Another month, another peak into the Shazam backup in “Justice League!”
Like the Smallville of the New 52, here were are, four installments into “Shazam,” and we’ve met pretty much all the key players in the series before Billy Batson actually says that magic word, transforming himself into Shazam, nee Captain Marvel.
Black Adam is freed from his captivity, and has grabbed Dr. Sivana and his companion, questioning them about the whereabouts of the Wizard. We only spend a few moments with Adam, but he is clearly still a man who has no qualms about ruffling some feathers to get what he wants, as he fries poor lackey de Sivana for simply not speaking “his language,” which I presume to be Egyptian. Sivana promises to help him find who he is looking for, and we Dorothy and the Tin Man are off to see the Wizard.
One interesting piece to note here is that Adam shoots lightning from the lightning bolt on his chest now; I mentioned this last time, as his emblem was glowing, but it appears to be now how he unleashes (part of) his pwer.
Meanwhile, Billy and Freddy try and break into Mr. Breyer’s car to pop it in neutral and let it roll downhill, and get some sweet, sweet revenge. Unfortunately, Billy’s not as good at this as he lets on, and sounds the alarm. Realizing that Freddy, with his crutches, will never be able to outrun the Breyers, Billy pushes him into the bushes, tells him to hide, and deflects the scorn of the family of bullies that is the Breyers. Billy eventually hops on a subway car, gives a dog some attitude, and with a bolt of lightning is now on an old-timey train which arrives at the entrance to the Rock of Eternity.
The Rock of Eternity, from the one panel preview we get, appears to have many of the classic elements of prior incarnations, as well as the iconic Shazam lightning bolt on display both carved into rock and, apparently, in a novelty throw rug the Wizard got from SkyMall.
This issue, again, reinforces that the innocent Billy Batson, chosen in part for his honesty and valor, is not this Billy. Sure, he defends his foster siblings, and sure, he doesn’t want Freddy to get pinched, but instead of being a man of valor, he seems more to be a man with a chip on his shoulder. While this isn’t a bad character trait for a lead character to have, don’t we have enough of these types? I really don’t get why everyone in the DCnU needs to be “edgy;” is this the 90s? Is that what still sells?
I guess it is, but I still have hope that when we see the Big Red Cheese for the first time, he manages to still retain some of that goofy innocence that is what made him such a fun character in years past.
