Did not grow up with "The Creepy Creature of Vulture's Claw", as far as 'The Scooby Doo Show' episodes go, while not seeing it late into the game either. More somewhere in between. When younger, this was one of the episodes that fitted in the liked it very much but didn't love it category. A good position to be in, especially for a latter half Season 3 (a generally disappointing period in my view in a variable season) episode, while not being a show high point.
"The Creepy Creature of Vulture's Claw" is still not one of my favourite episodes of 'The Scooby Doo Show', but actually like it a good deal more as a young adult and have found more things to like with each viewing. It's a unique episode for a couple of reasons, and to me it does still stand out as one of the better episodes of Season 3 and easily one of the better ones of the second half of the season. Being somebody that generally didn't care for the season's second half.
Is "The Creepy Creature of Vulture's Claw" perfect? No. The perpetrator's motives could have been elaborated upon quite a bit more as the reason for the scaring away is rather vague and gives one the feeling that all the elaborate lengths gone to were not necessary.
Also, it is never explained how a person much smaller than the mantis' height could get much taller numerous times throughout. That is left to the imagination.
However, as was said above, "The Creepy Vulture of Vulture's Claw" is a different episode for a few reasons. It has the highest suspect count of the whole show (which tends to have episodes where suspects are too few), with all of them having realistic motives for the crime. It is also an episode where it is one of the few times for the show and the franchise where the identity of the perpetrator was a complete shock, the most shocking perpetrator reveal since Season 1's "The Harum Scarum Sanitarium" and manages to be even more shocking than that. Am not going to give it away, but upon seeing it it struck me as an unusually bold reveal. Will admit though that one of the other suspects would have been even more plausible, when one takes into account an impossibly fast costume change in one crucial scene.
When it comes to the atmosphere, "The Creepy Creature of Vulture's Claw" does not disappoint. The botannical gardens (a different kind of location) is one of the most eerie locations of the show and of the franchise and used to truly spooky effect. The mantis is a well designed and easy to remember monster and its gives one the creeps factor holds up. The mystery is very diverting, with some very clever touches and clues, and a lot happens without it being over-stuffed. The final solution is underdeveloped but was clever and different. The writing is humorous and intriguing. The gang are fine, Shaggy and Scooby are delightful and their encounters with the mantis are both entertaining and scary, and the suspects are fun. The voice acting is solid, no distractingly bad accents here. The animation is colourful and atmospheric and the music has come on quite a bit and is not cheap or overused.
Summing up, very nicely done. 8/10.
