‘Shazam!’ #2 pits Billy Batson against something more than just himself

It’s man vs. myth in this power struggle between the gods of S-H-A-Z-A-M.

June 6, 2023

“As Billy, I can panic in a crisis just like anybody else. But the word brings instant clarity.”

There’s a tiger in an apron washing his dishes and a dinosaur with a top hat on his front porch delivering legal documents. And yet, all that’s on teenager Billy Batson’s mind is that something is wrong with his powers. As familiar faces arrive in Fawcett City and at the Rock of Eternity, the one called the Captain becomes keen on finding answers to his dilemma following the inexplicable outburst he suffered after saving a group of civilians in an earthquake.

If the debut issue was about rediscovering the nature of what it means to wield the power of Shazam, then this one is intent on challenging everything we knew about them and the Captain’s place in the world. And since Billy is the only one able to wield the power of Shazam, the rest of his siblings are feeling rather left out.

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Well, Mary has her own separate set of Shazam powers now, so maybe not her. But that’s beside the point. At least for the moment.

This issue reintroduces the rest of the depowered foster siblings: Eugene, Pedro, and Darla. With Billy now in doubt of the powers they used to share, minor tensions arise between him and the Shazamily, leaving him in an even more pressured position. Although, the focus of this theme of lost power remains on Freddy, who’s still quite keen on getting those powers back, even if it means doing so himself.

Much of the emphasis of this story is placed on Billy’s revised feelings about his powers. He feels as though he’s being attacked on all fronts; by his family, his powers, and even literally by the villain he suspects messed them up in the first place. All of this helps to paint a very good picture of how Billy deals with the weight of the world being on his shoulders in the face of personal turmoil as only a teenager with the wisdom of Solomon would have to.

One could argue that the lack of direct conflict between the siblings leaves something to be desired. However, I believe it’s a testament to them being a true family that they support Billy’s endeavors even if they’re missing out on the action themselves. This is a family that has been growing together for their last decade of publication, so this attitude in place of a blatant jealous resentment narrative is quite fittingly refreshing.

Also refreshing is the action. Here, we find the Captain dealing with back-to-basics heroics, only now he has an edge to him. Rather than some magical beast (which he now views as a departure from his current everyday life), he’s placed in a villain-of-the-week situation, which puts an engaging twist on the “Superman stops relatively mundane robbery” story beat.

As we get into the nitty gritty of Billy’s rising problems, Waid’s voice and inner-monologue shine quite well. Billy and the Captain feel more like separate entities than they have in a while, which is in part due to the nature of their current problems. The former deals with the frustration of the latter being a seemingly loose canon, which is an interesting and subversive take on their dynamic. The result of this makes for an cleverly written way of ramping up the personal stakes that help in continuing to redefine the World’s Mightiest Mortal’s personality.

Mora continues to impress with his art, which captures a warmth and timelessness that elevate the whimsy of the book as well as its dazzle. Among his usual talents, there’s just something about the way he’s able to draw a dinosaur in a top hat in the Shazamily living room that is so wonderful. This along with the main action sequence of the issue presents a uniquely charming balance of mundane, magic, and marvel. Then, to top it off, what we see of his iterations of the gods which represent S-H-A-Z-A-M prove to be delightfully sinister and enigmatic, even if their presence is rather minimal.

Overall, this sophomore issue is an engaging and entertaining one. Though not as striking as its debut, it continues to very effectively carve out the new identity and tone of the run while also setting up a battle with the gods that could not only redefine the character’s lore – but it also puts him on a trajectory that could change him forever.

‘Shazam!’ #2 pits Billy Batson against something more than just himself

Shazam! #2

Though it feels shorter than it perhaps could've been, Waid and Mora challenge the Big Red Cheese like no one has as they continue setting up the ultimate struggle for the power of Shazam.

Reader Rating1 Votes

8.6

The trajectory of the narrative is whimsical yet appropriately mature without leaning too far into a dark tone.

It eloquently builds on what was set up in the first issue with admirable focus.

The primary antagonists only being present in the epilogue makes their presence feel somewhat diminished, although this is still early in the story.

It could also have benefitted from more time spent with the rest of the Shazamily and their potential hang-ups.

Good

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