The Dragon's Eye Part 1: House of the Seven Gargoyles

This needs a stretch. (Feel free to remove when satisfied of completion.) Needed: Synopsis.

The Dragon's Eye Part 1: House of the Seven Gargoyles
Description
Publisher	DC Comics
Date published	August 2002
Part of	Scooby-Doo #60
# of pages	11
Writer	John Rozum
Penciler	Joe Staton
Inker	Horacio Ottolini
Colorer	Paul Becton
Letterer	Tom Orzechowski
Editor	Joan Hilty
Chronology
Previous story	Mr. Sandman, Bring Me a Scream!
Next story	The Dragon's Eye Part 2: Russian into Danger

The Dragon's Eye Part 1: House of the Seven Gargoyles is the first of two stories in Scooby-Doo #60, by DC Comics. It was followed by The Dragon's Eye Part 2: Russian into Danger.

Premise

Scooby-Doo and the gang are on vacation in Paris when they receive an invitation to a party for mystery writers and solvers hosted by Madame LeRoux. While they are there, the necklace of the hostess, containing a priceless green gem, is stolen by a gargoyle.

Synopsis

Insert details here.

Characters

Main characters:

• Mystery Inc.
  • Scooby-Doo
  • Shaggy Rogers
  • Fred Jones
  • Daphne Blake
  • Velma Dinkley

Supporting characters:

• Steve Kingman
• Madame LeRoux ^{(only appearance)}

Villains:

• Gargoyle ^{(only appearance)(no lines)(thief's disguise)}
• Thief ^{(only appearance)}
• Lee Shiu Shian ^{(first appearance)}

Other characters:

• Party guests ^{(only appearance)(miscellaneous speaking)}
  • Dashiell Chandler ^{(only appearance)(no lines)}
  • Agatha Sotheby ^{(only appearance)(no lines)}
  • Sir Arthur Conan O'Brien ^{(only appearance)(no lines)}
  • Sue Griffon ^{(only appearance)}
• Madame LeRoux's grandmother ^{(mentioned)(deceased)}

Locations

• Paris, France
  • Eiffel Tower
• Russia ^(mentioned)

Objects

• Apple
• Dragon's Eye jewel

Vehicles

• None

Suspects

• None

Culprits

Culprit	Motive/reason
A thief as the Gargoyle	Theft for hire.
Lee Shiu Shian, the Dragon's Eye collector, who hired him	To get a piece of the Dragon's Eye.

Continuity

• The story refers to a book about the gang written by Steve Kingman, started in the story Ghost Writer in Scooby-Doo #46. Kingman said the book was now completed, and he had written three more since.

Notes/trivia

• TBA

Miscellaneous

• Disguises: None.
• Traps:
• Scooby Snacks bribe:
• "Ruh-roh" count:
• "Zoinks" count:
• "Jeepers" count:
• "Jinkies" count:

Cultural references

The party guests' names are references to mystery authors:

• Dashiell Chandler: Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler
• Agatha Sotheby: Agatha Christie (Christie's and Sotheby's are both auction houses)
• Sir Arthur Conan O'Brien: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
• Sue Griffon: Sue Grafton

Coloring mistakes

• None known.

Inconsistencies/continuity errors and/or oddities

• None known.

Reception

Plot: Two chapters in the Dragon's Eye.

A storyarc in Scooby-Doo? Say it isn't so! Thanks to DC the storyarc has become a filthy word. Not to worry. This "arc" will not be in full force next year, nor will it require Scooby fans to shell out more money or buy marginally related titles.

If I'm to judge by the premiere of John Rozum's "Dragon's Eye" each chapter—the first two which are included this issue—will have a beginning, a middle and an end. We also need not worry about consistency, coherency or contrivance.

Mystery Inc. are icons and refreshingly stable individuals. Scooby-Do for instance is not going to buy a gun just so he can become a suspect in a trade paperback nightmare. This is not say no character development exists. Indeed, Mr. Rozum shows just how much Freddie hates to leave a mystery unsolved. He subtly comments on the subtext between Fred and Daphne. He addresses Scooby and Shaggy's history as reluctant ghost-breakers. Once they discover that like always their quarry is just a guy in a really cool monster suit, they become decidedly braver.

There's a different feel to this issue than others. Mr. Rozum's research is even more thorough. He takes a few daring plot twists. At one point, Freddie gets royally whacked. He also escapes the seemingly inevitable game-like atmosphere such plots tend to relish. He manages this break from tradition by creating a plausible setting for the mcguffin. The items pivotal to the plot are not just placed haphazardly in the setting. The setting and the focus seem natural, almost grown.

Joe Staton surpasses previous work on the book. Lending also to the big budget feel, he seems to have been given more money to spend for props and location footage. The gang are not solving a mystery in some nameless motel. We can see by the opulent architecture that they are in Paris, and even if had not the perpetually cute Daphne taken in the view of the Eiffel Tower, the posh hotel furniture would have clued the reader.

Mr. Staton, Horacio Ottolini and Paul Becton make the weather a character in this stunning opening. The rain at first does not dampen the party. It's only when falling upon gargoyles does it begin to evoke a dramatic atmosphere. It follows through by giving the chance for comic opportunity. It heightens the determination of Freddie's fight against the spook. This issue of Scooby-Doo will be the issue to which others are measured.