DC is in a weird position with Shazam as a property. The Shazam film was a hit, with a sequel and a Black Adam spin-off both coming out in the next two years. But on the comics side, the character hasn’t had a real foothold at DC in many years. Aside from backups and guest appearances in the New 52’s “Justice League” and a short-lived (and impossibly delayed) ongoing series from Geoff Johns, the character has felt stuck in the mire for years now.
As part of Tim Sheridan’s “Teen Titans Academy” cast, Billy Batson has had a little more to do, but has very much been on the fringe of that jam packed title. The Tim Sherdian-penned “Shazam” miniseries spins out of “Teen Titans Academy” and gives both answers and new questions for Billy’s situation.
Written by Tim SheridanCover by Clayton Henry
Illustrated by Clayton Henry
Colored by Marcelo Maiolo
Lettered by Rob LeighBilly Batson came to Titans Academy looking for answers. Why was the rest of his adopted family cut off from the power of Shazam? Why are his own powers becoming increasingly unreliable? The answers send Billy on an outrageous adventure that’ll not only change him but have an immense impact on the school and other students on Titans Island.
Tim Sheridan is a relatively new comic writer, coming to the medium after years in animation, though you would never know that from the work that he is doing at DC. Sheridan steps into the Shazam mythos and boldly makes some decisions that push Billy’s story forward without throwing out the baby with the bathwater. By reading this one issue, the reader has a clear and concise answer for what is happening in Billy’s life.
A big question since Billy showed up in “Academy” was what happened to the other members of the ‘Shazam’ family. In Johns’s re-telling of the Shazam origin in the New 52, Billy shared his powers with not just Mary and Freddie, but a larger adoptive family. After the ongoing series wrapped up last year, these characters haven’t been seen anywhere. Billy’s powers have been changing, starting with his family no longer sharing his powers. Sheridan adds an extra wrinkle to this, which adds a hefty dose of emotional weight to Billy’s story, but we’ll leave the details out due to the spoiler nature of the reveal. But that one piece of writing instantly elevates this story to something really vital, with real, potentially devastating stakes.
Despite the dark ramifications, the book doesn’t feel particularly bleak or dour, in part because of the artwork from Clayton Henry and the colors from Marcelo Maiolo. When Billy is Captain Marvel, the artwork exudes confidence and a childlike joy. Shazam is, after all, the ultimate wish fulfillment story: a boy says a magic word and becomes a superhero. Henry’s Shazam is all muscles and smiles, while his Billy Batson is all sinew and grimaces. Henry’s Billy, among the other Academy students, doesn’t stand out at all. This is purposeful, and adds to Billy’s feeling out of sorts.
Maiolo’s coloring stands out here as well, as the action sequences are technicolor to the max, with the red and yellow of Billy’s costume popping off the page at an almost obnoxious level. While inside the doors of the school, the basic palette remains the same, but everything is more subdued. The reds are more burnt, the yellows more saturated. It’s a subtle shift, but an incredibly effective one.
This issue brings in a fair amount of the Academy members, either the classmates or the professors, but also sees folks like Jon Kent and Dr. Fate drop in, which is part of Sheridan’s talent as well. He makes this book, and “Teen Titans Academy,” feel like important pieces of the DC Universe without losing focus on the title’s main focus. This allows Shazam to feel like a top-tier DC character, while not shotgunning him into stories that don’t feel like they fit.
Henry’s art has enough gravitas and bombast to make those characters’ appearances feel incredibly important, and balanced with fun that is inherent to his work, gives this the best of both worlds. This is a comic that celebrates being a superhero comic, but also grounds the story in such a way that reminds you that there are consequences. Henry and Maiolo match perfectly with Sheridan, and this issue sings because of the synergy between them.
Continued belowWe get small encounters with the Bat Pack and some of the other TTA students, but we spend the most time, aside from the professors, with a character we’ve barely touched on in “Teen Titans Academy,” Dane. His power-set is in the magical realm, as we see him working with (Ms.) Raven, and how he is able to open a portal in front of Billy with little trouble. The character seems too all-knowing and kind to not be nefarious in some way or another, but he is the impetus for Billy to take action and, hopefully, figure out why his powers are borked.
Overall, this issue does all the things you’d want a first issue to do: it hooks you with a clever story, fun action, and enough heart to make the stakes seem, somehow, more important than a serious, though not Crisis level, magic event. The fact that it so seamlessly intertwines with “Teen Titans Academy” and continues to carve out a young corner of the DC Universe is just icing on the cake.
Final Verdict: 8.8 – A bold and fun debut issue. If only this was an ongoing…
