The final fate of Billy Batson, AKA Shazam, will be revealed this February in the pages of Future State: Shazam #2. The issue is written by Tim Sheridan (Superman: Man of Tomorrow) with art by Eduardo Pansica (Aquaman), one cover by Bernard Chang (Batman Beyond), and a card stock variant cover by Gerald Parel (Iron Man: Season One). The story is part of DC’s Future State mega-event and will be in stores February 16, 2021 as part of DC's two month crossover.
Starting in January, the regular DC line of titles will go on a two-month hiatus. In their place, the company will publish a series of one-shots and anthologies that comprise Future State, a line-wide look at the near future of the DC Universe. The exact nature of Future State is still being kept under wraps, but it will spin out of the end of Dark Nights: Death Metal. Also known is it will feature new, legacy versions of DC's biggest characters. Based on the scant details released, fans can expect to see dystopian elements, such as a Gotham City controlled by a group called the Magistrate, and a world in which Superman leaves after mishandling an international crisis.
The solicitation implies Shazam is not doing well either. He has sold his soul to the devil, and it is being laid bare. This will be a shock to many readers, as Shazam is often positioned as one of DC's most lighthearted characters, and the idea of him selling his soul runs counter to the recent cinematic adaptation, which starred Zachary Levi as the superhero form of Asher Angel's schoolboy Billy Batson. Nevertheless, the character has faced dark times, and the solicitation promises to reveal “shocking secrets,” as well as Billy Batson’s final fate.
- FUTURE STATE: SHAZAM! #2
- written by TIM SHERIDAN
- art by EDUARDO PANSICA
- cover by BERNARD CHANG
- card stock variant cover by GERALD PAREL
- ON SALE 2/16/21
- $3.99 US | 32 PAGES | 2 OF 2 | FC | DC
- CARD STOCK COVER $4.99 US
- Shazam’s soul is laid bare as he’s confronted by one of the most powerful beings in the DC Universe! Revealing shocking secrets and the final fate of Billy Batson, the boy who was Earth’s Mightiest Mortal, this issue introduces a deadly new threat born from the ashes of the Teen Titans Academy: Raven!
It appears that Shazam will be coming into conflict with former Teen Titan Raven, who seems to be tapping into the power of Trigon, her demonic father. Trigon would certainly qualify as the powerful being mentioned in the issue summary, though so would Raven if she's been able to rob her father of his power by the time of DC's Future State. But what isn't revealed is just as interesting - where is the famous Shazam family, and why aren't they backing up the titular hero? Has Shazam lost favor with his former team, and if so, is this linked to the mysterious final fate of Billy Batson?
Future State promises to be an epic event, and with rumors that DC will be moving away from shared continuity in future, it's possible that it represents a whole new status quo for many of the heroes involved. Shazam has always been a bright and shining beacon for the DC Universe and seeing him broken and corrupted here shows just how high the stakes in this event can be.