Shazam #7 - Comic Review

 

We have a slight change in the creative team this issue as Dan Mora leaves the title with the close of the first arc, making way for the new art team of Goran Sudžuka and Ive Svorcina to usher in a new chapter of the series.

The issue begins with the Captain battling a Bizarro version of himself. During the fight, thanks to the greater wisdom of Solomon imparted on Billy in the last issue, he's able to figure out that a Bizarro Captain wouldn't work, that it'd be the exact opposite of what he is, that it wouldn't have the strength of Hercules, or the speed of Mercury, and in realising that the Bizarro Captain becomes a weak, cowardly creature who is more than happy to reveal his master. It's a fun little intro to the issue, and it's nice to see heroes having quick little adventures that they're able to handle fairly fast, especially when it brings in a character you recognise for a quick appearance.

Whilst this is going on, Black Adam is confronting the space dinosaur accountants who have come searching for Mr Dinosaur, who came to Earth to get Billy to fill in some paperwork, but has since chosen to become his butler at the Rock of Eternity. The dinosaurs are able to get away from Adam by firing a missile at Khandaq, which releases a shower of paperwork upon its citizens. Of course, this being Black Adam, this weird inconvenience results in him being determined to kill them all.

Billy meets up with his family, who reveal a new house for them all, one big enough that all of the kids get their own rooms. Billy's dad tells him that thanks to an inheritance they can just barely afford it, and as soon as the old house sells they can move into their new home and begin a new, happier life together. This is when Tawny gives them a call letting them know that a load of angry space dinosaurs have turned up at the old house demanding Billy answer some questions. 

Heading over there, Billy is struggling to resolve the situation without violence when Adam arrives on the scene. The two of them begin to fight after Adam insults Billy's family, and their violence ends up destroying their old home, leaving Billy in the ruins of a house they needed to sell, whose destruction means they can't buy their new home. 

After the drama of the first arc, dealing with the gods who power the Captain and how they were messing with Billy it's actually really nice to slow down for a bit and just have a silly, weird issue that doesn't feel like it has big stakes. Yes, Billy's family's future looks to be a bit uncertain and in danger at the moment, but it's not the same kind of stakes as Billy perhaps losing his powers, or the gods turning evil. 

And this is something that I really like about this series, it's not afraid to embrace the silly and the weird that a lot of modern comics seem to shy away from. Having a bunch of dinosaurs from space drop paperwork on Khandaq that results in Black Adam going wild isn't something that most writers would even consider doing, but Mark Waid not only chooses to go there, he makes it work wonderfully. Mark Waid is one of the few writers in comics who seems to remember that comics can be super silly and super fun, and that it doesn't have to be dark or realistic; and in fact a lot of comics don't work well because they try to be. I've said in previous reviews how Waid seems to be bringing back a lot of silver age sensibilities, and I really hope that this is something that catches on with other creators too (Fire & Ice: Welcome to Smallville is doing this well too!)

The new art team is also a great match for this tone, and whilst it is a big difference from Mora's work, its also well suited to the series in its own way. The art is simpler, with thicker lines and less detail work in the drawing, and a lot of the colouring being done in very clear, distinct shades with little blending going on. It has an older comic feel, where the art had flatter colours and simple designs, and suits the it helps to reinforce that idea of the book being something of a throwback to a different time. As I didn't know that Mora had left the book I was a bit surprised when I opened it, but quickly found myself really enjoying the new style.

With the future of Billy's family looking uncertain, and the fight with Black Adam not fully resolved, there's a lot still to be come with this particular arc, and the next issue looks set to be a lot of fun. With Waid's way of writing this series, there's no real way to predict just how this could be resolved, or what is going to happen next; and that's a very fun position to be in. 

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