Posted in: Comics, DC Comics, Review | Tagged: andy owens, comedy, dc comics, hanna barbera, hi fi, J.M. DeMatteis, John Rauch, keith giffen, ron wagner, Sam Lofti, scooby apocalypse, scooby doo, secret squirrel, Supernatural

Scooby Apocalypse #25 Review: The Final Fred-day

Shaggy and Velma are awaiting the return of Daphne and Freddy in the mall. Daphne and Freddy left to recon the "Consumerite" demons and have been gone too long. We see Daphne and Freddy, and the former is perpetually angry with the latter.

If you've heard about this issue of Scooby Apocalypse at all, then probably you know what happens in it. I'll try to avoid talking about it directly in this review in case not everyone reading it has heard about the big twist.

This is also the first issue of Scooby Apocalypse which I've read. I wasn't initially interested in a more "mature" take on Scooby Doo, but I have to grant that the comic is smartly written and updates its material fairly well.

Most notably, Daphne is not the perpetual damsel in distress; the book has inverted it and made her a consummate badass gunning down demons left and right.

This issue deals with some heavy subject matter, to say the least. It handles it quite cleverly, posing something of a red herring in the first half before tipping its hand. This allows for the comic to extend its main emotional beat without focusing it in one melodramatic burst.

The dialogue foreshadows its big event to heavily, and it takes a little of the wind out of it. Beyond that, this issue is quite good.

The follow-up story about Secret Squirrel is clever too. He and Morocco don't know they're animals and are more serious spies. That said, the heavier subject matters of this iteration of the character aren't handled as well, and I'm forced to acknowledge that Secret Squirrel apparently has sex — and I wish I wasn't put in that position.

Ron Wagner's artwork in the Scooby Apocalypse story is quite good. It's stylized and doesn't shoot too hard for realism. That's appropriate given this franchise's roots, but it still portrays emotion well and makes for some really heavy panels. Hi-Fi's colors are as vibrant and appealing as ever. Sam Lofti and John Rauch do some good work in the Secret Squirrel back-up story too, and it plays with their designs well.

Scooby Apocalypse #25 is a surprisingly emotional and well-constructed issue. The writing is well tempered, the art looks great, and the overall product pleases. This one earns a recommendation. Check it out.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!