Packed with fun without skimping out on stakes, and everything else that makes the Earth's Mightiest Mortal a joy to read, this premiere issue has all the qualities of a character-defining run in the making. Read Full Review

Waid and Mora bring lightning and thunder to Shazam and what promises to be a wild and crazy ride. Read Full Review

Shazam! #1 serves as a near-perfect jumping-on point for new readers who want a superhero comic dripping with wholesome, classic fun and adventure. Waid's writing captures Billy's youthful optimism, and Mora's art is tremendous. Read Full Review

So far this is yet another example of just why Waid is so perfectly suited for DC heroes. Read Full Review

It's a story that's a blend of all versions of the character, pushing him forward into a very fun new direction. Read Full Review

There's a positive and fun aspect of Shazam! #1. It's just a great read that entertains and hearkens back to the silly pulp comics of the past. The creative team both celebrates the past and sets the series on a new path. It's a mix of old and new that finally stands out from the pack. It's a great comic that'll put a smile on your face. Read Full Review

Mora delivers some amazing visuals throughout the issue. The art is bright, vibrant and beautifully detailed. You get a great visual sense of the characters as well as the world they inhabit. Read Full Review

It has all the hallmarks of a Golden Age story, but Waid fuses the feel of an old-school comic book hero with a more contemporary perspective that serves the story quite well. The Billy Batson/Shazam premise has always been an interesting one. Waid is going to have a challenge keeping it fresh in the long run, but everything seems more or less entertaining in the debut issue of a potentially good series. Read Full Review

Waid and Mora are reinventing the Billy Batson character for a new audience. A mix of clever exposition and high stakes action instantly immerse the reader in the Shazam! world. Whilst Mora's remarkable artwork continues to be an instant sell. Read Full Review

The opening issue catches up on Billy's life, offers some heroic moments for the Captain (including rescuing a lost young alien dinosaur and having tea with his parents). We get Freddy, and the reminder that most of his foster siblings are still without their powers. And even Tawky Tawny makes an appearance (but still no Hoppy). All that and the comic ends with some apparently godly intervention to teach Billy a lesson, one that is likely to have recursions for Fawcett City‘s favorite son. Read Full Review

If this is the baseline for what's to come, then Shazam! is bound to be another stellar series from two of the most accomplished creators working at DC Comics today. Read Full Review

As long as you don't get bogged down in recent history, the twists and turns of this issue make for fine comic book fun. Read Full Review

This issue is the whole deal and a really enjoyable start to the new series. Art, writing, story and characters all come together nicely. Read Full Review

Shazam #1, written by Mark Waid and released in May 2023, offers readers an engaging and visually stunning introduction to the character. As someone who had never read a Shazam series before, but knew the character from the movies, I was eager to see how Waid would approach this beloved hero.

Mark Waid's seasoned writing skills are evident in the first issue of Shazam, which had a great start. But what really stood out were the magnificent art by Dan Mora. The art and storytelling were highly effective, and colorist Alejandro Sanchez made Mora's pencil style even more captivating. Together, the writer, penciler, and colorist created a visually stunning comic.

The issue starts by explaining the meaning of the word "Shazam," which is an acronym for the six ancient heroes that Billy Batson can transform into: Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles, and Mercury. It's a great introduction to the character for readers who might not be familiar with the Shazam comics. Waid also touches on the side characters in the issue, but he doesn't go into too much detail, I think he will gradually open the side characters.

One thing that really stood out to me in Shazam #1 was how Waid reminds us that Billy Batson loves being Shazam, but ultimately the character of Shazam is actually a kid stuck inside. The issue does an excellent job of showing this, especially on the last pages where Waid demonstrates just how lonely Billy is, even in a crowd. In the meantime, what we should not skip is the author and penciler effectively convey Batson's orphanhood from the first to the last page. I think that the author will give us more about this orphan child and his psychology in the next issues.

Overall, Shazam #1 is a fantastic introduction to the character for readers who have never read Shazam comics before. Mark Waid conveys just enough to keep us wondering about the continuation, and the issue is a great starting point for those who want to explore the world of Shazam. The writer, penciler, and colorist are a great team, and I can't wait to see what they come up with next. more

What a marvelous start

They always bring it

Pure joy! Mark Waid and Dan Mora really are the dream team. This has the optimism that I’ve been loving about recent DC titles in droves, and is oozing with fun. It’s a little odd that Waid has had someone say “hella” in two different books in less than a month (Robin said it in World’s Finest) but I’m willing to overlook it! I can’t wait for the next issue!

Great comic. The writing and art is fantastic. I had a smile on my face the whole time. The ending/cliff hanger was a bit weird but I’m excited to see where this creative team takes this book.

Damn mark waid is killing it. First world's finest and shazam. This is so interesting and different from world finest in a good way.

Ans Dan mora is amazing as usual

Fun if a bit lightweight, and it feels like Waid would have preferred to write the character as he was in 1995. Plus Waid gets it wrong: Solomon was both wise and smart. But overall, the vibe is strong and it's clear the Waid/Mora team knows what they are doing once again.

I was somewhat interested in a new Shazam run even after the last run wasn't super memorable, but I decided to pick this up after learning the creative team would be World's Finest's Mark Waid and Dan Mora. I haven't read said series yet, but I've only heard really good things about it. That said, I was expecting a little more from this issue while reading. It wasn't bad by any means, but I thought it would be a bit better. However, this was still fun and enjoyable. The stuff with the extraterrestrial dinosaurs was stupidly fun. After that, the book kind of felt like a rehash of Billy's origin with the tease of more god/mythology-related villains for him to face. However, the final two pages were such a well-done twist to the story. With the light tone of the majority of this book, that sudden left turn of something else, seemingly, taking over Billy's words was fantastic. I think with the re-introduction(s) out of the way, this run has true potential to be a lot of fun. more

Not as great as World's Finest, if I'm honest. Hopefully it reaches those heights soon.

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Solid issue. Hoping the 2nd shazam movie doesn't stop interest and this book from thriving.

The whole dinosaur thing felt a bit weird, especially since they were aliens. The rest of it I liked and ending with a mystery about where this art was going I found interesting. The art by Mora is good and keeps the story alive and the book fun to look at.

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Messy first issue, it's more of a prologue for the things to come. It is not a satisfying read.

Art 8
Dialog 8
Story Telling 8
Pretty good Captain Mav...book and a nice way to introduce new readers to the character.
This is an ALL ages book