Writer: Mark Waid
Artist: Dan Mora
Colorist: Alejandro Sánchez
Letterer: Troy Peteri
Cover Artists: Dan Mora; John Timms; Chris Samnee &
Matheus Lopes; Steve Lieber & Nathan Fairbairn; Megan Huang
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $3.99/$4.99
Release Date: June 7, 2023
Shazam recently shocked the world by going all Sean Penn on
the paparazzi. Can Billy Batson ever trust his older, stronger alter ego ever
again? Let's fly into Shazam! #2 and find out!
Story
Billy's friends can't understand his public outburst. They
bust in on his confusion and plague him with questions he can't answer. On the
plus side, his social media profile has risen. But when a dinosaur from space
arrives to complete some business related to the assistance he rendered his kin
in the previous issue, Billy decides he needs some time alone.
Sadly, quiet time will have to wait. A man called the
Psycho-Pirate is holding up the local museum. Helping people in danger trumps
concerns over another public media meltdown. So it's time to let the Captain
take control.
Mark Waid gives us plenty to read in this story. He also
delivers a lot of action. He communicates why people regard Shazam as a hero.
It's an involving self-contained story that welcomes first-time readers while
leaving them wanting to know more.
Art
Dan Mora populates Shazam! #2 with dynamic characters that
communicate their feelings and look good from every angle. Aside from a few
closeups, nearly every panel crackles with power and convincing backgrounds. He
loads pages with panels and works page by page rather than across pages. A few
scenes failed to communicate the author's intent and forced me to flip back to
explain later dialogue. Still, any artist who draws Tyrannosaurus Rex in a top
hat gets high marks in my book!
Alejandro Sánchez brings rich, vibrant colors to Shazam! #2.
Views of the city, inside Billy's house, the museum, and the subway are
full-spectrum colors. Billy's transformation into the Captain crackles with
energy. He helps convey why a world-famous painting is so beloved. Psycho-Pirate
stands out in the subway scenes: he makes me love him, even without being
ordered.
Troy Peteri populates white dialogue balloons with large
uppercase letters that go bold to emphasize raised voices and shrink for
murmurs. Dialogue switches to red when the Psycho-Pirate turns on his hypnotic
voice. I also like the Captain's rectangular yellow narrative boxes and Billy's
spherical ones and how both have a lightning bolt. His sound effects help me
hear Billy’s energizing transformation, bullets tearing through the museum, and
Shazam’s big hero moment.
Final Thoughts
Dynamic art, vibrant coloring, and an involving story convey
Billy Batson’s trial of identity in Shazam! #2.
Rating 9/10
To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.
