“Scooby Beyond”
Artist: Dario Brizuela
Color Artist: Franco Riesco
Letterer: Saida Temofonte
Review by Lauren Fiske
It’s time for the season 2 finale! I’m sad that the series is taking a break or ending, because, while not every issue has been fun, this one definitely was interesting. The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries #2.12 delivers a fitting end to this set of tales, with a mix of quirky comic storylines and some fun art and references.
It’s the end of this round of Scooby-Doo and Batman’s team-up, so make sure to read previous reviews!
Schway
As the title would suggest, we got to see Mystery Inc. in the universe of Batman Beyond, which turned out to be very “Schway” indeed. I didn’t know much about this Batman universe other than the fact that it was a show when I was a kid. Basically, a new Batman takes over the mantle after Bruce Wayne retires, and somehow the Mystery Gang travels through time to that part of the timeline. Of course, this is nothing that hasn’t been done before, but it was really fun to see a version of the Mystery Machine that could fly!
While it’s becoming more frequent to see more modern or altered versions of Mystery Inc., the meddling kids’ designs and clothes, even in the future stayed the same. This obviously made them stand out more, but that worked in the more neutrally colored world of the future as well as when teaming up with Batman (in almost all black) to fight the Royal Flush Gang (all fashioned after spade face cards from a standard deck). This also allowed the onomatopoeias to stand out even more, so kudos as ever to Franco Riesco and Saida Temofonte!
The future was very cool, especially getting to see how things changed into “Neo Gotham”. Barbara Gordon as police commissioner and Bruce Wayne getting to hang up the cowl seem like good outcomes to me.
Goodbye?
As the last issue of this season (or the series), everything gets tied up in a neat little bow. We get to see more of what the future looks like for a retired Bruce Wayne, a fresh Batman in Terry McGinnis, and a mature Barbara Gordon. Even the villains remain consistent and keep coming back in new forms (the Jokerz, for example). Everything makes sense and there’s not much story to add to The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries.
That might just be what the creators want us to think though. As I’ve hinted, it hasn’t been confirmed whether the series is going to come back. However, the first season ran from late 2021 into 2022. The second started near the end of 2022 and is just wrapping up now. A few months down the line, we might get to see a third season. Whether or not that happens though, Bruce Wayne put it best as he watched over the next generation of young sleuths:
…as long as there are crimes to solve, there will always be “The Batman & Scooby-Doo! Mysteries.”
The final words of the issue? NEVER THE END. Perhaps we’ll get to see more from newer or alternate versions of Mystery Inc. and Batman. The creators might choose to stick with what they know, or maybe this really is it. No matter what, it’s been a great ride.
Conclusion
The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries #2.12 works fantastically well as both a standalone issue and the possible finale of a fun series. We’ve seen the Mystery Gang and The Dark Knight(s) face off against the most notorious foes from Gotham to the least-known villains from back in Crystal Cove (or Coolsville, depending on your persuasion). Our favorite crime solvers have figured out all kinds of mysteries using a vast variety of technology, wits, and even teammates from the past.
I’ve had my complaints, for sure, but if this really is the end I’m going to be pretty sad to see it go, even with the issues that weren’t my favorites. I have personally struggled to get into comic books over the years because you usually have to do so much research to understand what people are referencing and a lot of issues don’t have self-contained stories. The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries has defied this expectation of mine. Occasionally I have to look up some information about the less well-known Batman tidbits, but everything in this series has been digestible, colorful, and fun.
I hope we get a season 3. I know I’ve mostly talked about that prospect in this review, but it’s mostly because I don’t want this to be over yet (and I don’t want to spoil much of this issue, you’ve just gotta read it!). I’ve been writing about Scooby-Doo (and Batman, of course) for over 2 years now. I’m going to miss seeing such a fantastic crossover and everything that goes with that. I’m grateful to always have something to write about, but getting to write about a childhood favorite has meant so much to me.
Here’s hoping for even more chances to do so.
Images Courtesy of DC Entertainment