Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Rayboy's Review: Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam! #17 (DC)


Art Baltazar & Franco serve up a full issue of fun in DC Comics Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam! #17. "Space Ghoul" picks up the chapter that was included in May's FREE COMIC BOOK DAY Kids Sampler that DC previously published.

The rural area outside of Fawcett City has been plagued by mysterious crop circles and cow abductions, until young Billy, his sister Mary and their reporter friend Helen Fidelity arrive to ferret out the unearthly goings-on. Since this is an all-ages title, the "Space Ghoul" is ultimately revealed to have less than nefarious intentions and the whole affair is truly light-hearted in nature. This is action that is very reminiscent of the golden age whimsy for which the "Big Red Cheese" was originally famous.

Mike Norton's lovely artwork brings to life the "World's Mightiest Mortal" in far better fashion than many other recent efforts and proves that Captain Marvel need not dwell exclusively in the larger DC Universe.

Try giving this title a chance and you may be surprised to find just how much you like it. This standalone issue is a great jumping on point for new readers. Recommended!

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