Despite the crackling of thunder that usually accompanies the arrival of Shazam, DC has apparently slipped a brand new title or at least a new story featuring the World's Mightiest Mortal into its daily 'Digital First' offerings without much fanfare.
Shazam!: Lightning Strikes will debut Friday, July 17 with 'Home Quest,' a story from writer Dan Jurgens and artists Travis Moore and Nick Filardi, with letters from Marshall Dillon and a cover from Evan 'Doc' Shaner. 'Home Quest' centers on Billy Batson and one of his classmates encountering a spirit from ancient Egypt, home of Shazam's rival Black Adam.
It's unclear if this is a one-time release or if Shazam!: Lightning Strikes will continue as a regular 'Digital First' series.
"A class trip to an exhibit on Ancient Egypt goes all wrong when Billy tries to set a bragging classmate straight," reads DC's official description of the story. "Now they'll have to work together to help a lost spirit find its way home!"
Unlike most of DC's previous daily 'Digital First' stories, Shazam!: Lightning Strikes does not appear to reprint material from their previously-published 100-Page Giant anthologies. Though DC has not confirmed the story is new, writer Jurgens posted about the story on Twitter, suggesting it is new, previously unpublished content.
DC has apparently been publishing other brand new stories in recent weeks, quietly adding new, non-reprint content to some of its 'Digital First' series that previously published reprinted material digitally for the first time, including Superman: Man of Tomorrow #11.
DC recently announced its ongoing Shazam! title will come to an end with September 22's Shazam! #15.
A gallery of pages from Shazam!: Lightning Strikes #1 can be seen below.
DC has not responded to Newsarama's request for comment about the apparent new stories appearing on their daily 'Digital First' schedule.
