The Trials of Shazam! #3
DC Comics
Writer: Judd Winick
Art by: Howard Porter
Letterer: Rob Leigh
This title slipped under my radar the last couple of months due to a confluence of things. For starters, Billy “Captain Marvel” Batson was never one of my favorite characters. So if things went all topsy-turvy with him, it didn’t impress me. Second, magical books in general (from Books of Magic through Hellblazer and even Shadowpact) don’t usually grab me because they rarely have the internal logic that urban drama does; magic often becomes either the deus ex machina or crutch for characters steeped in its influence. And lastly, this is a Winick book. His writing has been very inconsistent in my opinion; it’s either fun smart action, or preachy morality tale disguised as comics, and no one can tell which Judd will show up for any given title. So it’s a risky proposition to even start this series.
But between the many unresolved threads of Infinite Crisis, the rise of the Black Marvel Family, and a few panels hither and yon depicting totally different and yet obviously Marvel inspired characters, my curiosity got the better of me. A local shop had the previous two issues sitting out and I read and enjoyed them. So when the new issue came out, I snapped it up. And damn if it isn’t pretty good.
In an interesting twist, Billy Batson isn’t the protagonist. His protégé Freddy Freeman is (he of the blue suit and horrible post-Crisis name). The former CM3 is the new champion of the powers formerly shepherded by the Wizard Shazam, but he doesn’t get to take them outright. Like the old E.F. Hutton advert said, he has to earn them. And while he is subjecting himself to various labors, evil forces are aligning to tilt the odds against him so that his rightful powers would become up for grabs. It’s a nifty premise, if a bit careworn (Matt Wagne’s Mage series are similar in many ways).
The story this issue involves Freddy repelling an invulnerable demon without the aid of any mystical might. He manages that, and as a reward he can now change his form via a bolt of lightning, to someone who looks just like himself, except without a lame leg. This miniseries is going to be all about baby steps it seems. One recounting of his origin later, and the issue closes with Freddy armed with both some needed self-knowledge and precious insight into the magical realm.
The art in this series is a major draw, for both obvious and obscure reasons. Howard Porter (formerly of JLA, Flash) is handling everything but the lettering. His work still features exciting layouts, excellent character designs, and impressively credible background details. He’s big name talent, and he’s doing good work. What’s different this time out is the inking and coloring. Nothing since maybe the Wagner Doctor Mid-nite miniseries (which introduced Pieter Cross into continuity) has something looked so painstakingly different and is effective not in spite of it, but because of it. That it’s the brainchild of just one artist makes the feat even more remarkable. This book has more than enough visual oomph to sell the story.
