Written by Mark Waid
Drawn by Roger Cruz
Published by DC Comics
PREVIOUSLY: SHAZAM! #2
Okay, so, just 2 issues in and this series is already interrupted by having to incorporate some company-wide crossover story that I’m not interested in. I always hate it when that happens.
Fortunately, Mark Waid handles this pretty well. Instead of derailing the storyline he’s writing for Billy, he puts Mary in the spotlight. Somehow she’s managed to get her classic name back, she’s Mary Marvel again. In the opening pages, we’re shown a recap of some of her recent adventures, fighting supervillains and helping out at natural disasters, plus in her civilian identity, she’s dealing with her role as the big sister to her batch of foster siblings who all look up to her. And then she falls into a deep sleep. A caption fills us in on what this crossover is about.
“A mysterious and deadly new villain named Insomnia has struck! The entire world has been forced into eternal slumber, including all the heroes and villains as Insomnia searches their dreams for The Nightmare Stone. Can the heroes survive being trapped in their darkest fears?”
And, just like that, we’re caught up. We don’t need to have read any of the other issues in this crossover, this is a self-contained story. Mary finds herself in a series of horror-filled nightmare scenarios, most of which involve her being unable to protect her family. Mysterious fires, hideous monsters, and an evil vision of Billy, in a black suit as The Captain, all torment the poor girl. There are also several clever fake-outs when she thinks she’s woken up, only to find out she’s still dreaming. It’s a dramatic story that effortlessly merges two genres, superheroes and horror.
Roger Cruz takes over the art chores in this issue and proves himself to be a worthy stand-in for Dan Mora. I’m looking forward to see how this story concludes.
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