Justice League #0

[flint_marko]

When we last saw Billy, he had been transported to the Rock of Eternity.

Billy meets the Wizard, who says his magic must be getting weaker if it brought him a child. He tries seeing if Billy is pure good, and sees his various flaws (being rude to his foster family, stealing some food, ect). The Wizard tells him that he has been searching for a pure good person, but that he is just flawed as everyone else he has brought here. Billy tells him there's no such thing as a pure good person.



The Wizard sees the good stuff Billy has done, such as protecting his foster family from the bullies, feeding Tawny,  and a scene where we see him telling a young girl outside her widow, "They won't hurt you again, Jenny. I'm getting you out of here". The Wizard says he supposes Billy has potential and tells him to say the magic word "Shazam." Billy says it and is transformed into Shazam.




As Shazam, Billy finds himself transported back into the town where he finds Freddy and tells him what happened. They see a woman getting mugged and he punches the mugger into a car.

 

Comments

[espanolbot]

Yay for noncaucasian Shazam, he actually look like a bloke for Egypt thousands of years ago, instead of Gandalf minus his pointy hat.

Also, Freddie, you're not helping the whole "Embers of Good" thing. Particularly since you have accidentally invited Avarice into Billy's heart.

[zabilac]

"Also, Freddie, you're not helping the whole "Embers of Good" thing. Particularly since you have accidentally invited Avarice into Billy's heart."

Yeah, have to agree with you on that. Maybe Shazam/Billy is going to start a superhero saving business to get some cash, but then something goes horribly wrong and he starts being a hero more seriously. It could happen!

[darkknightjrk]

"Also, Freddie, you're not helping the whole "Embers of Good" thing. Particularly since you have accidentally invited Avarice into Billy's heart."

Well, at least Billy actually stopped a mugger with his power, so he's already one step above Peter Parker before his uncle got 86'ed.

[bewareofgeek]

Looks more Australian Aborigine to me...

[kenn_el]

Considering that we've met Billy's foster parents and foster siblings (aside from Freddy), Billy's argument doesn't hold water. The Wizard's clearly not at the top of his game (if he ever was, as evidenced in the back-up story).

[flint_marko]

But nobody's pure good, which is what the Wizard was looking for.

[icon_uk]

I'm all for a touch of realism, what about, for want of a better term aspirational mythology? Part of the point of superhero comics is to see what happens when someone IS good.

Shazam giving powers to Billy because "You're fairly screwed up, but what the hell, you're the best I've got to hand" is just... I dunno... crass (And I use "crass" because I try to avoid use of "crap", unless it's called for)

And surely the Wisdom of Solomon would have been enough to say "Taking money for heroic acts? Not cool Billy, not cool."

[espanolbot]

Well, Spider-man apparently chose his name because it was "as good as any" so making major decisions with no thought being put into it wasn't exactly new to comics.

[darkknightjrk]

"I'm all for a touch of realism, what about, for want of a better term aspirational mythology? Part of the point of superhero comics is to see what happens when someone IS good."

See, the thing is, there IS good in Billy, we've explicitly seen it, and I think seeing someone with flaws rising up and doing the right thing is FAR more inspirational than someone who's just "pure."

[leikomgwtfbbq]

I've gotten into the habit of reading Billy's lines in Linkara's Superboy Prime voice.

(I happened to like it when Billy was, like, the world's Boy Scoutiest street orphan. I don't like this cynical punk Billy.)

[beoweasel]

I've gotten into the habit of reading Billy's lines in Linkara's Superboy Prime voice.

Sounds accurate.

[julian]

Grah. WHAT is DC's thing with making Captain Marvel unsettling? It seems to be their only way of coping with the Marvels in the past 5 years.

[auggie18]

Man, I hate this Billy.

I know they've done things to try and make him less of a dick, but it really isn't working. That scene with him standing up to those kids who were bullying his family felt more like he was marking his territory than defending his family.

I just don't get why it's such a terrible thing that Billy is an optimist. Why is it horrible to have a protagonist that tries to see the best in everyone? If you want to do a Hero's Journey thing, fine. Choose someone else. There are a million dark and gritty heroes who constantly see the worst in people who you could choose to build up. Billy's whole schtick was that he always tried his best to do the right thing, even if it was hard. That he believed in people, in ideals. To quote something I read online, "[he's] just a boy, trying to be the best man he could be."

Honestly? I am getting pretty sick of jackass heroes. Been there, done that. Call me when the real Billy is back.

[shadowpsykie]

Maybe his heroes journey (people get this wrong so often) IS to be able to see the good in other people. Hell maybe his story its all about seeing the good in Adam.

[silverhammerman]

I really don't understand how Billy is called Shazam now. I get that DC is going for the greater name recognition, and I wouldn't be surprised to learn the decision was somehow related to Carol Danvers being promoted to Marvel's Captain Marvel, but still. I mean, he transforms by saying "shazam" why would people call him Shazam? He can't introduce himself as Shazam. If they wanted a non-Captain Marvel name for the character they should have gone with Captain Thunder, which actually has precedent and would make sense, as Billy transforms in a flash of lightning, so the hero would seem to appeal in a flash of thunder and lightning. And Shazam is just a shit name for a superhero, it sound like the Silver Age version of those 90s hero names like Bloodfist and Shadowmurder.

[flint_marko]

In regards to the whole "How will he say his name" bit, just saying "Shazam" alone doesn't change him.

When he tries saying it the first time nothing happens. Then the Wizard tells him "You must say it with purpose. With belief. With good intentions. With thoughts of your parents and your family."

[silverzeo]

"There is no such thing a pure good soul"... sounds like every DC character after the reboot....

So I guess SHAZAM had his powers when his magic word was "MARVEL", huh?

Plus, how does wakening the 7 Deadly Sins of Man make Adam king of magic?

[midnightvoyager]

No, nobody's perfect, but did you really have to pick a kid who was also the biggest dick available at the time to give magic powers to? Almost anyone in that household other than him would have been a better choice. You are a terrible wizard!

[darkknightjrk]

My favorite bit that happens after the twenty dollars thing is the last panel of that story where after the two realize what that means, Freddy screams "We're gonna be rich!" and Billy/Shazam is fist pumping. The way Frank draws it is just hilarious. :D

[seisachtheia]

As someone who has know knowledge of this comic or character, I can't comment on whether this is good or bad or whatever.

But that last scan did crack me up, because I could totally see a couple of kids who got their hands on some super powers (at least one of them, anyway) using it to a)fight crime! and then b) ask for tips and just be so impressed with themselves.

(And then maybe c) use the money and the superpowers to get into R rated movies? That's what happens next, right?)

[shadowpsykie]

Oh god I hope C happens lol :)

But yeah. I see him learning responsibility later, but first, fun with foster brothers.... That sound wrong....

[an_idol_mind]

Sue me - I like the old Captain Marvel better. I like that he was the ultimate goody two-shoes. That didn't make him flawless, but it did leave him pretty unique in a world filled with angsty and morally mabiguous superheroes.

Maybe this new guy will become someone tolerable, but so far they've turned a charming character into somebody I find very unlikable. Given the choice, I think I'd rather they leave Captain Marvel out of the rebooted DC Universe entirely.

The smarmy obnoxious Billy is just completely counter to the character. If you want to tell this story, there are dozens of superheroes that could be used instead of doing what is effectively a complete reversal on the core of Captain Marvel.

[lieut_kettch]

That image of Cap with the twenty is just begging to get iconned.

[mortimerwclankitybritches]

My thoughts exactly

I gotta admit, im not hating this as much as I thought I would be. Maybe there is hope for some parts o DC

[eyz]

Blah :/

And now the wizard Shazam looks like Alan Moore instead of a wizard?

[beoweasel]

No way, he's waaay too dark-skinned to be Moore, and the beard isn't long enough. :P

[beoweasel]

...and that last scene with Billy waltzing away with the twenty with a smug look on his face, makes me hate the character even more.

I don't know why I keep reading this, I must hate myself. There is nothing likable about this kid, he's a prick, he's cynical, he's hungry for power, and a greedy little shit.

And I'm sorry, I don't care if he gets better eventually, I don't read comics about unlikable assholes purely on the promise that they may become decent people later.

[auggie18]

And I'm sorry, I don't care if he gets better eventually, I don't read comics about unlikable assholes purely on the promise that they may become decent people later.


I AM AGREEING WITH YOU AS HARD AS I CAN.

[jaybee3]

I have no idea why Johns is doing this to Billy. It does NOT make him a more interesting character. And I don't think you have to be a dark, angsty teen to be interesting. Exhibit A: Stargirl created by....Geoff Johns (who apparently will survive the reboot without going through a personality transplant).

That scene with the 20 dollars now ranks with Mary Marvel in Countdown as a new low for the Shazam franchise (DC-era).

Does DC really think readers are so jaded and cynical that we can't accept the fact that - yes, Billy Batson, a kid off the streets was the ONE. Chosen over billions of others (including every other superhero including Superman) by to wield the power of the gods just because he's just....good, and pure, and good some more. He's like the DC version of Sir Galahad. He may not be the most edgy, the most complicated, the most confused but he's the best - and other people see that him (whether as Billy or as Cap).

This version? It's someone else entirely. It's almost a parody of Shazam.

[jlbarnett]

yes, I think DC does believe that.

[halloweenjack]

Still holding out for Darla Marvel, which would be about the funniest thing in the goddamn world.

[biod]

Just because I don't want every hero to be Captain Marvel doesn't mean no one can. I happen to like the idea that, yes, there is one individual more innately good, just a little more wholesome than the rest of us and a wizard gave him superpowers. Not all of my heroes have to be relatable (Though, whoever thought this punk was relatable to me has delivered me a great disservice). Make them interesting or make them ideals. That's what Captain Marvel ought to be, not some angry, whiny jerk of an adolescent who happened to be the in the area when UNLIMITED POWER needed a bloke. Together, Superman and Marvel show us that we are capable of plain, pure decency through nurture and nature.
I've never really read a Captain Marvel story I loved, but I love that much.

[theflames]

... a thirteen year old make bad judgement calls and he's a punk?