SHAZAM! Vol. 1

SHAZAM! Vol. 1

Writer: Geoff Johns

Artist: Gary Frank

$24.99, DC Comics, 192 pgs.

ISBN 978-1401242442

Unimpressed by his latest foster home, teenager Billy Batson runs away, only to encounter a wizard (yes, a wizard) who grants him the ability to transform himself into an adult with one magic word: "Shazam!"

Just bear with me, here, OK?

In his new form, Billy possesses phenomenal superpowers. What he doesn't yet understand, though, is that as Shazam, he stands guardian of all magic on Earth. He will have to come to terms with his newfound responsibility quickly: a previous, "fallen" guardian is determined to kill Billy and his heroic alter ego in order to claim the power for himself.

Yes, it's a fantastically ludicrous set-up, even for a superhero comic book, but it's a successful one; in the 1940s, Captain Marvel (the original character on which Shazam is based) outsold Superman himself! This modernization abandons many of the children's fantasy trappings of the original version in favor of a very different Billy Batson who inhabits a much darker world. This approach has alienated some fans of the original Captain Marvel, but such is the nature of mainstream superhero comics.

It's hard to offer a critical review of this work, because I'm not really its target audience. Gary Frank's artwork is superb; that much, I can state confidently. Geoff Johns' script is archetypal modern superhero fare, tempering its wish-fulfillment aspects with a peculiar desire to inject more realism into an inherently-unrealistic genre. If that's what a reader wants from a superhero comic, SHAZAM! is a winner. If it's not, well...

TIPS FOR LIBRARIANS: Rumor has it that DC Comics is planning to do big things with this character in the future. It might be wise to get the hardcover edition while it's still available, if only to have a copy that stands up to the rigors or circulation.

READERS ADVISORY NOTES: This is a standalone volume that requires no prior knowledge of the characters...a real rarity in mainstream comics. Fans of big, splashy superhero comics will dig it, as will some fans of urban fantasy. Readers who express an affinity for the character might appreciate a warning that this is a modernization, not a revival.

CONTENT ADVISORY: Superhero action/violence, some adolescent mischief and criminal behavior

Review©2014, C. Michael Hall.