Today’s Comic> Billy Batson & The Magic of Shazam! #13

"Here, let me get that for you."

Billy Batson & The Magic of Shazam! #13
DC Comics (April 2010)

WRITERS: Art Baltazar & Franco

ARTIST: Mike Norton

LETTERER: Travis Lanham

COLORIST: Zac Atkinson

COVER: Byron Vaughns

EDITOR: Chris Conroy

On a school field trip to a museum, Billy has to figure out how to attend as himself, and make a guest appearance as Captain Marvel. He and Mary have bigger issues when Theo Adam arrives on his own school field trip, and one of the kids from the fire last arc, Freddy Freedman, has a real mad-on for Captain Marvel. An incident allows Freddy to overhear Mary using the magic word, and when he passes it on to Freddy, Black Adam returns!

What they got right: Someone at the DC forums linked to last issue’s review (hi, guys!), so I checked out what they were saying. They were looking forward to Norton’s run as artist this issue. They were right to. Mike Norton does a real nice job on this comic. Baltazar and Franco want to both bring back Black Adam and bring IN Freddy Freeman, possibly including Captain Marvel Jr. in the future. (I just hope they leave out Uncle Dudley. Never cared for him.) They’ve already proven they have more love for the classic Shazam! series than the DCU Proper writers, so I don’t have a problem with it.

What they got wrong: Although a meeting between Tawny and the landlady may have been my favorite scene this comic, but it led to…nothing. There’s also what appears to be another subplot at WHIZ, with a new secretary blocking Helen from seeing the boss that I’m not sure was needed, either. And while I love Norton’s character models, Mary Batson and Mary Marvel look exactly the same, even though the previous artists at least changed her hairstyle. (Which still wasn’t enough, but what can you do?) I wouldn’t mind seeing a change there. Maybe Art and Franco can fix it so that Mary gets an “adult” (or at least “teen”, since she’s younger than Billy in this series–so go with “teen”) form like Billy does, but still return to her younger form when she switches back.

Recommendation: I think we finally have the right team for this series going forward. This is a good issue to start your run, if you haven’t already.

Amazingly, this disguise worked. And led to a rather awkward moment. For me.

Next review: Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers #2