Classic Doom Patrol Action And Asymmetrical Art In Scooby-Doo! Team-Up #43
by Josh Davison
[*Mild Spoilers Ahead!]
Mystery Incorporated finds their way into the secret headquarters of the Doom Patrol (thanks to the help of Danny the Street). Mystery Inc. finds the team under attack by a series of their most hated foes appearing and disappearing at intervals. Scooby and the gang can hopefully help the Doom Patrol discover what is happening in their headquarters and stop this mysterious assault.
Scooby-Doo! Team-Up #43 is a charming union of classical representation of Mystery Inc. and the original lineup of DC’s strangest heroes, the Doom Patrol.
It plays out like an episode of The New Scooby-Doo Movies, where they regularly teamed up with guest stars like Batman and Robin or the Three Stooges. It primarily takes place in the world of the guest stars, and many of the Doom Patrol antagonists show up or are referenced.
There are a few good jokes at the expense of the Scooby-Doo team’s style, personality, and methods. Robot Man, Negative Man, and Elasti-Girl all take jabs at each other, which is true to this team’s history of having trouble cooperating.
The main problems that arise are in the art. I’m not sure how deliberate this was, but the Scooby team take the same series of poses and stances that make them seem like they are from a different dimension than the Doom Patrol. Maybe this is a joke about the low-budget nature of the original Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? Cartoon. It doesn’t look great though, and it isn’t helped that the inking on the outline of the Mystery Inc. members are noticeably thicker, and the characters look blurry at times.
Scooby-Doo! Team-Up #43 is a charming children’s-oriented comic, and the resolution of the mystery takes another endearing dive into the Doom Patrol mythos. It’s well-paced and fun, and, despite the handful of noticeable problems with the art, it is a good-looking comic much of the time. If you’re in the mood for some classic Scooby-Doo! fun or another all-too rare appearance of the classic Doom Patrol, then check this book out.
Scooby-Doo! Team-Up #43 comes to us from writer Sholly Fisch, artist Dario Brizuela, color artist Franco Riesco, letterer Saida Temofonte, and cover artists Dario Brizuela and Franco Riesco.
