Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries #12

When the old Gotham Opera House becomes haunted by the Phantasm, preventing the sale of the property, the owner reaches out to Mystery, Inc. to investigate. One of the potential buyers, Leslie Thompkins, also reaches out to an old friend to lend a hand leading to another team-up between the gang and Batman. Splitting into pairs, with Batman this time working with Velma, the group discovers the truth of what’s happening at the theater.

It’s hard to think of a Bat-villain whose design lends itself better to a Scooby-Doo tale than the Phantasm. Neither ghost nor the actual villain (allowing the comic to ignore the complex backstory of the character), the look of the costume perfectly fits as someone with deep interest in the theater uses the costume to frighten away any who might do it harm. Dario Brizuela gives us great versions of all the characters once again in a comic that’s one of the better Batman and Scooby-Doo stories.

[DC, $2.99]