Scooby Apocalypse #26 – JM DeMatteis, Keith Giffen, Writers; Tom Mandrake, Artist; Patrick Olliffe, Penciller; Andy Owens, Inker; Hi-Fi, Colorist
Ratings: Ray – 6/10
The obvious influence for Scooby Apocalypse since the beginning has been The Walking Dead. More colorful rampaging monsters, sure, plus talking dogs, but the DNA has always been clear. Never more so than with this issue, though.
In Scooby Apocalypse #26, it’s six months since Fred Jones died protecting Daphne from a monster, and humanity’s general position is looking up. The survivors have turned the mall into a thriving haven for the remnants of humanity, and picked up a few new allies. These include Sanchez and Hooper, a pair of tough-as-nails men who have thrown themselves into defending the base to cope with their tragic losses; and the Kubelskys, a nebbishy married couple who are supposed to be serving as administrators of the food supply but mostly drive Velma nuts. It is good to see some new character dynamics in this book, but most of the characters so far are pretty thin. However, the population isn’t the only thing that’s changed.
The Mystery Machine crew is massively different as well. Daphne’s become a gritty monster-hunter, obsessively perching on the mall’s roof and killing anything she sees as a way to cope with Fred’s death. Velma and Shaggy, meanwhile, have begun a relationship as their own way of coping.
Daisy and Cliffy seem to have settled into life with the group and she’s taken on somewhat of a mother role to him. Scooby is still Scooby. However, the return of an old enemy of sorts may upend everything next issue. This installment sort of feels like the remnants of it being a Scooby Doo book is fading away, and it’s settling into a groove as a standard post-apocalyptic thriller. I admire it for doing something different, I just don’t think it’s all that good. The Secret Squirrel backup, meanwhile, continues to be utterly bizarre, and this issue takes the plot in a weirdly sexual direction.
This title just doesn’t have the subtlety for the topics it tackles.
Disclaimer: GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
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