Scott's Take: Shazam Vol 1: Meet The Captain! by Mark Waid, illustrator Dan Mora

Shazam Vol 1: Meet The Captain! by Mark Waid, illustrator Dan Mora, is a good one. These two are some of the best in the business, so you know it is going to be a good read. It certainly is in all aspects.

 

Billy and Mary have had several miniseries over the years, but this is an actual full series. Billy is now calling his superhero persona, The Captain. He has had a number of superhero names such as Shazam, Captain Marvel, Captain Thunder, and others, but now is going with The Captain.  Mary has a new set of goddesses powering her superhero persona. Billy has taken the Rock of Eternity (a magical place that looks like a rock) into his chest. Yes, there is a rock inside his chest now.

 

So, the gods who power Billy have decided to try to take over his mind. They sort of succeed, which is causing him to act in unpredictable ways. They want a bigger representation on Earth, so that they are not forgotten. They intend to use Billy’s body for themselves. Having a rock in his chest is one of the milder things in this weird DC universe where there are talking gorillas, dinosaurs from outer space, and more.

 

Billy is the main lead. The supporting cast for the most part is underutilized because there is just too many of them now. His family is also too big now for a real focus on them. Mary has some pretty great moments and there is some character work done with Freddie, but the rest play minor roles. Personally, I prefer Mary over Billy as the main character, but she is busy in other books so her role here is important but minor. There is also Tawny, the talking tiger, who is taking care of the kids while the adults are away.

 

The read ends with the first part of a Knight Terror tie in. Instead of reading the story here, one is expected to go find the Knight Terror issue separately. That does not really work as Billy is not important in the Knight Terror issues. Black Adam (who is only featured at the end of this read) and Mary are the main characters in those stories, so they really don’t tie in. Unless you like those characters, you can safely skip the Knight Terror deal here.

 

The art is great. Dan Mora remains one of the best artists in comics. There will be a second volume, but that currently has no title and no release date. Waid will be the writer for part of it while Josie Campell who previously wrote The New Champion of Shazam which I reviewed here will be significantly involved. She is a great writer, so I still have high expectations even if I will miss Waid.

 

Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3W9srOd

 

My print reading copy came from the Fretz Park Branch of the Dallas Public Library System. 

 

 

Scott A. Tipple ©2024