Z-Z-Z Zombie Freeeeedddd!!! Your Major Spoilers review of Scooby Apocalypse #35 awaits!

SCOOBY APOCALYPSE #35

Writer: J.M. DeMatteis/Heath Corson
Penciler: Pat Oliffe/Gus Vazquez
Inker: Tom Palmer
Colorist: Hi-Fi
Letterer: Travis Lanham
Editor: Harvey Richards
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: March 13, 2019

Previously in Scooby Apocalypse: With the mall in ruins and the forces of the Nanite King advancing on them, it looks like the end for the Scooby Gang! But an unlikely ally appears to give them hope. Will the resurrected Fred Jones be the savior humanity needs?

I HONESTLY NEVER EXPECTED THIS TO LAST SO LONG

This issue opens with the survivors of the mall siege reunited in the sewer, the entire cast reunited (including zombie Fred, Scrappy-Doo, Daisy and Rufus and the Mystery Inc. team) after their compound was destroyed. Having met the brains behind the monster rebellion, a creature calling itself, the Nanite King, their morale is at the lowest point ever. That’s when Velma’s estranged brother Quentin arrives, embracing his sister lovingly and explains that he has a plan. Evacuating everyone (including the Fred-creature, whose independent nanites may be the key to undermining the Nanite King’s plans) to his own facility, Quentin gives Velma hope for the first time that she can actually undo the damage she did when her creations were released. At the same time, Daphne has to deal with seeing her ex-boyfriend’s shambling corpse reanimated, Shaggy has to realize that he does still love Velma, and Scooby finally gets something to eat. As the issue ends, The Nanite King has arrived for a final showdown, but does Velma finally have the key to the entire apocalypse?

ONE ISSUE TO GO!

Of all the weird HB/DC books, this is the one I remember getting the most static and skepticism, so naturally, it’s the longest-lasting of those titles, thanks mostly to J.M. DeMatteis being able to find the emotional core of any story. This issue is a great example of his work, with Fred sadly seeing the wreckage of the Mystery Machine, Daphne almost wanting to comfort him before angrily snarling that he’s not even human and the strange reunion of the Dinkley siblings. It’s an emotional issue (one that is only a little bit undermined by the silliness of a Batman/Atom Ant crossover in the second feature) and the high points are among the best of this series. On the art side of things, Pat Oliffe delivers a dirty, dilapidated world that perfectly conveys a world destroyed by the monster apocalypse, but still delivers on emotional moments. The sheer frustration on Velma’s face as she finally breaks and shouts at Shaggy is palpable, as is his heartbroken look afterward.

BOTTOM LINE: WEIRDLY COMPELLING

Whether or not you ever though this premise would fly, Scooby Apocalypse #35 is a great penultimate issue, bringing together friend and foe alike for a final chapter that should wrap everything up, with gritty, appropriate art and a compelling story making for a 4 out of 5 stars overall experience. Maybe it’s the iconic characters, maybe it’s the writing, but this issue makes me want to reread the whole Scooby Apocalypse run as one big collection.

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