Either way, this curious picture from DC should be viewed as a cause for celebration (just ignore Dead Ted for a sec and listen, please).

To the right of Superman is Mary Marvel, looking as though she's trying valiantly not to cry. Now, this is a big deal for me. Why? First, I like Mary - I just wish overall that she got more exposure. Second, when last seen in any not-missing-year story, Mary was depowered and lying in a coma for Capt. Marvel Jr. to angst over her.

Now, I realize that this is the work of Judd Winick, who seems to have lost whatever drive/passion/interest in his work that he had when he did Exiles and the first year of Outsiders; but I don't like to veer into bashing (you can tell I get a bit sad thinking of the decline in the quality of his work). I'll just say that Mary's use in Trials of Shazam shows an amazing lack of research and a reliance on tired archetypes being used less than well (Freddy on a hero's quest, while Mary is the damsel in distress). Ten minutes in the archives would have shown that she was her brother's equal in power while Freddy was weaker, and if he were to choose a successor, it would've been her and not their sidekick. But Freddy is a boy, and apparently, that trumps power level & experience.

Mary, along with BoP tagalong Misfit, are what 'girl superheroes' should be in my eyes. They're happy, they're playful, they enjoy their powers/job, and they don't quit even when the going gets tough or people get annoyed with them. To see the possibility of her returning to the DCU fold is downright thrilling.

On a related note, Mary's positioning (above the Question's body) suggests that she's mourning the dead of 52. Anyone who's seen the April solicits knows that's not Vic with the slender, tapered fingers and long, curly hair asking to "Answer the Question", and odds are good that he's not the only casualty. Maybe Mary was chosen because her Black Marvel Family counterpart is one of the fallen (no matter how much that makes me upset, it's still a very real possibility), and I'm willing to bet they've gotten more than a few fan memos about her misuse in Trials.

(Oh, and the presence of characters in old/Kingdom Come/Elseworlds outfits? I'm gonna say it's tied to the secret of 52, which everyone should know by now. If you don't know, I won't be the one to spoil it.)