Shazam Books

There are few reprints available for the Golden Age Captain Marvel, and many of them, this volume included, are rare enough to be collectible themselves. This collection is hard to find, but worth it.

"Shazam: From the 40's to the 70's" is a nice collection of Fawcett "firsts." The first Tawky Tawny story is included, along with the first Mary Marvel story and the first Captain Marvel Jr. story. It does try to represent the various incarnations of Captain Marvel, and includes reprints from all decades. The more realistic Marvel Family from the 40's flows into the Sci-Fi silliness of the 50's and the hipster of the 70's. It is nice to know that the Big Red Cheese keeps up with the times.

The reprints are in black and white, with only two stories (the origin from Whiz #2, and a modern story from the 70's) are in color. The introduction by E. Nelson Bridgewell is nice, although certain famous Marvel Family artists like C.C. Beck have publicly disagreed with it. The DC Archives series is a better collection with better production values, but does not reprint the same stories.

If you find a copy, snatch it up!

Captain Marvel was once one of the most popular heroes in comics, and the selections in this book go a long way in understanding why. CC Beck's art is crisp and unique, his cartoonish style lending a more relaxed and charming character to the stories than might be found in contemporary magazines. Despite claims to the contrary (particularly on the part of DC Comics), The Big Red Cheese is an original hero, and the concept behind him remains fresh and appealing even now. In an era when many heroes are driven by complex motivations and deep-seated conflicts, Captain Marvel is ultimately little more than a good kid who has been given the opportunity to make a difference in the most fantastic way.

Other icons of the "Shazam Family" are present, including Captain Mary Marvel, Captain Marvel Junior, Uncle Marvel, the Sivanas, Mr. Tawky Tawny, and Black Adam, among others. Thankfully absent (depending on what you are looking for) are stories featuring several characters who were little more than racist stereotypes: this book is a potential heirloom that is suitable for all ages and sensibilities.

I am lucky enough to have a copy of this book. It is a great collection of Marvel Family "firsts." Definately worth the effort of tracking down.

Published by harmony Books a division of Crown Plublishers this book is the third in a series highlighting comicbook adventures of DC superheroes. Published in 1977 it covers a 35yr span of Captain Marvel & The Marvel Family using the original stories to introduce each member including the only reprint of Captain Marvel jr's origin from whiz comics. Containing a introduction by the late E.Nelson Bridwell about the development of the Marvel Family and Fawcett comics this is a tour de force about the evolution of a comic hero that was second only to superman in the fabulous 40's. It is a must read by those who enjoy and relish comics as its influences are still affecting comics, as shown in the recent Kingdom Come and Miracle Man series.

I was fascinated when I discovered Captain Marvel and was so happy to see this book collection of the best of the World's Mightiest Mortal.Hats off to E.Nelson Bridwell,who loved reading Cap as a child and loved writing him as an adult;Kurt Schaffenburger,excellent artist who drew the Marvels with true class;Denny O'Neil,who guided Cap's return after 19 years;Bill Woolfolk,who wrote many of the Golden Age stories;Otto Binder,who wrote the best Golden Age stories and created Mary Marvel,Mr.Mind,Mr.Tawny,Uncle Marvel and more;C.C.Beck,who first gave Captain Marvel visual interpretation and maintained quality in art and story style;and Bill Parker,the first writer who started the whole ball rolling.

And now-the last word;

SHAZAM!

The book's clarity and comprhensive coverage make it one of the best practitioners' guides to econometrics.This is an indispensable source for anyone who is serius about using Shazam and its powerful features. The lucid and insightful ilustrations by the authors successfully blend theory with practice. This book provides a treasure chest for the serius student of econometric models and economic forecasts.

Captain Marvel had the highest circulation during the Golden Age of comic books. Then 12 years of litigation by DC Comics killed him(and Fawcett Comics along with him). It's real nice to read these recolored and sharp reprints of Whiz Comics and Captain Marvel Adventures. The only other place I've been able to read them are blurry scans of the originals downloaded from the Internet.

The only negatives are the price and page count. At near $40 these are expensive for the under 250 pages they provide and is why I bumped one star off my rating. And considering the page count and release of each volume(so far only 4 volumes + 1 Shazam Family volume) we will never see even half of Captain Marvel's comics collected. Both Marvel and DC provide 500+ pages in their Omnibus and Absolute editions for $40-$60 so what we're getting out of these DC Archives is disappointing.

DC has indicated there will be more DC Archive volumes printed in 2008 and 2009 in reduced numbers but no indication on wether Shazam will be some of them. Even if they come out with a couple more volumes it won't be enough for a lot of the best stories. The epic Monster Society of Evil arc didn't start until Captain Marvel Adventures #22 and lasted for two years and the introduction of Black Adam didn't happen until 1945(these Shazam Archives are at 1941).

If you have never read C.C. Beck's original Captain Marvel stories this is a great place to start...the beginning!

If you want to learn about how Captain Marvel came about and his growing pains, this is it. Was too young to read these when they came out and always wondered about his start. A 'must have' if you are serious about the oldies.

First, the caveat: vintage comics must be taken for what they are, for good and for ill. They are plot-heavy and character-light. The plots are outrageously unbelievable, with a liberal use of deus ex machina. In many ways, the early Captain Marvel stories found in the "Shazam! Archives" Vol. 1 are the apotheosis of vintage comics, as Marvel faces unlikely threats in impossible stories. However, from the beginning, Captain Marvel had one advantage: the art of C.C. Beck, which, although in its infancy in these first issues of "Whiz Comics," originally published by Fawcett, was already showing the distinct qualities that have defined the Marvel family to this day.

The frustrating thing about this volume is the formulaic approach writer Bill Everett takes in his scripts. He gives the reader a very exciting origin for this new super-hero. Billy Batson, a homeless paperboy follows a mysterious stranger into the subway (pretty irrationally), and is taken to the wizard, Shazam. Shazam gives Billy the power to transform into the adult Captain Marvel by uttering the wizard's name. Billy quickly uses his new powers to thwart the evil Dr. Sivana, and gain himself a job as a roving radio reporter (school not being a concern for child super-heroes at this time).

But after that admittedly stirring origin, the series falls into a pattern: Billy is assigned to report on some odd event, finds some sinister agent behind it (frequently Sivana) as part of a bid to conquer or destroy the world, and then thwarts it handily as Captain Marvel. They stories are not without their charms, of course, with some fun concepts along the way, like Sivana and his daughter Beautia ruling the planet Venus. There are certain things that were unique to this strip, the big one being the fact that Sivana, Marvel's most persistent enemy, knows the secret of his power. Another interesting plot point is Beautia's amorous feelings forCaptain Marvel, which is amusing because of course as Marvel is really still at the age where he finds girls "icky." However, most critics admit that Everett's scripts were serviceable at best, especially compared with that came later under the stewardship of Otto Binder.

If you want to read the whole "Shazam!" Archive series, obviously, you should start here. But be advised that it's a curiously flat, albeit entertaining, volume, and that its going to be a little while get to the greatest material the Marvel family had to offer.

It was a gift for my dad. It's not possible to get those comics here in Argentina. I just took a brief look at the books, they were a fancy edition, shinny paper, they looked really nice, although a bit smaller than I had imagined. But my dad called me the next day, said he felt like a kid again. He was very pleased.
Delivery time and form was excellent.

Some of the finest artwork in comic books today. Alex Ross is unsurpassed in the quality of painted artwork being created for comic books today. "Power of Hope" is an encouraging, uplifting story with dynamic artwork to go with it. I've enjoyed virtually everything that Ross has worked on, and this book is no exception.

Take it from someone who had barely heard of Captain Marvel before now, this book is GREAT! I would recommend it to anyone and everyone. It's a fitting homage to an amazing and all but forgotten character.I don't think I need to further praise either Paul Dini's storytelling(he did both the Batman and the Superman Animated Series, Justice League, Batman: War on Crime, Superman: Peace on Earth, etc.) or Alex Ross' artwork(Kingdom Come, Justice 1, 2, and 3, etc.); the other reviewers have already.This is a simple, short, and touching story which directly contradicts just about everything else DC has done lately. And what a relief THAT is! Forget the whole Infinite Crisis mess and stick with stuff like this; it's the result of honest hard work and effort. As a matter of fact, I advise avoiding all continuity. Stand alone graphic novels and Elseworlds are the way to go.

Here, Alex Ross and Paul Dini take a crack at the Big Red Cheese, and he is definitely in Big Red Cheese mode in this book. Ross has again done a fine job with his artwork, and so this is very nice to look at, as we see both Captain Marvel and Billy Batson enjoy their lives and take down the odd villain in the process.

Dini and Ross really capture what the Big Red Cheese is all about beautifully. It's also very moving-the Cap's struggles as a nieve hero in the complex world of today is nicely handled, with some suprising and powerful emotional pay offs. The action is terrific as you'd expect. Highly recommended!

I'll admit that this book wasn't entirely what I was expecting. The artwork by Alex Ross was fantastic, just as expected. I learned more about the personality of Captain Marvel than I had hoped. However, I was expecting more of a comic book, like Ross' Kingdom Come series. Instead, I found the story geared more towards children. It is a tale of hope, as the title suggests and it is a powerful story that I would have no problem reading to young children. Don't buy it and expect a knockdown drag out fight. Instead, expect a wonderful parable about a boy with super powers helping other children who ends up learning something about himself in the process. And this is coming from a cynic. If I ever have children, I'll be sure to read it to them.

`Power of Shazam' is a truly unique piece of art. This short graphic novel features a young, muscular, Fred MacMurry lookalike fighting a young, muscular, Boris Karloff lookalike, with results that are thrilling and wondrous as opposed to ridiculous. The success of this peculiar narrative form in this case is due to the virtuosity of artist/writer Jerry Ordway and the fact that the comic strip is still a place where anything can happen (CGI has brought cinema closer to achieving this, but as of this writing CGI still looks fake and creepy; CGI is still unable to portray human qualities).

This is a true graphic novel, a work created to stand alone (but which can also be appreciated as part of a larger framework), using the vocabulary of the comics, and conveying an experience unique to the medium. This particular graphic novel also served as a springboard to reboot the Captain Marvel (Shazam!) franchise, which DC comics has controlled since 1972.

Power of Shazam is an amazing synthesis of diverse influences. There are plenty of homages and nods to the original Fawcett comics and creators, and Ordway revisits and revises the original violent origin of Captain Marvel, and adds a big spoonful of gritty Raboy-esque tragedy for good measure. The overall tone here is darker and more violent than the classic years of Fawcett comics, but it thankfully lacks the blood-spattered gore that has permeated super-hero comics since the rise of Frank Miller. Ultimately, Captain Marvel rises above the trauma and brutality of his life and takes the reader with him. There is also a foreshadowing that perhaps Mr. Tawny will return, one way or the other.

This is one of the most cinematic comics I've ever seen: Black Adam is modeled exactly after Boris Karloff from the original 1932 `Mummy' and Ordway skillfully injects many atmospheric elements from the classic 1941 Republic Capt. Marvel serial.

As a die-hard fan of the original Capt. Marvel, Universal horror, and the classic serials (especially `Adventures of Captain Marvel'!), I found this to be one of the most enjoyable graphic novels ever. But I also think that the artistic merits and the power of the narrative would make this enjoyable beyond those who share my enthusiasms.

Being such a staunch fan of the original Fawcett comics, I was originally skeptical that I could accept this grimmer, more complex, more cinematic vision of our hero. But while the original Capt. Marvel had humor and whimsy, there was always excitement, and often deft social commentary: Binder and Beck created, for instance, the 1st comic book cautionary tale of the horrors of nuclear war. Cap usually visited our dreams but occasionally escorted us across our nightmares as well.

When DC revived the good Captain in 1973, they aimed at recreating Cap's glory days, even to the extent of signing on original artists C.C. Beck and Kurt Schaffenberger. But, while the art was always good, the stories more often than not were `camp.' And ultimately, camp is an artistic dead end.

If Captain Marvel was going to be brought into the modern world and be viable, he needed to be revamped and he needed adhere to a true personal vision. Where Ordway's Cap is certainly far less whimsical than Fawcett's, he is certainly magical and powerful. He is perhaps a little deeper, but still personifies our wishes and optimism.

My only complaint about this graphic novel is that it's too short. But luckily, a great monthly series with the same name followed it, and I have every ish. DC would be wise to reprint that series in TPB form.

thi book was on great condition and was send to very quickly
thanks

Thanks to all the reviewers who bought this book and liked it well enough to write. It was a labor of love for the author,trying to recapture the thrills of the 1940's Republic Pictures serial and has had a nice long shelf life. If you like this, please seek out the comic book that followed, or request that DC comics collect those issues into trade collections. Thanks, JerAdventures of Captain Marvel

I LOVE Cap Marvel. Which is why I was a bit dissapointed with this read. The art is fine. Nothing to marvel at. I finished in twenty minutes. I personally love long reads, so don't let that deter you. I guess I've just been so spoiled lately to titles like "Identity Crisis" and "Astonishing X-Men," and "Y, The Last Man," that I was hoping for something on that grand of a scale.

Captain Marvel would have to be one of my most favorite superheroes in the DCU. Not only is he nearly as old as Superman in how long he has been around. Captain Marvel to me represents every childs imagination. While your outside playing superheroes (for those of us that did) we were imagining that we were "growing" up and being a Superhero. Not just becoming someone else with powers. Well, at least I did.

Captain Marvel is the corner stone to the childs imagination it taps into the dreams of all of us that wish to be superheroes and with in the pages of "Power of Shazam" we get to watch as a fellow child can become what we only can play at doing.. He becomes a Superhero.

The Power of Shazam is worth the read. PS I think if this is done correctly "The Power of Shazam" would transfer over to the big screen easily.

The Shazam Archives Vol.2 presents some historic Captain Marvel tales, including Special Edition #1, Captain Marvel Adventures #1, and the Spy Smasher crossover in Whiz. The whole archive has some very different takes on Captain Marvel, with Jack Kirby artwork on Adventures #1 and a more realistic approach in the Spy Smasher series. While not quite as light-hearted as most Captain Marvel, the archives is very enjoyable and a great addition to any collection.

Like its predecessor, this volume is an excellent look into the history of the original Captain Marvel. By saying the magic word "Shazam," boy reporter Bill Batson is transformed into the world's mightiest mortal. In this book, Captain Marvel battles aliens, robots, vampires and a fellow defender of justice who has fallen under mind control.

The last story in this book is where we start to see some of the humor and tongue-in-cheek superheroics that would become the trademark of Captain Marvel. That's not to say it doesn't have its other highlights, though. There are four stories here done by the legendary team of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby -- and while they are distinctly different from the Bill Parker/CC Beck/Otto Binder Cap, they're still good.

Of particular note is the seven-part serial collected in its entirety in this volume, in which Cap's "Whiz Comics" co-star, Spy Smasher, becomes hypnotized by the insidious Mask and begins a violent vendetta against America. Cap is called upon to battle his fellow defender of liberty in a story that took up the serials of both heroes for four issues of Whiz, one of the earliest comic book crossovers. It's a crying shame the author of this great story is listed as "unknown." I can't wait for volume three.

This set of Archives is perfect for any collecter of the Origional Captian Marvel. They go through the first set of comics that were published in WHIZ Comics back in the late 1930's. See his first meeting with old Shazam, and his battles with the evil Dr. Sivana. Great collectors Item!

Charles Clarence Beck,and all who followed,drew a Captain Marvel who could be taken seriously-yet had a truly humorous side as well.Captain Marvel's early adventures were true superheroic action with a hero who knew what to do and how to do it!

Captain Marvel was the best-selling hero of the 1940s-and the reason can be found here by those who are willing to be transported to a simpler time when good and evil were basic.

Young Freddy Freeman was crippled in a chance encounter with super-villain Captain Nazi. His idol, super-hero Captain Marvel gave Freddy part of his power. Whenever Freddy said the name of his hero, he became Captain Marvel, Jr., the World's Mightiest Teenager.

It's fascinating the read the "Shazam! Family Archives" so soon after reading the "Robin Archives", as well as the "Shazam! Archives". In one sense, Captain Marvel, Jr. was the first teenage sidekick to receive his own series, although, since Captain Marvel was himself really a kid, that's a debatable presumption. Even so, Cap, Jr.'s stories were unusual given the nature of the character. Junior was a kid, but his adventures were not the lighthearted affair Robin's were. Indeed, they were quite serious, almost bleak, especially compared with Captain Marvel's. Junior did battle with the vicious Captain Nazi in the U.S. and in Europe. He also ran up against Mr. Macabre, a sinister criminal with green skin. Even with his powers, Freddy was hardly a happy go-lucky kid. He lived in a cave on the outskirts of town, and made his living hawking papers. He was permanently lame in his civilian identity.

And yet, Junior's solo adventures are still quite delightful, as he slaps around Axis spies and gangsters. He had the same problem many of contemporaries had: he was powerful hero with some less-than-powerful enemies. But watching Junior smack around Captain Nazi and Mr. Macabre is quite satisfying, and the plots that these villains hatched were very clever.

Of course, the real attraction of this volume it the fine pencils of Mac Raboy. Raboy was one of those rare artists of the golden age who strove more for realism and eschewed the cartoony tendency of his contemporaries. Each panel contrasted the dark tone of the stories and the prevailing hope symbolized in its star. Under Raboy, Junior was a beacon of power and justice and the villains were skulking, sinister menaces. The great flaw of Raboy was his perfectionism. It's easy to see repeated pieces of art (poses and facial expressions in particular) from issue to issue just to make his deadlines. Still, that's a small price to pay for such fine work. Raboy did the art for "Master Comics" nos. 23-32. He didn't do the art for "Captain Marvel, Jr." #1; the change is noticeable.

DC has wisely decided combine the adventures of both Captain Marvel, Jr. and Mary Marvel in one archive series. The origin of Mary Marvel is presented here in "Captain Marvel Adventures" no. 18, as Billy Batson (a.k.a. Captain Marvel) discovers he has a long-lost sister. When Cap and Junior get into trouble, Mary utters the famous word "Shazam", and becomes the first female sidekick/spin-off of a popular super-hero. The origin story, written by Otto Binder, is a more conventional Captain Marvel story in tone and in execution. Thus, it's somewhat jarring to read it after roughly 200 pages of the darker Junior stories. Nonetheless, it's a fun story, and Mary Marvel has become somewhat overlooked in the pantheon of female super-heroes.

I'm glad DC has begun exploring other aspects of the Fawcett properties they own. I look forward to more volumes in this series. I also hope that DC gives some thought to collecting other Fawcett characters, like Bulletman and Spy Smasher.

I guess I will never get over the fact that DC Comics now has the rights to Captain Marvel and the whole Marvel family. It's the boldest irony since it was DC that was responsible for putting Fawcett Comics out of business with their lawsuit alleging that the character was a copyright infringement of Superman. I would hazard to guess that the fact that Captain Marvel was actually outselling Superman in the 1940's played a big part in their decision to sue Fawcett, who ceased publication of their superhero comics in 1953. Still, if not for DC we probably would not be seeing these wonderful Golden Age reprints, the latest being the Shazam Family Vol. 1.

This edition features the early adventures of Captain Marvel Junior. The book reprints Junior's adventures from Master Comics #23 - 32, Captain Marvel Jr. #1, and also includes the first appearance of Mary Marvel from Captain Marvel Adventures #18. Most of the stories in the book feature art by Mac Raboy who is perhaps best known for his 20 year run as artist on the Flash Gordon Sunday newspaper strip, taking over for the great Alex Raymond. Raboy's art is quite a touch darker and grimmer than most superhero titles of the day, certainly far darker than Captain Marvel's artist C.C.Beck. Raboy also produced some of the most outstanding covers of the Golden Age while working on Master Comics, which are thankfully reprinted in the book.

Throughout out most of the ten issues reprinted in this debut volume, Captain Marvel Jr. finds himself battling two main foes, the German villain Captain Nazi, and Mr. Macabre, sort of an amalgam of The Shadow & the Joker. Captain Marvel Jr. is Freddy Freeman, a crippled boy who sells newspapers and lives in a rundown shack. We will see in the origin story from Captain Marvel Jr. #1 that he was orphaned when Captain Nazi killed his grandfather and left Freddy for dead until Captain Marvel pulled him from the sea. Freddy is saved when the wizard Shazam tells Marvel that he can give the boy a portion of his magic powers. Now when Freddy says the name "Captain Marvel" he becomes Captain Marvel Jr. Oddly, he still remains a young, teenaged boy whereas Billy Batson becomes an adult during his transformation.

Mr. Macabre is introduced in Master Comics #24 and is a rather creepy villain who is killing his former business partners after announcing they will die over the radio. The mystery of how he kills the men is rather ingenious for the time. The Captain Marvel Jr. stories are more subdued than those of Captain Marvel who had many slapstick villains. The one weakness these early stories suffer from is the repetition of Captain Nazi and Mr. Macabre as his foes, neither of which really provides much of a challenge.

Mary Marvel would complete the trio and her origin is told in Captain Marvel Adventures #1. We learn that Mary is actually Billy Batson's twin sister and they were separated as babies when their parents died with Mary going to live with a wealthy family.

I really enjoyed the stories in this volume more than I thought I would because my expectations were for the same style of stories of Captain Marvel. But the main selling point is the gorgeous art and covers of Mac Raboy.

Reviewed by Tim Janson

I have to admit, ive been waiting for an archive take on Captain Marvel Jr. for a long time. This volume is well worth the wait, the stories here are vastly different from the Captain Marvel Sr. stories of previous archive editions in both tone and artwork. Cap Jr's tales are somewhat darker and more serious. The artwork is breathtaking, with a sense of realism and artistic grace not usually seen in comic books at the time. Mac Raboy's art on the Cap Jr comics will put you in mind of Alex Raymond's "Flash Gordon" and Hal Foster's "Prince Valiant" comics. These tales were written when America was just shaking the dust off of Pearl Harbor and the mood of the country was prepping towards impending war. Captain Marvel Jr.'s battles with Captain Nazi is sprinked throught these pages. The fight sequences are always a thrill, through they tend to be a bit redundant. You will also notice the same artwork is used periodically in several stories, this was due to Raboy inability to meet deadlines due to his meticulousness of his artwork. Yet it is the artwork and earnest plotting that makes the Captain Marvel Jr. stories far superior to most of the superhero comics of the day.

Great Mac Raboy art...BUT, all the stories, except the last one...are Captain Marvel, Jr. ones. In the last story...the "origin" of Mary Marvel, all 3 appear. Other than that story, no Mary Marvel, No Big Red Cheese and no Marvel Family stories. So, if you like Captain Marvel, Jr., this book is for you. If you want the Marvel Family, or Cap, or Mary Marvel...look elsewhere

This lacked the charm of the old Whiz Comics, and the storytelling that would come later in the Jeff Smith "Shazam". These stories are throw aways, and boring. I've tried to put this aside and come back to it many times, but I just couldn't get into it, nor finish it.

With the movie, "Billy Batson and the Legend of Shazam!", set to come out sometime in 2009(or beyond); now would be a good time to read about Shazam! and what a better way to do it than read Showcase Presents: Shazam!. Writers Denny O'Neill, E. Nelson Bridwell, and Elliott Maggin are joined by original CM artist C.C. Beck, Kurt Schaffenberger, Dave Cockrum, Dick Giordano, and Bob Oksne to bring you classic tales of the big red cheese. As most of you out there know, Shazam! was actually a Fawcett Comic that DC bought the rights to. It was created by C.C. Beck and first published in Whiz Comics#2 in 1940 by Fawcett. At one point in 1940, it outsold Superman at the newsstands & DC filed suit against Fawcett claiming that Captain Marvel was too much like Superman. The legal battle went on for quite sometime until Fawcett decided to settle. Many years later, DC acquired the rights to Shazam! when Fawcett shut down business. Other than "The Trials of Shazam" that DC did here recently, you don't see much out of this classic comic character. It is one of my all-time favorites, even moreso than Superman(hate to admit it but yes) and this book is quite an enjoyable read. I like it for its' lighthearted humor and approach to the Superhero genre. There's always a lesson to be learned in the comics of Shazam!. Although all the comics are in black & white, it's still quite enjoyable to read.

Definitely check this out, cause when the movie comes out- this will be a hard find. Let me tell you.

I bought this book because I was feeling nostalgic and I wanted to read something fun from the old days. The stories are definitely cheesy, but in a good way. It's a feel-good fun comic that's not to be taken seriously at all. My biggest disappointment with the book is that it is in BLACK and WHITE instead of color. I suppose considering the page count and cost I should have guessed that was the case. If you want a lot of comics on the cheap, then go ahead and slap the money down. However, if you're put off by a lack of color, save up for one of the more expensive collections or buy a book with a much smaller number of pages.

I appreciate DC for their approach with the Showcase Presents trades. They have kept many classic titles alive for those of us that can't afford Archive editions; however, in many cases this highlights the problems inherent in certain series. SHOWCASE PRESENTS: SHAZAM! is an example.

There are some things that DC just can't seem to get right, no matter how hard they try. One of the biggest is how to handle characters from other companies. Their recent acquisition of the IPC characters is on the verge of failure, as evidenced by ALBION, BATTLER BRITON, and THUNDERBOLT JAXXON. Their `80s purchase of the Charlton heroes led to a decent run of THE QUESTION, but little else (WATCHMEN doesn't count!). But DC already had a bad rep back in the `70s when they acquired one of the greatest Golden Age heroes, the original Captain Marvel. The resulting SHAZAM! series was a misguided effort to introduce the Big Red Cheese to a new generation of readers by trying to recapture the feel of his original adventures. Unfortunately, that new generation was already enjoying more complex and mature comics at the time: hard-traveling heroes, New Gods, and a dark knight detective were finally bringing DC into a new age, so goofy fun-loving stories featuring the Shazam "family" and a talking tiger were not what was needed at the time. The series piddled around for five years, was cancelled, and Captain Marvel's reputation has, to this day, barely recovered. Even though attempts at relevance were made in the `80s (LEGENDS, JUSTICE LEAGUE), it took a brilliant double-barrel `90s revitalization by writer/artist Jerry Ordway to help CM stay above the radar.

There's an excellent roster of talent featured in this volume. Writers Denny O'Neill, E. Nelson Bridwell, and Elliott Maggin are joined by original CM artist C.C. Beck, Kurt Schaffenberger, Dave Cockrum, Dick Giordano, and Bob Oksne. It collects the "new" stories from SHAZAM! #1-35 (none of the Golden Age reprints), with O'Neill bringing CM and his supporting cast into the present day through an inspired retcon. From there, these short tales reintroduce his companions, friends, and villains, including currently popular bad-boy Black Adam. Collectively, the art is great, and Dave Cockrum's work on Captain Marvel Junior is so slick that it should get its own color reprint. Unfortunately, the stories are extremely simple and haven't aged well at all. SHOWCASE PRESENTS: SHAZAM! will serve you well as a nostalgic trip back to an interesting period in DC's history, but you should look elsewhere for good storytelling. If you really want to get into Captain Marvel, my recommendation is to instead purchase Jerry Ordway's graphic novel THE POWER OF SHAZAM and hope for a reprint of the `90s follow-up series.

A first time reader of Shazam: was literally zapped by the art work, the twists in the stories and the story lines themselves. Though mainly for children , I think comic buffs will find it appealing, for old times sake.Good value for money pack.

Ever since I was a child in the 70s, I have loved Captain Marvel/Shazam, but he has always been in the shadow of the Big S! A meeting of these two have always been like two world champion Superbowl teams meeting in a head to head battle. Though past issues have always wanted to see the two guys battle, it is better to see the two equally admire and aid each other. This reintroduction of their first meeting is a little on the light side for literary merit, but overall is excellent in execution and artistic action. I do not want to go into too much detail of the storyline, but if you like Shazam at all, this is a great read, less so for Superman fans since he is more of the secondary act in this tale. Shazam material is hard to come by, there isn't as much out there, and I've read them all, this one is my personal favorite to date. Thanks.
John Dae

This is yet another try at telling the story of when Superman and Captain Marvel met, because pre-Crisis these guys lived on their own separate worlds in separate universes. An excuse to make a pretty team up and have some crazy evil scientist types as bad guys, in Luthor and Sivana, and to highlight Captain Marvel's strength vs magic, and Superman's experience in giving him a hand.

I am surprised at the tepid ratings from some of the other reviewers. I really enjoyed this story and the art grew on me as well. The story was best when exploring the characters of Superman, Billy Batson and Sivana. In particular Sivana is well realized. He actually comes across as an old amoral narcissist, proud of his accomplishments and mildly irritated that he runs the 4th largest conglomerate in the world and Lex Luthor has the 3rd. He is seriously and realistically portrayed.

I also liked the way the nature of magic and "people of magic" are used to highlight the clearly immoral nature of using a 10 year old boy to further even the most laudable goal. Superman is appalled and confronts Shazam very directly. Unfortunately this will likely be underutilized as a story element, and Superman rather blithely accepts blandishments from the old sorcerer and moves on. I consider this the only real flaw in the story.

The action is utterly incidental. The threats, like most threats to Superman and to a lesser degree Captain Marvel are hardly worth mentioning. Combat is a story device to get the two together and let them compare...um...notes.

I would heartily recommend the book.

Two of comicdom's most legendary characters are none other than Superman and Captain Marvel, more popularly known as Shazam.

To the unfamiliar, at first glance the two heroes seem almost indistinguishable from one another with Captain Marvel wearing the spiffier costume while Superman possesses the more iconic insignia.

Superman/Shazam: First Thunder chronicles a contemporary interpretation of the first meeting between the World's Mightiest Mortal and the Man of Steel.

And though not the best-drawn story featuring these characters that have both been around since the early days of comic books, this graphic novel provides a bit of insight into the differences between the two.

For example, from a dialogue between these foremost costumed adventurers, the reader learns that while Superman might have superior senses, Captain Marvel is more immune to the effects of magic.

It is doubtful Superman/Shazam will be remembered as a graphic novel classic. However, fans will nevertheless get a kick out of seeing these legends team up.

by Frederick Meekins

A simple but nicely told retcon of how Superman first met Captain Marvel, fighting big ugly monsters, cultists, giant robots, etc.

I may get flamed for this, but it's better than the Justice League Unlimited episode "The Clash", in which Superman uncharacteristically acted like a callous d***weed towards Cap for an honest mistake; the overall ep was basically just an excuse to have Superman and Captain Marvel duke out, which has been a popular feature in the comics.

"First Thunder" is not exactly a Hugo Award winner, but it's briskly paced and worth a look for seeing Supes befriend Marvel, watching them chit-chat back and forth about their powers, where they've been, what they can do, all that good stuff. There's some poignant moments thrown in with the humor and violence as well, with Superman making a passionate speech against the Wizard who gave little Billy Batson his powers in the first place about how a little kid shouldn't have to carry the weight of being a superhero, with the last few panels alluding that Superman will become a mentor to Captain Marvel.

All in all, a nice little diversion.

An awesome book that reprints the original stories from the comic book series of 1939. I can very highly recommend this as an inexpensive way to recapture the Captain Marvel "Shazam" memories.

Stories in this volume:
1. Origin-Beck/Parker
2. Unititled-Kirby/Simon
3. Trio of Terror-Beck/Binder
4. King Kull and the 7 Sins-Beck/Binder
5. Captain Marvel Battles the World-Beck/Binder
6. Primate Plot-Schaffenberger/Binder
7. World's Wickedest Plan-Beck/O'Neill
8. Make Way for Capt. Thunder-Swan/Maggin-No Capt. Marvel, No Shazam.
9. Evil Return of the Monster Society-Schaffenberger/O'Neill
10. With One Magic Word-Kane/Thomas et al.
11. Where Dreams End-Kitson/Grant-the insultingly bad story
12. A Face Only a Mother Could Love-Krause/Ordway
13. Out of a Dark Cloud-Delaney/Vance

The real and true name of the character depicted on the cover of this book is Captain Marvel, and at his peak his comic books were greatly superior to Superman and outsold the Man of Steel as well. `Captain Marvel Adventures' was the name of his comic book, which is an excellent title. That this book is titled `Shazam,' as must all modern publications featuring the original Captain Marvel be titled, really cheezes me off.

Marvel Comics snatched up the copyrights to the name `Captain Marvel' back in the 1960's when they started publishing a new, unrelated character with the same name. Thus, in 1973, when DC comics revived Captain Marvel after a 20 year publishing hiatus, they could not legally call magazine Captain Marvel, so they called it `Shazam.' `Shazam' is the name of the ancient wizard who gave Captain Marvel his superhuman powers, and `Shazam' is also the magic word that 12-year-old Billy Batson says when he needs to summon the magic forces and turn into the Captain Marvel, the World's Mightiest Mortal.

Aside from the fact that the phrase Captain Marvel is wonderful to read and say, at once bright and exciting, and almost musical, the unfortunate consequence of publishing Capt. Marvel for 35 years under the title `Shazam' has been that many people erroneously call this character `Shazam.'

The confusion about the character's name mirrors the confusion of the current publisher, DC comics, regarding the identity and personality of this once great hero. Captain Marvel was initially published in 1940, 2 years after Superman, by Fawcett Comics, a potential rival of Superman's publisher, DC comics. DC saw Captain Marvel as unwelcome competition for Superman, and spent the next 12 or so years trying to sue Captain Marvel out of existence, by any means possible.

DC's lawyers finally prevailed, and in early 1954, the last original Capt. Marvel comic was published. This was a Crime Against Art. Although his first couple years were not spectacular, from about 1943 until the bitter end, Captain Marvel and related titles were pure comics gold. These classic years were characterized by gorgeous art that was deceptively cartoonish, and by highly inventive stories that combined a unique whimsy with clever science fiction elements. The greatest artists of this period were C.C. Beck, Mac Raboy, Pete Costanza, Kurt Schaffenberger, Jack Binder, Marc Swayze and Bud Thompson; the greatest writer being Otto Binder. Fawcett Comics tended to give the creators better pay and treatment than DC comics did.

This book has six stories from this period, the Fawcett period, which are the best six stories in this book. These stories are the reason I gave this book a 3-star rating instead of lower. They are good stories and certainly suitable to be reprinted, but coming from such a fertile and imaginative time, IMO there are a few better ones that could have been included.

The Fawcett stories include an early, uncredited, Kirby-illustrated tale. This story is not spectacular in any way, and it does not feature the bombastic 3-D style of illustation that Jack Kirby would employ a year later with Captain America. This seems to be included simply so that DC could include Kirby's name on the publicity materials- in other words, to exploit Kirby.

The other Fawcett stories are better, and feature some of C.C. Beck's and Kurt Schaffenberger's finest work, but most of these I have seen before in the various reprint collections DC published in the 1970's. There are no stories representing Pete Costanza's or Mac Rayboy's art, glaring ommissions indeed.

One of the best all time Beck/Binder stories, 'Captain Marvel Battles the World,' is thankfully included (having been already reprinted once, in a tabloid size edition in the 70's). Besides being a good story in its own right, it features the planet earth reacting to excessive oil drilling by heating up the atmosphere so as to drive humans to extinction. Holy Global Warming! The wonderful mind of Otto Binder could be insightful to the point of near-prophecy.

Nineteen years after suing Capt. Marvel into non-existence, in an act of supreme chutzpah, DC comics tried to put him to work for them. (Hence the title of this review.) But DC's lawyers had done their work too well. Licensed items like buttons, toys, and media (`The Good Humor Man,' a 1950 film which mentions Capt. Marvel, was effectively consigned to oblivion), which might have kept Capt. Marvel's memory alive, had all been swept away.

Besides the good Captain's purging from pop culture history, too many years had passed, too many things had changed. DC hired the original artist C.C. Beck, but his work was not as spectacular as it had been in the 40's and 50's, and he left after a few issues.

Otto Binder, who had been the glue keeping the disparate and paradoxical elements of the Captain Marvel universe together, died in late 1974 and was not able to contribute to Capt. Marvel's revival.

DC did have some good writers and artists at this time, including Kurt Schaffenberger, and for about 5 years published Captain Marvel, under the title `Shazam,' in a style that imitated Cap's original whimsical science fiction mix. The results of this attempt at imitation were uneven, some good, some not so much. This collection features 2 stories from this period, and they are pretty good, especially Denny O'Neill and Kurt Schaffenberger's quasi-revival of the `Monster Society.' Sales of this magazine, titled `Shazam,' fell until it was cancelled in 1978.

There is bizarre DC story from this period called 'Make Way for Captain Thunder.' It is not even a real Capt. Marvel story, instead featuring Superman battling a faux-Capt. Marvel. This story was published 1st in 1974 and has been anthologized several times already. There is simply no aesthetic reason to publish this story again, as even when it was originally published it was simply a filler to appease fans until such time as Supes and Cap could really meet. This story is a waste of ink, paper and time. The writer of this tale, Elliot S! Maggin, had never read a Capt. Marvel story prior this assignment. Shame on you, DC! Plus, there is another, better Superman team-up, illustrated by the great Gil Kane.

Since the early 70's, DC Comics has tried numerous times to reinvent Capt. Marvel, with mixed results. Virtuoso artist Don Newton, one of the great unsung heroes of comics, gave Cap and Family a dynamic makeover in the late 70's, but none of those stories is in this volume. Considering the extremely high quality of Newton's work and the fact that he pencilled 31 installments of our hero's adventures, I consider this to be another glaring ommission. Before his Shazam! assignment, Newton did a lot of great Capt. Marvel fan art, and he deseves much more recognition. In a better world, Don Newton's Capt. Marvel would be republished in its own TPB.

The best version post-Fawcett Capt. Marvel was created by Jerry Ordway, a truly excellent artist, published under the title `Power of Shazam!' in the mid 1990's. Only one story from that era is included in this volume. Like Newton, Ordway should be reprinted in TPB form.

The remaining stories in this book vary in tone and quality. There is an absolutely wretched vignette ('Where Dreams End') from the an early 1990's series called 'LEGION' that is absolutely the dumbest and most pointless comic story I have ever read anywhere. Once more, shame on you, DC, for wasting paper on this garbage.

I strongly suspect DC picked a lot of the material for this volume based on their perception of name-recognition artists. DC seems to believe that the names of certain artists equal high sales, and to heck with the actual merits of the work itself.

The bitter truth of this whole saga is that Capt. Marvel's most glorious days were all prior to his cancellation in 1954. My real criticism of this book is that if DC really wanted to do a `Greatest Stories' volume for this character, they would stick to the Fawcett years and forget the later stuff. You could fill many, many, many volumes with the Fawcett material and still have lots left over. (Jerry Ordway's excellent series merits anthologizing, but it is sufficiently different in tone to the original Fawcetts so as to be marketed under a slightly different banner.)

Back in the 1970's, DC comics did reprint a lot of those old stories in the regularly published `Shazam' magazine and various special editions as well. If you have any of those reprints, hold onto them. As you can see with this volume, DC's current practice is to stingily dole out the Fawcett era reprints in small doses, all the while revamping Capt. Marvel every year or two in the hopes that lightning will strike twice (pun intended).

Capt. Marvel is a moral character, created to live in a moral universe. Perhaps 54 years ago when DC comics, showing their superiority in might over right, set Karma into motion. Perhaps that is why they have not been able to succeed with Capt. Marvel. If this is a moral universe, and if there is such a force as Karma, DC is certainly not serving any greater good by holding back the treasure trove of Fawcett Comics.

Just a few years back, DC published a 'Shazam Family Annual' for $6, and it had 4 classic Fawcett stories. I picked up used, mint condition copy last year for only a buck. So that was a better buy than this collection. And back in the 70's, DC published a much better collection called 'Shazam: From the Forties to the Seventies,' and it was much, much better than this volume (if you can find a copy under $20, you ought to scoop it up).

The good news is that if you do a little searching, you can find many of the classic Fawcett Capt. Marvel stories in full color, published on the internet. I still prefer to have this material on paper, to read on the bus or at the beach, but DC is pushing me and others directly into cyberspace.