Scooby-Doo #38
DC Comics (September, 2000; posted to comiXology May, 2014)
PENCILER: Joe Staton
COLORIST: Paul Becton
LETTERER: John Costanza
ASSISTANT EDITOR: Harvey Richards
EDITOR: Joan Hilty
“The Curse Of The Jungle Tomb”
WRITER: John Rozum
INKER: Dave Hunt
“Techno? Heck No!”
WRITER: Bob Fingerman
INKER: Bill Wray
Our first story finds a jaguar spirit chasing archeologists away from a Mayan tomb. This is another story where the villain actually has well-meaning goals but went about it the wrong way. It’s also one that doesn’t have enough time for a proper mystery for the readers to solve along with the gang. Otherwise it was a good story.
The second story gives us yet another family member, in this case Velma’s cousin. He’s developed a new superconductor but the company is being haunted by some kind of poltergeist. The gang are also helped early on by one of his rivals when the Mystery Machine breaks down. I’m hoping this is the start of a gag every time with the van breaking down. The story was interesting last week but in this issue Shaggy jokes during the tour in the first story that the Mystery Machine would have broken down and in this story it does. I guess there’s more of an attempt for a reader-solvable mystery in here but not really on the level this franchise is famous for.
Overall a pretty good issue to check out but it keeps making me wish they’d stay to one story per issue and really work the mystery angle out better.