Shazam

Do not fret Justice League fans, although not a single Leaguer is seen in this book, it is still a great story that gives us the New 52 origin of Shazam!

Finally, no longer just a back-up story, Geoff Johns gives fans what they have been clamoring for! Billy Batson may have entered this series as a mere troubled boy, but he emerges as the wielder of the living lightning — Shazam!

The story is one of power and what you can do when the odds that have always been stacked against you, come crumbling down. What would you do if you were suddenly able to do anything you could ever dream of? What if you could do anything, but still retained the mind of a troubled youth — one that has seen too many hardships over the years? Would you squander it, do horrible things with it or just have fun with it?

Johns isn’t afraid to ask the smart questions in this book, but at times his tale seems to parallel Mark Millar’s Superior mini-series far too closely. Not to say this tale doesn’t have a unique story to tell, quite the contrary, but it does have similarities that are far too glaring. Similarities aside, the book itself is very well done and will make any fan glad that Shazam is back in the DC Universe!

As good as the core story is, the back-up is the one that will garner the most buzz. Written by Johns and drawn by Ethan Van Sciver, we are drawn into the web of the enigmatic — Trinity of Sin. We witness Pandora’s frustration over her judgment and finally get to see a fleeting glimpse of the mysterious “third” sinner. What we don’t know is why these beings are here, what they mean to do and if they are working for or against mankind. A truly rich and intriguing finish to a great book, one that will leave you with questions. Or better yet, THE Question!