Angels and Demons
We got time to look at a couple of new all-ages books? Yes, I do believe we can swing that.
PS238 #36
The unpowered Tyler Marlocke and his superpowered clone, now named Toby, are in the process of getting their parents used to the fact that they’re now twins. Meanwhile, Malphast, the son of an angel and a demon (think of him as a pint-sized Spawn), has discovered that his parents and the forces of primal order and chaos plan to invade the mortal world to force their collective wills upon humanity — which will certainly result in the destruction of the Earth. Malphast enlists the aid of the Marlocke twins, conspiracy-minded Cecil Holmes (and his mystical bat-winged coat), and Alec Kent, a local kid with some math talent.
While the little imps and cherubs influence superheroes to chase the kids down, Malphast and his friends draw some crayon glyphs to foil the bad guys and make a stopover in the astral plane to shut down the invasion at its source. Luckily, when Cecil travels to other dimensions, he turns into a giant, tentacled monster, but even with his giant, tentacled aid, can they discover the secret that will stop the invasion in time?
Verdict: Thumbs up. As always, this series is a colossal amount of fun. I don’t think Cecil was always this much fun — I think he’s gotten to be a more enjoyable character as time’s gone on. Seriously, y’all should pick this one up if you have the chance.
Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam! #3
Theo Adam has released the Seven Evils, and he finally manages to trick Mary Marvel into revealing their magic word to him. One “Shazam!” later, and the evil Black Adam is released on the world. While Captain Marvel and Mary Marvel try to figure out how to stop the Evils, Adam heads out to take over the city. Is there any way to stop him?
Verdict: This one is still awfully cute, but I think I’m going to give it a thumbs down. I enjoyed all the stuff with Cap, Mary, Adam, and the Evils (sounds like a band, doesn’t it?), but there was a lot of filler in this story, including Cap staying up all night to watch horror movies, and Billy meets a bunch of weird kids who have been given permanent detention. It’s bizarre and it goes on for way, way too long.