In a personal story told from the hero’s point of view, both young Billy Batson and his alter ego, Captain Marvel, devote themselves to keeping hope alive by granting the requests of a local hospital’s children–in a sense, making their wishes come true.

From the fan-favorite team behind SUPERMAN: PEACE ON EARTH and BATMAN: WAR ON CRIME comes the third entry in the oversized tabloid format series that has revolutionized comics. SHAZAM!: POWER OF HOPE marks the latest collaboration between Emmy Award-winning writer/producer Paul Dini (BATMAN: HARLEY QUINN) and multiple award-winning Alex Ross (KINGDOM COME, UNCLE SAM).

Perhaps no classic comic-book character embodies the spirit of youth and optimism as thoroughly as Captain Marvel–the wish fulfillment of every child who ever dreamed of having super powers and taking flight. In a personal story told from the hero’s point of view, both young Billy Batson and his alter ego, Captain Marvel, devote themselves to keeping hope alive by granting the requests of a local hospital’s children–in a sense, making their wishes come true.

Powerfully written by Dini, with staggering painted art by Ross that combines traditional comic-book storytelling and the illustrated-text format of storybooks, SHAZAM!: POWER OF HOPE finds our hero taking a direct hand upon meeting a boy who has been injured by domestic violence. Deeply affected by the encounter, our story shows just how human the World’s Mightiest Mortal truly is.

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A few thoughts:

— When this was first released in 2000, it was a softback treasury-size edition. This time it’s a hardcover — and measures 6-5/8 x 10-3/16, according to Penguin Random House, which handles DC’s book market. That’s about the size of a typical trade collection, so while you’ll get a sturdy presentation it appears this will be smaller than the original.

— That said, this has not been solicited by DC yet, so perhaps changes are to come. The description itself appears to be outdated, so we’ll see.

— The book is due May 16, 2023, and lists for $17.99. I seem to recall this being listed on Amazon in the past and then removed. While that could be my mind playing tricks on me, DC has re-listed other trades that got yanked over the last couple of years.

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MORE

— DC COMICS Jumping Back Into Vintage Collections in 2023. Click here.

— DC to Re-Release JEFF SMITH’s Beloved SHAZAM! Miniseries in Hardcover. Click here.