Jeff Smith's Shazam: The Monster Society of Evil

[Czar Colossus]

Judging from the first issue I hope it's not going to be canon. And in light of the "Trials" mini showing that Billy and Cap are not separate personalities, I don't know how it could be. (Unless of course over time Billy and Cap's personalities are actually infused into one as you suggested). I guess I'm really going to have to just try to stay optimistic and keep reading Justice over and over and over.t:

 

[dmor173]

I loved this book. I didnt care about the extra few dollars, theres no ads and its huge. This 6 issue mini will be the size of the long haloween before its done.

Only weird thing was being put off by the split personality thing. the art is great, im a big fan of the simple style (those crocs were cool), and the dialogue is charming, especially billy.

Favourite cap story is still first thunder but this has potential.

 

[Phoney Bone]

It's 4 issues. Still nice, but not as long.

 

[K.B.]

I have been waiting for this book to come out for years and man did it ever deliver! Well worth the cash.

I hope Smith goes onto do either an ongoing or more Shazam minis cuz this is how he should be done. Also as I was reading it one thing just kept going through my mind..."This is EXACTLY how the movie should be done!"

 

[mwm1331]

This was a great read. I am in the camp that doesn't like Billy and cap being seperate beings, but it looks like Smith left room for cap to be a future version of biilly (memory loss) Over all I am loving this, hopefully it will far outsell TOS, and DC will go in this direction, leaving TOS to be one of those imaginary tales.

 

[Czar Colossus]

I just read the 2nd issue and I'm still waiting to be impressed.
I seriously doubt that this could possibly be in continuity (I sure as hell hope not). Baby Mary Marvel...?! UGH!
So far I feel kind of let down.
The best portrayals of Cap as of late have been in Justice and First Thunder. I love the mentor type relationship that Superman could have with Billy. I've always thought that it made perfect sense that he should look up to Superman.

 

[BrianWilly]

Shazam! and the Monster Society of Evil #2
So...cute...can't...thinks...cuteness...puppies...

Awwwwwwwwwwww.

It's interesting that, while Winick is going on and on about how outdated the Marvels are and how they NEED to be updated to the times (with wars! and prisons! and tattoos! and comas!), the rest of the DCU had been handling the Marvels, well, pretty damn well and utilizing their strengths to the utmost. 52 plays up the Shazam mythology without destroying it. And now this book is playing up all the "kiddy," nice, nostalgic aspects of the Marvels and it works great.

It still reads like Ultimate Captain Marvel with yet another "reboot" of its continuity but hell, there's just so much good (and cute!) that's crammed into here. This is the sort of book you absolutely wouldn't mind your six-year old reading, and yet there's genuine storytelling and emotion and pathos here that is fit for a more mature audience.

And Christ, lil' Mary Marvel needs her own action figure.

Please don't rape her, DiDio.

(9.7 out of 10)

 

[dmor173]

Issue two was pretty good, seemed to end a little oddly.

I was Surprised mary marvel stayed young, but i dont know to much about her origin. And if the wizard doesnt have a replacement (like cap/billy) then i guess its cool.

The art is still the best part by far. im amazed by how simple it looks. Look at the panel where mary tells Billy her surname and the look on his face is priceless.

 

[The Question]

I'm pretty sure that Mary's always stayed the same age when she transforms. But she's usually depicted as being around 13 when she first gets her powers, not five.

 

[BrianWilly]

Yeah, pre-Crisis Billy was the only one who turned into an adult. And even post-Crisis, sometimes Mary turns into an adult and...other times it's harder to tell.

I do like the post-Crisis versions better, because it's explained that their Shazam'd forms are their subconscious idealized forms of themselves. For Billy and Mary, their ideal forms are the forms of their parents. AWWW. For Freddy, it was himself before his accident, since he was a hot piece of jock ass before he went and became a cripple.

 

[Czar Colossus]

Exactly!

 

[jaydawg]

I have to say, I love this series. The initial preview looked bad to me, but after actually reading the first couple of issues, its just... damn. To me, this is what the silver age was about, not the crappy revisions Johns is trying to make in DCU proper. Its cute, innocent, awesome and mature at the same time. This is what the Marvels are all about. How can your heart not melt during the scene were Mary is talking about why she ran to the circus. Please, please, please be canon.

 

[st barbara]

I have really enjoyed this series so far; EXCEPT for the way they have depicted Mary. I don't mind her looking like a teenager but they have made her look like a todler. I would prefer to have the look of the old Mary Marvel back rather than the refugee from "Power Pack" that they have given us !

 

[Anubis]

Well, if it helps, she didn't get the full powers of SHAZAM. What she looks like now, is probably a result of her having simply got a contact power up, rather than, you know, saying SHAZAM or Captain Marvel and getting the power or whatever.

 

[BrianWilly]

I love lil' Mary.

 

[sethcohen]

mini mary and billy bug the crap outta me... they look like they are 4 years old... i am enjoying the story though, but the munchkin is freakin weird...

 

[Czar Colossus]

I can accept this as Smith's interpretation just as Frank Miller had his and other writers of elseworlds stories as well. I can't argue that this is a story that I could give my 7 yr. old and would be quite entertaining. Though I'm glad that this is only a 4 part mini.
I personally don't read Shazam for cuteness (light heartedness yes and pure hearted super heroics), but 4 issues is about all I'll be able to take of the Teletubby Marvels (I wonder if Junior is going to show up).

 

[CConn]

mini mary and billy bug the crap outta me... they look like they are 4 years old... i am enjoying the story though, but the munchkin is freakin weird...

And what about Verne Troyer as Dr. Sivanna?

 

[sethcohen]

mary and billy bothered me far far more... atleast with sivanna you could actually tell he wasnt a 4 year old child

 

[yenaled]

He's meant to be about 7 or 8, 8 year olds are small... I don't really see the problem.

 

[BrianWilly]

Cuteness must be DESTROYED. Or eaten.

 

[Sakuraba]

The art looks horrible.

 

[sethcohen]

i wouldnt call it horrible, but it is overly cute... like a step away from precious moments

 

[Phoney Bone]

If you think this art is horrible, you just don't know art. Sorry.

 

[chuckymack]

To whomever is displeased with this series:
If you're not pleased with the artwork, that's fine. My buddies and I argue all the time about comic artists. They think Jim Lee is the best Batman artist of all time, and I say it's Neal Adams. It's just a matter of personal taste.

However, those of you who have qualms with the story simply just don't get it. Captain Marvel was never a hardass. Ever. He's the big kid who protects the nerds from the bullies. He only fights when his hand is forced, not at the slightest whim. Captain Marvel is all-powerful, but not domineering. Cap's stories are all about lighthearted fun, the good guy winning, and a child's sense of scope and amazement, and that is exactly what Jeff Smith envokes in this story.
In the '40s and '50s, Junior was actually the one with the realistic stories and hardassed demeanor, at least compared to the Big Red Cheese. Honestly, that's the only reason why I'm not irate when reading 'TToS'. Freddie has always had more urban and realistic stories(not that meeting tattoo artist gods and jumping into mouths of minotaurs is realistic, but...), and if that's the direction they want to go in, I'd rather them do it with Freddie, because that's always been the tone of his books. It just wouldn't work with Billy. He's too kind-natured.