“Gargoyles Just Wanna Have Fun”
Writer: Sholly Fisch
Artist: Megan Huang
Letterer: Saida Temofonte
Review by Lauren Fiske
Do you know the difference between gargoyles and other stone creatures? Well, you can learn everything about them in The Batman and Scooby-Doo Mysteries #3.4!
Citizens of Gotham randomly turning into grotesques is not the usual mystery that Batman, Robin, and Mystery Inc. solve, but luckily, they’re prepared for anything.
Make sure to read the issue before our review as there will be some spoilers ahead! Also, if you haven’t been keeping up with this series, be sure to read previous reviews.
Grotesque(s)?
So, the big lesson of this issue of The Batman and Scooby-Doo Mysteries is genuinely educational. The city of Gotham is apparently covered in stone statues, most of them gargoyles… but not all. The creatures that the random citizens appear to be turning into are actually grotesques, a very similar monster, but different in that their mouths are closed and they don’t serve the purpose of being rainspouts. You learn something new every day!
Anyway, the Mystery Gang’s pursuit of the grotesques is a fairly tame adventure, apart from the scary sight of actually witnessing the victims spontaneously change into their monstrous forms. Fred even admits to Scooby and Shaggy that this issue’s mystery is scary enough that they’re allowed to panic.
It’s nice to see some vulnerability from the usually fearless Mystery Inc. Of course, Batman and Robin don’t get scared, but they (and a mostly unseen Oracle) are the key to catching this issue’s villain. Once again (I’ll get used to it at some point), the group apprehends a Batman villain that I’ve never heard of before, but this time I found this choice of antagonist, their powers, and their role in the plot, made a lot of sense to me and built a nice story.
Another change in this issue is the artist. Megan Huang has worked on other comics before, but this issue is her first time drawing and coloring for The Batman and Scooby-Doo Mysteries. Huang’s style is different from what we usually see in this series, but that’s not a bad thing. Her style is reminiscent of both the Batman and Scooby-Doo animated shows, which brings a suitable and unique energy to an already dynamic issue.
Conclusion
The Batman and Scooby-Doo Mysteries #3.4 plays with some fun ideas, but felt like it didn’t commit all the way. Still, this go around was a solid issue with an interesting villain and quality page time for the main cast. Megan Huang had a great introduction and I’d like to see her work in the series again.
Hopefully, other plot ideas in the future will be a bit more exciting, but this month’s issue was plenty satisfying.
Images Courtesy of DC Entertainment
