DCU Comic Book Reviews

THE TRIALS OF SHAZAM! #4

Old Soldiers Never Die

January 2007

Written by Judd Winick

Pencils by Howard Porter

Inks by Howard Porter

Cover by Howard Porter

Synopsis

In the war-torn middle Eastern country of Quarac, Freddy Freeman (formerly Captain Marvel Jr.) and his guide Zareb contact Achilles for Freddy’s next trial.  Achilles is currently masquerading as a soldier in the army, protecting the world against magical threats.  Just recently he lost his entire squadron and now must stop the potential arrival of a hate empath.  Freddy volunteers to help.  Meanwhile, Sabina (from the Council of Merlin) is also attempting to find the hate empath in order to let it loose on Earth.  However, standing between Freddy and Archilles and stopping the hate empath are an army of half-men, half-pigs.

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

SHAZAM = Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles, Mercury

I like the idea of this series:  Freddy Freeman is giving a series of tests that will determine whether or not he will become the next champion for the wizard Shazam.  And I like the idea that the Gods are living on this Earth, protecting the world from magic in roles that disguise their true origins.  And I like the idea that magic is omnipresent around the world and that there will be someone who will have control of that magic.  What I have found with this series is that Winick’s grasp of magic and how it should work seems haphazard, like he hasn’t fully thought out the fundamental parameters by which magic should work.  I do not, at all, get the sense there are some basic principles by which it works and by which all people, good or bad, must stick to.  Instead, it feels as if Winick tosses aside magic whenever he thinks it would be cool for the story (like how Freddy and Zareb got to see Achilles in the first place).  This would not be much of a problem (and something I don’t question whenever Zatanna appears, for instance) but in a story in which magic is the essential element of the plot, Winick needed to set down the guidelines and stick to it.  Unfortunately, I don’t get that sense. 

So, Freddy’s trials are not going in order.  Or I have the list out of order above and Freddy simply skipped over Hercules to get to Achilles.  Either way, it surprised me.  I expected some kind of order or path that he would follow. I am also surprised that the Achilles trial didn’t end with this issue.  I expected each trial to occur in a separate issue followed by one or two issues for Freddy to deal with the Council of Merlin and/or Sabina with an issue to wrap it all up.