“This is all a test. Power is always a test.”
Things haven’t been going smoothly for Billy Batson. Even though his relationship with the Captain is stronger than ever, his other relationships are becoming strained — namely with his brother Freddy, now the hero Commander, whose struggles with ego have been amplified to arrogance by the power of a mysterious amber lightning bolt from the Rock of Eternity. And while Billy searches for answers about said artifact, Mary Marvel and her trusted sidekick Hoppy take the fight directly to the Society, .
Oh, and the story is once again narrated directly to the audience by Mr. Mind, as revealed in the last issue, which immediately grants Josie Campbell creativity points, especially since it enhances Dan McDaid’s more menacing visuals.
Save for their induction into the Justice League, things for Philly’s champions are largely on the same track as they’ve been since Campbell began her run. However, with Billy’s birth mom contesting the foster siblings’ adoption, Freddy challenges his brother’s heroic priorities as the Vasquezes are drowned in legal fees.
Corporate heroism is the main theme of this new conflict with the Society, so to have Freddy acting as the corporate hero is engaging not only with the subject of the amber lightning at hand, but also with the knowledge that the seeds for this character arc were planted all the way back in the series’ first arc. While initially yearning for the power he lost and the general lack of power in his life, Campbell has effectively counterbalanced Freddy’s insecurity and newfound hostility with a genuine motivation to save his family, which shines light on his desperate decisions: using the amber in the first place and accepting the Society’s spokesman offer.
Freddy turns his back on Billy, courtesy of DC Comics.
Even being at odds with his brother, Billy seeks out the Captain with every intention of understanding what has happened to Freddy. The lack of tension between the two personalities is welcoming because it gives room for a more mature dynamic to be built between them. The Captain has become a true voice of guidance and reason for Billy, a role that was often delegated to Mary when his adult form was characterized as more of manchild before Solomon gave him a wisdom boost. While this does give Billy much more agency and makes him feel like he’s growing up with each issue, one must wonder what the future holds for Mary’s role in the series.
Mary’s presence in the issue is primarily dominated by her infiltrating the Society, but at the very beginning of the issue she is briefly seen feeding Philadelphia’s homeless in hero form side by side with Dudley, AKA Uncle Marvel. The dynamic between these two was rewarding in Campbell’s New Champion of Shazam, so the moment, as brief as it was, gives an interesting insight into where Mary could go as she begins to grow out of the Vasquez home and move towards college. It is also very promising to see the return of the short sleeve Mary Marvel costume. Though it appeared last issue in only a couple panels, the costume reveal page looked to still have the long sleeves. This design choice complements McDaid’s art all the more because he excels at capturing the more simplistic classic looks of the characters. Shoutout to Billy’s red and yellow polo shirt.
To elaborate, McDaid continues to lean into Saturday morning cartoon aesthetics that channel the original Golden age feel of the character more directly than Dan Mora’s sharper style, which put these old aesthetics in a sleek modern light. This visual pivot also gives McDaid the opportunity to stretch his legs as he adopts the more contemporary grandness of scale generally associated with Jerry Ordway’s Power of Shazam, particularly with the presence of another god of Olympus. Much of this is also accredited to Trish Mulvihill coloring, which is generally bright and vibrant but also appropriately murky and moody when the tone calls for it—and the tone is definitely beginning to call for it more.
While Shazam! #17 is not as action packed as previous issues, it delivers strong characterizations within the main conflict, several valuable insights into the directions these characters will take, and is brought to life in a very creative and uniquely fitting art style for the Big Red Cheese. The last page is something that has been built towards for over a year, and makes for an excellent cliffhanger that promises some exciting and possibly dire developments for the Shazamily.
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