A graphic novel from DC Comics, Sholly Fisch (writer), Dario Brizuela (artist).

Like most children of the 80’s one of the only times to see super heroes on TV was the occasional airing of the time Batman and Robin teamed up with the Mystery Machine gang. Hanna-Barbera and DC Comics are both under the larger Warner Bros. umbrella so these team ups are legally easy to pull off today. Some direct to DVD movies exist but then there’s also fun comics like this from both characters.

In this series, Batman and Robin enlist the help of Scooby-Doo and friends. Then in later stories they find reasons to meet up again, Robin asks for help without Batman, and later Wonder Woman and the rest of the Super Friends seek out the Gang’s assistance.

This is everything necessary to get the next generation into comics. “Hey, how do I get into comics?” “Oh, here’s Watchmen, it’s deep, deconstructive, and relies on 50 years of comic book tropes knowledge.” No! Here is classic Batman, classic Robin, Scooby-Doo and some mysteries. Batman’s rogues gallery and more bad guys appear throughout. Robin acts differently around Batman than when he’s with his friends. Give that take a GO! I’m reading this in my forties with near thirty years of comic reading experience and having an absolute blast with it. My six year old is looking over my shoulder wondering what Batman and Scooby-Doo are doing together. Sure we all love things like Walking Dead and Saga and Southern Bastards. But at some point a comic that was bright and fun and not reliant on continuity just relies on good vs bad with a couple fights. At some point that is what drew all of us to the greatest hobby on any Earth.

Not that the contents within aren’t reliant on comic book history. The in jokes are fantastic, but by no means making the book inaccessible to anyone. To switch art styles from Super Friends to channeling Burt Ward to big head Cartoon Network Robin all from the same artist seems like a magic trick. In actuality all of this is evidence of a deep love for all the characters. There’s no need for a grim and gritty Scoob. Sometimes we all have to put the comic back in comic book.

I would love to give a balanced review and take this time to call out some negatives, but there weren’t any. This was so much fun to read and if not for the fact it was a borrow from the local library, I would re-read it right after finishing this post. So much of comics and really all the world today is negative, making islands of joy like this important creations to cherish.

And if you have something negative to say about my review, you know where you can do so.