Captain Marvel / Shazam Appreciaton

[J. D. Guy]

Appreciate the recommendations. Yeah, I keep hearing that the New 52 comic is trash.

The New 52 version isn't trash. Bitter fans took something out of that story and blew it COMPLETELY out of proportion. I definitely recommend it.

Second the recommendation. And the whole bitter fans thing; I wouldn't take Kurt's word as gospel, because he's biased against the New 52 book to an unreasonable degree.

And what was that?

Billy starts out the story more anti-heroic, which makes sense in the story, before developing and progressing into the standard worthy good guy Shazam over the course of the it.

The bitter fans mentioned took that early anti-hero Billy and treated it as the only thing that happened. As mentioned, it makes sense to develop Billy that way, but because "that's not how his story was told before", they treated it as cardinal sin. More relevantly, those bitter fans haven't let it go and have become insufferable because of it over the past 6-7 years (a long time to have to deal with that).

[J. D. Guy]

Anyway, with all the movie hype, this seems to have slipped under the radar. The new Shazam book will start November 21st!

Glad to have some concrete confirmation!

https://www.cbr.com/shazam-geoff-johns-dale-eaglesham/

Shazam Series Arrives This Winter from Johns, Eaglesham

At the Geoff Johns Spotlight panel at Comic-Con International at San Diego, the writer revealed that he will be writing a long awaited Shazam monthly ongoing series for DC Comics with his former Justice Society of America collaborator, Dale Eaglesham.

The new series, which will debut this November, will finally pay off the introduction of the new Shazam and his “Shazam family” that Johns set up early in his Justice League run back in the New 52 in 2012.

Johns described the new series as “It’ll continue the story we started in the New 52.” Johns explained that The Shazam family will try to unlock the secrets of the Rock of Eternity and take its cues from classics like The Phantom Tollbooth. “It’s kids with superpowers but no manuals. They have the powers but they don’t really know how to use them,” Johns said. The book will feature classic villains like Mister Mind and will feature an appearance by the classic Shazam supporting character, the anthropomorphic tiger Tawky Tawny.

The modern version of Shazam sort of made its debut in an odd little “sign of things to come” during the DC Comics event, Flashpoint, in 2011, when Barry Allen went back in time to prevent the murder of his mother and inadvertently altered the DC Universe. Now, Billy Batson, Freddy Freeman and Mary Batson (the original Captain Marvel, Captain Marvel Jr. and Mary Marvel) were joined by three other kids, Eugene Choi, Pedro Peña, and Darla Dudley, who all say “Shazam!” together and turn into Captain Thunder. At the end of Flashpoint, Barry went back in time again and allowed his mother to die, but some sort of outside intervention led to the creation of a rebooted DC Universe known as The New 52.

In the new revamped version of the Shazam mythos that debuted in Johns’ Justice League run (along with artist Gary Frank, who designed all of the characters for the reboot), Billy and the others are all foster siblings. Billy is a bit more cynical than past depictions, but in his heart, he is still a good kid. Thus, when he meets the Wizard, he is still granted the powers of Shazam. When Black Adam shows up and tries to get the power for himself, the villain kidnaps Billy’s foster siblings and threatens to kill them if Billy does not give the power of Shazam to him. Instead, Billy realizes that his foster siblings are his true family and shares the powers with them instead, creating the Shazam Family. Each one of his siblings has a piece of his power now.

We will see the group in action in the ongoing Shazam series, which will drop on November 21st.

EDIT: Didn't realize that news had its own thread! I was just surprised it wasn't brought up in this one.

[RepHope]

Billy is going to be huge if the movie can deliver. I could see him being more popular than Supes again just like the old days. I'm really excited for the movie, I loved Johns New 52 run.

[Güicho]

Anyway, with all the movie hype, this seems to have slipped under the radar. The new Shazam book will start November 21st!

Glad to have some concrete confirmation!



EDIT: Didn't realize that news had its own thread! I was just surprised it wasn't brought up in this one.

Johns described the new series as “It’ll continue the story we started in the New 52.”

Great news, that it's not another reboot, loved the origin and set up as John's and Frank established it, and that it will continue, as it was left with a great reveal at the end.
I'm glad it's still canon, looking forward to see where it finally goes next.

[El_Gato]

Billy is going to be huge if the movie can deliver. I could see him being more popular than Supes again just like the old days. I'm really excited for the movie, I loved Johns New 52 run.

The reaction to the trailer has been overwhelmingly positive, so I can definitely see that happening. It also seems like a 4 quadrant film that'll appeal to everyone, especially families. WB could have a huge hit on their hands.

[Güicho]

The reaction to the trailer has been overwhelmingly positive, so I can definitely see that happening. It also seems like a 4 quadrant film that'll appeal to everyone, especially families. WB could have a huge hit on their hands.

[Ascended]

Man, I had no interest in this or Aquaman or any of the other movies, but the Aquaman trailer was okay and Shazam......

Holy moley.

Okay, this might turn out to be something. Loved the whole thing; Freddy is a highlight I think I'll enjoy a lot, and Levi is selling me on the role.

Yeah, I'll be taking the family to see this one I think. Thought I was done with DC movies but it looks like they might have at least one more good movie left in them.

[Ascended]

I also recommend the New52 Shazam story (easily available in trade).

Some people on here treat it like it was a much bigger deviation than it was. Granted, Billy wasn't the greatest, most noble kid in the whole world. But he had the potential to be, which is the whole point of the entire story; making the best of what you have, not wishing everything was perfect.

There's this one scene early in the first issue that paints Billy in a bad light, especially until you get to the end of the scene and realize that it's not as one-sided as it appears. There was a preview that cut the end short, which made Billy look even worse, and between that and the hood, some hardcore fans wrote the whole thing off. But it was heartfelt and whimsical and fun, and felt like a perfect blend of Harry Potter and superheroes. And I believe the message behind the story is far more interesting and valuable than Billy's usual origin is, which is just that really good kids get rewarded when they overcome adversity. It was one of the finer modern Shazam stories I've read. But you have to accept that Billy is going to be written with some obvious flaws. Which gives him something to work on and struggle with.

Check it out, it's worth it.

After that origin tale, when Billy joins the Justice League, that's when the story derails slightly and most of the character development we see in Billy is forgotten. But don't let that stop you from enjoying the origin story; it stands on its own just fine.

[liwanag]

the shazam trailer was amazing. i'm even tempted to say it was more awesome than aquaman's.

[Starter Set]

I'm feeling pretty hyped about that movie.

If that movie turns out to be a success that could be a nice comeback for the big red cheese.

[ironman2978]

The New 52 version isn't trash. Bitter fans took something out of that story and blew it COMPLETELY out of proportion. I definitely recommend it.

Yeah, I am another one whour can confirm New 52 is far from trash. The early issues jaded a lot of classic fans (although you can argue the costume redesign and official Shazam namechange is what caught them off guard). New 52 did a great job in showing a kid who''s been through a lot find what he's desperately been looking for: a family. Honestly Billy needed that modern kick in the butt. It makes sense that a 15 year old kid who''s seen more bad than good would be more jaded before opening up. The book as a whole has great moments that captures the essence of Shazam, that I think the solo book could better follow up on in ways tieing him in with the JusticeLeague off the bat couldn't have done.

The trailer really does a good job at catching a medium between the classic and New 52. Plus it seems like the cast naturally vibes with each other. Zachary Levi feels like a giant kid, which makes me happy they chose him over someone like John Cena like some fans still try to argue..
]
You can feel a natural affinity for the character among the cast.

I would also say Jeff Smith "Shazam! The Monster Society of Evil" is also a great introduction to The big Red Cheese, since it's a post 9/11 look at Billy and the mythos.

[ironman2978]

Shablam! Will be the new dance move, I guarantee it. Lol

[andersonh1]

If you want something short, go for Thunderworld by Morrison or Convergence: Shazam by Parker. If you want something longer and a bit dated, but still great, go for the classics. If you want something more contemporary, go for Ordway's "The Power of Shazam." I can't in good conscience recommend the New 52 version, even though it's relatively short. Just doesn't get the core of the character.

Agreed. Thunderworld was excellent, by far my favorite version of Captain Marvel in years. I'd love more of the same.

[Restingvoice]

Trailer reaction: THE KIDS ARE SO GOOD!

[Starter Set]

Trailer reaction: THE KIDS ARE SO GOOD!

They really are. They seem to have a good dynamic going on.