Darla, Eugene and Pedro and/or the Lieutenant Marvels ? Which Worked better ?

[SilverWarriorWolf]

I’m going to go with the new team, as they actually feel distinct from each other, whereas the original Lt.s fealt like copies of each other with one tweaked quirk.

Honestly, though, I would like to know more about a Flashpoint-esqu version of the team. Minus Billy being murdered, of course.

[dswynne]

Multiversity worked to have both the family and the lieutenants, with the family being the main heroes, while the lieutenants are there when the Monsters of Society are assembled to wreck the city.

[Gero4568]

I like both. I think that Lieutenants are there for mostly comedic purposes, while Darla, Eugene, and Pedro can be used for more serious storylines. Both are useful for different purposes.

[Adekis]

Multiversity worked to have both the family and the lieutenants, with the family being the main heroes, while the lieutenants are there when the Monsters of Society are assembled to wreck the city.

I thought they had a really interesting take on them in Thunderworld. Billy, Freddy and Mary all had powers, but Fat Billy, Tall Billy and Hill Billy (and Uncle Dudley and Tawky Tawny) all just wore Captain Marvel costumes and jetpacks. They may have been armed with laser guns.

Anyway, I like the idea of Darla, Pedro and Eugene. I don't like the idea of Marvels besides Billy turning into an adult, and I don't like the idea of disregarding Fat, Tall and Hill Billy either. In some ways they're an inferior prototype for Freddy (the best one) and Mary, so I think relegating them to something more like in Thunderworld would make sense, but then again, I also think just about everything in Shazam lore should be more like Thunderworld.

Side note, (I probably say this every time he comes up) I love the idea that Hill Billy is a successful country western star, and that whenever someone meets the Main Billy, they think "Oh, Billy Batson, just like the singer?"

But if I just had to choose between the new members of the so called "Lightning League", the Lieutenants Marvel, and the two classic side heroes of the old Marvel Family, I'd pick Freddy and Mary every time. Heck, I might even pick Freddy over Billy, some days.

[Jon Clark]

old stories often had Family at the heart of it, and often even dragged Dudley along.

And they also had stories where Cap, Junior, or Mary handled things on their own.

And the book just launched and still only starting the world building. They can easily build to have eventual solo stories, arcs and and spin-offs for any one of them.

Or they could have maybe let Bill/Cap develop as a character solo and introduced the variants over time. You know like how Superman was an established character before we got Super- (boy, dog, girl, …) Or how Barry doesn't debut with Wally, Bart, Jesse all appearing an arc later.

That you can't imagine how, just shows incredibly lazy thinking on your part.

Or that I've seen this happen enough that lost my faith in most writers to not be last thinkers themselves.

Yet Billy is the center of the Book, and nobody pulled the ism card except you.

The old ones; Tall, Fat & Hill Billy were fun, but 5 (although slightly different shaped) white guys sharing the power (with one girl) gets pretty repetitive. I like that Johns and Frank unapologeticly made them more diverse

Are you sure that needing to point out how the originals were "5 white guys sharing the power (with one girl)" might not have made the ism card redundant.

And are you actually claiming there aren't people here whose whole focus isn't on how everything done to a character is a reflection of that characters particular sub-group? That would view Jimmy and Lois dying as Lois (but nit Jimmy) being fridged despite both being supporting characters whose main role is to tell Superman stories? If the Shazam family can be treated as just plain characters whose use is only treated as stories and not political commentary I'm all for it. But history tells me that the first bad turn for anyone but Billy or Freddy will bring out a bunch of posters claiming that Character X needs to be shown 100% positively because of the subset of humanity thy represent.

And what if it's one of the new characters who gets a solo, will you celebrate that you were wrong, about the franchise not allowing for solo spin-off stories.
Or will you complain cause they chose the one with the wrong color for you?
How wiill you survive the conflict of intrest, oh my?

There won't be one. My problem will be the other 4 still showing up regularly in Billy's book. I'd love it if they all got solo books and only crossed over for major events, I just am not a fan of trying to divide the focus of 22 pages a month between 6 identically powerd individuals who can't be fleshed out somewhere else.

The Lt Marvels were bad but tolerable because they weren't there every issue. The current set-up is too incestuous.

[Güicho]

And they also had stories where Cap, Junior, or Mary handled things on their own..

Again we are a few issues into the launch and start of a new world building run. Demanding the other Solos launch now is borderline delusional considering the state of the franchise.
Cap Marvel/SHAZAM was already a hard sell, you think Freddy and Mary solos without a core book setup were going to do better?
This is a new World Building launch for all of them. And even then Billy is still at the heart of it.

Or they could have maybe let Bill/Cap develop as a character solo and introduced the variants over time.

And then instead of you, we'd have Freddy and Mary fans complaining where are their stories!? Why aren't they part of it now!

And are you actually claiming there aren't people here whose whole focus isn't on how everything done to a character is a reflection of that characters particular sub-group? That would view Jimmy and Lois dying as Lois (but nit Jimmy) being fridged despite both being supporting characters whose main role is to tell Superman stories?

I don't even know what this means? And had no idea Lois and Jimmy were dead?

If the Shazam family can be treated as just plain characters whose use is only treated as stories and not political commentary I'm all for it.

Or you know straight forward without apology or grand explanation just having your cast more reflect/resemble the world around you seems completely innocuous and natural to me, sorry it comes of as some aggressive "political commentary" to you.

6 identically powerd individuals...

Actually the previous Lieutenants all had identical powers, the new ones although not entirely fleshed out while they all seem to have flight and a level of strength, channel specific attributes.
Pedro Strength
Darla Speed
Eugene Wisdom

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The current set-up is too incestuous.

As opposed to compared the old ^ LOL!

[Konja7]

The old ones; Tall, Fat & Hill Billy were fun, but 5 (although slightly different shaped) white guys sharing the power (with one girl) gets pretty repetitive. I like that Johns and Frank unapologeticly made them more diverse

I don't understand why 5 white people is more redundant than different race people. I mean they are people.

If the difference in race was used to reflect their different experiences, I could see why it would be less redundant, but it isn't used in this way in Shazam

To be clear, I like the current family and I think diversity is good. I just don't understand this point about redundant.

There won't be one. My problem will be the other 4 still showing up regularly in Billy's book. I'd love it if they all got solo books and only crossed over for major events, I just am not a fan of trying to divide the focus of 22 pages a month between 6 identically powerd individuals who can't be fleshed out somewhere else.

The Lt Marvels were bad but tolerable because they weren't there every issue. The current set-up is too incestuous.

I understand the problem. If you want the comic focuses exclusively on Billy, it would be pretty difficult this to happen.

That said, the Shazam comic doesn't focus in any character. The story is progressing somewhat slow.

[Jim Kelly]

I think a sentient rabbit having the power is a lot diverse--he's not even human. But Hoppy is a male so I can't argue that point.

[Güicho]

Both Tawny (in the back ups) and now Hoppy have been introduced and set-up in the new run too.
Hopefully that can be expanded on, and we can revel in the days when even Hoppy and Funny talking animals had their own spin-off books too.
This is a growing franchise, they have to start somewhere though.
On the one hand you have those complaining it's not enough, I want it all back now! And others saying it's to much, just focus on Billy.
Ultimately this relaunch has totally embraced the full mythology, and is literally opening the doors to all of it.

New Shazam family all the way although I wouldn't be surprised if Johns brings back the Liutenants in some way considering his love for classic, obscure mythos.

Exactly, wouldn't be surprised if Dudley shows up with some scheme(maybe even in a Winnebago calling himself Mentor), and takes them on a road-trip adventure. Where they do even meet the other Billies, and even Freckles.
Johns is about fully embracing the franchise, while also expanding and making it feel new.

[Jim Kelly]

One thing I don't understand: I gather that in the New 52 (which I've not read yet) they decided to make Freddy blond--but why did they stick with that for Rebirth and the new book? They had the excuse of Rebirth to correct this and make Freddy look like his old self and they knew that the SHAZAM! movie was coming out soon with Jack Dylan Grazer as Freddy.

If he did have dark hair in the comics, I suppose this would mean that all the Shazamily have dark hair--but that isn't such a bad thing. It's not like blond people are starving for representation in comics (and I say this as a blond myself), we aren't wanting for more blond super-heroes.

Freddy is one of my favourite characters, but I'm having a hard time believing the kid in the new comics is him.

[Konja7]

One thing I don't understand: I gather that in the New 52 (which I've not read yet) they decided to make Freddy blond--but why did they stick with that for Rebirth and the new book? They had the excuse of Rebirth to correct this and make Freddy look like his old self and they knew that the SHAZAM! movie was coming out soon with Jack Dylan Grazer as Freddy.

If he did have dark hair in the comics, I suppose this would mean that all the Shazamily have dark hair--but that isn't such a bad thing. It's not like blond people are starving for representation in comics (and I say this as a blond myself), we aren't wanting for more blond super-heroes.

Freddy is one of my favourite characters, but I'm having a hard time believing the kid in the new comics is him.

Well, DCEU hates blond men. So, I guess DC comics decide to not synchronize with it


The thing is Freddy with blond hair stands out more in the group and differentiates him from Billy. I know it has been said that there are other ways to differentiate them, but blond hair is much more direct (especially for new readers).

Differentiate characters is not a problem in a TV series or a movie with real actors, but it can be a bit problematic in graphic art (especially among new readers).

At the end, Shazam in Rebirth is probably still trying to attract a group of new readers (or they would simply go back to the old stories). That's likely why Freddy is still blond.

[Fairyprincess]

Darla. Best. Marvel. Ever...

[Adekis]

Actually, yeah, I just saw the movie a few days ago and Darla was probably my favorite part of the whole thing. She's just so funny and entertaining and cute!

Also, the movie has imparted in me the strong desire to call the Shazam Fam each individually "[Color] Cyclone".

[Flash Gordon]

Freddy/Captain Marvel Jr. is my favorite but I love all the new family members. Darla is fantastic in the film. Mary is great.

[Thor-Ul]

But Darla, Eugene and Pedros should be the Lt. Shazam.
I mean, "Marvel" is a word forbidden in DC.