Writer: Ivan Cohen
Art: Dario Brizuela and Franco Riesco (colorist)
Publisher: DC comics
Price: $3.99
Release Date: September 12, 2023
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THE DISPATCH
In the final issue of the second volume of this series, The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries #12 presents a fitting ending for this series, as Scooby and the gang are sent to the future and meet Batman Beyond. Cohen shows he has a good understanding of the world Neo-Gotham and how the characters behave, as their personalities reflect how they were generally depicted on the show.
The dialogue is fitting for the characters and Batman Beyond fans may hear Terry’s Will Friedle saying his lines in their heads as they read, or George Lazenby as King of the Royal Flush Gang. Scooby and the gang had some fun interactions with Batman Beyond and other denizens of Neo-Gotham. This issue also presented a subtle commentary about A.I technology as well.
ART
The artwork really stands out in The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries #12. The Batman Beyond characters look similar to how they appeared on the show, but are drawn in the Scooby-Doo art style. The Batman museum contains several references such as holograms of the Batman who laughs, Damian Wayne Robin, and a costume looking similar to the one worn by Adam West in the ‘60’s TV show.
There are also statues of various Batman costumes such as the Knightfall armor worn by Jean-Paul Valley and the Gotham by Gaslight costume. Some of the bat-vehicles shown on the computer look similar to how they appeared in Batman: the Animated Series. Neo-Gotham is designed closely to how it was depicted on the show, in terms of architecture, vehicles and even police uniforms. There are also a couple of Neo-Gotham citizens in a garb similar to that of the mutants gang in Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns.
FINAL THOUGHTS
In what serves as the conclusion to this two-volume series, The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries #12 presents a fun, dare we say schway, finale which captures the heart behind the Batman and Scooby-Doo crossovers and the love letter it is to both Batman and Scooby fans alike. It shows why Batman and Scooby-Doo worked so well together. Although it has been stated there won’t be any future volumes, it leaves the door open for more potential crossovers.