Sometimes it is better to be ignorant … for the sake of your sanity.
Creative Staff:
Writers: Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMatteis
Art: Ron Wagner, Andy Owens
Colorist: Hi-Fi
Letterer: Travis Lanham
What They Say:
‘Tis the season in the apocalypse! The Scooby gang finds a moment to recover after narrowly escaping a harrowing battle, but when they wake up on Christmas morning, they find two members of their gang are no longer with them! With tensions having reached their breaking point, the gang is forced to face the consequences of their actions and try to once again find a glimmer of hope in this monstrous apocalypse.
Content (please note that portions of a review may contain spoilers):
It has been a long time since the Gang left the relative safety of the Complex, and stepped into a world now overcome by the Nanite Plague. Velma Dinkley may have been the mind behind the abominations they have witnessed, but it was her brothers The Four who perverted it into something too horrible to imagine. And now with the not so merry holidays approaching, they arrive at a non-descript paper mill outside Spring Green, Wisconsin to glean what little they can about the transformation of the Elysium Project. This desolated plant is the secret location for the Athena Center – the data farm where her siblings stored all pertinent information concerning the experiment, and the only place where the perplexed scientist may find any missing information. With their maladjusted family still on the verge of confusion, their bespectacled comrade hopes this is the place where she may be able to find a solution to the problem, if there is one to be found.
With Shaggy by her side, it is only good fortune Velma’s codes and biometric data still work as they enter the desolated center, tension in the air, wary of the missing skeleton crew left behind. But as the duo attempt to navigate through the barren building, Daisy is worried about Cliffy, the lone boy still concerned his only friend Scrappy might be dead, leaving his pet behind. While she and Scooby try their best to cheer the child up, Daphne surfs what is left of the web, amused to find out today is Christmas Eve. However before anyone make any plans for merriment, the lanky chow hound returns, ashamed to admit they need the feisty red head’s help in scouting the facility, with him too much of a pacifist to protect anyone. With everyone now preoccupied with their own tasks, the pair return to the building, annoyed to find Velma no where to be found in an unsecured secured area where anything can grab her and put an end to this necessary escapade.
In Summary:
It has finally come to the end of a second year of Scooby Apocalypse goodness, with writers Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis do not disappointing us with this profound bombshell. But what was surprising is series artist Ron Wagner adding his input to this holiday themed story instead of dazzling the reader with his amazing artwork. Even with this new scribe added to the mix, the narrative does not suffer but is rather enhanced by reflecting upon us the events from the last issue upon the Gang as a whole. Although they are still reeling from the disappearance of Scrappy and its affects on Cliffy, the biggest revelation was how Carrie’s death overshadowed everything … a chance there are good monsters out in the wastes. The moral dilemma of killing someone innocent and yet still polluted by nanites weighs heavily on the one person we would think be able to soldier through it all – Daphne. Our favorite red head has previously had no qualms massacring the abominations which pursue them, all the while knowing they were all once human, it is only now does indecision and doubt linger upon her mind. The conversation between her and Shaggy is so poignant, even if it was less than a page long, still makes you wonder if everything out there has to look like a monster to be a monster. And it is only made all the more effective with the sad scene of Cliffy and Scooby, discussing the same topic, but the boy almost mentally torn apart by the loss of two friends. However it is charming how Fred and Daisy try to cheer him up with that miserable shrub, trying to distract him from the pain with a happy memory to end the year. But of course, the best part of the story was how this literary trio strike us down with a revelation which seems impossible, even if we knew in the back of our minds was always plausible – the virulence of the Nanite Plague. This is the way to keep us wondering … and coming back for more.
With all of the horror and tragedy we have seen through twenty issues and almost two years of Scooby Apocalypse, it is amazing that this team is able to create a story which is as memorable as this one. The sincere artwork of Andy Owens and striking colors of Hi-Fi disguise the melancholy of this tale, with pure white snow covering the sadness disguised within. But of course the signifying sight of Velma’s clear glasses gave us a clue something major would be happening within this issue, since we have never seen her eyes unless there was something to be revealed; everytime we see our self-absorbed scientist, those spectacles have been glazed over, almost as if to protect her from the horror she created and only when a crossroad is to be ventured, are those brown eyes dramatically shown to great effect. That singular image sets the stage, even as the melodrama around them begins to unfold and reflections of previous actions are brought to full use within each panel. Each page progresses the narrative, until we arrive at the crux of the adventure – how everything has affected Cliffy, and this is where this artistic pair shines. We open to a serious discussion between Shaggy and Velma, but it is not until a young boy makes his appearance does the tale turn towards something more than the seriousness of callous adults wanting to make things better. The striking expression on his face, one of hope, makes us really wonder and wish for the impossible even as events strike us otherwise. Then in an effort to almost alleviate that sadness, we are returned to Daphne – her callousness is at times laughable even as we know she is the one who cares for everyone the most. The dark tones which surround brighter faces makes the action more pronounced, allowing the audience to laugh at even serious moments with brief humor. Owens knows how to build the tension, allowing each panel and page to compound until it burst which unexpected results. However the most pleasing event within the story was the Charlie Brown Christmas tree analog, Fred bring Daisy a shrub to decorate to lessen Cliffy’s pain, and made even sadder when it is overloaded with decorations. Even if this is the reality of an apocalypse and how it ends a year’s full of pain and suffering, the finale does not disappoint with artwork like this.
Scooby Apocalypse has not disappointed and with a bombshell such as this, they give us something satisfying to look forward to next year, wondering if anyone will survive. The build up of the story left us false confidence, compounding with tension as questionable actions made our heroes do things they later regret. However which each event, they never lost hope … until the very end when we knew the story was ending on such an uncharacteristically serene note. If the Gang does wish to live to see a dawn, they need learn to accept pain and happiness are two sides of the same coin – one cannot exist without the other, even if the cruelty of that truth is what drives an apocalyptic world.
Grade: A+
Rating: T (Teen)
Released By: DC Comics
Release Date: December 13, 2017
MSRP: $3.99
