With the news out of New York Comic Con that, starting early next year, Justice League would have a Shazam! backup, a few of my friends have been asking me what other Captain Marvel stories are worth reading. This is a tough question; Captain Marvel, though one of my all-time favorite characters, doesn’t really have a lot of strong, self contained stories available to new readers. And that is amazing, especially considering that at one point Captain Marvel stories outsold Superman comics two to one! Part of the joy of the Captain Marvel universe is the charming, at times corny, silly and innocent nature of the stories – i mean, come on, a talking tiger (Talky Tawny), an uncle who pretends to be super-powered (Uncle Dudley), and a villain that is a worm (Mr. Mind) are all major characters. Fitting the Marvel Family into the DC Universe has always been quite a challenge.
However, there is one easy to find, cheap, self-contained and truly wonderful Captain Marvel story: Shazam!: The Monster Society of Evil by Jeff Smith. Smith, best known as the auteur behind Bone, both wrote and drew this mini series which took the origin of Captain Marvel and made it palpable to audiences of all ages. It both simplifies and amplifies what made for great Cap stories, has lots of fun little easter eggs for long time fans, and tells a fun story that is perfectly paced and beautifully drawn.
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The story is pretty simple – young Billy Batson wanders onto a Subway train that brings him to meet the wizard Shazam, where he is given the powers of the gods. It turns out his homeless friend Tawny turns out to be a shape-shifting tiger who acts as his guide and sometimes protector. Mr. Mind is the main villain here, working from deep inside giant robot “companions” to try and wipe humanity off of the Earth with the help of his evil anthropomorphized animals known as the “Monster Society of Evil.” Another classic Fawcett villain, Dr. Sivana, here the Attorney General and creator of the “Department of Technology and Heartland Security,” is a war hawk, trying to use the alien technology to make a profit for his military contracting company. Billy meets his long-lost sister, Mary, and her proximity to Billy when saying the magic phrase gives her powers of her own.
And yet, in that simple story, we see a lot of relevant social issues, from war-profiteering to terrorism-based fear to the foster care system to ageism. The story is simple enough for any child to understand, but the depth that Smith puts into the story makes it enjoyable for readers of all ages, which keeps the character true to its roots as a more kid-friendly hero. The art reflects the kid-friendly nature too, as both Billy and Mary Batson are younger, smaller, and more impish than in prior incarnations. This works in the story’s favor, as the kids seem completely ill-suited to be heroes, and therefore their transformation is even more unexpected. The kids, both homeless, are the heart of the story. Mary, in particular, has this air of innocence and hope that is so integral to a good Marvel family story and once she is introduced into the story, it truly takes off. In fact, I think DC would be crazy to not make this one of their priorities to animate, as this would work great as an animated film, and could be perfectly targeted at the younger segment of their audience.
Smith draws a classic Captain Marvel, every bit as broad-chested and handsome as the classic Fawcett Comics version. The iconic look is present and kept simple and elegant. Mr. Mind is given a slight makeover, and appears more snake-like than in the past, but the look works within the context of the Monster Society as presented here. Overall, the look of the book manages to be true to the classic 1940s comics without being beholden to them, and manages to set the story in the modern day without feeling like it is simply doctoring old ideas to look new. This is no colorization of old films; this is a true update.
It breaks my heart that Smith couldn’t be coerced to write a Shazam! ongoing for the DCnU (if he was asked at all). I know that his workload probably couldn’t handle both writing and drawing the book, but I had long hoped that he would be tapped to bring the character into the New 52. Instead, we have to hope that Geoff Johns, another fan of the Big Red Cheese, is able to do half the job that Smith does here when the back up features begin next year.
So what are you waiting for? Buy it via Amazon.
