Moving is never easy, even for a family full of superheroes. Shazam #10 by Josie Campbell, Emanuela Lupacchino, and Mike Norton finds Billy Batson and his family moving into a new dream home. Unfortunately, that dream quickly becomes a nightmare, thanks to one fatal flaw in the refurbished house.
An earlier issue of Shazam found Billy and his family homeless as a result of a battle with Black Adam. Thankfully, the champion of Khandaq persuaded Zeus (who was responsible for why the fight started) to rebuild Billy’s home. He did this, not out of any love for Billy, but because worthy kings must honor “the nobility of the throne.” Zeus agreed and honored his debt to his chosen warrior. However, the favor did not come without cost.
Divine Patrons of Shazam Now Share His Home
As Zeus was rebuilding Billy Batson’s home, he had a revelation. Billy once used his powers to create a permanent portal to the Rock of Eternity within his foster parents’ home. Zeus decided to do the same thing with his own pocket dimension, creating a sort of man cave where he could “get away from the demands of Olympus.” Unfortunately, this realm was accessed through the hall closet of the Shazam family’s rebuilt house.
To further complicate matters, Billy’s other divine patrons followed Zeus’ lead. Soon many of the interior doors of the Shazam family’s home led to private realms for Hercules, Mercury, Atlas, and Achilles. This was a petty annoyance, however, compared to the larger problem the portals created.
So many multi-dimensional pathways in one space turned out to be a beacon to The Things That Wait. A collective of Lovecraftian nightmares that longed to “eat the world,” the Things began crawling into the Shazam family home like cosmic cockroaches. Thankfully, Billy and his siblings were able to put things right. This wouldn’t have been necessary, however, if Zeus had bothered to consult with Solomon first, regarding the wisdom of putting too many portals in one house.
Shazam! #10 is now available at comic shops everywhere.
