Earth's Mightiest Mortals: The Shazamily Appreciation 2023

[Digifiend]

Yeah, Shazam is a kid hero whose adult alter ego means he can hang out with the Justice League rather than the Teen Titans. Note that before Flashpoint, Freddy didn't become an adult when he transformed, and as CM3, then-recently renamed from Captain Marvel Junior, he was a Teen Titan (Billy didn't ever join the Titans, and associating with them in Academy only resulted in his identity being compromised). Whereas Billy once joined the Justice Society, and got told off by Jay Garrick for trying to get close to Stargirl - when in reality, they were the same age. Jay didn't know that of course, he just saw the adult Captain Marvel messing with a teenager.

[Mantis-Ray]

This DCU cover is pretty funny



Billy is back to being front of the cover while Black Adam is nowhere to be seen

[Frontier]

This DCU cover is pretty funny



Billy is back to being front of the cover while Black Adam is nowhere to be seen

I feel like a few years from now Adam will be back to being a villain of the week for Billy...

[sifighter]

I feel like a few years from now Adam will be back to being a villain of the week for Billy...

I mean Adam’s penultimate issue is out in May with his latest issue in June to wait and see what happens to him and Bolt.

[Stanlos]

This DCU cover is pretty funny



Billy is back to being front of the cover while Black Adam is nowhere to be seen

Thank goodness!!

But another issue for me is how small the DCU seems now with only extensions of the big 7, often 3 or more deep.

Also, are we keeping Kendra's cosmic doorknob metal wings?

[Stanlos]

I am reminded of this one line about Mary's recent Shazam comic, saying the character has so much potential because she isn't a child.

And I'm like "Isn't the whole point of Shazam the fact that he's a superhero kid?" Like no offense to Mary but aren't most superhero's adults which by definition makes her less unique than Billy since kid superheroes aren't as common these days?

That is my thought as well. I feel like the Marvel Family has MORE potential when they are wee ones not less. There are a glut of young adult and teen heroes. It is like the comics are more and more adopting Hollywood studio exec think, homogenizing heroes and washing away any uniqueness. They did a similar thing with WW deleting her epic, brilliant and wholy unique origin only to replace it with one of the generic run of the mill origins ever
Hera, her sidekick had that origin originally and it MAJORLY downgraded her powers. Oh well.

[K7P5V]

I feel like a few years from now Adam will be back to being a villain of the week for Billy...

...or maybe even Superman.

[Frontier]

I am reminded of this one line about Mary's recent Shazam comic, saying the character has so much potential because she isn't a child.

And I'm like "Isn't the whole point of Shazam the fact that he's a superhero kid?" Like no offense to Mary but aren't most superhero's adults which by definition makes her less unique than Billy since kid superheroes aren't as common these days?

I don't like Mary being older.

[Digifiend]

They need to come up with something that would explain things like Mary and Billy's relationship changing and Freddy's appearance changing. Maybe the magic de-ages and mind wipes them periodically, effectively rebooting them? If they say that it even affects people they interact with, it could even be used to explain why Stargirl and the Young Justice kids aren't as old as they should be (Damian has aged four years since Flashpoint, and none of those kids have. And Damian has stayed away from the Shazam Family).

[sifighter]

Thank goodness!!

But another issue for me is how small the DCU seems now with only extensions of the big 7, often 3 or more deep.

Also, are we keeping Kendra's cosmic doorknob metal wings?

Honestly the only reason the metal wings are probably staying for Kendra from now on is because Shayera is alive and active as Hawkwoman and we need some way to tell the difference between her and Kendra.

Shayera was last seen in the Dark Crisis event alongside the JSA.

[Primal Slayer]

Billy and friends should be allowed to age, we're into our 4th gen of sidekicks? Cant keep pushing them back. They should be young adults but especially for Billy, being a guy whose 5'7-5'9 and skinny still helps keeping Shazam as his physical peak.

[Frontier]

Billy and friends should be allowed to age, we're into our 4th gen of sidekicks? Cant keep pushing them back. They should be young adults but especially for Billy, being a guy whose 5'7-5'9 and skinny still helps keeping Shazam as his physical peak.

As long as they're still believably young and there's not a huge age gap between Billy and Mary.

[Stanlos]

Honestly the only reason the metal wings are probably staying for Kendra from now on is because Shayera is alive and active as Hawkwoman and we need some way to tell the difference between her and Kendra.

Shayera was last seen in the Dark Crisis event alongside the JSA.

Okay that IS weird. Why not have the space opera versions be out in the cosmos realizing New Thanagar while the Kendra and Carter versions do whatever the doorknob wings let them do?

[Stanlos]

Billy and friends should be allowed to age, we're into our 4th gen of sidekicks? Cant keep pushing them back. They should be young adults but especially for Billy, being a guy whose 5'7-5'9 and skinny still helps keeping Shazam as his physical peak.

I guess but the reset button keeps getting hit for the likes of Ollie and Bruce, sooooooooooooooo does that really matter to people? I continue to wonder because every time advancements in character are done such as with Dinah and Roy somehow the quality work with them gets jettisoned to make them sidekicks or whatever regression du jeur.

[Primal Slayer]

I guess but the reset button keeps getting hit for the likes of Ollie and Bruce, sooooooooooooooo does that really matter to people? I continue to wonder because every time advancements in character are done such as with Dinah and Roy somehow the quality work with them gets jettisoned to make them sidekicks or whatever regression du jeur.

Bruce and Ollie continue to stay in line with their generation. You want Shazam and fam to continue going dowm generations to keep them young to the point they just now would've premiered so they be as young as Damian and lose all history with everyone else? Ok.