What do you get when you take the wisdom of Solomon out of your Shazam? A war between sentient apes and a green balloon man from outer space, apparently. Your Major Spoilers review of Shazam! #4 from DC Comics awaits!

SHAZAM! #4

Writer: Mark Waid
Artist: Dan Mora
Colorist: Alejandro Sanchez
Letterer: Troy Peteri
Editor: Paul Kaminski
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: October 3, 2023

Previously in Shazam!: Shadiness. Hatefulness. Arrogance. Zeal. Anger. Malice. These are the new powers of Shazam – and if Billy doesn’t find a way to get them under control, the lives of everyone around him will be forever destroyed!

THE EMPEROR OF THE MOON

The Elders have taken a new interest in the activities of young Billy Batson, now that the general public is aware that he has their powers and is, in a sense, their avatar. That’s been bad news for him, leaving him to be flimflammed by exiled apes from Gorilla City and sent to attack the Moon. What’s worse is that Gargaux, the erstwhile emperor of that sphere, has seen him coming and captures “The Captain” before he can finish his attack. For his part, Zeus didn’t believe the apes, but when the alien overlord is revealed to be collaborating with the also-alien Queen Bee, Zeus reveals himself to be equally dim as Atlas. (Or, at least, Zeus is equally dim when there’s a beautiful young woman involved.) While five gods bicker for control of The Captain, Solomon takes his wisdom out of the equation and summons Freddy Freeman to come save his adoptive brother… if he can get to the Moon. Billy, for his part, realizes that he’s being jerked around and “Shazams” back to his normal form.

Too bad he can’t breathe in airless spaces, though.

REMINISCENT OF THE MOVIES

As someone who appreciated the vibe of Shazam! and Shazam: Fury of the Gods, it is nice to see some of that replicated in the pages of the comics. This Billy acts like a teenager, and the family dynamic of Freddy, Darla, Pedro, and Eugene vowing to help him with or without powers is well-done. Waid and Mora deliver not only in terms of an interesting plot, but with expressive, dynamic art throughout the issue. The first appearance of Queen Bee is just plain amazing, and seeing Gargaux swelling up to threaten The Captain is a treat for me as an old-school Doom Patrol fan. The fact that the entire story hinges on Solomon (whom you will remember provides “wisdom” to his headstrong godly counterparts) going missing, thus leaving The Captain an easily fooled, impulsive, belligerent muscle head is note-perfect.

BOTTOM LINE: I LIKE IT

The major caveat for me about Shazam! #4 is that we just finished a limited series with Mary as the new champion of Shazam, something that this series just glosses over, but the strength of the action, humor, and most of all, Mora’s art, make this one worth checking out even if you have the same revamp whiplash that I have, earning 4.5 out of 5 stars overall. For my money, just the fact that Billy finally has a superhero nom de guerre that he can SAY makes this worth checking out, even if they’re clearly playing cutesy with the fact that his name was once the now-seemingly-forbidden “Captain Marvel.”

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SHAZAM! #4

83%

83%

The Uncommon "Fun" Comic

Even if I tire of DC's back-and-forth "no continuity" policies, this book is entertaining and may be the first time the comic version resembles the films. Worth a look.

• Writing

  9
• Art

  8
• Coloring

  8
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