SHAZAM #15
Cody White
Recap
After a night battling robots across the globe, Billy Batson finds out not everyone loves superheroes when one of his teachers unleashes a lecture on the ethics of unchecked power and privilege. It’ll take more than just the wisdom of Solomon for the teen hero to figure this one out.
Review
And just like that, SHAZAM is over. Fifteen issues over nearly two years and despite infinite potential for the series, fans are left to wonder what the point really was and if the wait was worth it. For this final issue, though, readers are treated to a return of Jeff Loveness and Brandon Peterson. The two came onto the book for a one-off story in #12 and return here to close the series in similar fashion. And just as in that previous issue, the story here is wonderful, heartfelt, and beautifully rendered. This issue was desert after the brussel sprouts of the “Magiclands” arc.
In this story, Billy is forced to consider the question of whether or not he was actually making the world a better place. It’s a question well-timed for the reader as we suffer through the chaos of 2020. Are things getting better? Am I an active agent of change for the better, not just for myself, but for the future? The questions Billy asks as he works through this journey are gut-wrenchingly familiar. The peak of his journey leaves him (in superhero persona) rescuing and spending time with somebody who is an active agent of positive change, giving the story an incredibly human end to an exceptionally human story.
Final Thoughts
SHAZAM #15(@JeffLoveness @BrandonPeterson @atiyehcolors #robleigh @DCComics) is a beautiful, gut-wrenching story about being the change you want to see. An unexpected but delightful end to the series.
SHAZAM #15: Be the Change
- Writing - 10/1010/10
- Storyline - 10/1010/10
- Art - 9/109/10
- Color - 10/1010/10
- Cover Art - 10/1010/10
