Batman

The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries #11

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Returning to the Gotham Museum of Culture, where the series began, Batman and Mystery, Inc. reunite for another case. Our detectives are forced to shutdown a gala at the museum prematurely when a mask from the Detectives Exhibit is stolen and ghosts appear to scare off the guests. “Helping” on the case is the Creeper who was in the neighborhood to cover the gala as reporter Jack Ryder but transforms into super-hero trouble-maker/detective to solve the case.

The Creeper fits into the comic’s oddball characters even if the reveal our baddie (a former criminal, now working at the museum), is a little odd. Turns out he is responsible for the theft and appearances of ghostly apparitions inspired by classic detective story characters to scare off others from the exhibit.

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Detective Comics #1051

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Part of the ongoing “Shadow of the Bat” arc, the Bat-Family (sans Batman) is trying to get a new drug off the streets of Gotham, the supplier of which is Arkham Tower’s Dr. Tobias Wear. He has been selling both real and fake shipments of drugs to criminals all over town who are none to happy. He’s also got Mayor Nakano on his back in terms of the city signing off on his form of treatment. Which is why he’s brought in Psycho Pirate to help control the situation. Turns out putting all your hopes on a emotionally-unstable psychotic in a jester’s costume isn’t necessarily the best plan.

Even several issues into the arc, you can still make out the basics of the plot here (although I’m not sure why so many Bat characters are needed undercover within Arkham Tower). The Psycho Pirate loosing control means all hell breaks loose in Arkham Tower at one point, but by the end the situation is as under control as things get in Gotham City.

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The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries #10

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When a number of resorts are terrorized by a series of creatures all resembling a sasquatch, Batman enlists the help of Mystery, Inc. and the Question to solve the case. The reason for the attack comes from the land each of the resorts were built on, as General Eiling was making use of the Shaggy Man for his own devious ends in order to put each of the resorts out of business so he could then plunder an old military cache buried deep underground.

Renee, appearing both as herself and the Question, is a fun addition that fits right in with Scooby-Doo and the gang. Unlike the gang’s usual traps, the one Batman sets captures both Shaggy Man and the General without a hitch (although I don’t know if Batman really needed to surf in able to pull that off, but to each his own). 

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Batman #119

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Batman‘s investigation in Badhnisia continues as he has a run in with Lex Luthor but as Batman and Bruce Wayne. After buying up Batman, Inc., now incarcerated for the murder of the villain Abyss (who it turns out is far from dead), Luthor has a preposition for Batman. One our hero doesn’t exactly take all that well.

The issue is notable for the Batman/Luthor confrontations (and planting the idea of Batman working for Luthor – God, this broke Batman shit is dumb), and Batman’s first run-in with Abyss who leaves our hero blind and bleeding out in a not-too-friendly police station as the comic comes to a close. Yeah, I’m sure Bruce Wayne has had better vacations.

The issue also includes an unrelated back-up story involving Mia Mizoguchi to try and justify the higher price and page-count. 

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The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries #9

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The recently salvaged pirate ship of Captain Black Jack Paddywhack which was shipwrecked in 1764 along with a treasure map to the pirate’s stash of gold brings out Mystery, Inc., various treasure hunters, and the Riddler. Oh, the ghost of Black Jack Paddywhack shows up as well to scare off all but the most determined of the treasure hunters, forcing Scooby and the gang to team with the villain to try and find the treasure and solve the mystery by deciphering a list of clues and riddles.

Batman only makes a cameo at the end to take the Riddler into custody, while leaving Scooby and the gang working with the super-villain for most of the issue in an unexpected twist. Daphne is able to discover the source of the ghost while Velma uncovers the trick the Riddler has played on them all, but in the end it takes all of them to find the treasure.

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