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Trials of Shazam! #1-12
The Trials of Shazam: The Complete Series
Billy Batson is Shazam no more! Enter Freddy Freeman who seeks to prove to the gods that he is worthy to be their champion and wield the power of Shazam!
The powerful wizard Shazam has been destroyed, and his vast responsibility for presiding over the realm of all magic has been shifted to his mightiest champion, Billy Batson. Such a job can only be performed from the Rock of Eternity--thus, Earth is without a defender to balance the worlds of magic and humanity for the first time in centuries.
Freddy Freeman, Billy's best friend and former sidekick, wants to be that protector, but such an honor must be earned. Powerless, Freddy must embark on a quest to prove to the gods that he is worthy to wield...THE POWER OF SHAZAM!
Written by Judd Winick (Batman, Hilo) and featuring the stunning art of Howard Porter (JLA, The Flash) and Mauro Cascioli (Justice League: Cry for Justice), one of comics' oldest and most beloved legends is reimagined for the modern era!
Collects the entire 12-issue series.
The powerful wizard Shazam has been destroyed, and his vast responsibility for presiding over the realm of all magic has been shifted to his mightiest champion, Billy Batson. Such a job can only be performed from the Rock of Eternity--thus, Earth is without a defender to balance the worlds of magic and humanity for the first time in centuries.
Freddy Freeman, Billy's best friend and former sidekick, wants to be that protector, but such an honor must be earned. Powerless, Freddy must embark on a quest to prove to the gods that he is worthy to wield...THE POWER OF SHAZAM!
Written by Judd Winick (Batman, Hilo) and featuring the stunning art of Howard Porter (JLA, The Flash) and Mauro Cascioli (Justice League: Cry for Justice), one of comics' oldest and most beloved legends is reimagined for the modern era!
Collects the entire 12-issue series.
312 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2009
56 people are currently reading
57 people want to read
About the author
Judd Winick
801 books397 followersJudd Winick is an American cartoonist, comic book writer, screenwriter, and former reality television personality known for his diverse contributions to storytelling across multiple media. He first entered the public eye in 1994 as a cast member on The Real World: San Francisco, where he formed a close friendship with AIDS educator Pedro Zamora, an experience that deeply influenced his later work. Winick memorialized their bond in Pedro and Me, a critically acclaimed autobiographical graphic novel that earned several literary awards and became a staple in school curricula.
Winick's career in comics took off with The Adventures of Barry Ween, Boy Genius and continued with major runs at DC Comics, including Green Lantern, Green Arrow, and Batman. His stories often explored socially relevant themes, such as HIV, homophobia, and identity. He was recognized for introducing gay characters and tackling difficult subjects with empathy and clarity. His work on Batman notably included resurrecting the character Jason Todd as the Red Hood, a storyline later adapted into the animated film Batman: Under the Red Hood, for which Winick wrote the screenplay.
Beyond comics, he created The Life and Times of Juniper Lee for Cartoon Network and served as head writer for Hulu's The Awesomes. In 2015, he launched the Hilo series, an all-ages sci-fi adventure inspired by his own children. The bestselling series has been widely praised and is expected to reach its eleventh volume in 2025.
Winick lives in San Francisco with his wife, Pam Ling, also a Real World alum, and their two children. He continues to create heartfelt and imaginative stories for audiences of all ages.
Winick's career in comics took off with The Adventures of Barry Ween, Boy Genius and continued with major runs at DC Comics, including Green Lantern, Green Arrow, and Batman. His stories often explored socially relevant themes, such as HIV, homophobia, and identity. He was recognized for introducing gay characters and tackling difficult subjects with empathy and clarity. His work on Batman notably included resurrecting the character Jason Todd as the Red Hood, a storyline later adapted into the animated film Batman: Under the Red Hood, for which Winick wrote the screenplay.
Beyond comics, he created The Life and Times of Juniper Lee for Cartoon Network and served as head writer for Hulu's The Awesomes. In 2015, he launched the Hilo series, an all-ages sci-fi adventure inspired by his own children. The bestselling series has been widely praised and is expected to reach its eleventh volume in 2025.
Winick lives in San Francisco with his wife, Pam Ling, also a Real World alum, and their two children. He continues to create heartfelt and imaginative stories for audiences of all ages.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
November 28, 2019
This book predates the nu 52, taking place around the time of Infinite Crisis. The books of magic have been rewritten with the death of the wizard Shazam See Day of Vengeance. Captain Marvel's powers have changed. He can no longer share his power with the rest of the Marvel family. He has to take over Shazam's duties while another has to earn the power of Shazam. Enter the former Captain Marvel Jr., Freddy Freeman. This is your traditional hero's journey. Freddie must show each God in the acronym S.H.A.Z.A.M. that he is worthy of their gifts. Along for the ride is a new badass female magician, Sabina, who is trying to steal these powers. I like what they were trying to do with the DC universe of the time to make the mystic piece of the DCU more interesting.
Howard Porter takes a new approach to his art painting it and it looks pretty solid. The guy who finishes up the book, Mauro Cascioli, is really talented.
Howard Porter takes a new approach to his art painting it and it looks pretty solid. The guy who finishes up the book, Mauro Cascioli, is really talented.
August 12, 2022
Nice restart to the Shazam mythos. good art and a fun read. Recommended
October 21, 2019
More like a 2.5....I didn't like this mostly but it was okay I guess.
July 4, 2020
Still not happy with the loss of the Captain Marvel title which is still in use herein.
November 9, 2025
Took me long enough to finish this one! I’d really give it more of a 3.5. Not exactly what I was expecting, but then I didn’t really know what *to* expect 🤷♀️ I’d been looking for Shazam comics from Freddy’s perspective, and this one came highly recommended. It was just a different version of Freddy than I was expecting. (Maybe that’s because now when I hear the name Freddy Freeman, I see Jack Dylan Grazer from the movies.) Again, I can appreciate the different take, and there was a cameo by the end that I wasn’t expecting and certainly enjoyed. I also wasn’t crazy about the illustration style; too dark and blurry at times. Now I’m just happy I can finally read other comics now that I’ve finished this one!
October 7, 2023
Artwork is incredible throughout with a solid story that serves as a great beginning to Freddy Freeman as Shazam! ⚡
September 4, 2019
I really enjoyed this. The basic story is Freddy Freeman (Captain Marvel Jr.) has to prove himself worthy of taking over the mantle of Shazam because the Captain Marvel/Shazam we know and love has been promoted to being the Wizard on the Rock of Eternity (I guess the last one died - or cashed in his pension plan or something) and he will get trials from the "Gods" that help form the acronym S.H.A.Z.A.M.
Let's start with the art - Howard Porter starts it off for the first 3/4 and I am shocked to say I loved his art. I say "shocked" because the only other time I saw his art was on Grant Morrison's run of JLA and I did not like it. But here he seems to be working from his pencils and doing his own coloring and I loved the style - although it leans towards being a bit cartoony. Then - he cut his hand making margaritas (true story and the moral of it is - never use a GLASS shaker to mix your ice cold drinks - especially if you rely on your hands to make your living) so Cascioli had to come in for the last issues and I loved the art even more. He has a more hyper realistic style that reminds me a bit of Alex Ross and it was amazing. It is interesting how much the art sets the tone and with the more realistic style the fight scenes felt like they had more weight. The stakes seemed higher.
The story? There is some good and bad. The good is - it was interesting, it moved along and kept me wanting to keep reading, the characters were treated well and the ending was satisfying. The things that keep me from giving this five stars are I felt after 12 issues I didn't know Freddy much better. Yeah, I know he's a hero - but I knew that before (he's been a hero as Captain Marvel Jr. for years - so you might wonder WHY he has to prove himself) and aside from one psychological admission that he resents that Shazam's fight with Captain Nazi led to the death of his father and him being a cripple we don't get to learn too much about him. A girlfriend we see in the first few pages is promptly forgotten. Mary Marvel is in a coma and forgotten. Shazam becomes the Wizard and we don't learn much more about that.
I like the villain Sabina but the demons of Merlin seemed weirdly used and the reveal of Merlin in the last issue feels anti-climactic, as does the inclusion of the Justice League - it felt forced and not organic to the tale that was being told.
Those are my complaints but I do think the positives of the story outweigh some of the flaws. In the end, I was very pleasantly surprised how much I loved this collection.
Let's start with the art - Howard Porter starts it off for the first 3/4 and I am shocked to say I loved his art. I say "shocked" because the only other time I saw his art was on Grant Morrison's run of JLA and I did not like it. But here he seems to be working from his pencils and doing his own coloring and I loved the style - although it leans towards being a bit cartoony. Then - he cut his hand making margaritas (true story and the moral of it is - never use a GLASS shaker to mix your ice cold drinks - especially if you rely on your hands to make your living) so Cascioli had to come in for the last issues and I loved the art even more. He has a more hyper realistic style that reminds me a bit of Alex Ross and it was amazing. It is interesting how much the art sets the tone and with the more realistic style the fight scenes felt like they had more weight. The stakes seemed higher.
The story? There is some good and bad. The good is - it was interesting, it moved along and kept me wanting to keep reading, the characters were treated well and the ending was satisfying. The things that keep me from giving this five stars are I felt after 12 issues I didn't know Freddy much better. Yeah, I know he's a hero - but I knew that before (he's been a hero as Captain Marvel Jr. for years - so you might wonder WHY he has to prove himself) and aside from one psychological admission that he resents that Shazam's fight with Captain Nazi led to the death of his father and him being a cripple we don't get to learn too much about him. A girlfriend we see in the first few pages is promptly forgotten. Mary Marvel is in a coma and forgotten. Shazam becomes the Wizard and we don't learn much more about that.
I like the villain Sabina but the demons of Merlin seemed weirdly used and the reveal of Merlin in the last issue feels anti-climactic, as does the inclusion of the Justice League - it felt forced and not organic to the tale that was being told.
Those are my complaints but I do think the positives of the story outweigh some of the flaws. In the end, I was very pleasantly surprised how much I loved this collection.
August 24, 2019
A pretty good story...
Freddy Freeman (Captain Marvel JR) is on a quest to prove himself worthy of becoming the new SHAZAM....
But he has some completion....
I enjoyed this....though it didn't resolve a cliffhanger about Mary Marvel......
Freddy Freeman (Captain Marvel JR) is on a quest to prove himself worthy of becoming the new SHAZAM....
But he has some completion....
I enjoyed this....though it didn't resolve a cliffhanger about Mary Marvel......
December 18, 2019
Reminded me a lot of American Gods by Neil Gaiman
June 15, 2023
Y'know, this is the book that actually first got me even PASSINGLY interested in Shazam. I was never a fan of the hokey, gee-whiz energy of the character (the go-to portrayal in the '90s was to make Captain Marvel a nostalgic throwback to the '40s), so a modern reset that centered around a relatable-everyman Freddy Freeman taking on the mantle, battling the forces of magic and Lovecraftian monsters, seemed like just the fresh new approach the character needed! And when it first came out, I really loved it!
But looking back on it now, it's pretty clear that this is kind of a trend-chasing reboot. The idea of a teenage Freddy navigating a hidden magical world, learning the rules of this new society and battling beasties while quipping with his put-upon mentor... well, that's just Buffy the Vampire Slayer, innit? And while there is a strong dramatic backbone to the series-- as Freddy has to overcome challenges to earn the powers of the individual gods whose names make up the "SHAZAM" acronym-- it ends up feeling a little anticlimactic when Freddy wins the day, becoming the new Shazam*... and then there's no follow-through to this bold new direction, because the DC universe hard-rebooted with the New 52 just three years later.
* - Yes, this is actually where DC first switched the character's name from "Captain Marvel" to "Shazam"! But it was at least justified in-story as the result of "the Books of Magic being rewritten". Maybe that kind of pedantic in-universe explanation would have made fans less resistant to the idea, had this caught on...
The book itself is decent, though writer Judd Winick is trying a little too hard to be hip, clever, and hard-edged. Freddy's multiple "I can do it!" speeches get a bit flaccid and redundant near the end (he's a bit of a blank slate here), and there's some off-putting military-worship stuff in there when Freddy meets Achilles... but it's kinda neat to see a not-all-powerful Shazam battling magical foes and being part of a larger, weirder world. I would definitely have liked to see more of this "Superman of the magical realms" approach to the character, but it's more of a charming novelty than a home run.
But looking back on it now, it's pretty clear that this is kind of a trend-chasing reboot. The idea of a teenage Freddy navigating a hidden magical world, learning the rules of this new society and battling beasties while quipping with his put-upon mentor... well, that's just Buffy the Vampire Slayer, innit? And while there is a strong dramatic backbone to the series-- as Freddy has to overcome challenges to earn the powers of the individual gods whose names make up the "SHAZAM" acronym-- it ends up feeling a little anticlimactic when Freddy wins the day, becoming the new Shazam*... and then there's no follow-through to this bold new direction, because the DC universe hard-rebooted with the New 52 just three years later.
* - Yes, this is actually where DC first switched the character's name from "Captain Marvel" to "Shazam"! But it was at least justified in-story as the result of "the Books of Magic being rewritten". Maybe that kind of pedantic in-universe explanation would have made fans less resistant to the idea, had this caught on...
The book itself is decent, though writer Judd Winick is trying a little too hard to be hip, clever, and hard-edged. Freddy's multiple "I can do it!" speeches get a bit flaccid and redundant near the end (he's a bit of a blank slate here), and there's some off-putting military-worship stuff in there when Freddy meets Achilles... but it's kinda neat to see a not-all-powerful Shazam battling magical foes and being part of a larger, weirder world. I would definitely have liked to see more of this "Superman of the magical realms" approach to the character, but it's more of a charming novelty than a home run.
January 28, 2023
This is one of those traditional stories or stories at least that became traditional after 1992 with the "Death of Superman" and then "Knightfall" replacing both Superman and Batman for a short time. In this case, after 2006's "Infinite Crisis," the wizard Shazam is "dead" and so Billy Batson assumes his mantle. Freddy Freeman then becomes the new Shazam.
But first he has to pass the "trials" of the six beings who make up the magic word: Solomon, Hercules, Achilles, Zeus, Apollo, and Mercury. Three are Greek gods, two are Greek demigods, and one is from the Hebrew Bible, because I guess using Athena wouldn't have fit the naming scheme.
Anyway, Freddy has to find each person and then do something to get their power. But an evil woman named Sabina is competing to get the powers for herself. She takes some and he gets some and then there's a final contest.
It's all done pretty well even if we know what the end result will be--and the end result after that. With these replacement stories the replacement hardly ever lasts more than a couple of years. I have no idea what happened to Freddy or when Billy came back or when Mary woke from her coma. I really don't know what happened to the Shazam family between this and Geoff Johns rebooting it post-New 52 with the version that became the basis for the movie.
There are two different artists sharing the work and while they have slightly different styles, both are more in that Alex Ross-type style where it looks more painted than hastily drawn as a lot of "art" these days is. So I'm giving the book a bonus point for the art.
This is certainly not essential reading, but it's not bad either.
But first he has to pass the "trials" of the six beings who make up the magic word: Solomon, Hercules, Achilles, Zeus, Apollo, and Mercury. Three are Greek gods, two are Greek demigods, and one is from the Hebrew Bible, because I guess using Athena wouldn't have fit the naming scheme.
Anyway, Freddy has to find each person and then do something to get their power. But an evil woman named Sabina is competing to get the powers for herself. She takes some and he gets some and then there's a final contest.
It's all done pretty well even if we know what the end result will be--and the end result after that. With these replacement stories the replacement hardly ever lasts more than a couple of years. I have no idea what happened to Freddy or when Billy came back or when Mary woke from her coma. I really don't know what happened to the Shazam family between this and Geoff Johns rebooting it post-New 52 with the version that became the basis for the movie.
There are two different artists sharing the work and while they have slightly different styles, both are more in that Alex Ross-type style where it looks more painted than hastily drawn as a lot of "art" these days is. So I'm giving the book a bonus point for the art.
This is certainly not essential reading, but it's not bad either.
October 1, 2019
As the star-rating says: It was okay. I didn't love it, didn't hate it... but I can't say I'm particularly excited about this new direction for Shazam. Honestly, it felt like reading Marvel's Doctor Strange. And I like Doctor Strange... but for totally different reasons than I like Shazam. Shazam is supposed to be more fun, and even, at times, a bit more innocent. That's not to say there can't be intense moments (*cough* "Superman/Shazam: First Thunder" *cough*), but the story and characters also aren't generally focused on a battle for the planet's soul. It makes sense that the writers would go this route, as the whole magical-protector-thing is clearly there... but I just don't like it for Shazam. That said, it was nice getting to know Freddy Freeman a bit more, and interesting to see him take on the mantle of Captain Marvel, rather Captain Marvel, Jr. That said... I'm not going to like him more than Billy. There are just some characters who ARE that hero. I enjoyed Dick Grayson as Batman... but I didn't like him more than Bruce Wayne. All in all... this was a comic that traditionally is more fun and heartfelt (which is what, I would imagine, fans of it enjoy the most) that took itself way too seriously with this story arc. It's not bad, necessarily, it just... never actually felt like Shazam.
March 9, 2023
Primeiro, o mais óbvio, a arte desse gibi é fenomenal.
Sério.
E a história?
Também é tri, em linhas bem gerais; com o fim do Dia do Julgamento, o Mago Shazam se sacrifica enfrentando o Espectro e isso reescreve os livros da magia da DC. Nosso amigo Billy Batson acaba como o novo Mago Shazam e precisa escolher um campeão; ele escolhe o Freddy Freeman - o Capitão Marvel Júnior - que deveria trocar de nome, porque Júnior é muito ridículo.
Então Freddy precisa se provar frente aos deuses da palavra mágica e se mostrar digno dos poderes do Capitão Marvel; só tem um problema, uma descendente do Mago Merlin também quer esses poderes e o pau quebra entre os dois.
A história, ainda que simples, tem ideias muito bem desenvolvidas; os desafios, o do Atlas é muito bem pensado; os novos deuses; os inimigos, demônios diferentões; o crescimento do Freddy, deixando o Júnior para trás; participações especiais do Shadowpact e da Liga. Eu achei que tudo funcionou muito bem.
Pena que a DC jogou fora.
Sério.
E a história?
Também é tri, em linhas bem gerais; com o fim do Dia do Julgamento, o Mago Shazam se sacrifica enfrentando o Espectro e isso reescreve os livros da magia da DC. Nosso amigo Billy Batson acaba como o novo Mago Shazam e precisa escolher um campeão; ele escolhe o Freddy Freeman - o Capitão Marvel Júnior - que deveria trocar de nome, porque Júnior é muito ridículo.
Então Freddy precisa se provar frente aos deuses da palavra mágica e se mostrar digno dos poderes do Capitão Marvel; só tem um problema, uma descendente do Mago Merlin também quer esses poderes e o pau quebra entre os dois.
A história, ainda que simples, tem ideias muito bem desenvolvidas; os desafios, o do Atlas é muito bem pensado; os novos deuses; os inimigos, demônios diferentões; o crescimento do Freddy, deixando o Júnior para trás; participações especiais do Shadowpact e da Liga. Eu achei que tudo funcionou muito bem.
Pena que a DC jogou fora.
April 29, 2020
This takes place right after the Wizard Shazam is killed fighting the Specter. Billy Batson becomes the new wizard. Freddie and Mary lose their abilities as Marvel Jr and Ms Marvel. The rest of the book is about Freddie taking on trials to become the new Shazam or Captain Marvel.
I was ok. The art really isn’t my favorite.
I was ok. The art really isn’t my favorite.
January 19, 2023
This seems like a major revamp of a good character. Not sure why the was greenlit.
Granted it is a cute story. And Winick does a great job at it.
However it just feels like another in a long line of DC reboots.
What they do to Mary? Hell. The backlash on that had to worse than what Morrison did to her.
It sadly feels temporary.
Granted it is a cute story. And Winick does a great job at it.
However it just feels like another in a long line of DC reboots.
What they do to Mary? Hell. The backlash on that had to worse than what Morrison did to her.
It sadly feels temporary.
October 1, 2021
This was so interesting! I loved seeing Freddy having to go through these Trials. It was very interesting take on the Gods and on Magic! I think it was brilliantly done. I loved all the cameos as well! Just perfectly done!
May 29, 2023
full of rage about how freddy's disability was handled. WHY does billy look like that. WHAT DO YOU MEAN he can't leave the rock for more than 24 hours now HE'S FIFTEEN FREE HIM. what the fuck WAS this series honestly. never reading the shazam comics again amen.
July 9, 2023
The cycle goes on.
Good color artwork. A revamp of the Shazam character that will rewrite magic in the DC universe. Has a large cast of supporting superheros.
Good color artwork. A revamp of the Shazam character that will rewrite magic in the DC universe. Has a large cast of supporting superheros.
July 31, 2023
I like Captain Marvel (Shazam). I like Judd Winick. I like Howard Porter. And I love superhero comics.
I did not like this book.
I did not like this book.
August 28, 2019
I may be a little generous by giving this 4 stars. The premise is more than okay, but not resolving the Mary Marvel story (she's in a coma after having her powers taken away -- there's more to the story, but you should read it for yourself) was disappointing.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews