Shazam: the Monster Society of Evil # 3 (of 4)
DC COMICS
WRITER/ARTIST/COVER: Jeff Smith

Captain Marvel and Mary Marvel try to discover the origin of two giant creatures that have been creating monsters in the middle of the city. Meanwhile, Attorney General Thaddeus Sivana is trying to discover the origin of Captain Marvel and Mary Marvel. This tale is not set in present continuity or in any other previous version of Captain Marvel. Rather, it is a completely new interpretation of the character even if it uses many of the old standbys of the Captain Marvel mythos. The story is remininiscent of Smith's "Bone" series-- it is charming, entertaining and very imaginative, exciting enough to attract younger children while being sophisticated enough for older readers. The art is similar, being easy to follow and deceptively simple but also being very attractive to look at while telling the story with great drama. At the same time, the story lacks 'something.' For all its good qualities, it is uninvolving. Perhaps the pacing is too casual and the threat, not menacing enough but there is very little sense of suspense, even in the supposed "cliffhanger" ending. The unnecessary inclusion of political content-- by making Sivana the "attorney general of Homeland Security" seems jarring.  Perhaps some stories aimed at kids just don't appeal fully to jaded adults. Three out of five stars.