid for.
February 12, 2018
The library kept me waiting for this one forever, so I probably built up my expectations while waiting to get it, and read the far superior and often compared to"Chilling Adventures of Sabrina," first, so I guess I am slightly disappointed. The actual concept of this book, gets an "I love it," rating- I love how they modernized the story and the characters and how they found a way for them to come together as a team (in this version they do not all know each other, and the are definitely not all friends). All the new character's backstories work for me; Daphne as a TV journalist, Shaggy as a hipster dog trainer, Velma as a scientist, Scooby Doo's ability to talk and understand speech is now due to being genetically enhanced by the military, and Scrapy's update is the best! The art and colors are beautiful in this book too, and do a great job of bringing out the orange, blues, and browns of the original cartoon.
The aspect of this collection that I didn't like was it's repetitiveness! I realize it is originally released as single issues comics, but the writer's know they will be combined into these trade paperbacks, because it's an industry standard now, so writer's have to be aware of it, and write accordingly. Yet readers had to read the exact same conversation between Daphne and Velma four separate times! The writer's even attempt to acknowledge this by having the characters say, "How many times do I have to tell you..? Too damn many seems to be the answer. You're writing for a comic book, use the medium appropriately, have a summary title card that tells us what we need to know.
The action in this first collection is also very repetitive. I think three of the issues end with more or less the same cliff hanger. I am more forgiving of this, because it's a natural way for these issues to end, and I think once we move deeper into the run, the writer's will have more options. I will stick with this title for one more volume to see where they go with things.
The aspect of this collection that I didn't like was it's repetitiveness! I realize it is originally released as single issues comics, but the writer's know they will be combined into these trade paperbacks, because it's an industry standard now, so writer's have to be aware of it, and write accordingly. Yet readers had to read the exact same conversation between Daphne and Velma four separate times! The writer's even attempt to acknowledge this by having the characters say, "How many times do I have to tell you..? Too damn many seems to be the answer. You're writing for a comic book, use the medium appropriately, have a summary title card that tells us what we need to know.
The action in this first collection is also very repetitive. I think three of the issues end with more or less the same cliff hanger. I am more forgiving of this, because it's a natural way for these issues to end, and I think once we move deeper into the run, the writer's will have more options. I will stick with this title for one more volume to see where they go with things.
May 16, 2018
A Scooby Doo Apocalypse? Of course I had to read it! Alas, meh, now I kinda wish I hadn't.
It's time for all our childhood friends to get edgy, right Archie? So now it's Scooby's turn. Can't do zombies or werewolves or witches since Riverdale already got to them. How about an apocalypse? Containing all of the remaining monsters!
I disagree heartily with the characterizations. Broadly drawn, they fit into the same lines as old. Lumberhipster Shaggy was okay, and cybernetic Scooby rocked. The rest? Not so much. Fred was weak and sniveling and abused (like literally, Daphne punched him full on in the face at one point because she didn't like what he said). Daphne is a hardcore, abusive, uber bitch (and not in the good ways). Velma was damaged inside and out.
The plot was okay at first, nanobites released to "cure" the world instead send it spiralling into gory chaos. But then the rest of it is: the gang gets attached. They kill the monsters. They agonize over killing "people." They yell at each other. Oh look, repeat. And again. And again. AND AGAIN. And even if it was just action it might have been better, but it is so dialogue heavy I could barely see what was going on around the redundant and annoying speech bubbles. Even the art was lame, it looked like it was drawn fast and over vibrantly colored to make up for the lack in the art.
Rorry Scoobs, swish and miss.
It's time for all our childhood friends to get edgy, right Archie? So now it's Scooby's turn. Can't do zombies or werewolves or witches since Riverdale already got to them. How about an apocalypse? Containing all of the remaining monsters!
I disagree heartily with the characterizations. Broadly drawn, they fit into the same lines as old. Lumberhipster Shaggy was okay, and cybernetic Scooby rocked. The rest? Not so much. Fred was weak and sniveling and abused (like literally, Daphne punched him full on in the face at one point because she didn't like what he said). Daphne is a hardcore, abusive, uber bitch (and not in the good ways). Velma was damaged inside and out.
The plot was okay at first, nanobites released to "cure" the world instead send it spiralling into gory chaos. But then the rest of it is: the gang gets attached. They kill the monsters. They agonize over killing "people." They yell at each other. Oh look, repeat. And again. And again. AND AGAIN. And even if it was just action it might have been better, but it is so dialogue heavy I could barely see what was going on around the redundant and annoying speech bubbles. Even the art was lame, it looked like it was drawn fast and over vibrantly colored to make up for the lack in the art.
Rorry Scoobs, swish and miss.
February 24, 2020
'Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!' was one of my favorite shows growing up, so when I heard DC had made a post-apocalyptic comic with the Mystery Gang fighting monsters, I had to read it. Unfortunately, reading was almost all I did. Keith Giffen has apparently written "plot & dialogue," while J.M DeMatteis supplies "dialogue & more dialogue." They absolutely filled these pages with so much repetitive and exhausting dialogue. The vast majority of the book's space is taken up by word bubbles which is made all the more obvious with Howard Porter's lazy six-panel layouts. No originality or excitement is even attempted beyond the initial premise which grows pretty dull quickly. After the fifth conversation of Daphne verbally haranguing Velma for her part in the supposed apocalypse, I truly gave up on this series.
This cool spin on the classic 60's cartoon had so much potential to be a fun, scary adventure comic, but this book has no real originality and makes no attempt to be anything beyond a boring, wordy storyboard. Also, the character designs and art style are only good in Jim Lee's covers, but Howard Porter's style misses the dynamics of these iconic characters (or maybe that's just Giffen's terrible script).
This cool spin on the classic 60's cartoon had so much potential to be a fun, scary adventure comic, but this book has no real originality and makes no attempt to be anything beyond a boring, wordy storyboard. Also, the character designs and art style are only good in Jim Lee's covers, but Howard Porter's style misses the dynamics of these iconic characters (or maybe that's just Giffen's terrible script).
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