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Shazam #1 boasts phenomenal visuals but ultimately chooses to emphasize setting up its journey instead of focusing on unfolding action.
Shazam #1 sets the stage for DC’s four-part miniseries from writer Tim Sheridan, artist Clayton Henry, and colorist Marcelo Maiolo. Although it boasts bright, eye-catching visuals and an endearingly innocent tone, Shazam #1 is a bit bogged down in contextualizing its story. However, the creative team shows plenty of promise for future Billy Baston’s adventures.
The main drive behind Sheridan, Henry, and Maiolo’s Shazam is Billy Batson’s erratic and uncontrollable loss of his powers. Billy starts having visions of the Rock of Eternity exploding, accompanied by an inability to access his magic and form as Shazam. This poses serious concerns not only to Billy but to the world as Shazam is widely considered one of DC’s most reliable powerhouses. While attending the Teen Titan Academy, and working with his friends to get to the bottom of his troubles, however, Billy discovers there’s only one place that he can go to for answers. Without Billy’s powers, getting there is not going to be easy.
Shazam #1 reads largely like a prologue. This isn’t to say that it is an unsuccessful issue, just that much of the narrative work being done revolves around catching the reader up on Billy Batson’s life at Teen Titans Academy. Much of the issue revolves around conversations or explanations that lay a solid foundation on which to build, but don’t add much more than that.
The full potential of the miniseries doesn’t become apparent until the issue’s final few pages. Despite its lack of action, Sheridan’s script is wonderfully written, with fun, albeit brief, appearances from several Teen Titans members. What shines the most in Sheridan’s writing is Billy, who, unfortunately, doesn’t have much to do in this issue. Now that Shazam #1 has set the foundation for the miniseries, though, future issues are likely to depict Billy at his best.
The art throughout Shazam #1 is simply astonishing. Clayton Henry’s panels are crisp, clear, and full of life. Maiolo’s colors make each moment pop right off the page. Particularly in the action sequences — of which Shazam #1 has precious few — Henry’s art and Maiolo’s colors combine stunningly. The issue has an old-school cartoon-ness to its while maintaining a modern feel for its characters. Billy, in particular, is drawn with an impressively wide range of genuine emotion, which inject the issue’s inactive sections with emotional importance.
While Shazam #1 has a lot to explain before it can get moving, there were some surprisingly emotional moments that certainly leave the reader waiting for the next issue. The moments focusing on Billy and Teddy’s relationship were especially impressive, and hopefully, this will remain a central plot-line throughout the miniseries. One of Billy Batson’s great strengths as a character is his genuine kindness and his love of his friends and family. It’s clear that Sheridan, Henry, and Maiolo understand what makes Billy Batson such a fan-favorite character, and are more than capable of bringing out those traits on the page.
While Shazam #1 is context-heavy, the miniseries still shows extreme promise. The creative team has instilled Billy Batson’s iconic optimism and youthful energy into every page of the book and Shazam fans will be excited to see where Billy’s adventures take him next.
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