Following Billy Batson’s becoming trapped in the Rock of Eternity, it’s all up to Mary Broomfield.
Mary, the ‘unfostered’, the angry runaway. Mary the angry one. Now, Mary is contemplating a name change, a change in identity as she enters Vassar University. She is Freshman “Marina”.
And so the setting is established by writer Josie Campbell. “Marina”, getting to know herself, her roommates, and her surroundings. But of course, things go terribly wrong, and things become terribly stressful and complicated. The dialogue is well handled. The situations are cringey and strange for Mary, who is cast into the centre of dorm-room drama.
Artist Evan “Doc” Shaner draws and colours the pages, the faces, the poses, and conjures up a beautifully immersive atmosphere for the first issue. The characters are solid, well drawn, and ‘good looking’ in the sense of proportion and poses. It’s reminiscent of Curt Swan’s Bronze Age comic art, in a good way: easy-to-understand visuals, wrapped in full spectrum colouring, and plenty of wholesome fun. Letters are by Becca Carey, and editor is Brittany Holzherr. It’s a treat to read.
DC Comics, The New Champion of Shazam #1 (of 4), $3.99 for 23 pages of content
Newsdesk