Scooby Apocalypse, Vol. 2

Scooby Apocalypse #2

by Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMatteis

The Hanna-Barbera cartoon classic is reimagined for a new generation as the gang’s adventures continue in SCOOBY APOCALYPSE VOL. 2!

When the world is tossed into chaos, it’s up to a group of meddling kids—Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy and their dog, Scooby-Doo—to solve the mystery and survive hordes of zombies! But what if the solution to the mystery reveals something the gang may not want to find out? When they discover who is behind the disease that turned the world into a wasteland, they may not be able to save themselves!

Hanna-Barbera has created some of the most recognizable animated characters of all time. As part of DC Comics’ re-imagination of cartoons like Scooby-Doo, The Flintsones, Johnny Quest, Space Ghost and Wacky Racers, these new series will be infused with modern and contemporary concepts while keeping the heart and soul of the classic animation.

Collects SCOOBY APOCALYPSE #7-12

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Horror, Dc Comics, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Fiction

144 pages, Paperback

First published September 26, 2017

About the author

Keith 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.

Reviews

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really cool imagining of the Scooby -Dooniverse, but I'm still waiting for my childhood 'ship to come into play 😉

[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

The dialog is solid and the art is good but there's not much direction to the series other than "Let's drive around." We need some subplots and a goal to the series to make it more interesting.

[kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scooby Doo + the apocalypse?
This series was clearly made for me.

[Scott Rhee · Rating 4 out of 5]

What’s better than a post-apocalyptic sci-fi action thriller with genetically-modified creatures taking over the world? The answer, of course, is a post-apocalyptic sci-fi action thriller with genetically-modified creatures taking over the world starring Scooby Doo.

Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMatteis, and Dale Eaglesham’s “Scooby Apocalypse, Volume 2” continues the gory good fun of the first six issues in the compilation of issues 7 - 12. It’s a thoroughly entertaining series that is absolutely not for kids.

In this volume, the gang is holed up in a box store until Fred injures his leg, badly, and they are forced to try for the nearest hospital for antibiotics and other medical supplies, except the hospital appears to be alive, which is either a byproduct of the nanobot infestation or a mass hallucination, although both Daphne and Shaggy are absolutely sure that they saw that bed eat that patient.

Velma finally admits that the infestation may be her fault, but she has a weird dream of the future in which she can control the nanobots and wants to basically wipe out all humans so that her new monster race can take over, and, in her dream, she is dressed like Tina Turner in “Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome” and she kills it. Also, Scooby has had a vocal upgrade and doesn’t say “Ruh-roh!” anymore but actually kind of sounds like Jarvis in the “Iron Man” movies. (That’s the voice I hear in my head, anyway, when I read his dialogue.)

We also get to meet Rufus, one of Velma’s brothers---one of ‘The Four’---who is gradually going insane, or he may have been insane prior to the end of the world, I’m not sure. Regardless, it is clear that he is modeled after Donald Trump, as he is wealthy, fat, misogynistic, and probably the guy who unleashed armageddon.

I’m pretty much in love with this series, and while I realize it may all turn to shit by volume 3, as of now, I’m hooked...

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've seen countless interpretations of the Mystery, Inc., gang, but, this variation is unlike any other. It's fun to see the characters do something different; you can only watch so many unmaskings before it gets tired. Plus, some interesting plot twists occur, and the artwork is great.

However, the violence is even more gruesome this time around, there's just as much profanity if not more than in the last volume, and some crude moments appear, such as references to flatulence and other bodily functions.

Will I continue this series? We'll see.

[Shadowdenizen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally read single issues.

A solid 4 stars, and a worthy continuation of the new Scooby Apocalypse saga. Is it as mind-blowingly good as Volume 1? Not quite but it gives us some new depths and connections between our heroes that a kids tv series couldn't delve into.

Still one of the best DC titles out there.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Once again, the art is great I like how they are giving the characters their original traits. But I felt like the second one was flopping back-and-forth a little bit. There was a lot of going to one place, a few scenes and then back in the van. There wasn’t a lot of action compared to the first volume. I’m hoping it gets a little bit better through the rest of them. It was also going back-and-forth a lot between the gangs scenes, and then Scrappy Doo, and then Velma‘s brother. It was a little confusing.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Velma, Velma, VELMA! *shakes head slowly* You gotta fix this, girl!

And you gotta love the business man that is 100% based on Trump, down to the red toupee, blond trophy wife, and name in gold letters on the outside of his high rise!

[Carrie-Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This volume is pretty random. There are a few one shots sprinkled throughout that don't really move the story along, and a very random fever dream which while fun, also didn't have any relevance.

These sorts of things are normally a nice little breather between plot, but this volume was lacking plot before the inclusions, so it just felt like it veered even further away from telling us anything.

It's weird because Scooby Apocalypse seems to have more dialog bubbles than most other comics I've read, but also it doesn't really say anything. For example, one and a bit page for a character to say they need to go to the loo. On the plus side, this volume wasn't as repetitive as the first one in terms of characters having the same argument over and over, so that's a bonus.

The art is a lot of fun, and there are some super gruesome moments, but the pacing is the big issue here. Another example is at some point Scooby gets left somewhere, they're all moaning about it and scared he won't be able to find them, then the next page he's stood with them and there's telling instead of showing how he got back (which is such a strange decision in an art based story)

Towards the end things really start to pick up, there's a new character introduced and although probably unintentional he gives off major Trump vibes, but just to the extreme!

Seems like the story is going to pick up a lot in the next volume, so that's something to look forward to.

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truthfully cannot believe how much I love this series it is THAT good. What a great Scooby reboot

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

So far this remains strong. The story goes a little dark at times considering this is Scooby Doo, but I suppose that's the point is this is one of those "this isn't your parent's Scooby Doo" situations. I love Scooby'd dialogue as I don't recall us seeing a serious Scooby on the cartoons often, if ever. Scrappy Doo I'm still undecided about, but we'll see how things turn out with him.

The whole idea of seeing the Scooby gang in a post apocalyptic tale take some getting used to, and we still don't know all of the secrets behind the monsters that have overrun the Earth, but it's been a (mostly) fun ride finding our way there. Some of the dark moments are a bit jarring, but overall still entertaining.

[Aryanna Tunstall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great second book to this amazing series. I love that we see a lot of what ifs and more of the family history

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

Some decent enough character moments but honestly not enough happened in this book. The story was advanced ever so slowly and it felt like the creators weren't sure where to take a very original idea after the initial conception.

I'm curious as to where the story goes from here but after the last issue of volume 1 I was hoping for some outright amazing development both character and plot. I didn't really get either. As I said, not a great deal happened and at least one member of the group was at best a pointless existence. Oh and the Trump reference (because it obviously was). Dumb. Really dumb.

It's as if the "gang" have settled into a routine and are almost destined to continue on it from here on out. I'll get volume 3 because I do want to see where this is going. If it doesn't improve significantly by the end of that then I'll assess whether I want to drop the book or not.

[Drucilla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, so this isn't high literature, but it's still fun to read. The issues I had with the first volume are fixed. The repetition is pretty much gone as is the bitching between Velma and Daphne. You can also see them becoming friends, which is nice. The art's gotten smoother as well. But while the issues from the first volume have been fixed, there are some whole new ones here. The writers completely skip over what could be extremely emotional moments. For example, at the end of the first issue, Scooby leads a group on monsters away from the group allowing them to get to safety. The issue ends with the gang wondering if he's okay. The next issue begins with Scooby already back with the gang. I legitimately thought it was an art mistake because the first page shows Scooby back with them. There are also time skips between chapters that either weren't necessary or weren't explained well. There's a dream sequence that takes place in the future and with the way the time skips work in this volume (along with how long the sequence was), I thought the volume had actually skipped years into the future and one of the gang had gone evil. Only a few things can pull that off and this series isn't one of them. But like I said, it was a fun read and I do look forward to volume 3.

[Cale · Rating 3 out of 5]

Now that the shock of the concept has worn off, this book settles into being basically more of the same. The Scoobies are still fighting against the apocalyptic monsters, as they try to get Velma to a location where she might be able to effect a cure. We get a couple near-standalone issues (the escape from the super store, a hospital, Velma runs away), although they do build together to a cliffhanger in Seattle. Character development moves forward a bit, though it doesn't run very deep, as everyone finds out everyone else's secrets. There's a little bit of humor, a little bit of action, probably more arguing than is really necessary, and a little bit of plot. But now that the scenario is worn in a little, the luster of the execution has tarnished a little. Still worth a read, but it's nowhere near the quality of the Flintstones reimagining. And the Scrappy Do shorts are just weird. I hope they're building to something, because otherwise they're a complete waste of space.

[Goose · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read the first volume and liked enough to try volume 2. Unfortunately, not a lot happens in volume 2 and I think I'm done with this twist on some favorite characters. In this volume the reader gets; ever-changing artwork, not all of it good, Velma's embarrassing dream, where she imagines herself dressed like Red Sonja, and more on one of Velma's brothers who is a sad, moldy stereotype. Seems Giffen and DeMatteis had a good idea to start with but didn't know where to take it or when to end it.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Scooby and the gang have a run-in with a hospital that might be alive and meet one of Velma's brothers.

I'm disappointed in this second volume. It's so episodic that nothing happens. Maybe Velma's brother will change that but, since he seems to be just a cartoon version of Trump, I don't have faith in it. The artists have changed in this volume and I don't like the art as much. And it needs more Scooby and less dialogue (so much dialogue, much of it repetitious). I still think this is a great idea so I'd probably read a third volume if one is published.

[Douglas Gibson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I want to love these, but I just don't. I can't put my finger on my exact problem with these volumes, but somehow they are just missing the mark. Volume 2 is much better than the first one, and the writing has improved, but they are still too repetitive and a little boring. I will say I love the look and art of these books- beefy Fred and hipster Shaggy are perfection.

[Simon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Worrying signs of the novelty starting to wear off though...

[Doc · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a world where dramatic one liners are the norm.

Stuck in a Mall-Mart Superstore the group who has survived the world changing nanite plague are surrounded by a swarm of seemingly mindless and dangerous creatures who were probably humans once upon a time. With Fred's leg injured in a gloriously bad way survival has just become that much harder as the crew makes their way to find medicines that can stave off infections. With mutants running wild and the nanite plague seemingly altering the laws of reality in mind bending ways everyone has to deal with both physical and mental stress. The truth of the plague comes to light and friendships will be tested even as the world is devolving into madness.

One thing I found amusing about this book was some of the lines said by the characters like Daphne saying "If we're not back in 15 minutes--" on one page and "--you can forward all my mail to hell." at the beginning of the next page or how not one but two people telling Fred they will break his other leg because he is being his typical annoying self. There are also more people being shown not affected by the nanites that have mutated the populace and Scrappy Doo doing his best to deal with his responsibilities as alpha dog in a world gone mad.

If I had to chose a fave moment in the volume would be the discovery of a horned gorilla named Magilla. This moment brings the classic character Magilla Gorilla to the Apocalypse party though for a very limited time. There are other cultural icons here and there too so I hope you find some you get a kick out of. :)

[Hilary "Fox" · Rating 3 out of 5]

Scooby Dooby Doo, where are you? We need some help from you now...

In this case, he's running headfirst into the fight to save his friends from rampaging monsters. The series continues, and continues to improve. Here, we see a continuation of the one-off Scrappy-Doo stories... Scrappy and his gang are tearing their way through a world full of monsters in hopes of tracking down Velma, to upgrade their cybernetic implants, and Scooby - for revenge. Why revenge? Scooby was the first cybernetically enhanced SmartDog. If Scooby hadn't been a failure, perhaps the rest never would have been experimented on.

The main story continues as well, as Velma and the gang search out The Four for help in figuring out how to reverse the plague turning everyone into monsters. But do The Four wish to be found? Are they happy with what they, and Velma, have created? Will the gang even forgive Velma if they discover her true involvement in all of this?

And does Magilla the Gorilla appear in this volume?

Read it, and find out!

[Trish · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

This volume was straight down the middle for me. After the first volume, I wanted to continue the story, but I felt it didn't deliver fully.

We continue following the gang, but the story felt very jumpy. One instance, was the ending of the first issue and its transition to the next. Also, Velma's storu could have added more bulk. Kinda pulled me out and I felt like a good story was missed.

I felt that way throughout. Like the story was pushed a long quickly to reach the end, but with very minimal results.

Daphne and Velma's relationship still grated on me. Quite shoving it in my face. We get it. You don't like each other. It says a lot when I was more touched by Scrappy's story. Gosh!!! Strike me down now.

I will continue to the next volume, but I hope it improves. There were a few speech bubble errors that, again, pulled me out of the story - but didn't hinder its telling.

[Ondřej Halíř · Rating 5 out of 5]

Plnou hvězdu dávám protože je to apokalyptický road trip se Scooby gangem. Postavy jsou pořád sympatické, odsýpá to a i když je tohle volumko jenom filler s opravdu lehkým posunem v před tak mě to pořád bavilo. Dostává se nám tu totiž kopa bizarních a zajímavých situací spolu se salvou nevtíravého humoru a vy díky tomu si prostě užíváte čas s gangem a i když se nic neděje tak je to prostě fajn strávený čas.

Narozdíl od prvního volumka mě tu bavila sekvence alá The Walking Dead se Scoobym či podobné skryté žertíky. Giffen s Demmateisem si prostě jedou svoje a neberou si servítky, taky už to jsou veteráni DC.

[Khurram · Rating 3 out of 5]

Surviving

An okay continuation of the story. The revelations were not really a revelation because it was already shown in the backup story, but I guess the other characters needed to know.

The gang is moving from place to place, but just surviving. They are also bonding a bit, but could a revelation rip them apart? Also, could there be other survivors?

The book was not as action pack as I would have liked, and a bit slow moving, but at least it is moving. The book finishes with a varient covers gallery.

[Belfry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

Pretty much everything I said in my review of volume one applies here. The only major difference is the art: Howard Porter's been moved to doing the art for the covers of the single issues while various artists work on the interior. The new art ranges from okay to very good.

[Jamie Zaccaria · Rating 4 out of 5]

The pace of Vol 2 is very well-done following Vol 1. I still have the same annoyance with the dialogue but it wasn't quite as bad this time. I especially loved the subtle Trump-mockery. Fantastic. Will definitely continue to Vol 3.

[Am · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is addicting. It combines my love of Scooby Doo with my love of the end of the world troup. I like how the characters are framed and how the story line unfolds. This might be my favorite graphic novel series

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not quite enough "zoinks!" moments.

[Karrie Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

It just keeps getting better. I love the easter eggs hidden through out the panels. Rufus looked similar to another power hungry man in America...hmmm I wonder who that could be?😉