SHAZAM! #19 does something I have never seen in a comic book at the end of an arc — or at least something I haven’t seen outside of a Big Event Comic (trademark). And while the rest of the issue is reliably great, the ending is a bit of a jaw-dropper.
Spoilers past this point for the DC Comics book by Josie Campbell, with art by Dan McDaid. In the issue, Billy Batson is struggling with his superpowers as the Captain, unable to access them because of an injury to the now-a-separate being. Meanwhile his brother Freddy, aka the Commander, has been corrupted by something from towards the beginning of time.
And as revealed in the last issue, that thing is an old enemy, Mr. Mind. While the worm creature has been a threat before, Campbell and company push the baddie to a whole new level by the end of this issue by — and again, spoiler warning here — letting Mr. Mind win. That’s right, despite the emotional crests here and our heroes triumphing thanks to their love for each other and better nature… By the end of this issue, Mr. Mind has taken over the world.
It’s a wild swing that reinvents the villain in a significant way, elevating him from a de facto joke to a planet-level threat. Not only that, but Campbell continues to expand the Sivana family in creative and nuanced ways that also make them less of a joke than a very personal, very real threat to the Shazamily.
That said, the reason this works is because the script takes time to make us care about Billy, Freddy, and Mary Marvel on a human level, first. We want them to triumph because they’re dealing with real issues that face families — not just evil worms from the beginning of time. And McDaid is a perfect partner here, jumping between big superhero moments and small character moments with ease.
While the next issue will take a break for a one-off tale teaming up The Captain and Jon Kent, we’re back in Mr. Mind’s world in SHAZAM! #21, and likely leading into a big issue #25. And if you’re not on board with the title yet, hop on now… This is proving to be a defining run for the character and title, with some real danger, real stakes, and some big, big character moves.
SHAZAM! #19 Rating:
SHAZAM! #19 Official Synopsis:
It’s brother versus brother and Captain versus Commander, as Billy Batson is left with no choice but to confront Freddy in his new superhero persona head-on. If Mr. Mind was able to worm his way into the heart of the Shazam! Family, there’s no knowing who else may have been infested with his influence. The gods are watching, and what they see could tip the balance of power in their family, city, and world!
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