Review: Shazam #15

This issue continues the story.  While Mary and Uncle Dudley and Mr Tawny do their best to fight off the sub-men invading the earth, Freddy in a desperate attempt to get his powers back, goes with they mysterious girl in green to the Rock of Eternity.  Meanwhile, Zeus, disguised as the toga wearing infant, uses psychology to get Billy to talk himself into realizing he needs to become the Captain again.  He does, and is able to quickly defeat all the sub-men.  As The Captain and Mary reunite, King Kull makes a last ditch effort attacking them, but they are saved by .....

 

 

(SPOILER ALERT)

 

Freddy, who now has his powers back.  This issue advances the story, but is nothing special.  The Saturday morning sit-com tone is lessened for this issue.  Overall, this issue earns another C.

Review: Batman '89: Echoes #4

This issue picks up with "Lowery" aka Bruce undercover, being escorted back to his cell after the fear gas treatment with Dr Crane. Bruce tells his guard, who has been working with him, to get a message to Drake. We find out Selina Kyle is a patient of Dr Quinzel's, and she's not happy to learn Harleen is giving up her private practice to host her TV show. Meanwhile, the item Bruce wanted from Drake was an amnesia pill, that Bruce took, and he needs Maynard to fill him back in on the day his forgot, telling him about Kashif (who looks like.... Joel Schumacher???) and Hugo Strange.  

Meanwhile some US Marshalls, including one who looks a lot like Gary Oldman's version of James Gordon, use fingerprints to find out Bruce really isn't the Firefly.  They head to Arkham to interrogate him.  Meanwhile Crane is juicing up Blockbuster (played by... Arnold Schwarzenegger??) and sends him into Dr Q's clown themed group therapy session with Bruce and Maynard.  Blockbuster is triggered by clowns and goes berserk. 

Escaping Blockbuster, Bruce tells the group to head to the roof while he goes to look for a sample of the fear formula and Maynard goes to look for Kashif.  Crane, in full Scarecrow regalia attacks the Police.  Dr. Q decides to pull of a publicity stunt.  Meanwhile Bruce and Maynard get to the roof and meet Drake, in a pesudo-Nightwing costume.  He brought Bruce's Batman costume, and he suits up in a very Iron Man-Tony Stark kind of way.

Again this issue, there is a lot of plot to process.  I think Sam Hamm might be putting too much plot into each issue. Joe Quinones artwork, as usual is great.  This issue earns a B-.

Review: Shazam #14

In this issue, artist Emanuela Lupacchino returns to join writer Josie Campbell. This is an unmemorable issue that continues the recent tradition of having a Saturday morning sit-com tone. We get a glimpse of a backstory for Freddy (no Grandpa Freeman in sight), Billy is still at odds with the Captain and refuses to transform into him, and it's up to Mary to handle all the superhero work, as she continues to fight the monstrous sub-men from last issue. Freddy is with King Kull and his sub-men as he learns of their plans to invade the outside world.  Uncle Dudley is around to assist Mary the best he can.  We get some more of the mysterious girl who opened the portal that sent Freddy to King Kull's realm, as she opens a portal to get him out.  We also see a mysterious toga wearing infant, who leads Billy to a grassy field with one of the sub-men. Again, an unmemorable issue, but at least the Flashpoint kids are no where to be found this time.  This issue earns a C-. 

Review: Batman '89: Echoes #3

This issue opens on a session between Dr. Crane (clearly "played" by Jeff Goldblum) and Maynard ("played" by Martin Short).  Maynard brags about how he was a killing machine in the military.  Meanwhile Bruce and Drake have a secret meeting to discuss Bruce's next steps.  We also get a flashback as to how and why Bruce started this undercover mission.  Essentially, he was bored not being Batman for the last two years. Having picked up clues as to the Firefly in the newspapers, Bruce deduced the Firefly was connected to Hugo Strange.  Bruce went to find the Firefly, aka Robert Lowery, but Lowery went into an unreasonable panic at the sight of Batman, and killed himself.  Bruce went through the Firefly's diaries and manifestos, and decided to investigate by assuming Lowery's identity.  

Meanwhile Dr. Quinzel ("played" by Madonna) has been monitoring the asylum's security cameras, and wants footage of Lowery. Bruce, as Lowery, meets up with Maynard, who reveals his full name as Edward Nigel Maynard, aka E.Nig.Ma, as he gives Lowery a puzzle he made for him.

Later, at Police HQ, the security footage of Lowery is played on TV, and Barbara Gordon ("played" by ...possibly Winona Ryder?  Maybe Sean Young? Demi Moore? Kind of hard to tell) recognizes Robert Lowery is really Bruce Wayne.  She is about to go to Wayne Manor to confront Alfred about this, but is intercepted by a pair of FBI agents who arrest her regarding a mysterious bank account.

Meanwhile, Lowery is brought in to Dr. Crane's office and is told about footage of him airing on TV.  Crane suspects Lowery isn't who he says he is, and uses fear gas on him to get him to confess.  Lowery admits 'I'm Batman".  But Crane doesn't believe him.

A lot of story packed into this issue, and well done by both writer Sam Hamm and artist Joe Quinones.  This issue earns another B+

Review: Shazam #12 and 13

Falling a bit behind, so I will be reviewing issues 12 and 13 this time.  Issue 12 has Billy and the Captain becoming separate beings, and they argue with each other.  Mary and Freddy then take Billy to see his real mom, while the Captain tells the Flashpoint kids and Hoppy the Rabbit that Billy is the one who caused this magical leak.  Meanwhile Billy finds out his mom is married and has another son.  That crushes Billy, which causes the magical leak to explode.  Billy changes to the Captain, and in stopping the leak, apparently become obliterated.

Issue 13 is narrated by Freddy, as he and Mary go searching for Billy. Freddy whines about not having powers any more.  Mary as Mary Marvel fights monsters that are attacking a subway station.  Billy is at that station, the monsters coming from the leak he has caused.  Again, Billy and the Captain argue with each other.  Billy says the way to stop the leak is for the power of Shazam to go to someone else. Mary continues to fight the monsters while Freddy attempt to get a runaway subway train under control.  Mary is about to be defeated, when she is saved by....

 

...SPOILER ALERT.....

 

 

 

 

Uncle Marvel!  Meanwhile Freddy's train lands him in King Kull's realm, thanks to the intervention of a mysterious, magical powered girl.

Both these issues, written by Josie Campbell are slightly better than her previous efforts, but still have a Saturday morning sit-com tone to them.  The artwork by Emanuella Luppacchino and Mike Norton in issue 12 is the same as their previous issues, but issue 13's art is by Norton alone, and is a step better.  Both these issues earn a C.