Scooby-Doo, Where Are You #55 fits perfectly into the world of superheroes and offers a lot of fun for kids and adults alike. While I would have loved to see the gang interact with some actual DC heroes (even lesser known ones) it still serves as a relatable, more so than much of the current New 52 stories.
Faster than a cheap watch! Stronger than the smell of old gym socks! It’s…Hyperman! The Mystery Inc. gang is invited to an advance movie screening of Shaggy and Scooby’s favorite super hero, Hyperman – but when the movie’s super-villain comes to life and terrorizes the theater, the movie reel goes missing. Now, it’s up to Shaggy and sidekick Scooby to save the day!
Issue #55 really will hit home to many parents and young adults out there. While the basic underlying setting and plot of movie premiers might go above the heads of little kids, it’s still a fun read at any age. The story opens up as the gang is huddled up in front of a movie theater late at night in the cold. It seems that Scooby and company managed to get some tickets to a screening of the upcoming Hyperman superhero film and are doing what many of us have done in the past by waiting in line late at night. I’ve been there, waiting in line at all hours of the night in the cold just to get the best possible seat to the next big superhero film.
That’s really cool, but like I said above I would have loved to see a DC hero instead of Hyperman. How fun would it have been if the gang was waiting in line for the a Plastic Man film, or the next Batman flick. It still works out fine, but when you own all these properties you might as well have some fun with them. We’ve seen all sorts of DC heroes team-up with the Scooby-Doo gang in the past, so it’s not out of the question.
The story itself follows the basic structure of the Scooby-Doo formula, more so the classic television series than the comic one. We get a number of sight gags that will make fans smile and we also get a very well paced story through it all. Although this time around I couldn’t guess who the bad guy was under the mask right away, when the reveal came I kicked myself for missing it. It was almost so obvious that it went over my head.
Seeing a non superhero book play with the superhero genre is always a blast. Maybe next time we can see the gang getting into an adventure while waiting in line to get into Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con for the DC panel. Heck, that sounds like a fantastic idea! That one’s on the house DC, you can credit me for it later and we can call it square.
The art is also top-notch really capturing the look and feel of the characters. Everything just flows really well and the book is full of really clean art and vibrant colors. This book isn’t for everyone of course, but I commend DC for continuing to put of comic books aimed squarely at the kid market. I may not have any kids, but it’s nice giving parents options when shopping. Yes, Hellblazer and Batman are super cool books and characters, but their subject matters aren’t always the most family friendly.
Scooby-Doo, Where Are You #55 is a lot of fun and comes highly recommended. Not only that, but you get a second backup story so you can rest assured your money is well spent.
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