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Post by Deleted on Jul 23, 2014 16:33:35 GMT -5
So what with all the rumours this week that Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is going to be Shazam, it got me thinking that besides brief appearances in other comics and of course Kingdom Come, I'd never read a solo Shazam book. So I went to the local store and picked up the only thing they had, the New 52 Geoff Johns series. And holeeeeee hell is it good. What stuck out to me were 2 things. Firstly how well it flowed. Because most of this was taken from back-ups from Justice League, it didn't have that segmented single issue cliffhanger ever 22 pages feels, it felt like one big story. Secondly the tone. Gary Franks art is incredible, but this book is so much fun! All this talk about the New 52 being too dark, I think people were just looking in the wrong places. A wonderful stand-alone story and a great introduction to a character I want more and more of. Any other stories worth checking out? I asked about the Jeff Ordway one in the store and the guys rolled their eyes but I'm not sure if thats warranted or if its just Comic Book Guy Syndrome.
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Post by Bob Reyer on Jul 23, 2014 19:51:25 GMT -5
So what with all the rumours this week that Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is going to be Shazam, it got me thinking that besides brief appearances in other comics and of course Kingdom Come, I'd never read a solo Shazam book. So I went to the local store and picked up the only thing they had, the New 52 Geoff Johns series. And holeeeeee hell is it good. What stuck out to me were 2 things. Firstly how well it flowed. Because most of this was taken from back-ups from Justice League, it didn't have that segmented single issue cliffhanger ever 22 pages feels, it felt like one big story. Secondly the tone. Gary Franks art is incredible, but this book is so much fun! All this talk about the New 52 being too dark, I think people were just looking in the wrong places. A wonderful stand-alone story and a great introduction to a character I want more and more of. Any other stories worth checking out? I asked about the Jeff Ordway one in the store and the guys rolled their eyes but I'm not sure if thats warranted or if its just Comic Book Guy Syndrome. Benjamin, Forgetting about "other stories" to check out, I'd recommend checking out other stores! As someone who's been in retail since the Seventies, let me just say that whatever the circumstances of your question, that's a terrible bit of customer service! Those Jerry Ordway Captain Marvel stories are quite good, and nearer in tone to the Otto Binder/C.C. Beck original Captain Marvel than what is being published today, but that's where the problem lies--they're both so different from this new version that you may not find them compelling. The "Big Red Cheese" (as Dr. Sivana called him!) was created as a children's character, and the fantasy element of young Billy Batson instantly becoming a grown-up super-hero certainly resonated with readers of all ages, as Whiz Comics and Captain Marvel Adventures were some of the biggest books of the Golden Age, selling nearly 3 million copies a month according to some estimates! When DC first brought the character back in the Seventies, they tried to replicate the old style, but after it good start, it faded quickly. The various Ordway series were pretty good, and did OK in sales, but never enough to move the character back into the top tier. In the years since, Captain Marvel has been relegated to being the "junior Superman", and I've heard that 10 year-old Billy Batson has been morphed into an angst-y teenager; ah...progress! Anyway, despite what those nay-sayers in the store said, try reading the 1994 Jerry Ordway OGN "The Power of Shazam", which is a nice up-date of the origin tale.  |
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Post by pacino on Jul 30, 2014 8:31:19 GMT -5
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Post by Bob Reyer on Jul 30, 2014 8:46:31 GMT -5
Chris, This one of the images that revved my excitement back up; just a dynamite rendition of Captain Marvel, and smiling in just the right "Holey Moley" way! |
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Post by scouts1998 on Aug 1, 2014 0:55:01 GMT -5
For SHAZAM i think he needs to be written as an all age book that everyone can relate to like spider-man, he's just a kid. Billy needs to have those everyday problems and SHAZAM has save the world problems.
As for Black Adam, he is a good villain but not a good SHAZAM villain because the only thing they have in common is the power, there is nothing common in there origin that make other hero/villain rivalries so good.
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Post by majorjay on Aug 1, 2014 5:28:35 GMT -5
i really enjoy the shazam back up in JLA, with the different kids...
i think that is the way to go with the character and the shazam family
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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2014 22:16:14 GMT -5
i really enjoy the shazam back up in JLA, with the different kids... i think that is the way to go with the character and the shazam family Yeah I loved this too. When they eventually announce this Shazam movie I have no doubt this is the way they'll go with it. Or at least hope. |
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Post by majorjay on Aug 4, 2014 7:52:51 GMT -5
i really enjoy the shazam back up in JLA, with the different kids... i think that is the way to go with the character and the shazam family Yeah I loved this too. When they eventually announce this Shazam movie I have no doubt this is the way they'll go with it. Or at least hope. i hope they do as well, but somehow have my doubts |
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Post by scouts1998 on Aug 4, 2014 7:58:00 GMT -5
Yeah I loved this too. When they eventually announce this Shazam movie I have no doubt this is the way they'll go with it. Or at least hope. i hope they do as well, but somehow have my doubts In my opinion DC haven't done a movie true to it's comic counter part since Christopher Reeve Superman's, so yeah i can't blame you if you have your doubts. |
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Post by Bob Reyer on Aug 4, 2014 8:59:01 GMT -5
As has been discussed, I'd love to see more of the "Batgirl" approach to a Shazam re-launch, particularly after having seen the Cameron Stewart illustration up-thread!
Additionally, on the movie front, considering what the light-at-heart Guardians movie pulled in over the week-end, a fun fantasy/adventure film of the origin of "The Big Red Cheese", with hidden tombs, ancient wizards, and mad scientists could be just the ticket! I'd envision something along the lines of the Brendan Fraser "Mummy" films, and perhaps even as a period piece!
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