“Darling, no need to watch further. You know this isn’t a happy ending.”
In Shazam! #19, it all comes down to this: a showdown on Venus between Mary Marvel and Mr. Mind, a test of resolve for Freddy that could destroy his family, and a dark secret that will shake Billy to his core. As “Welcome to Our Overlords” concludes, Josie Campbell and Dan McDaid usher in what’s in store for next year in their series. Based on this issue, it’s going to be a whole lot of Mr. Mind, and the setup for it paints him as the strongest written returning villain of the series thus far.
We all knew who was behind this show.
This issue takes a step back from the Society to focus more on Mind’s plans. With all points leading back to him, even Freddy’s amber lightning bolt, this arc has done an excellent job setting the villainous worm up for the future, inserting a healthy amount of body horror and psychological elements that combine to make the perfect harmony of Campbell’s and McDaid’s collaboration. Mind’s fourth-wall breaking also comes to head here, which makes the climactic moments feel all the more immersive.
It’s safe to say that the creative team is beginning to slightly move away from the lighter tone of the series without completely abandoning it. McDaid’s history in horror is significantly more present here than in his previous issues, and is much more effective to boot — especially in the last couple pages. Aside from this, Freddy’s costume gets subtle but well-chosen design changes, and the Captain himself looks more like Superman than he has in a while, which is a win in my book. McDaid and Roberto Poggi also stretch their legs with some very strong and informative splash page work, and it feels as though they’ve hit a sweet spot in terms of their panel and world design.
DC
What holds this issue together is the subversion of expectations, which is especially effective when you have an unreliable narrator at the helm that is fueled by spite. There are a number of twists that definitely lend themselves to potential future stories without distracting from the direness that exists in the present. Billy and Beau prove to be a strong pairing, but not for the reasons one might expect. Billy is also depowered, which lends itself to a heartfelt but potentially disastrous moment between him and the possessed Freddy, who himself finally gets payoff to the character arc that started back when Waid was still on the title. However, Campbell gives it her own spin with homages to the beginning of her run, making Freddy easily her best written of the Shazamily as of this issue. On the contrary, however, with the focus on Mary and Freddy we still have yet to see Billy be the standout of a Campbell written issue.
The mythology surrounding this latest iteration of this family has become quite fleshed out after 20 issues (Knight Terrors: Shazam! counts!), which lets this All In era story hit the ground running until the sh*t hits the fan. Though there is heartfelt triumph, the bleak cliffhanger balances it for a healthy dose of “we saved the day, but at what cost?” This has all the emotional moments and unexpected reveals of an arc finale, as well as the head scratching tidbits that make us wonder what could happen going forward.
As far as conclusions go, it’s hard to pass up Shazam! #19. This arc has been truly entertaining with how Mr. Mind has thus far been incorporated, and the conclusion leaves us wanting more from the green worm of Venus. Emotionally resonant, held back from its traditional lightheartedness, and rife with love for the history of these characters, this series has not stopped being a joy to read.
You must be logged in to post a comment.