It takes a special kind of book to maintain a consistent level of quality while changing writers every issue. The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries is that kind of book. This book has been nothing but Saturday morning fun, and I absolutely love it. If you have a young reader or a little one you want to get into comics, this series is absolutely for you. There's even a very special guest this issue: Ace the Bat-hound!

Dog Days

The Gotham City Dog Show is here, and who better to judge than the two most renowned hounds in town? Scooby-Doo and Ace are this year's celebrity judges, and they're attracting fans en masse. So much so that it's interfering with their crime fighting.

The paw signatures! The dog speak! My heart is melting.

Despite the doggy duo's growing fame, however, there is still trouble in Gotham. Two crimes are being committed at once, and they're on opposite sides of the city! That means there's only one thing to do: split up and search for clues! Ivan Cohen, returning for this issue, shakes things up with the partner swap of the century: Scooby goes with Batman, while Shaggy gets Ace! Both teams split up, and the perfect amount of hijinks ensue.

The book is whimsically written and never takes itself seriously, which is accentuated by the art. Dario Brizuela and Franco Riesco have such a charming style, and I know I keep saying this, but all the colors and designs make it feel like all of these characters walked straight off the screen onto the page, all without clashing with Gotham and its citizens. In particular, I love the way Batman is drawn. It's the perfect mix between the goofy Adam West era Batman and the modern, serious version of the Dark Knight.

Look at this, it's perfect!

The whole story revolves around the two teams, solving two crimes, involving two identical twin criminals, one of whom steals a rare double-headed coin, the other dropping a flyer for a new pair of seahorses at the aquarium... hold on, I'm starting to sense a pattern here. Could it be? No...

GASP!

It is! Two-Face is back, and this time, he's after the Bat-hound himself! But why? What dastardly plot could he possibly have for our brave hero? There's only one way to find out. Set a trap! The two dogs switch places, both in disguise, and gear up to celebrity judge some dogs!

There's an absolutely wonderful bit of dog show shenanigans, with Mystery Inc. finding out the disguised twin henchmen because one of them is eating a chocolate bar near the dogs, and other cute things like that. It's delightful, and is a lot of fun to read.

Ace and Scooby are also drawn adorably. They're by far the highlight of the book for me, and Ace in particular takes the charm of this book to the next level.

LOOK AT HIS LITTLE HAND!!!!!

Recommended if...

• You're a fan of Batman or Scooby-Doo
• You have a little one that you want to get reading or get reading comics specifically
• ACE!!!! THE BAT-HOUND!!!!!!!!!!!

Overall

I love this series. It's got all the charm of a cartoon, with the added benefit that I don't have to kick my roommates off the TV to experience it. If you have a little one who you want to get reading, I absolutely recommend this book.

Score: 8/10

Disclaimer: DC Comics provided Batman News with an advance copy of this comic for the purpose of this review.