Shazam! The Monster Society of Evil #4 sees the conflict between Captain Marvel and the forces of Mr. Mind come to an end, when Mr. Mind finally makes his play.  The two behemoths standing still like titanic statues in the city park are actually warships, and a third, called The Destroyer, is on its way.  When The Destroyer arrives, Mr. Mind will launch total war on humanity, which will reveal where all the city’s bugs have gone.

Meanwhile, Dr. Sivana of the Department of Heartland Security reveals himself to be a servant, but a conniving servant with his own agenda.  Sterling News Network reporter Helen Fidelity comes to Captain Marvel’s aid, and her boss, Sterling Morris is angling for a big story, especially if he can use it to take Sivana down.  Billy Batson has gotten himself and Captain Marvel into trouble in his attempt to rescue Mary Marvel from the clutches of Sivana, and this time, it’ll take both Billy and Marvel to save the day.

THE LOWDOWN:  The success of this Captain Marvel series has already encouraged DC Comics to prepare another try at an ongoing Captain Marvel/Shazam series, but writer/artist Jeff Smith is a hard act to follow.  In his retelling and re-imagining of Captain Marvel, Smith mixed the original Fawcett Comics characters with traditions, both old and new, from DC’s take on the character.

This was a highly enjoyable read because Smith successfully created a superhero comic that was more magic and fantasy than pulp sci-fi, pseudo science, and mock-realism, which are the primary building blocks for most superhero comics.  Add a touch of satire – Sivana’s desire for autocratic power is a nod to current times – and this Shazam series is something extra special.  When Smith portrays big media as willing to hide the truth in front of their eyes to avoid legal liability, well, it makes me sad that he’s actually right.

POSSIBLE AUDIENCE:  Some readers will only tolerate superhero comics that at least try something clever and smart with the medium, and they will find joy here.

A-

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