Wondering, “WHAT SHALL I GET HIM FOR CHRISTMAS?”
By Jeff Smith, coloured by Steve Hamaker (DC Comics)
ISBN13: 978-1-84576-389-3
This is a wonderful book.
No soft-soap, no easing you in. Jeff Smith has come the closest yet to recapturing the naive yet knowing charm that made the World’s Mightiest Innocent far and away the most successful super-character of the Golden Age in this reworking of one of his greatest adventures.
Billy Batson is a little homeless kid with a murky past and a glorious destiny. One night he follows a mysterious figure into an abandoned subway station and meets the wizard Shazam, who gives him the ability to turn into a full-grown superhero called Captain Marvel. Gifted with the wisdom of Solomon, the strength of Hercules, the stamina of Atlas, the power of Zeus, the courage of Achilles and the speed of Mercury, the lad is sent into the world to do good.
Accompanied by the talking tiger-spirit Mr. Tawky Tawny, Billy sets out to find the little sister he didn’t know he had, fighting evils big and small, but impetuously causes a ripple in the world’s magical fabric that endangers the universe. He also encounters evil genius Dr. Sivanna, US Attorney General and would-be ruler of the universe, and the deadly and hideous minions of the mysterious Mr. Mind, whose Monster Society of Evil is dedicated to wiping out humanity! Can he make amends and save the day…?
The original saga ran in Captain Marvel Adventures #22-46, from 1943 to 1946, an ambitious and captivating chapter-play in the manner of the popular movie serials of the day, and is still regarded as one of the most memorable achievements of Golden-Age comic books. It’s fairly safe to say that this reworking is going to stay in people’s hearts and minds for a good long time, too.
Jeff Smith has accomplished the impossible here. He has created a superhero tale for all ages and hopefully returned some part of the genre to the children for whom it was originally intended. Monster Society of Evil is exciting, spectacular, moving and unselfconscious; revelling in the power of its own roots and the audience’s unbridled capacity for joy.
This volume is also stuffed with added features. The dust-jacket opens into a truly magical double-sided poster, there are sketch and script pages for the reader with industry aspirations, biographies and historical sections, a lavishly illustrated production journal, puzzles and even a modern version of the secret code used as a circulation builder in the 1940s. Most important though is the mesmerising quality of the story and artwork. This volume (originally published as a four issue prestige format miniseries) is a true gem.
Words are cheap and I’ve used enough: now go get this is a wonderful, marvellous book.
© 2007 DC Comics. All Rights Reserved.