Comic Review: Scooby Apocalypse #30

Scooby Apocalypse #30

DC Comics

Writers: Keith Giffen & J.M. DeMatteis

Artists: Pat Olliffe & Tom Palmer, Gus Vazquez

We are living in a post-squirrel world. I know Squirrel Girl is out there, but she’s with Marvel, and this is DC. I’m talking about Secret Squirrel. I know it’s hard, but please hold your tears. Scooby Apocalypse brings another revived Hanna-Barbera character, Atom Ant. Also, some stuff happens with Scooby-Doo.

While doing some maintenance, Scooby-Doo accidentally gets electrocuted. Rather than hurt him, it instead boosts the power in his smart-dog technology. Scooby can now talk properly and in full sentences. Daphne learns that someone in Jonestown claims to have seen Fred, and she and Scrappy leave to search for him.

This issue starts pretty dark. This isn’t the classic “Old Man Jenkins was the ghost the whole time!” Scooby-Doo, and it really never was. But even so, the first page is super dark, with Daphne about to kill herself. Besides that, the humor from Scooby-Doo talking full sentences really shows from everyone else’s reactions to the situation. Daphne and Scrappy’s friendship/partnership is definitely cemented at this point.

The art is great, as always. Particularly, the facial expressions and colors come together on the first page. Daphne looks really grim, and one panel to the next the color drains from her face. It says a lot without any words. On top of that, everyone else is expressive, including Scooby and Scrappy. It’s just good artwork, and I can’t say anything bad about it. There’s not too much action in this issue, but the art is at it’s best when there’s violence. Daphne and Scrappy mow down monsters in a car, and you can see the monsters being torn apart by them. It’s only one page but it’s my favorite page.

The Atom Ant backup story is a real treat. Atom Ant is in the Justice League watchtower to audition for a role as team leader. Being very brazen and in-your-face about it, he exhausts both Batman and Superman to the point they pawn him off on Wonder Woman. It’s written by Giffen and DeMatteis, and it’s pretty funny.  The art by Gus Vazquez is good and ties the whole thing together.

This book does get a little heavy at some points, but that’s where the story and characters are right now. There was some humor to balance it out, though. And as always the art is fantastic and enjoyable. This is a good, solid issue of Scooby Apocalypse.