Scooby Apocalypse Vol. 3

      

Scooby Apocalypse Vol. 3 collects issues 13-18 of the series and is pretty much firing on all cylinders now. The gang are out in the world amidst a nanite- induced apocalypse, where almost everyone other than them has been transformed into bloodthirsty monsters. This one opens up where volume two left off, with the gang arriving in Seattle and finding Velma's still- living brother Rufus. Unfortunately Rufus is a douchebag of the highest order and before long the group has to take their leave of him post haste. 

They're accompanied by Rufus' wife Daisy, who's had enough of being treated like a doormat by the guy, and she's a solid addition to the group. Meanwhile they're still being tracked by Scappy-Doo, the enhanced dog from the Complex that wants to find Velma and make her stabilize his implants before he loses his new- found intelligence. The Scrappy subplot has been building throughout the series and I'm happy to see it more or less get resolved here- I was afraid it was going to get dragged out too long. Between that and the Daisy situation it feels like things are staying fresh and new as they continue to adapt to a changed world. 

The writing continues to impress- the writers seem to hit the right note combining humor with creepiness. The monsters are delightfully wacky and grotesque, but the vibrant art makes them fun to look at, if that's possible. Speaking of the art, it's pretty good- like a lot of modern comics there's a little bit of inconsistency with the art team, but Dale Eaglesham does a lot of the art here and he's one of my favorite artists. It's a fun comic to look at- and there's a splash page about halfway through where they're being attacked and Daphne looks absolutely badass. 

So this is fun. The only real complaint I have are the back-up features- it seems like just when the story is hitting its stride the issue ends in a back-up feature and it totally steals the momentum. The Scrappy back-up gets integrated into the main storyline and the new back-up features Secret Squirrel, which I have no idea who that is, but it's not very compelling. A waste of time if you ask me. Other than that, this comic rocks. 

Some highlights. Velma leaping to Daphne's aid (from a tree) and missing- landing on the ground in a very undignified manner! Scrappy musing about losing his newfound intelligence- 

"Next thing you know I'll be peeing on a fire hydrant."