I was originally going to save this for last in the ‘Chronicles of Shazam,’ because this may well be my favorite short Shazam story. It was also an incredible coup for DC to get Jeff Smith (“Bone”) to work with them on a miniseries, and could’ve been a way to launch this character, forever a second tier hero, into the stratosphere. That didn’t happen, but this book is still an excellent Captain Marvel tale, and one that is actually pretty unique in the post-Crisis timeline for a few reasons.
Written, illustrated, and lettered by Jeff SmithCover by Jeff Smith
Colored by Steve HamakerJeff Smith, the award-winning creator of BONE, tells the story of young orphan Billy Batson who finds himself transformed into the World’s Mightiest Mortal whenever he says the magic word “Shazam!” after being granted the magical powers of the gods by an ancient wizard.
Now available in trade paperback, this volume tells the exciting story of an invasion of alien creatures that Billy Batson must stop as he battles to stop mad scientist Dr. Sivana and his Monster Society of Evil from taking over the world.
I don’t think I need to spend too much time extolling the virtues of Jeff Smith. If you haven’t read “Bone,” I’m sorry. Rectify that quickly. But if you have read “Bone,” you’ll know that Smith is able to do amazing things with a simple grace. His stories are rarely overly complicated, either visually or from a story-telling perspective. He has a great way to finding elegant solutions to complex problems, and this story is no different. In 200ish pages, Smith introduces a large swath of Captain Marvel mythology and characters, and in doing so, effectively creates a world for these characters to inhabit.
Visually, his Billy and Mary are more akin to what we saw in “Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam” that the more traditionally aged kids. Here, they are quite young, likely 8 and 5 or so, unlike the tween/teenagers we see in many other adaptations. This allows the kids to be a little more full of wonder and awe, which works well in a few instances here.
The Monster Society of Evil is a concept that’s been around since the 40s, but thankfully, Smith’s version is free of the terrible racist caricatures that plagued the original version. And, in another return to pre-Crisis Cap mythology, in Smith’s telling, Billy’s personality and Captain Marvel’s are totally separate. When the switch happens, Billy is essentially trapped inside Captain Marvel, unable to act (or even breathe, it turns out), while his heroic counterpart takes over.
I’m so used to the more modern interpretation that this seems incredibly foreign and odd to me. It also takes away what I believe is the most endearing quality of the character: every kid wishes to have superpowers at some point, and so Captain Marvel is pure wish fulfillment. No one thinks “I wish I had an airless cocoon inside of a superhero!” By taking away Billy’s agency in Captain Marvel, it takes an important element out of the mix.
But Smith more than makes up for that by giving Billy, Mary, and Tawky Tawny so many emotionally resonant moments, allowing those characters to be rich and fully developed. The more action packed Cap scenes almost act as breaks from their story, almost how Godzilla shows up 4 times per film to put the characters’ in jeopardy or save them. Here, Captain Marvel represents that strong, elemental force, and his presence both helps and puts the world in danger.
Smith’s storytelling is beyond compare, and this is such a richly illustrated tale. The colors by Steve Hamaker give the book a smooth, almost painterly feel. It separates it from the black and white “Bone,” and gives a glimpse into what Smith’s career may have looked like if he wanted to be a more mainstream cartoonist. Smith’s character work is immediate and striking. Each character’s first appearance sets up their personalities within a few panels. The Wizard, initially scary, becomes smiling and kind almost instantly. Tawky is compassion personified, Mary innocence, and Sivana treachery.
Continued belowHis Captain Marvel, due in part to the split personality, is never exactly a warm and fuzzy character, though he is kind and considerate. He’s very much an ‘other’ in this world, and so he’s never really part of the family the way that the others are. This also allows the reader to put themselves in a far more relatable headspace as Billy, without the heroic element. It’s a more emotive choice, but less fulfilling in some ways.
But the lack of fulfillment is baked into “The Monster Society of Evil.” Smith adds additional pathos to this story and adds a thick layer of melancholy that, by the end, has somewhat, but not totally lifted. One of the last things Billy says is “I’ve never been part of a family before.” Even if that has changed (and it hasn’t really; some schmuck of a boss calls his office a family), it doesn’t take away the fact that this book begins with a boy living on the street, eating canned beans from a can. His story, though improving, isn’t any less sad.
Most Captain Marvel stories include this element, and it is always sad, but Smith never shies away from the loneliness, distrust, and sadness that is right there under Billy and Mary’s capes. It’s a fantastic element, and makes this one of the best Captain Marvel stories of all time.
I’m sure many of you are aware of the changes coming to DC Universe in the new year. While we’re excited for more comics, this may mean that some of the video content is disappearing. So, to combat that possibility, I’m going to shift the focus of this column for the next few months, and cover all three seasons of the Shazam television series. So, starting next week, get ready for Billy in a van. Wait, what?
