After telling the New 52 origin story of Billy Batson piecemeal over the past year and a half, Geoff Johns and Gary Frank finally deliver the ending we’ve all been waiting for, setting up what will hopefully be many years of stories to come.
Written by Geoff Johns
Illustrated by Gary FrankTHE MARCH TO TRINITY WAR CONTINUES! This is it! Shazam’s origin story concludes in an extra sized extravaganza! As Black Adam threatens to gain control of all magic, Billy Batson learns that in order to stop him, he’ll need help from the unlikeliest of people. But what greater role awaits Shazam in the larger DC universe? And what does the Justice League have to do with it?
For a long time now, the “Shazam” backups have been the best part of “Justice League,” thanks to tight characterization, an innovative revitalization of the “Captain Marvel” mythos, and breathtaking art from Gary Frank. The #0 issue saw Shazam nab the main feature for an oversized tale, and issue #21 does the same, offering a grand finale. However, even with the extra pages, Johns packs in just a bit too much.
After the first chapters of “Shazam,” many were taken aback by the rude and unlikeable new take on Billy, a far cry from the innocent, “gee-whiz,” incarnation. Fortunately, Johns has moved much closer to the core of what made Captain Marvel tick in years past, the idea of family. Johns incorporates Billy’s foster siblings in a big way, taking a page from his “Captain Thunder” character in Flashpoint. Similar to his retooling of the Green Lantern concept of fear, Johns ties the bond of family, and the idea of what causes that bond, to the character’s mythology. While it remains to be seen how this affects Billy’s powers moving forward remains to be seen, it’s an interesting tweak on an old concept.
With three villains lurking around (Black Adam, Sivana, and the Seven Sins) Johns is forced to make some quick and sweeping changes, clearing the board for what is to come next. As such, a few threads are ended rather abruptly, specifically Black Adam. Adam is the third villain that Johns has recently taken off the table (the others being Sinestro and Black Hand), only for them to reappear in the upcoming Villain’s month, so it will be interesting to see where he ends up next.
Speaking of what’s coming next, there’s surprisingly little in the issue regaring the upcoming “Trinity War,” which begins in just a few weeks with the release of “Justice League” #22. Astute fans may notice the similarity between the flaming pentagram emblazening the Seven Sin’s beast and the one witnessed by Stargirl in “Justice League of America” #1. It could be a coincidence, as pentagrams are universally symbolic of dark or evil magic, but it seems unlikely that Johns would utilize the symbol twice without some significance. While it would’ve been nice to get a hint of how Shazam’s story will feed into the event, it’s probably for the best that Johns allowed the story to function on its own.
It’s hard to come up with more nice things to say about Gary Frank, a man whose previous collaborations with Johns on “Action Comics” and “Batman: Earth One” were nothing short of masterful. However, his work on “Shazam” may be his defining work. While those previous works were heavily influenced by previous portrayals, “Shazam” has allowed Frank to design a new world from the ground up. The designs of the Seven Sins, the champions of Shazam, and the various magical inhabitants of this world are rendered in fantastic detail. Frank plays the Christmas setting to his advantage, with swirling snow mingled in with raging fire and lightning, cementing the elemental nature of the magic contained within these pages. Hopefully this isn’t the last we see of Frank’s work on these characters, but whatever book he ends up on next will be better for it.
As a definitive origin story, “Justice League” #21 delivers a bombastic story full of winks and nods towards longtime fans. While the issue bites off a bit more than it can chew, Johns ties a fairly neat bow on everything, while also leaving several plot threads for whoever takes over the Big Cheese. More than anything, it’s great to see the character playing a prominent role in the DCU once again.
Final Verdict: 8.3 – A satisfying, if somewhat rushed, conclusion to a delightful origin story.
