I Reads You Review: SCOOBY-DOO, Where Are You? #97

SCOOBY-DOO, WHERE ARE YOU? No. 97
DC COMICS – @DCComics

STORY: Sholly Fisch; Darryl Taylor Kravitz; Scott Peterson
PENCILS: Walter Carzon; Karen Matchete; Scott Neely
INKS: Horacio Ottolini; Karen Matchete; Scott Neely
COLORS: Silvana Brys; Heroic Age
LETTERS: Saida Temofonte; Randy Gentile; Travis Lanham
EDITOR: Harvey Richards; Michael Siglain
COVER: Walter Carzon and Horacio Ottolini with Sylvana Brys
32pp, Color, $2.99 U.S. (April 2019)

Rated “E” for “Everyone”

“The Gang's All Here”

I am continuing my journey through the renewal of my subscription to the Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? comic book series.  Join me, will you?  A few months ago, I received the twelfth and final issue of that renewed subscription.  I recently renewed for a second time, but it may be two months before I receive the first issue of my third subscription.

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #97 opens with “The Gang's All Here” (written by Sholly Fisch and drawn by Walter Carzon and Horacio Ottolini).  Mystery Inc.:  Scooby-Doo, Shaggy, Fred, Daphne, and Velma have stopped by the “Thirteenth National Bank” to withdraw some cash so that they can buy gas for the Mystery Machine.  While there, however, the ghosts of infamous bank robbers, Connie and Floyd and Ron Derringer rob the bank.  But why do ghosts want to rob a bank?

This issue has two reprint stories.  The first is “The Freeloading Ghost” (written by Daryl Taylor Kravitz and drawn by Karen Matchete). [It was originally published in Scooby-Doo #127 (cover dated February 2008) and was also reprinted recently in Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #94 (cover dated October 2018).]  As the story opens, Mystery Inc. has just solved “The Mystery of the Crystal Key Ghosts.”  Part of the process of solving the case meant that those “annoying kids” and their dog had to exorcise the ghosts haunting the creepy mansion that was at the epicenter of the mystery.  Well, one of those ghosts is still around, and he wants a new home...

The second reprint story is “UFO-No!” (written by Scott Peterson and drawn by Scott Neely).  [It was originally published in Scooby-Doo #109 (August 2006).]  The story opens at night with the Mystery Machine traveling through some spooky woods.  Mystery Inc. is lost!  However, they follow a UFO to a stadium where singer “Pitty Swords” is in concert with “Jason Woodriver.”  Those meddling kids arrive just in time to solve a new mystery.  Why would a UFO steal Pitty's custom-made tiara?

“The Gang's All Here” is a weak story, although the art is nice.  I also have to admit that I like seeing the Mystery Inc. kids engaged in something domestic like going to the bank to withdraw some cash.  “UFO-No!” would make a good scenario for one of those direct-to-DVD Scooby-Doo movies, but it barely registers as a comic book story.

I have no idea why “The Freeloading Ghost” has been reprinted half a year after it was last reprinted.  This is actually the third time I have encountered that story.  It was also reprinted in Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #45 (cover dated: July 2014).  I wonder if that story was ever revisited, as the story ends with a ghost promising that Scooby-Doo has not seen the last of him.

See you... when my next subscription begins.

C+
5 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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I Reads You Review: SCOOBY-DOO, Where Are You? #45

SCOOBY-DOO, WHERE ARE YOU? #45
DC COMICS – @DCComics

STORY: Georgia Ball, Darryl Taylor Kravitz, Robbie Busch
PENCILS: Dave Alvarez, Karen Matchette, Robert Pope
INKS: Dave Alvarez, Karen Matchette, Scott McRae
COLORS: Dave Alvarez; Heroic Age
LETTERS: Saida Temofonte, Randy Gentile, Brian Durniak
EDITOR: Kristy Quinn
COVER: Dave Alvarez
28pp, Color, $2.99 U.S. (July 2014)

Rated “E” for “Everyone”

Via subscription, I continue my journey through the current Scooby-Doo comic book series with the forty-fifth issue of Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?  Why is this happening, those of you who are new might ask?  I bought a subscription to Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? via a fundraiser held by my nephew’s school last year, which involved selling magazine subscriptions.

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #45 opens with “Scooby Slides into Danger” (written by Georgia Ball and drawn and colored by Dave Alvarez).  The Mystery Inc. gang visits the water park, Pudelnass (“the World’s Greatest Water Park”), for a day of sun without a mystery to solve.  The kids actually get to have the water park all to themselves.  Of course, it’s not that easy.  They have to solve the mystery of the mutant creature known as “the Primordial Ooze.”

As “The Freeloading Ghost” (written by Darryl Taylor Kravitz and drawn by Karen Matchette) opens, the Mystery Inc. kids have just solved a mystery.  However, there is some blowback because of their actions.  They have made a ghost homeless, and he expects housing from his accidental evictors.  Also, reality show shenanigans have the gang trying to capture “The Great Lire of Lagoona Beach” (written by Robbie Busch and drawn by Robert Pope and Scott McRae).

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #45 features the return of one of my favorite Scooby-Doo comic book artists, the fantastic Dave Alvarez.  There is a 3D quality to the combination of his compositions and coloring that remind me of my childhood experiences with “View Master.”

Of course, Scooby-Doo and friends have an established visual appearance, but Alvarez shows off his talent for cartooning the human head and face on the other characters.  Expressive and odd-looking, the supporting players of “Scooby Slides into Danger” have a striking visual look.  Plus, the story is also fun, and it is one that I would like to see adapted as one of those Scooby-Doo direct-to-DVD animated films.

The other two stories are reprints from the Scooby-Doo comic book series previous to this one (entitled, Scooby-Doo).  I love “The Freeloading Ghost.”  Can we get a revisit on that one?  As for Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #45, it is one of the favorites of my subscription.  More Dave Alvarez, please.

A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

I Reads You Review: SCOOBY-DOO, Where Are You? #39

SCOOBY-DOO, WHERE ARE YOU? #39
DC COMICS – @DCComics

STORY: Heather Nuhfer, John Rozum, Darryl Taylor Kravitz
PENCILS: Robert Pope
INKS: Scott McRae
COLORS: Heroic Age
LETTERS: Saida Temofonte, Mike Sellers, Sal Cipriano
COVER: Scott Neely
28pp, Color, $2.99 U.S. (January 2014)

Rated “E” for Everyone

A few months ago, my sister, her husband, and their son (my nephew, of course) came for a visit.  My nephew told us that his school was doing one of those fundraising campaigns schools always seem to be doing.  Instead of candy bars or M&Ms, his school was selling magazine subscriptions, and my nephew had a catalog filled with what seemed like a few hundred magazine offerings, covering a wide range of topics.

To my surprise and delight, the subscription offerings included a few DC Comics titles.  I’m not sure why, but I chose a subscription to DC’s current incarnation of a Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? comic book series.

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #39 opens with the story, “Prize Pup.”  A sold-out movie means the Mystery Inc. gang ends up at the Conewango Kennel Club Dog Show just in time to solve the mystery of the “Hound of the Conewango.”  Now, Scooby-Doo might become a champion pooch or a victim!

Next, learn about such monsters of the “Plat-Eye,” the giant six-legged cow, and more in “Velma’s Monsters of the World.”  In “Ah… Rival,” the gang is off to London, England for a chance to be “Teen Detectives of the Year.”  The Sleuth Sisters Club is all that stands between our heroes and “the Golden Magnifying Glass Award,” and they mean to win by any means necessary.

The art by penciller Robert Pope and inker Scott McRae is excellent.  When it comes to drawing Scooby-Doo and Mystery Inc. in comics form, this art team deserves to be called perfect.  The coloring by Heroic Age is also quite good.

The stories are the problems in Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #39, but not because they are bad or of poor quality.  Aside from “Velma’s Monsters of the World” (which is a gag story), “Prize Pup” and “Ah… Rival” need to be longer.  They are actually good scenarios.  In fact, they are good enough ideas that each could be adapted into a Scooby-Doo direct-to-DVD movie.

In the comic book, however, the two stories are just crammed into 10 pages or less, but they’re really made to be told as 20-page stories, at least.  They’re good stories.  They need to be – dare I say it – decompressed.

B-

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2013 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.