In the world of pop culture, few franchises are as synonymous with fun detective stories as Scooby-Doo, currently published through DC Comics. Between their own series and their numerous team-up comics, Mystery Incorporated have seen a variety of their classic tropes turns on their head – most notably, their tradition of unmasking their foe at the end of a story.
The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries #6 – written by Amanda Deibert, with art by Dario Brizuela – subverted what is perhaps the Scooby Gang’s best-known cliché, flipping it in a brilliant way.
In Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries, the gang have teamed up with the Dark Knight on a variety of Gotham-based cases, the mysteries often leading back to the hero’s villains. In issue #6, the gang walk right into a trap designed to frame them – and it leads to a fun reversal of their formula.
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Scooby-Doo’s Team-up With Batman Hilarious Subverts Its Classic Mask Reveals
The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries #6 – Written By Amanda Deibert; Art By Dario Brizuela; Color By Franco Riesco; Lettering By Saida Temofonte
In The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries #6, the Scooby Gang are invited to participate in a sleuthing competition at Huntingstun, a local library that houses rare and old books. Quickly, the gang are knee-deep in one of their classic chases, with a ghost pursuing them through the halls of the library. At the last minute, Velma grabs a book that’s key to their next clue, but it only causes Batman, who steps in to stop the ghost – revealed to be a security guard with a gimmick – to believe that they are thieves. After locking them up in the local jail, Bruce Wayne “persuades” the Caped Crusader to give them a chance to prove their innocence.
When Scooby and the gang follow their next set of clues to a bank vault, they find themselves in the second frame-up job of the issue, with a familiar security guard detains them. Noticing that it’s the same guard from before, Velma unmasks him, only to realize it’s another disguise, that of a dog groomer they’d previously encountered. Pulling off the mask for a second time, they’re hilariously faced with a ghost-like mask, concealing the fourth and final identity: Cluemaster, a DC villain from the Silver Age.
Scooby-Doo’s Modern Comics Are Smart, Creative Uses Of Beloved Characters
Flipping The “Mask Reveal” Trope Is A Perfect Example
The Scooby-Doo franchise has poked fun at its own history and tropes on numerous occasions, including within Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries. Whether it’s having ghosts impersonate other ghosts, or amusing villain motivations, modern writers have done a great job of subverting the patented Scooby Doo formula. This issue stands out as a great play on the unmasking trope, basically giving the villain a Russian nesting doll of disguises for the gang to peel back. The final reveal of a Silver Age villain is simply the icing on the cake, continuing Scooby Doo’s homage to the obscure corners of DC.
Batman
One of DC’s most iconic heroes, Batman is the vigilante superhero persona of billionaire Bruce Wayne. Forged by tragedy with the death of his parents, Bruce dedicated his life to becoming the world’s leading martial artist, detective, and tactician. Recruiting an entire family of allies and sidekicks, Bruce wages war on evil as the dark knight of his hometown, Gotham City.
