Review by Ian Keogh

A long time ago there used to be crossovers between the characters from kids cartoon shows, and the thrill of anticipation was almost always replaced by disappointment. For older readers of this all-ages series there may be some thought of the same occurring by teaming Batman with the Scooby-Doo cast, but two strong aspects weigh in favour. The first is the consistent creativity of the creators. Sholly Fisch must be the most under-rated writer of superhero comics since 2010, not given his due because his sparkling and inventive plots are applied to all-ages comics. Many have been produced with Dario Brizuela, whose storytelling isn’t only clear and expressive, but also responsible for extremely attractive looking pages.

The second major signifier of success is that Fisch and Brizuela have already served up treat after treat combining Scooby and Co. with a great variety of DC superheroes in Scooby-Doo Team-Up.

However, the first story teams Brizuela with the work of animation writer Ivan Cohen, and it’s a really strong opener, sending Velma, Shaggy and Scooby back in time to solve the mystery of Batman’s original purple gloves. Both Cohen and Fisch recognise Batman’s history and drop in nice little moments such as the acknowledgement of the 1960s Batman film when one case takes everyone to Gotham Pier. Moments of that sort, though, are the window dressing, and both writers deliver strong mysteries with funny jokes, giving good reasons for Mystery Inc being in Gotham, taking a tour of Batman’s villains and also including guest stars.

Brizuela draws three of the six team-ups, and while Randy Elliott and Scott Jeralds are also fine, he’s the star turn, his layouts more expansive and featuring more attractive characters. Jeralds gets to draw Scooby and Co as youngsters in Fisch’s story about how they influenced Bruce Wayne before he became Batman. That’s not the only clever aspect as we discover how Daphne’s changed over the years

Anyone mourning the loss of Scooby-Doo Team-Up should head straight here for more of the same quality, and sheer fun, then pick up Vol. 2.