Scooby Apocalypse Vol. 1

What would happen if you took Scooby-Doo and the gang, gave them a postmillennial-snark update, and tossed them into a Resident Evil knockoff? Giffen, DeMatteis, and Porter, all alumni of various versions of the Justice League, aim to find out. Things start off with a new origin story for the bickering gang, whose members are a once-promising, now-low-rent cable-news duo (Fred and Daphne); an antisocial genius (Velma); and a hipster doofus and his cybernetically enhanced talking dog (Shaggy and Scooby) who both have the perpetual munchies. They come together at a top-secret underground research facility where a scientific plan to perfect humanity has gone awry. Before you know it, the gang is battling ravenous hell beasts and debating the moral expediency of killing partiers turned monsters at a Burning Man–type festival. Porter’s straight superhero drawing style, full of ’90s poses, is an odd fit for Scooby-Doo, but meshes with the occasionally witty but frequently repetitive writing. Instead of a brave, more-adult-oriented reboot, à la Archie, this is more a dull detour that confuses nonstop action with reimagination. (Feb.)