“It’s why you read comics. Watch superhero movies and TV. Because for the hour you indulge in your sad little panacea, you can imagine you are the chosen one.”
DC All In has finally begun, and among the first round of books to drop in this initiative is Shazam! #16, which boasts a fantastic main cover by Gleb Melkinov to usher in the new era. Kneel Before Zod artist Dan McDaid joins Josie Campbell and Trish Mulvihill for the first issue of a brand new arc that sees Billy in a budding rivalry with his brother Freddy, who recently acquired brand new Shazam powers that, to be honest, are making him just a tad bit of a jerk.
Get your head in the game, Billy. There are robots to fight and neighbor girls to ask out. And a Society of…something lurking in the shadows. They even have business cards.
Right off the bat, McDaid makes an impression on the character with his exaggerated proportions and a particularly distinct facial style that fully leans into the series’ cartoonish nature while effectively balancing large and small scale — with an added dash of body horror and some dread. The way in which the Captain in particular is drawn has a charming simplicity that really channels the Fawcett Comics of old, thus making it far more akin to Jeff Smith’s Shazam and the Monster Society of Evil than other modern Shazam! books in how traditional the look is. This is also of course aided by Mulvihill’s coloring, which feels most effective in how it complements this style compared to the ones in previous issues.
DC
In terms of story, the crux of this issue is establishing how things have changed for the Shazamily and how the powerless siblings have retreated in the wake of such things. Particularly of note in that regard is Freddy’s emergence as Philly’s new hero, the Commander, protecting the city while Billy and Mary work with the Justice League. Other plots such as the Captain becoming wiser have settled nicely amongst everything and allows for more interaction with newer immediate plotlines, such as the ongoing contesting of the kids’ adoption case because of Billy’s biological mom, an arc that is so far defining Campbell’s run as writer. Though the issue does very little in terms of narrative beyond exposition setup for the new arc, it does so very effectively by honing in on the new tone set by the new creative team.
What really impresses me about this book overall is how it has retained a certain amount of whimsy since the beginning, but it’s not hard to admit that McDaid’s art has enhanced the potential for said whimsy in comparison to Dan Mora’s high action focus and Emanuela Lupacchino’s frequent psychedelic imagery. As previously said, this issue makes the book feel more traditional than it has in a while and that bodes excellently with the timing of the All In initiative. And with the return of New 52 aesthetics thanks to the Absolute universe, one might say that the book is also somewhat recapturing the feel of Geoff Johns and Gary Frank’s Shazam without losing track of the character maturity or the intended comedy that’s usually associated with the Big Red Cheese.
All in all (get it?), Shazam! #16 presents us with an excellent jumping on point for the series as it gets comfortable with all the development there’s been over the past year, using it as a springboard for a brand new direction that feels organic to what has been built up while still taking advantage of the new initiative. Campbell continues to impress and McDaid breathes new life into this modern take on our Captain, promising an uncertain future as the focus shifts to darker looming threats.
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