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Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam! [Review]

Posted on December 28, 2008 by Walt

Words, Pics, Heart: Mike Kunkel
Letters: Steve Wands
Assoc. Editor: Adam Schlagman
Editor: Jann Jones
Cover: Mike Kunkel
Publisher: Johnny DC (DC Comics)

This issue picks up with Billy–as Captain Marvel–sitting around ready to play hookey from school. Mary convinces him to go in due to identy and detention issues. While serving detention, Billy helps some other kids stuck in detention before Theo Adam strikes, still seeking the magic word to transform himself back into Black Adam. As a dangerous schoolyard-bullying act plays out, Mary innocently slips, and we’re reintroduced to Captain Marvel’s nemesis, Black Adam.

The story here is at once fairly complex and yet quite simplistic. In other words, kids or adults ought to be able to enjoy this…better yet, adults oughtta be able to enjoy sharing this reading experience with their kid(s).

The art has a simplistic style to it while conveying a good deal of emotion–and motion. Visually and story-wise, this feels like it ought to be serving as the comic-book counterpart to an animated series. And while I never really cared for the anime-styled Teen Titans show, a Shazam/Captain Marvel animated series would thrill be quite a bit.

This is definitely a good series for the younger crowd, yet should be fairly enjoyable to older readers. I’m actually enjoying this book more than many other “regular” DC titles these days. And in this day ‘n age, you simply cannot beat the price, either!

We do get a “to be continued” on this issue, but on the whole it’s quite a good read, with plenty of dialogue TO read and numerous panels per page rather than constant splash pages and few panels per page.

Taken seperately I my not generally like the story or art as much…but taken on the whole, I really enjoy this. The book is more than its individual parts. Very much recommended!

Story: 8/10
Art: 8/10
Whole: 8.5/10

Filed under: Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam, Comic Reviews 2008, DC, Johnny DC | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the 8th Grade #1 [Review]

Posted on December 7, 2008 by Walt

Writer: Landry Q. Walker
Artist: Eric Jones
Letterer: Pat Brosseau
Coloring: Joey Mason
Editor: Jann Jones
Cover: Eric Jones
Publisher: Johnny DC / DC Comics

While Superman battles Lex Luthor in a huge mech-armor, the villain gloats that only an other-dimensional rocket could destroy his armor. Then, lo ‘n behold, an other-dimensional rocket arrives, crashing through the armor, and from this craft comes a young Super-girl.

This is a rather cutesy start to the series, but gives a nice quick premise: we have a Supergirl arriving in a rocket from some other dimension. As the issue progresses, we get more background info about what’s brought her to the present: it’s a setup that departs a bit on some key points from what I’m aware of as her traditional background, but it does so presumably to keep things on the lighter side. This IS supposed to be a comic the younger crowd can read, and the lighter tone preserves key points of Supergirl’s situation while leaving other stuff open to future use.

The story is not bad…it felt a bit simplistic and repetetive sometimes, but I’m pretty sure that was done intentionally to lend tone to the story, capturing the feel of what Supergirl goes through trying to begin acclimating to Earth.

The art is a bit too cutesy for me…I realize it’s aimed at kids, and that I’m not the primary/target audience for this. It definitely looks like a saturday morning cartoon series I’d find–and complain about–on the Cartoon Network. This Supergirl would not be entirely out of place for me appearning in Dexter’s Lab or Powerpuff girls. As a whole, the art does definitely fit the story, and taken together, is a pretty good package.

I wouldn’t recommend this much for an adult reader with no kids to interact with on it…but as something to give to a kid (and at risk of political incorrectness, probably more the young female crowd), it’s another fine addition to the Johnny DC line…though as the first of only six issues (according to the cover), it almost seems like it could be worth waiting for a digest-sized collected edition much like what Archie produces…if DC were to do that. My rating below is based on how it hit me–a 28-year-old single male reader with no kids and no one to hand this issue off to. I’m confident it would be rated a couple points higher by someone significantly younger than me with an interest in the Super-characters.

Story: 7/10
Art: 6/10
Whole: 6.5/10

Filed under: Comic Reviews 2008, DC, Johnny DC, Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the 8th Grade | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

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