Does this book truly need an introduction? Yet another crime-fighting caper featuring our beloved Gotham heroes and Mystery Inc. This series has been somewhat of a double-edged sword for me. On the one hand, its’s a very welcome distraction from the often mind-numbing state of current ongoing comics (huh, who said Batman?) yet on the other hand, overexposure to it has proven itself to also be mind-numbing. No-one can live on Scoob alone. Well, let’s see what this month has to offer us. Worse case scenario, it’s still a good break (I could have sworn I heard someone say Absolute Power. Guess it was just the wind…)
The long (comic) con
This issue is by far the most different than all the others that have been released so far. Why is that you may ask? Well, dear reader, it is because our caped heroes do not help the Scooby Squad to solve a case. At the Wayne Enterprises Annual Hero Gala, there has been a slight scheduling snafu and so Batman and Nightwing have prior commitments at the… Gotham City Comic-Con?
This is really cute. As shown on the cover, the dynamic duo must sign autographs, take pictures and of course, say famous lines. It’s nice to see that Bruce Wayne hates any big public appearance, cape and cowl notwithstanding. I often think about how our world’s obsession with comic books translates into other worlds. Would superhero comics not take off a la Watchmen? We know that Tobey Maguire’s Peter Parker seems to be a Superman fan so maybe only other companies’ comics would exist. In this case, Batman has been turned into a comic book, even in his own world.
So as we have established, the Mystery gang is without help to deal with the appearance of not one but two supervillains: Kite-man and Weather Wizard. These are another couple of evil-doers that younger readers may not have heard of, so it’s always good to get some introductions. The two realise that they are going after the same score and their kerfuffle goes about just how you’d expect. Weather Wizard blows Kite-man away. Literally.
One day the wind will change
This issue really embraces its identity. It’s a book targeted towards younger readers. That isn’t a bad thing at all. It has all the standard trappings for a kids TV episode. Light on story, little gags, saving the day and a moral at the end of the day. It doesn’t have to be one of the greatest works of fiction, even though in my humble opinion a lot of tv orientated towards younger viewers do end up being great pieces of writing, it just has to be good. This story is that. Good. Better than the other issues I think, because it commits to what it is that tiny bit more.
Scooby and Shaggy have to convince Kite-Man not to give up because his love of kites is a big part of his identity. Is it kind of stupid? yes. Is it also very sweet? Absolutely. I can guarantee that there is someone out there of any age who feels insecure about loving something that they feel like they shouldn’t. Plenty of kids who will read this going through the exact same thing no doubt. Even if it is a little clunky, the fact that this book is saying it, doesn’t make it any less valuable. In fact, this one issue of a seemingly empty series probably had more to say than any event DC has put out recently.
Wow, really had more to say about that than I thought I would. On another note, Dario Brizuela continues to be one of my favourite artists to work on this series, He has lovely designs for all his characters, and I have finally figured out part of what makes them so nostalgic. Brizuela does a lot of art for Imaginext packaging. Remember those? His art style makes me feel like I’m watching a story I could have put together with little figurines, a story that a younger version of me would have got infinitely lost in.
Recommended If…
- If you haven’t read any other issue, this is the one to pick up.
- Kite-Man and Weather Wizard? Yes please.
- You’re in the mood to play with some action figures.
Overall
You may be thinking, Chip, why the glowing review? Why so lenient today? I have decided to stop reviewing this series. Looking at it critically month upon month is not something that I find particularly fulfilling anymore. Although I’m more than glad I ended on this one. If this book should be anything, it’s this issue. It’s sweet and full of charm and nostalgia. Godspeed Batman & Scooby-Doo, godpseed.
Overall: 8/10
English (US) · 