“That’s my word. Not yours. Mine.”
Knight Terrors is in full swing, meaning that no one in the DCU is safe from their most primal fears. As we take an early breather from Billy Batson dealing with his new hell in the pages of his main title, Knight Terrors: Shazam! #1 shifts the focus to his big sister Mary Bromfield, the other champion of Shazam. So rather than delving into the fears of a child, Mark Waid and Roger Cruz take a more inspired approach by exploring the worst nightmares of a tired yet caring elder sibling.
As the oldest of the Shazamily, Mary fears that she can’t protect the rest of her depowered siblings. Though that by itself makes for a fairly standard plot, it is bolstered when she falls under the assault of a twisted nightmare version of Billy–one whose heroic form bears a striking resemblance to Black Adam.
The starting thesis of this miniseries debut is that Mary has full confidence in her abilities as Mary Marvel but finds herself lacking and exhausted in her civilian life as the responsible big sister in a houseful of kids who constantly look to her for help. Both notions are challenged by the presence of the dark Billy, who insists that she is inept in her use of their shared magic word. Mary becomes increasingly unsettled by her bizarre new false reality, yet she perseveres thanks to her heroic persona. However, her doubts, as subconscious as they seem, may still prove to be her undoing.
Though the full advantage of the dream realm of a champion of Shazam is not taken quite yet, the potential of that setting is not ignored. In fact, the approach to the nature of this particular nightmare world is an apparent reminder that Waid had only recently finished his stint on Doctor Strange at Marvel before his return to DC. Mary is very much immersed in her dream, which itself feels just south of mundane in the sense that there is a sense of casual weirdness going on in between the more nightmarish moments, such as centipedes for family dinner and cabs filled with water. A dream being peppered with casual oddities rather than being over the top unbelievable gives more credibility to the feeling of a false reality.
Adding to that immersion for readers is the fact that we have a hero who appears more inclined to move forward rather than to fully engage with whatever is off-beat, thus making the narrative much more dreamlike.
Cruz, who notably penciled issues of the recent Robin ongoing, enhances the narrative with visuals that border between mundane, bizarre, and dark. As previously said, this issue is more off-beat than just outright scary, which is reflected in the art style. Rather than feeling out of place, the dreamlike aspects are baked into the panels in a way that complements the clever weirdness of Waid’s script.
As is often felt in tie-in books for major events, the pacing and tone of this issue contrast that of the main title. That isn’t particularly an issue here due to how they remain well-balanced, and with Mary acting as the protagonist rather than Billy, making this an effective companion story for both Waid’s run and the ongoing event. Unfortunately, little time is spent on the more engaging aspects of the plot, such as the thematic nature of Dark Billy, which renders these early implications feeling somewhat inconsequential in the current phase of both larger stories.
Overall, this issue is a very fun, promising, and twisty detour that stays true to its premise and isn’t without its weight, even if there’s plenty of room to play with that we’re given. Thankfully, proceeding issues present that chance since the stage has now been set for what could be a unique and effective play on the dynamic of the siblings Shazam in the long run.
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