Billy Batson and the Magic of SHAZAM! #18 - DC

This was a cute, scary tale for the kids. It appears that in their recent fight, Captain Marvel and Black Adam let loose a mummy that's been holding a grudge against the Wizard for a very long time. Apparently this guy was the Vizier of Teth Adam's court. When the Wizard turned Teth Adam into Black Adam there was a big fight. Although, if you ask me, it looks like the Vizier wanted the power of Black Adam to himself and tried to take it from either Teth or the Wizard. Anyways, somehow he ended up cursed as a mummy who could never die. And he was mystically trapped inside a tomb. Until there recent fight apparently broke the seal. So he shows up at the Rock of Eternity looking for the Wizard, who of course isn't there. Billy and Mary have to fight him and get him back into his tomb. It was an ok story. Kind of predictable, and not very exciting. But, as I said . . I'm sure the kids will love it. Which is who the target audience of this book actually is. But, I've always been a fan of this character, so . . I buy it. It's an indulgence. Plus I think Art Baltazar, Franco and Mike Norton are doing a pretty good job here.

Billy Batson and the Magic of SHAZAM! #17 - DC

This was a nice little story about Fawcett City and some cow abductions. It turns out that there's actually aliens making off with some of the local farmer's cows. And why is he doing it? Because someone gave him a hamburger a few years ago, and that's all he's been able to think about ever since. Billy and Mary basically show him that all he had to do was ask. Anyways, there's also still some tension between Mary and Tawny, as she's blaming him for the Wizard's disappearance at the hands of Black Adam. And when Helen calls up Billy to help her cover the story . . the more time they spend together, the closer I think Helen is to figuring out that there's some form of connection between Billy and Captain Marvel. I think Art Baltazar and Franco are doing a good job with the stories here. And . . Mike Norton has really brought a lot to this book with his art. It's much more consistent now. And I really like the style that Mike's taken with this. It really has a fun, fresh look to it. What more could you ask for in a kid's book? But I like it too!

Billy Batson and the Magic of SHAZAM! #16 - DC

I think Art Baltazar and Franco do a great job with the stories here. They really give this book a feel that's consistent with it's history. And with Mike Norton coming on board as the penciller, the art is solid and consistent. I still think it's amazing the way that Mike can change his style for the various books that he's been on. Anyways, last issue Black Adam came back . . he's looking for his Scarab, and in the process has turned Freddy Freeman into Black Adam Jr. However, as always, Captain Marvel, Mary, and Tawny are doing everything in their power to stop him. So . . long story short, they all end up back at the Rock of Eternity, where the wizard is keeping the scarab safe. Freddy has started to see just how evil Black Adam is. He's starting to question his powers, but . . he still doesn't trust Captain Marvel. The Marvels have Black Adam on the ropes, but he uses the wizard as a means to escape. While holding him, he extinguishes the flame. So wherever the wizard goes when it's not lit . . he's returned, with Black Adam in tow. And they're afraid to relight the torch because they don't know if that'll bring Black Adam back also. Apparently we're going to proceed in future issues with no Wizard, and no Black Adam. And this mystery will have to be solved at a future date. I like this book. But, it's not quite as 'fun' with Black Adam involved. However, it looks like that won't be a problem . . at least for the next few issues. If you aren't reading this book, you probably just aren't interested. But if I may suggest . . peruse a TPB if you get a chance. I think you may be pleasantly surprised.

Billy Batson and the Magic of SHAZAM! #15 - DC

Last issue, Black Adam turned Freddy Freeman into Black Adam Junior. Freddy hates Captain Marvel because he feels that he's responsible for the loss of his legs. Black Adam decides to use that anger against Captain Marvel by giving him another enemy to fight. Really, Black Adam has one goal . . he want to retrieve the Scarab that holds his powers. Back in Egyptian times, when the Wizard took away his powers, he believes that they became engorged in the scarab that was buried with him in his royal tomb. So really, he just wants to delay the Marvels, while he goes back to get his Scarab. There's always been a problem with Captain Marvel and Black Adam though. When they fight, because their powers come from the same source, they can't hurt each other. As Mary Marvel and Black Adam Junior are fighting, they discover that they have the same problem. However, when Black Adam Junior gets mad and decides to hit Captain Marvel, he discovers that he can hurt him. Black Adam is confused by this, but has decided to use it to press the advantage. The issue ends looking like Captain Marvel is on the ropes. But they have to remember, if Black Adam Junior can indeed hurt Captain Marvel, then . . it stands to reason that he should be able to return the 'hurt' in kind. I enjoy this book. I think that Art Baltazar and Franco do a good job with the stories here. I think they keep them pretty true to the original series. And I'm really glad that Mike Norton is now the artist. I think he's done a great job since he's come on board. I know this is supposed to be a kid's book, but I've always enjoyed the SHAZAM! family of characters. So I'm just glad that we've got someplace to get that every month.

Billy Batson and the Magic of SHAZAM! #14 - DC

I can't believe that Mike Norton didn't come on this book long before now. I've been watching his talent grow ever since he started doing the Atom series. The one thing that's really impressed me is the way that he can adjust his style to fit whatever series he's working on. And then when he started doing that work with Bill Sienkiewicz . . well, that was just brilliant. But now . . now he's on this book. And out of all that work, I don't thing his stuff has ever felt more comfortable than it does here. His style is a little different from the other artists that have done this series, but . . that's ok. It's got a fluidity, and nostalgia to it that fits this book and character perfectly. It's like . . this is the book that he was meant to draw. Simply fantastic. Anyways, in Art Baltazar and Franco's story this issue, Theo has figured out the magic word to turn himself back into Black Adam. And he's coming after Billy with a vengeance. But it's a pretty even fight. Because of the nature of their powers, they can't really hurt one another. At least not directly. But that's not to say that Black Adam isn't above putting others in danger. Anyways, he decides that he can't take on the Marvels alone, so . . he recruits Freddy Freeman to be his Black Adam Jr. I enjoyed this issue. I thought it was very entertaining. The art just put it over the top for me. Plus I think it's a style that a lot of kids will enjoy. Which is the audience the title is aimed at.

Billy Batson and the Magic of SHAZAM! #12 - DC

This issue, Billy beats Mr Mind, but . . things aren't quite back to normal yet. This story-arc kind of tied in with the Monster Society of Evil mini-series. It kind of showed us how the 2 series fit together. Basically, Mr Mind has been on . . well, Billy's mind ever since that story. Which is why Billy has been so irritable and tired. Mr Mind was using him to make some devices and stuff while he was sleeping. At first it was the only time that he was actually able to take control of his actions. But, even though by the end of the story Mr Mind is defeated . . the monsters are still running around loose out there. And Tawky Tawny seems to be stuck somewhere in transition between his Tiger form and his human form. Which is really taking a toll on both his body and psyche. Right now the city is a mess. There's a lot to clean up. Also Billy doesn't seem to be quite back to normal yet. Maybe after a few days of sleep. I thought it was an interesting book. Art Baltazar and Franco wrote it, with Byron Vaughns doing the art.

Billy Batson and the Magic of SHAZAM! #11 - DC

I enjoy this book. I'm a huge SHAZAM! fan, and I think this series is a great homage to the earliest series. Maybe not so much with the art and style, but with the feeling of the book. It just has that innocent naive kind of feel to it. Anyways, Captain Marvel and Billy have been going through a lot of stuff lately. Both of them seem unable to control the rage or the evil within them. So they all decide to go to the Rock of Eternity to see if the Wizard can do anything to help him out. By this time though, Billy is pretty out of it so his sister Mary and Tawny have to accompany him there. The Wizard decides to try to pull the evil influence out of him, and because of the unpredictable nature that the rock seems to have effecting magic, we end up with a reverse-SHAZAM!. However, long story short, we find out that it's actually Mr Mind. Art Baltazar and Franco are doing a good job with the stories here. I think that they're keeping them accessible to a younger audience, while at the same time making them nostalgic enough for the older readers. Byron Vaughns does the art this issue. I know he's done this book before, but it seems like he's using a different style for this one. I don't know that it's good or bad . . it's just different. Anyways, I hope they keep this book around for a a long time to come. I dig it.

the Mighty #11 - DC

I think Peter J Tomasi and Keith Champagne have done a terrific job with this story. Apparently, though . . it wasn't widely accepted, as next issue is it's last. But . . I have to say, I really enjoyed it. This issue Gabriel sees just how much of a loon Alpha One really is. We got some of his back-story last issue, and now that Gabriel has been given full access to all of his secrets and experiments . . he's even more intent on bringing this guy down. We don't really know, yet, what Alpha One's intentions are. But we find out that he has a serum that will turn ordinary humans in to super-beings . . like himself. Maybe that's it. Maybe he just feels alone. Anyways, he's got hundreds of tubes down here with people in him that I assume were his test subjects. Included is Gabriel's wife. The only part I don't understand is that Gabriel starts fighting Alpha One, showing his true intentions, before he has a chance to administer the serum. Alpha One burns off one of Gabriel's hands, pulverizes 7 of his ribs, and then twists his neck like a candy-wrapper. But by this time it appears that the serum kicks in and he regenerates everything. I'm just not sure how that happened. He never had a chance to get the serum. He acted to quickly. Hopefully that part will be explained next issue. Anyways, Gabriel and Alpha One go at for the whole issue, and it ends after Gabriel uses his heat-vision to burn 2 scars across Alpha One's face. It appears that they're in a stalemate. I think it's going to come down to . . who wants it more. Who wants to kill the other more, and who has the drive to do it. Next issue should be a real piece of work. I'm not a huge fan of Chris Samnee's art, but . . I think that he provided a look and feel to this book that would've been completely different having been handled by another artist. I thought it was a very solid book, and . . I really hate to see it go. Who knows? I guess I'll just have to wait and see how next issue plays out.

Billy Batson and the Magic of SHAZAM! #10 - DC

Well . . Billy still can't turn back in to Captain Marvel. Remember . . last issue he was staying in the Captain's form for a long time, and the longer he did so . . the meaner he got. Mary finally helped him get switched back, but now they need to get to the Rock of Eternity and tell the Wizard what's going on. If anyone can help them, it's him. Anyways, on the way to the Subway station they come across a bank robbery. It's unique in that it's being robbed by ordinary citizens. There's this nerdy guy, who calls himself Axe, and he uses his guitar, Matilda, to hypnotize the people around him. So he's actually the one robbing the bank, but he doesn't have to do any of the dirty work. Anyways, Mary switches to try to go in and help, but he just hypnotizes her. So now it's up to Billy. He accidentally finds out that the coins short out his guitar, so he throws a whole bunch at him. Afterwards Billy's concerned that the evil and anger from Captain Marvel is starting to seep into him as well. When he was beating up Axe . . he was enjoying it. So now he and Mary desperately want to get to the Wizard. I like this book. Yeah it's for kids. But I think Art Baltazar, Franco and Byron Vaughns are doing a great job here. As I've said before, there's really no other outlet for Captain Marvel right now . . except for Freddie, over in Cry for Justice . . but Captain Marvel isn't really anywhere to be seen. Except for here. Basically . . I'm sayin', we have to take what we can get. But I really do like this book. It's fun.

Billy Batson and the Magic of SHAZAM! #9 - DC

I know this book is aimed at teen-agers, but . . I like it. I've always been a fan of Captain Marvel's, and right now this appears to be the only way we're going to get some new adventures from him. That's not to say I'm not happy with this outlet, it's just different from what we've seen before. And way different from the Power of Shazam! series. This issue is brought to us by Art Baltazar, Franco and Bryon Vaughns. It seems that there's a little spill-over from the previous adventure involving Dr Sivana, and King Kull. There's no clear threats, just something mischievous going on. We see it in the way Billy / Captain Marvel is acting. He doesn't seem to be himself. Well . . he is himself. He's just not both of himselfs. Captain Marvel hasn't changed back to Billy in days. It seems like the longer this goes on, the more arrogant and self-concerned Captain Marvel becomes. Mary uses her own magic to finally change him back. But now that he's Billy again, and he thinks about the things that Captain Marvel said and did . . 'I do know one thing . . I can never be Captain Marvel again.' This story revolves around a plot thread of some arsons going on around town. At the end of the issue we find out that when Captain Marvel captured the culprit, he ended up seriously disfiguring him because of his methods. Is this the end of Captain Marvel? I doubt it. But we'll see what happens next issue. I really like this book. But . . I would like to see some other outlet for this character. Somewhere!

Billy Batson and the Magic of SHAZAM! #8 - DC

This issue finally connects this series to the Monster Society of Evil story-line. Not that that's all that important, but . . I was just wondering where it all fit in with this book, and these characters . . or if it did at all. Apparently it happens before this current story, and it's part of what gives Sivana the means to build this current robot, and give it the power to take on Billy and his sister. Of course, eventually . . with the unwitting help of King Kull, they do defeat Sivana. However since he's using Tawny as a means to tap into the magical field . . in the end, they have to save their friend thereby giving up on pursuit of Sivana. He slips away yet once again. I like this book. I liked it better in the beginning when Mike Hunkle was handling the creative end, but . . I still like it. It's a bit more 'childish' now. But . . that's kind of always been the essence of this character. Yes this particular title is aimed at a younger audience, but . . Captain Marvel has always come across, at least to me, as a not as serious character. Even back when CC Beck was doing the book, it was always a 'tongue in cheek' type character, and stories. Anyways, I'm just glad that he's showing up on a regular monthly basis now. I thought that Captain Marvel would be a little more prominent after the Trials of SHAZAM! mini-series, but . . we haven't seen that come to fruition, yet. Maybe the Cry for Justice mini will help with that. We'll see.

Billy Batson and the Magic of SHAZAM! #7 - DC

I know this book's juvenile, but . . I like it. It's a fun read. I think Art Baltazar and Franco have done a good job with the stories so far. Now we have Byron Vaughns doing the art. It looked ok. It fit the 'kid' theme of this book. I just miss Mike Hunkle's stuff. Anyways, Dr Sivana is back and he's looking for a way to take down the Big Red Cheese. He's brought one of his robots back. He's powering it with the lightning of SHAZAM!, which he's captured rather duplicitously, and he's got Tawky Tawny as the heart of the beast. I'm sure Billy and Mary can beat it, but now they're going to have to be extra careful. Anyways, all of this is occurring because SHAZAM!, the wizard back at the Rock of Eternity, is concerned because the statues of the seven deadly sins seem to be opening thier eyes ever so slightly. Which I guess means that evil is creeping out into the world. Like I said, I like this book. It's a quick read. And Captain Marvel is one of my favorite characters. Barring any other source of new material . . this is my monthly fix. Plus I think it's a book that the kids will like also.

Billy Batson and the Magic of SHAZAM! #6 - DC

Well, Art Baltazar & Franco are still on this book . . they do the story, but Stephen DeStefano does the art this issue. Will he be the regular artist? Some of you may know him from the 'Mazing Man book. It's from quite a while ago, actually. I liked his take on this character though. I like this book, because . . even though it's aimed at kids, it really stays in the same tradition as previous titles of this character's. They've all been a bit 'cartoonish' and sophomoric, but . . that seems to be the trademark of this character. He never really takes himself to seriously. This issue Billy and Mary are trying to find Dr. Sivana. He's recently escaped from prison. But, in the meantime, Billy runs across what looks like a giant caveman, but . . he calls himself King Kull. I'm not sure what his story is, we don't really get in to it, but . . he seems to have some kind of matter-changing technology. He has this remote type looking device that he can use to turn wood into steel. I'm sure there's other applications also, but . . that's what he uses it for most of this issue. Anyways, in the end, Billy uses his device against him. SHAZAM! covers Kull in sand, and then turns it all to metal . . putting the guy in a body sized cage. However, they don't re-apprehend Sivana and he finds the Kings statue and takes it for himself. I'm not sure why, but I'm sure we'll find out more next issue. I like this book. It's fun. Plus SHAZAM! is one of my favorite characters. Keep up the good work, guys.

Billy Batson & the Magic of Shazam! #5 - DC

Well, I hate to say it, but . . Mike Kunkel is no longer the creative force behind this book . . as of this issue, and you can tell. He still does the cover, but the insides are done by Art Baltazar & Franco with Byron Vaughns doing the art. I mean, it's still a fun book. It'll hold the younger reader's interest, but . . Mike just had a way of bridging that gap between the younger and more mature readers. It was aimed at the younger audience, but . . his humor was discreet enough that the more mature reader would be able to pick it up. Now . . now it just seems like a kids book. Obviously he put more work into it, because the book didn't come out on a regular schedule. Which is probably part of the reason for the creative change, but . . it was always worth the wait. Billy Batson, and SHAZAM, have always been one of my favorite characters. In lieu of a regular SHAZAM title, this one more than filled the gap for me. But now . . now it'll have a hard time holding my interest. The stories will end up being like those in Tiny Titans or Super-Friends, and sooner or later I'll have to just let the title go. I'm not trying to be a defeatist, and I really do enjoy the change of pace from the regular super-hero genre. But . . I also like to think, and try to figure out what's going on . . a little bit of a challenge. Unfortunately, when it aims for such a young targeted audience . . it loses that. But, I'll hang out for a few issues and see what happens. I'll be hopefully optimistic. But, I wasn't to impressed with this issue. Sorry!

Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the 8th Grade #6 - DC

This was a cute way to wrap up this mini-series. For the kids out there, Linda and Lena wrapped up their differences and become friends again. And the kids also get introduced to Mxyzptlk. Although he comes off more evil than mischievous in this story. I liked the book, but . . since it is aimed at kids, I'd have to say that this one would probably be more confusing than anything for them. We get a Supergirl from another dimension, and the whole thing with Mxyzptlk and the Fifth-Dimension, would probably be over their heads. It would probably be enjoyable to the kids . . I mean, they have Streaky and Comet, so . . but I'm not sure that they'd understand all of the dynamics between characters or their motivations. The depth of the story would be lost on them. However, they'd enjoy the slapstick and humor. I'm not saying that they wouldn't enjoy it, but . . I think that it probably comes across as a completely different book to us more seasoned readers. You know? But then again . . maybe I'm just reading to much into it. Although, it might also be because this is the final issue, Landry Walker had to get more into the book than he anticipated. I don't know. Overall I enjoyed the series. I'm sure the kids did to. Now we just have to wait and see what Johnny DC has in store for us . . er, I mean the kids, next.

Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the 8th Grade #5 - DC

For the last 2 issues of this mini-series, we have a 2-part story. This issue . . it seems like everything has fallen apart in Linda's life. A future version of herself has come back to warn her about something. It's disrupted Linda's powers, and also seems to be having an effect on Belinda. Meanwhile, the Principal seems to be advancing whatever his plans are. They don't appear to be altruistic in nature. And, for some reason, with the appearance of the other Supergirl, Lena seems to now remember everything that happened during their adventure. She's mad that they erased her memories, and has decided to break Lex out of prison to ensure her success. Like I said, basically everything has fallen apart. Now next issue . . hopefully Landry Q Walker and Eric Jones can put everything back together. This is an interesting series. It's different. It's aimed at kids, but . . I'm not sure how much they would understand this issue. The conflict maybe, but certainly not the motivations. Overall, I've liked it though. Unfortunately, there's only 1 issue left. But since Johnny DC seems to be keeping a certain number of titles on the shelf . . I wonder what's next.

Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam! #4 - DC

To me, this is probably the best Johnny DC book that come down the pike so far. Well . . with the exception of Teen Titans Go!. I loved that book. But Mike Kunkel does a fantastic job with this book. I think his art is great. And he also does a good job with the story. Last issue Mary accidentally gave Theo the magic word he needed to turn into Black Adam. This issue Billy is fighting him, and the Seven Deadly Sins. But, with Mary's help, the Wizard comes up with a plan to trick Theo into changing back, and bringing all the Sins back to the Rock of Eternity in the process. It's a cute book, and I love Mike's dialogue. To me, this is a fantastic introduction to these character for readers who may not be familiar with them. I really have to give props to Mike for turning out such a great book. I'm not sure how long it's going to be around, but . . I'm going to enjoy it as long as I can.

Batman: the Brave and the Bold #3 - DC

Ok, I appreciate the concept of this line of books . . and I actually do enjoy the TV episodes. But, I think I'm going to have to quite reviewing these books. I want to be positive because of the opportunity for new, younger readers to get turned on to the DC Universe. But . . since they're so corny, and lame . . I'm having a hard time doing that. Remember last issue? I said that it ended with Batman sitting down at the dinner table with Jamie's family, and seeing him sucking on a chicken bone? Well, this issue ends with Batman and Green Arrow sitting down with the President at a Luau . . wearing a lei and everything. I'm sorry . . it was just more than I could bear to witness. So I'm just going to say that I think these titles are a great opportunity for younger readers to see some of these characters that they may not be familiar with. It's a great jumping on point if someone wants to get their kids interested in collecting comics. However, for the more mature readers out there . . . 'Just say no!'

Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the 8th Grade #4 - DC

This was another hilarious chapter of Supergirl's 8th grade existence. This is just a silly book all around. But, it's interesting. I also like the addition of Streaky . . the Super-cat. Also Lena Luthor, Linda's room-mate, is ready to jump into her Secret Battle Armor this issue when she finds out Linda's secret. I really think that Landry Walker and Eric Jones are doing a great job with this series. The way they're constructing the stories, and doing the art, is really neat. I'm sure that the audience it's aimed at is loving it. Plus, like I keep saying, it's great that there's an opportunity to introduce new reader, younger readers, to the various characters of the DC Universe. But really I'm just happy that there's a whole new audience that'll be collecting. Anything to perpetuate the medium. Right?

Batman: the Brave and the Bold #2 - DC

This was an ok book. It really was in the exact same genre as the cartoon. Reading it . . I have to keep telling myself that this isn't part of the regular DC Universe. And . . it's written for kids. If I didn't keep thinking about that . . this book would probably drive me crazy. At the end, after Blue Beetle and Batman have beaten the Thinker, they're sitting down to dinner at Jamie's house and Batman's sucking on a chicken bone. Besides that . . he's the only one at the table in costume. A little weird . . maybe? Plus when this whole thing first started, with the avatar characters, Batman thinks of Jaime . . teen-ager, video-games . . so he goes knocking on his door. On one hand, how cool would that be? You open your door to find Batman standing there. But then I'm thinking . . no way! Anyways, for the kids, it was probably a fun book. I'm all for anything that introduces the younger audience to some of my favorite characters. But it really is written, probably for the 8 to 10 year old audience. Which is fine. It could've drove me crazy, but . . I didn't let it.