The Infected: King Shazam #1

I simply don't know how it can get any better. Dark Metal is spreading its influence at a rampant pace among Batman and Superman's reach. Shazam's family is about to find out how bad this stuff really is. And the Year of the Villain marches on! Read Full Review

While Shazam didn't explicitly kill anyone, the possibility of what he could do is more than terrifying enough. He's as strong as Superman with the recklessness of a teenager and he is dripping with evil. This one-shot is the first of hopefully many excellent stories of The Batman Who Laugh's Secret Six. If you have ever asked what would happen if Billy and Teth Adam switched alignments, this is a GREAT answer and a good read. Read Full Review

The Infected: King Shazam #1 is worth the read. It helped in the end that this book wasn't all about how Billy became infected. Instead they gave us a whole issue embracing what kind of darkness could be unleashed from this kid who is now the embodiment of rebellion against higher authorities. Read Full Review

Joe Bennett does a masterful job of showcasing both the beautiful and horrific in this issue with great, heroic shots of characters like Mary mixed with the disturbing visuals of Billy in his dark form. Read Full Review

The horror of "The Infected" ramps up considerably from the Batman Who Laughs's earlier plots, showing what this new Secret Six can become as the wost case scenario continues on. Read Full Review

What seems like a simple step in the Year of the Villain turns out to be a surprisingly relatable story about a teenager who doesn't know what to do with all of these changes. Read Full Review

One of the best ways to get to know a character is to see his "dark side," as it were. You know, explore the things the "real" person would NEVER do. And that's what this comic is all about"what Billy Batson or Shazam! wouldn't even consider saying or making happen. Read Full Review

As a continuation of "The Year of the Villain," The Infected King Shazam #1succeeds and necessitates further reading of the issues in the event, which at the end of the day, is what you want from something as expansive as "The Year of the Villain." Read Full Review

Mostly it is because the issue is dreadfully short. It feels like the story was just starting and then it just ends. I wanted more. A lot more! Instead we get a short story that is incredibly and noticeably short. And that is okay. Unfortunately, there was potential for so much more here, especially with the great artwork that this book has. Read Full Review

It's a brutal, fast-paced comic, but too much of it is spent watching the title character punch his way through a bunch of bit players. Read Full Review

Sure, there are some fun cameos throughout but the plot just keeps tripping on itself as it falls into a redundant mess. On the bright side, you can never go wrong with Joe Bennett on the artwork. Read Full Review

While I did enjoy the art in this issue I would have liked to see this one-shot do more than just show us Billy beating the shit out of deities, especially ones that shouldn't be here, but ultimately that's all we got, with the briefest idea of family thrown in the background.  If you're like me and want to understand what the "Infected" really means and what the rules are behind it...... Well, you're out of luck, but if you want to see evil Shazam punch gods in the face...... here you go. Read Full Review

King Shazam ultimately felt like a slapped together one-off with no strong incentive to pick up. Read Full Review

The art is good, and particularly the fight scenes are well planned and nicely sequential. However, there's barely any story here, nor is there much character progression. The only character that I genuinely find interesting in this issue is Mary, but Shazam himself just beats a bunch of gods into the ground for reasons that are never fully explained nor justified. Seeing the same scene a couple times in a row, just with different gods and eventually Mary herself, is something that bores me in the end. So, with that, I can't really recommend this book, but if you really want it then at least you'll get that sweet, sweet artwork. Read Full Review

If you're looking for more Shazam (and I don't blame you given the Big Red Cheese's main title delays), you're better off skipping this one, as it says little about the character and adds little to this event's bigger arc. Read Full Review

EDiakota

Nov 09, 2019

" Familly indeed. You're not the only one who's keep with me so far. You really got under my skin with all that talk... So i wanted let you know just how deep. Pretty soon you'll be just like me. Famiweeee. The Batman Who Laugh give us a gift, Mary. Opened our eyes.... And now we can help spread that gift to whaoever we think deserve it. You were absolutely right... You're the only family i can count on. Welcome to the fold, Sis. - KING SHAZAM

waltgator93

Nov 06, 2019

If this book doesn't have any after effects than this issue was nothing but a money grab. An okay issue if it was. Enjoyed the art. Would recommend it though. Dialogue was actually pretty good!

M1sf1r3

Dec 02, 2019

Prelude: Well, last week we had Year of the Villain: Black Adam, now we have The Infected: King Shazam. As the first origin for these twisted heroes, this issue has a lot to prove. The Good: I really liked seeing Billy go all out and manipulative. Puts into perspective how much he holds back. I also liked the family focus in this issue. Joe Bennett's art was amazing. I especially loved the page when Billy transformed into King Shazam. The Bad: A lot of this issue was King Shazam beating up opponents. I would rather they chose different avenues for the story instead of this. Continuity between these Gods are off. Wrong Atlas for one, can't remember much about Wilson's Ares but I don't remember him and Olympus like this and I thought Rao was gone. Conclusion: A good enough issue with Billy's family and his power being the main focus with some wonderful art. However, I feel like this story could have been done better with a different premise and the continuity doesn't feel right. more

Nihilist

Nov 06, 2019

I liked it. Sure, the entire "one more thing" twist was already used in Black Adam's issue last month, so it hardly felt like a surprise, but even with this recycled moment, the comic successfully entertained me. We don't often see Mary taking the lead, and this plot line may be her moment to shine.

Br'er Lapin AKA 20-Ish Ceiln

Nov 10, 2019

This wasn't as bad as I expected. I hated Iceman so I was prepared for the worst. This was just a standard Shazam story and it was effective if forgettable.

Psycamorean

Nov 08, 2019

I wonder how this is Akira Yoshida's fault in 2 years?

Spacey Medicine

Nov 15, 2019

This was not written very well.