Another reboot of "Scooby Doo" and the gang has been announced but this time in comic book form. This time the lovable canine and his cadre of curious pals are solving mysteries in the Apocalypse. DC comics is trying a less campy revamp of the Hanna-Barbera classic, told through the eyes of comics veterans Jim Lee, Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMatteis and Howard Porter in the new series titled "Scooby Doo Apocalypse". The gang was debuted in an exclusive sneak peek showcasing the new series direction.
The main characters have been updated to better reflect the end of days. In an interview with TVguide.com Jim Lee noted, "We noticed there wasn't really an origin story for the characters.” He goes on to say, "What if we refined who these characters are? They're really cyphers in a way."
Shaggy, in particular, has gotten a major redesign; taking on a more grunge/hipster like appearance instead of the traditional vague 70’s stoner look we all know and love. This has apparently upset many fans but in regards to the criticism Lee responded, "All these people (are) saying, 'it's horrible, he's a d-bag,' and I say, 'wait... you look like this guy!' It's an unusual look, but it's to show he's visually distinct from the others, and not part of the mainstream." Another notable change in the story is that this time the monsters are real. And no, your eyes are not deceiving you; this go round the gang won’t have to pull off silly masks to unearth whatever scheme some 60-year old has hatched.
There are also talks of possibly creating a Hanna-Barbera universe within comics. In regards to a crossover, Lee said, "There's a lot of thoughts shared, non-sequiturs thrown out...We love doing world-building." He added, "....there's a dream sequence where Scooby finds himself in the Wacky Racelands....The books are stretched out, not just throughout the world, but throughout time. That definitely leads to a world-building dialogue and discussion."
Hopefully, this time, old Scoob and the gang will be able to connect with us all regardless of which Scooby Doo you grew up with. "Scooby Apocalypse" issue #1 drops on May 25.
