Lightning Strikes
Written by: Mark Waid
Art by: Roger Cruz, Wellington Dias
Colors by: Arif Prianto
Letters by: Troy Peteri
Cover art by: Dan Mora
Cover price: $4.99
Release date: August 8, 2023
Knight Terrors: Shazam! #2 brings Mary Marvel's nightmare ordeal to a close when her fight against Black Billy awakens the power of SHAZAM! for her and her entire family.
Is It Good?
Knight Terrors: Shazam! #2 is fine... sorta. If you're a SHAZAM! Family fan, particularly a Mary Marvel fan, there's a lot to like in this issue by Mark Waid. You get transformations, big fights, and a walking tour of Mary's siblings. However, this capper to the two-parter does little more than introduce new readers to Mary's siblings and tease one participant in the upcoming Knight Terrors finale. So, it's a mixed bag.
Before we get too far into it, this issue isn't critical to the Knight Terrors event. Insomnia barely shows his face, the Nightmare Stone isn't mentioned once, and nothing happens that would help or hurt Deadman's investigation. You've been warned.
When last we left Mary Marvel, Black Billy used the power of the SHAZAM! call to incinerate her friends and loved ones. With no one left, Black Billy was ready to turn the call on Mary. Mary realizes it's all a dream and accepts the call to turn into Mary Marvel to fight Black Billy to a standstill. With a temporary reprieve, Mary enters the dreams of her siblings and rants them the power of SHAZAM! to fight their own nightmares and unite to send Black Billy packing.
What's great about this issue? Mary Marvel affirms why she's a fan favorite with courage, strength, and genuine heart. Seeing the siblings get their powers back, even if it is only in a dream, is a treat, and to Waid's credit, he does set up the possibility that Black Billy is a threat in the waking world.
What's not so great about this issue? Again, this two-parter has almost nothing to do with the main Knight Terrors event, so the pause in Waid's run was ill-timed, ill-conceived, and just plain pointless. Further, Mary wakes up and visits her sleeping parents and siblings by touching them to enter their dreams, which is different than how every other Knight Terrors tie-in handles the shared dreams, underscoring the inconsistency of the event.
How's the art? Cruz and Dias deliver plenty of energetic fights, solid line and figure work, and excellent panel angles for dramatic effect. You can argue over the necessity of the story, but at least it looks great.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
Follow @ComicalOpinions on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
Bits and Pieces:
Colors by: Arif Prianto
Letters by: Troy Peteri
Cover art by: Dan Mora
Cover price: $4.99
Release date: August 8, 2023
Knight Terrors: Shazam! #2 brings Mary Marvel's nightmare ordeal to a close when her fight against Black Billy awakens the power of SHAZAM! for her and her entire family.
Is It Good?
Knight Terrors: Shazam! #2 is fine... sorta. If you're a SHAZAM! Family fan, particularly a Mary Marvel fan, there's a lot to like in this issue by Mark Waid. You get transformations, big fights, and a walking tour of Mary's siblings. However, this capper to the two-parter does little more than introduce new readers to Mary's siblings and tease one participant in the upcoming Knight Terrors finale. So, it's a mixed bag.
Before we get too far into it, this issue isn't critical to the Knight Terrors event. Insomnia barely shows his face, the Nightmare Stone isn't mentioned once, and nothing happens that would help or hurt Deadman's investigation. You've been warned.
When last we left Mary Marvel, Black Billy used the power of the SHAZAM! call to incinerate her friends and loved ones. With no one left, Black Billy was ready to turn the call on Mary. Mary realizes it's all a dream and accepts the call to turn into Mary Marvel to fight Black Billy to a standstill. With a temporary reprieve, Mary enters the dreams of her siblings and rants them the power of SHAZAM! to fight their own nightmares and unite to send Black Billy packing.
What's great about this issue? Mary Marvel affirms why she's a fan favorite with courage, strength, and genuine heart. Seeing the siblings get their powers back, even if it is only in a dream, is a treat, and to Waid's credit, he does set up the possibility that Black Billy is a threat in the waking world.
What's not so great about this issue? Again, this two-parter has almost nothing to do with the main Knight Terrors event, so the pause in Waid's run was ill-timed, ill-conceived, and just plain pointless. Further, Mary wakes up and visits her sleeping parents and siblings by touching them to enter their dreams, which is different than how every other Knight Terrors tie-in handles the shared dreams, underscoring the inconsistency of the event.
How's the art? Cruz and Dias deliver plenty of energetic fights, solid line and figure work, and excellent panel angles for dramatic effect. You can argue over the necessity of the story, but at least it looks great.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
Follow @ComicalOpinions on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
Bits and Pieces:
Knight Terrors: Shazam! #2 ends the two-parter with big action, the SHAZAM! family getting their powers back (briefly), and a walk-through of Mary Marvel's siblings. The art is great, and Mary Marvel gets her time to shine, but this issue, like most Knight Terrors tie-ins, is ultimately pointless.
6.5/10
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