And now comes the fourth issue of Scooby Apocalypse, as the gang completely leaves behind the government complex for good, even in flashback mode. Well, that’s what they think at least. Is it good?
Scooby Apocalypse #4 (DC Comics)
The Breakdown
The gang continues trying to survive the mutant monster apocalypse by finding some supplies…and that’s pretty much it. Like the last issue, the comic was light on story development. The mystery is still being sort of pieced together, only more questions are popping up instead of answers. There’s also a new character introduced into the comic that fills a little plot hole but that’s really it. The best way to describe how the story is proceeding right now is that it is still in setup mode, still laying down the foundation and the aim for what will be happening in the series. So if you are hoping for some new development regarding the mystery or the scientists, you probably won’t be getting it for quite some time.
Also, as with the last issue, the comic definitely focused on the characters and how they were growing through this experience. Daphne is bonding with Velma (as Fred puts it at least), Velma is opening up to everyone about how she has been doing, Fred and Shaggy are becoming tighter, and more stuff of that nature. There’s less drama in this issue, so the comic and the characters doesn’t get quite as serious as before. That’s good though for balancing the tone of the comic and its characters a bit better, making it feel somewhat like other Scooby Doo series of the past. The weakest of the cast character and personality wise is still Scooby Doo, but the comic does make up for that somewhat with the introduction of the new character. There’s a strong connection between the two that should make things pretty interesting and add some good conflict when they meet.
The only real problematic thing about the cast is this new character. Outside of the stilted monologue they give, fans of the franchise may be rather mixed or roll their eyes at how this character is being treated and used here.
Howard Porter does all of the artwork for the issue solo this time around and like always, he does a solid job. The characters are drawn well and like before, he seems to be getting better in that area. I’m seeing fewer and fewer problems with foreshortening or characters expressing an emotion that doesn’t match the dialogue (they’re still there, but much less so than before). The layouts and panel arrangements are all excellent, and things are easy to follow along with. The level of detail is nice, there are a few amusing sight gags, and the action is gory in almost a comical way. The monster designs are good and rather striking in some parts. The only problem with the artwork is the amount of dialogue and text boxes that fills up a lot of the panels, especially early on.
Is It Good?
Scooby Apocalypse #4 continues to keep this series at a nice, steady level of quality. It has its problems, but it also has a lot that makes it quite enjoyable. It’s a slow moving story with strong characters and lovely looking artwork from beginning to end. Overall, this is still quite an enjoyable comic and if you have been liking it so far, you’ll for sure like this.
Join the AIPT Patreon
Want to take our relationship to the next level? Become a patron today to gain access to exclusive perks, such as:
- ❌ Remove all ads on the website
- 💬 Join our Discord community, where we chat about the latest news and releases from everything we cover on AIPT
- 📗 Access to our monthly book club
- 📦 Get a physical trade paperback shipped to you every month
- 💥 And more!
