Justice League #8

[flint_marko]

Billy meets his new family.




Darla cries and runs off, and the others go after her. Mary pushes Billy into his room.





Billy says to himself that he didn't mean to make Darla cry. Then it starts thundering, and he sees a face that looks like the wizard Shazam in the clouds.

Comments

[espanolbot]

Interestin', the capacity for Mary and Billy's secret brother/sisterness is still open and the idea that Captain Marvel's appearance might be subconciously based on Billy's father is there too. His mum kind of looks like Mary too, so maybe that'll factor into her powered up appearance too.

Also, yay, Marvel Bunny and Possible!Talky Tawny!

[vitruvian23]

That's Tawky Tawny to you, buster... ;-)

But yes, the cartoon anthropomorphic and the actual tiger in the picture of his parents... very cool Easter Egg.

[jaybee3]

I do hope Mary turns out to be his biological sister. Part of the mythology going back to when Otto Binder created Mary was her link to Billy that extended beyond them being separated (and which Jeff Smith used to good effect in his "Monster Society of Evil" mini-series).

[vitruvian23]

Why on Earth would you make Freddy blond, or without the cowlick, and lose that whole Elvis connection?

[darkknightjrk]

So he doesn't look as much like an exact clone of Billy?

[sir_mikael]

Even if Elvis is less known these days I agree, it's a pretty fucking awesome thing to have a character that one music icon partially modeled himself after and throwing that away seems weird. Maybe the ppl in charge don't actually know about the connection anymore? *shrugs*

[freezer]

Still not feeling Little Snot!Billy.

[halloweenjack]

I'll take back some of the bad things I've said about nuDC if there's a Darla Marvel.

[leikomgwtfbbq]

I would love it if there was a magic thunderstorm and Shazam descended on the clouds into Billy's room. "YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO WIELD THE POWERS OF THE GO--wait, you're not the kid I want. Wrong room. Sorry. DARLA VASQUEZ... YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO WIELD THE POWERS OF THE GODS!"

"Yaaaaaaaaaay!"

Darla Marvel would be the best series.

[twomasks]

What is this? Captain Marvel was always supposed to be one of the more upbeat, positive heroes and here we've got Billy Batson, Scourge of Orphans?! Why does anyone hire Geoff Johns anymore? The man has an incredible talent for turning gold bricks to cow pies.

[halloweenjack]

Billy's heel-face turn isn't so much telegraphed as it's inscribed on every single brick in the road leading to the inevitable conclusion.

[bulletsandbraclets]

If this wasn't Billy Batson, I could get behind this. I'm perfectly okay with unlikable characters so long as I get where they are coming from. And I do empathize with him a bit. Strange environment, patronizing adults, over excited little girls, I've been there. And the kid lost his parents, how could you not feel bad for the poor kid and understand when he snaps.

BUT BILLY BATSON IS NOT UNLIKABLE! *ahem* Sorry. Billy Batson would never be so awful to people who are just trying to help. Yeah, they're a bit of know it alls, but they're still trying. It's okay for him to be angry and sad about it, but mean? No. That's not Billy.

This kind of reminds me of the short "Superman/Shazam: The Return of Black Adam." Billy was clearly sick of his situation and wanted out, but he still managed to keep his chin up and kept trying to make the best of things for everyone. Is this realistic? Probably not. But this optimism and determination is what I like about the character, and so seeing him act so contrary to that is maddening.

Also, hi scans-daily! I've finally crawled out of my lurker shell.

[salinea]

welcome to the comm :)

[blueprintstyles]

I think Freddie and Billy would have looked to similar so they made him blond.

[venatosapiens]

Weirdly enough....something about this clicked for me. I don't know what. But I'm now willing to see where it goes and see if this version of Billy gets better. Because I suspect he will, and it'll be heartwarming when it happens.

Also, I need me some Tawky Tawny. Make it happen, Johns.

[darkknightjrk]

I'm really liking this take on Billy--it's a different start, but you just KNOW that Billy's going to soon embrace his new family by the end of this.

Hell, the whole issue itself was great--the reveal with J'onn was particularly surprising.

[shadowpsykie]

i agree. the thing is that Billy is really guarded. he's not going to let people in easily. but he is not a heartless jerk. he's a guy who has, more often than not probably, let people in only to have his heart broken... but once he starts letting them in, he will probably be as defenseive of them as Mary is.

[skemono]

I can just imagine Shazam's thought process here. "I need someone to give nigh-rivalless power, fueled by the very gods themselves. Clearly he my champion needs to be mature enough not to abuse this power and compassionate enough to use it for good.

...I know! That bitter kid who lashes out at people who are trying to welcome him and give him a home, a life, and companionship. Wisdom of Solomon, you've done it again!"

[shadowpsykie]

Wisdom of Solomon, you've done it again

i think the Wisdom of solomon would allow him to see the good kid kid who is inside the jerk who has probably developed a thick skin because he's had his heart broken one too many times.

[shadowpsykie]

hmmm are those the same kids who were in the Flashpoint marvel?

i kinda like this.... I like that Mary seems like a good kid, but she's not a pushover, or naive.

as far as Billy, yeah he is acting like a jerk. that does not necissarily means that is who he is. it could very likely be that he HAS let people into his heart, only to have them break one too many times. but so far all anyone has to say is "BILLY IS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE SO ANGRY! THAT MAKES ME ANGRY! ARRRRG!"

don't like it if you don't i am not saying you have to like it. but before you start raging maybe see where the story is going... or don't really it's not my choice. i don't like it or dislike it... it is however interesting and compelling and somthing i am keeping an eye on

[flint_marko]

Yeah, they're the same kids, though Darla was older.

[jaybee3]

I like Franks' art work here a lot. The kids actually look like kids instead of tiny adults (which is how some of the art in Superman: Secret Origin seemed to me).

[drexer]

This art... those noses. Thoese eyes.

Hand me the eye-bleach please.

[big_daddy_d]

Wait just a damn minute is Mary Billy's biological sister or adopted sister? I hope it's the former because the latter would just be damn stupid. Come on DC!

[flint_marko]

Right now they're just adopted, but it's possible they're still related.

In the original post-Crisis version, didn't they not know they were related at first either?

[silverzeo]

Who is willing to bet by the time becoming Captain Marvel has made Billy act nicer, he ends up making his foster family hate him or something?

[eaglet_auditore]

And then he spends the next dozen or so titles trying to get accepted while his superheroing also goes wrong. *Shakes fist at the sky in a silent fit of rage* I won't wish that to my worse enemy. Sorta.

[eaglet_auditore]

So, Billy does have a heart, though broken it is. Cool, cool, but as a random person who's first contact with Captain Marvel/Shazam was from Batman: Brave and the Bold and Young Justice, it's just not what I was looking for.

[auggie18]

You should check out Superman/Shazam: First Thunder. It has a Billy that manages to be both street smart and an adorable nice guy.

[auggie18]

...okay. I could get into this. So far, I'm digging everyone but Billy. This is a pretty spot on Mary, for example. Kind, but firm. Still hating this take on Billy, which feels like it would work so much better if Billy and Freddy switched places, but whatever. Maybe I'll give this a shot.

[icon_uk]

Or much of the Bridwell/Newton run of the 1970's and 80's.

[thormonger]

So Superboy-Prime is hiding out as Billy Batson now?

[biod]

That makes way too much sense not to be scay.

[eyz]

Ughhh.. *goes back to Jeff Smith's Shazam*

[rainspirit]

Hear, hear!

[turtlefu]

Is that last shot supposed to make Billy sympathetic? Are we supposed to think "Oh yeah, he's a jerk, but his heart has been broken! Poor Billy!"

BULL.
SHIT.

If we aren't going to talk about what a critical misunderstanding of Billy's character this is, how about the overdone cliches of "Angry foster kid learns to open up" or "Mean orphan with a heart of gold"? All of the kids in these scans have more personality in ONE PANEL than Billy has, because he is an entirely one-note character, as portrayed here.