Waid and Mora will pull double duty on Shazam! and Batman/Superman: World's Finest

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Artist Dan Mora takes on two DC titles at once starting in June

Batman/Superman: World's Finest #3 cover art
(Image credit: DC)

Starting in January, DC is launching Dawn of DC, a new publishing initiative with new titles arriving throughout the first half of 2023. Among the eight new series the publisher just announced for Dawn of DC is a new Shazam! title from writer Mark Waid and artist Dan Mora, creative team (along with colorist Tamra Bonvillain) of the ongoing Batman/Superman: World's Finest.

(Image credit: DC)

But don't fret World's Finest fans. As it turns out, neither Waid nor Mora is leaving series Silver Age-inspired series when Shazam! launches - nor is the Batman-Superman team-up series set in the past ending. Instead, Newsarama understands that Waid and Mora will continue on both titles with the upcoming Shazam! title to run concurrently with Batman/Superman: World's Finest starting in June when Shazam! #1 arrives. 

It's worth noting that DC's announcement of Waid and Mora's Shazam! doesn't specify the length or format of the new title, and World's Finest has used other artists for fill-in issues and arcs, including February's upcoming Batman/Superman: World's Finest #12, which is drawn by artist Ema Lupacchino, so how Mora manages both titles could be a product of strategic splitting duties. 

That said, however DC manages the scheduling, Mora drawing two titles at once is a feat that few monthly artists can pull off in modern comics - a worthy feat indeed for the fan-favorite artist.

Interestingly enough, Waid has written Billy Batson before - way back in 1996's Kingdom Come, which presented a very different version of Shazam! who is mind controlled by Lex Luthor into fighting Superman to a standstill.

Shazam! #1 goes on sale in June.

Shazam! plays a central role in Kingdom Come, which tops Newsarama's list of the best DC Comics stories ever. 

George Marston
George Marston

I've been Newsarama's resident Marvel Comics expert and general comic book historian since 2011. I've also been the on-site reporter at most major comic conventions such as Comic-Con International: San Diego, New York Comic Con, and C2E2. Outside of comic journalism, I am the artist of many weird pictures, and the guitarist of many heavy riffs. (They/Them)