Or as they’re calling him, simply Shazam. For years, Captain Marvel has been an odd man out. He’s one of the oldest and most powerful characters in the DCU, but it seemed that the powers that be just didn’t seem to know where he fit in to the grand scheme of things. Now he’s back with a new look and a new direction courtesy of Geoff Johns and Gary Frank.
“With SHAZAM! Gary and I will be focusing on the magic hero instead of the super hero,” Johns told THE SOURCE. “For centuries, science has ruled the world, but now magic is returning. We’re telling the story of the hero’s young alter ego, Billy Batson, a foster kid at a crossroads in his life. The question is, how does the emotional journey of this troubled teenager collide with the fate of the world? The Rock of Eternity and the legacy of SHAZAM! will be explored in a different way as the extent of Billy’s connection to the magic world around him is greater than ever before. The story will have a profound impact on Justice League later in the year and you’ll see new characters, locations and creatures along with the classics from the SHAZAM! universe. Billy’s friends and enemies will be along for the ride.”
“You’ll notice that SHAZAM! looks different from many of the other heroes we’ve seen in DC COMICS-THE NEW 52,” said editor Brian Cunningham. “That was definitely intentional. His powers come from a different place, and we wanted to see that reflected in the design. We’ve removed the “circus strongman” elements from his costume. Rather than a traditional cape, he wears a cloak with a hood; there’s more of a mystical, magical, fantasy feel to that.”
The Shakedown:
I’m glad they’re trying to make Shazam work in the New 52. He’s always been one of my favorite characters and I’ve always felt he was wasted as a whole, though he’s had some fantastic moments in storytelling.
That said, this is a little frustrating. Back in 2006 Judd Winick told a one of the most fantastic Captain Marvel stories in The Trials of Shazam! in which Billy Batson rises to the role of the wizard Shazam and his sidekick, Captain Marvel Jr. undergoes a set of heroic tests to prove he is worthy to be the new Captain Marvel. It was a fantastic quest story that could have set Shazam to be a wonderful monthly series. But when Trials was over, they never did anything with the new Shazam character in Freddy Freeman. He just drifted listlessly. If Johns can do for Shazam what he has done for Aquaman, then I’m really excited, but they’ve been on the right track before and dropped the ball completely.
