I want a juicebox now
Another fine issue of the 2011 event from Geoff. This issue is handily divided into two sections- a talky part and an action-y part. both are fine, but I prefer the talky part.
The issue opens up right where the previous issue left off- outside Project Superman, with Thomas Bats and Barry attempting to run away from secruity. They are saved by one of the best characters to premier in this series- Element Woman! A naive, socially awkward heroine, she acts quite childish compared to super serious Thomas Bats. It's a fun dichotomy. She's the sort of heroine to jump into battle offering juice boxes. She stalks cyborg because he offered her a place on a team- something no one had ever done before. In one great example of Kubert's attention to detail, whilst on a plane, she's looking out the windows while everyone else sits and looks super serious. She's a delight, and I eagerly await Geoff using her in his run on Justice League. Plus, I've got a soft spot for Metamorpho and his like- more Metamorphs are always welcome.
The other big debuts in this series and issue are the SHAZAM kids. I like to call 'em the SHAZAM Agents. Made up of three familiar faces- Billy and Mary Batson and Freddy Freeman- plus three new faces- Darla Dudley, Eugene Choi and Pedro Pena- plus a new take on Mr. Tawky Tawny, the six kids live together in the Becks' foster home. Despite this, the kids just don't act like a family- so much so, that the wizard Shazam gifts them with the powers of SHAZAM and the ability to turn into a composite Captain Marvel called Captain Thunder. The kids interactions shine through in their section- Freddy is an angry con, Billy is a wanna be hero, Eugene is calculating and Pedro is the requisite fat scared kid. While we only see a single page of them interacting amongst themselves, it hammers their characterization home quite well. Billy has a great line that if they don't attempt to help against the war in Europe, there won't BE anything left.
Between the talky part and the action section, there is a short section two teams meeting. Element Woman offers the kids juice boxes- they turn her down. =( In fact, no one in the issue takers her up on that. One thing about Geoff's use of Thomas that stands out is he is a doctor- you don't forget it. When Barry has... let's call them time seizures as his memories readjust themselves, Thomas gives him an anti-epileptic to slow down the electrical currents in his brain. It's a nice touch.
The action part isn't as good as the first half, but it saves the issue from being just talking heads. Enchantress has an appearance here, reminding us that she's not a hero in this universe- a characterization taken directly from her pre-Shadowpact days. The defeat of Captain Thunder is a powerful scene- even though Wonder Woman has been responsible for the death of millions, we hadn't seen an Amazon kill anyone on panel, let alone a child. The last page sets up the finale good enough.
Overall, not the best issue of the series, but it is nice to see more of the new characters. The art, as always, is superb. The detail is quite great- from small characterization like Element Woman on the plane to the detail of backgrounds, it's great all around.
Special mention must also go to the backup sketches. While every issue has had them, this details the new characters. It's interesting to look at how the Outsider has changed- from a standard costume to a three-piece suit. It also sheds some light on the SHAZAM kids. As Tropes would say, it's all there in the manual.
