Warning: Spoilers for The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries #8 ahead!Rebounding from an embarrassing portrayal in Velma (2023), Scooby-Doo!‘s Fred Jones finally manages to score a major win – and over Batman, no less. While very few of the Mystery Inc. crew managed to eke out a positive performance in HBO Max’s Velma, it’s arguable that no one suffered more than team leader Fred Jones, whose character was changed from being a somewhat airheaded but highly capable technician to a completely unlikeable buffoon. In comics, however, Fred still retains his crown as the king of booby traps, managing to catch one of DC’s greatest escape artists in his snares.
In Sholly Fisch and Erich Owen’s The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries #8, the Mystery Inc. crew is befuddled to discover that their regular partnership with Batman has been usurped by a new team of teenage sleuths known as the Wraith Wranglers. Despite Mystery Inc.’s struggles to keep up with this new group, Batman and the Wraith Wranglers are ahead of them on every turn as they try to solve the mystery of an ancient bat spirit that is haunting Gotham. At one point, Mystery Inc. encounters Batman on a boat just as he has pinned down the person responsible for the ghostly happenings – only for Batman to fall prey to the gangplank that Fred booby-trapped in order to cover their steps, allowing the culprit to get away.
Fred Snares One of DC’s Greatest Escape Artists
While Fred certainly did not intend to catch Batman in his snare, this is nonetheless a major feather in the trap-maker’s cap as very few people can match Batman’s skill as an escape artist. During his training to become Batman, Bruce Wayne studied escape techniques under the magician John Zatara, a master of the craft and one of DC’s greatest magicians. His skills are so great that they even rival those of Scott Free, a.k.a. Mister Miracle the New God of freedom and escapes.
This ego-booster for Fred comes at just the right time, as his depiction in Velma ended up drastically exaggerating the character’s negative traits. While modern depictions do acknowledge Fred’s tendency toward absent-mindedness, this tends to be bundled into his fondness for dreaming up and implementing elaborate traps – and, notably, does not meaningfully impact his ability to contribute to Mystery Inc’s efforts. His skill in setting traps is such that Batman, who regularly faces down impossible death traps from foes like the Riddler, outright tells Fred, “Next time you booby-trap a ship…tell me first.” This implies that Fred’s skill is such that even Batman would need forewarning.
While these events may ultimately not seem like much (Fred removes a plank from a gangway and Batman falls through the gap), the fact still remains that Batman is still caught by one of Fred’s snares. Fred is one of the more often-mocked members of Mystery Inc., from his love of ascots to his catchphrase of “Let’s split up!” (usually when splitting up would put the entire team in danger), and his rude and privileged depiction in Velma did him no favors. At the end of the day, however, Fred Jones of Scooby-Doo‘s Mystery Inc. successfully captured Batman – an ultimate compliment that few others can lay claim to.
The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries #8 is now available from DC Comics.
This story originally appeared on Screenrant
