The Secret of Moon Castle
by Enid Blyton (Basil Blackwell, 1953) [Armada, 1991]
![Book cover: “The Secret of Moon Castle” by Enid Blyton (Basil Blackwell, 1953) [Armada, 1991]](https://www.derelictspacesheep.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Blyton_Secret-Moon-Castle.jpg)
Blyton’s ‘Secret’ series ends with a bit of a whimper. The villain is unambiguous and the mystery entails a nebulous mining scheme that, Scooby-Doo style, would have remained hidden if not for his trying to scare the kids off with manufactured spookery.
Scooby Apocalypse, Vol. 1
by Keith Giffen & J.M. DeMatteis; ill. Howard Porter (DC Comics, 2017)
A conceptually appealing reboot, soon rendered tiresome by an overload of slick, cluttered, gory action panels and the writers’ insistence on vomiting up Daphne and Velma’s argument every few pages. Ultimately, subjecting the Scooby Gang to zombified mature content merely diminishes them.
The Case of the Missing Men
by Kris Bertin & Alexander Forbes (Conundrum, 2017)
A Scooby-Doo style mystery investigation where the danger is real, and grotesque horror elements stand in place of the humour. This graphic novel has some nice impressionist touches but the storyline is more about the journey than the destination. Engaging but unsatisfying.