|
|
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 33,385 Likes: 1
Regenerated 15000+ posts
|
OP
Regenerated 15000+ posts
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 33,385 Likes: 1 |
From Newsarama: SHAZAM AND THE MONSTER SOCIETY OF EVIL #1 (of 4)
Written by Jeff Smith; Art and cover by Smith
The much-anticipated 4-issue Prestige Format miniseries by Jeff Smith, the award-winning creator of BONE, brings the whimsical world of Earth's Mightiest Mortal to fully realized life! Young orphan Billy Batson finds himself wielding truly amazing magic powers — just in time to face an invasion of alien and earthly monsters!
DC Universe | 48pg. | Color | $5.99 US
On Sale February 7, 2007 
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 12,353
Award-Winning Author 10000+ posts
|
|
Award-Winning Author 10000+ posts
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 12,353 |
Awesome. If only Judd Winick could've made a Shazam series half as good as those handful of pages.
Knutreturns said: Spoken like the true Greatest RDCW Champ!
All hail King Snarf!
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 10,539
I'm just sayin' 10000+ posts
|
|
I'm just sayin' 10000+ posts
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 10,539 |
Never happen.Sometimes creators look at a character & figure that there's more to it thatn what's been done before.They convult & complicate it,putting in "realism" & fill it up with wordy dialogue,slap a "New & improved" label on it & say "This is how it should look.".When all along,the simpleness(i.e. the basics of) of the character is the best & doesn't need "improving".
It's a dog eat dog world & I'm wearing milkbone underwear.
I can get you a toe.
1,999,999+ points.
Damn you and your lemonade!!
Booooooooooooooobs.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 43,951 Likes: 6
Officially "too old for this shit" 15000+ posts
|
|
Officially "too old for this shit" 15000+ posts
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 43,951 Likes: 6 |
As touched on in the Judd Winnick writing Shazam thread, the fact that Winnick, the guy who gave us Barry Ween and the Life and Times of Juniper Lee, botched Shazam so bad is double shame.
Why is that the guy is capable of funny comics and kid friendly cartoons when he ISN'T working for the Big Two, but as soon as he touches anything in the Big Two its just more grim and gritty psuedo adult, AIDSy stuff?
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,081
... 10000+ posts
|
|
... 10000+ posts
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,081 |
As a rule, I dislike Captain Marvel and Shazam, but I might have to give this a look-see.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 16,240
Kisser Of John Byrne Ass 15000+ posts
|
|
Kisser Of John Byrne Ass 15000+ posts
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 16,240 |
Captain Marvel is nearly useless as a character unless he is a kid (15 at the oldest and younger would be better). How special is it if a 16 year old ages a few years and gets amazing powers? In the super world...not very. Captain Marvel is only special if a 10 year old gets amazing powers and then he hands them to his younger sister as well, and a crippled orphan.
That is the entire concept of Shazam/Captain Marvel...the wizard can only give such great powers to a bright eyed, uncorruptable innocent like Billy Batson. If they want to age Billy that's fine, but then he should become the wizard and he should recruit another young individual to assume the role.
They are doing the same thing to Billy, Mary, and Freddy that they are doing to Kara Zor-El....making them normal kids. Who wants to read about normal kids and gritty stories except adults? I thought being a hero meant being better...a role model?
Deeply flawed heroes make great adult reading, but it isn't the same thing that got most adults into comics as a kid.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 43,951 Likes: 6
Officially "too old for this shit" 15000+ posts
|
|
Officially "too old for this shit" 15000+ posts
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 43,951 Likes: 6 |
Yeah, Capt. Marvel should be one of those comics specifically written and drawn to try and get kids reading comics.
This story looks like it might be that kind of book.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 323
300+ posts
|
|
300+ posts
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 323 |
Did anyone else think Shazam was trying to pull the "Pull my finger" bit on Billy?
Seriously, though, I'm gonna get this. I've always liked Captain Marvel.
What did Winick do to the character? I never read any of his Shazam stuff (I'm not a Winick fan, but I'm curious - and anxious - about how he treated the Marvel Family.)
Beware the advice of successful people. They do not seek company.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 43,951 Likes: 6
Officially "too old for this shit" 15000+ posts
|
|
Officially "too old for this shit" 15000+ posts
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 43,951 Likes: 6 |
Quote:
dogbert said:
What did Winick do to the character? I never read any of his Shazam stuff (I'm not a Winick fan, but I'm curious - and anxious - about how he treated the Marvel Family.)
You can read about Winnick and Shazam here and here
And here.
Basically, Winnick did to Cap what he does to every mainstream DCU or Marvel book he touches.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 22,618
Your death will make me king! 15000+ posts
|
|
Your death will make me king! 15000+ posts
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 22,618 |
Quote:
Pig Iron said:
Captain Marvel is nearly useless as a character
There are no useless characters (or even nearly useless characters). Only useless writers.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 16,240
Kisser Of John Byrne Ass 15000+ posts
|
|
Kisser Of John Byrne Ass 15000+ posts
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 16,240 |
or substitute shit and crap, and there you have it.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 16,240
Kisser Of John Byrne Ass 15000+ posts
|
|
Kisser Of John Byrne Ass 15000+ posts
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 16,240 |
Quote:
Wednesday said:
Quote:
Pig Iron said:
Captain Marvel is nearly useless as a character
There are no useless characters (or even nearly useless characters). Only useless writers.
I gave a qualifier..unless.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 33,385 Likes: 1
Regenerated 15000+ posts
|
|
OP
Regenerated 15000+ posts
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 33,385 Likes: 1 |
Quote:
dogbert said:
Did anyone else think Shazam was trying to pull the "Pull my finger" bit on Billy?
Yeah, I had to re-read that bit just to make sure.
And, while I'm loving the art, and am okay with the simplistic approach, I'm not too keen on the whole "good electricity" stuff. I mean come ON... 
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 43,951 Likes: 6
Officially "too old for this shit" 15000+ posts
|
|
Officially "too old for this shit" 15000+ posts
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 43,951 Likes: 6 |
I took "good electricity" to be one of those things that an kindly wizard might say to describe a magical concept to a little kid, not a literal description of a type of electricity... sort of like his "Wizards are very old and know a lot of things" line.
And I wouldn't assume that Smith is giving us a "simplistic" approach just because its not standard issue DC style work. If you read Bone, you know that his work is pretty thoughtful and, dare I say it, "deeper" than a lot of the stuff the big two puts out, despite the more kid friendly artwork.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 12,353
Award-Winning Author 10000+ posts
|
|
Award-Winning Author 10000+ posts
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 12,353 |
Quote:
Prometheus said:
And, while I'm loving the art, and am okay with the simplistic approach, I'm not too keen on the whole "good electricity" stuff. I mean come ON...
It's much better than the gobbledygook Winick's been shoveling. "Oh, the heroes like Hercules and Zeus stole their names from archetypes of magic!" WTF?
Knutreturns said: Spoken like the true Greatest RDCW Champ!
All hail King Snarf!
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 33,385 Likes: 1
Regenerated 15000+ posts
|
|
OP
Regenerated 15000+ posts
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 33,385 Likes: 1 |
Quote:
the G-man said:
I took "good electricity" to be one of those things that an kindly wizard might say to describe a magical concept to a little kid, not a literal description of a type of electricity... sort of like his "Wizards are very old and know a lot of things" line.
And I wouldn't assume that Smith is giving us a "simplistic" approach just because its not standard issue DC style work. If you read Bone, you know that his work is pretty thoughtful and, dare I say it, "deeper" than a lot of the stuff the big two puts out, despite the more kid friendly artwork.
Could be....we'll see...
Quote:
King Snarf said:
It's much better than the gobbledygook Winick's been shoveling. "Oh, the heroes like Hercules and Zeus stole their names from archetypes of magic!" WTF?
....riiiiight....
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 12,353
Award-Winning Author 10000+ posts
|
|
Award-Winning Author 10000+ posts
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 12,353 |
I'm sorry, but I just like the idea of Shazam being an old drinking buddy of King Solomon.
Knutreturns said: Spoken like the true Greatest RDCW Champ!
All hail King Snarf!
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 19,633
I walk in eternity 15000+ posts
|
|
I walk in eternity 15000+ posts
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 19,633 |
Quote:
Wednesday said:
Quote:
Pig Iron said:
Captain Marvel is nearly useless as a character
There are no useless characters (or even nearly useless characters). Only useless writers.
"I offer you a Vulcan prayer, Mr Suder. May your death bring you the peace you never found in life." - Tuvok. 
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 43,951 Likes: 6
Officially "too old for this shit" 15000+ posts
|
|
Officially "too old for this shit" 15000+ posts
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 43,951 Likes: 6 |
TALKING SHAZAM WITH JEFF SMITHwhen you make him a serious superhero, and you make him -- I guess they like to say Billy's like 12 or 15 or something -- and then he says, "Shazam!" and he's a 25-year-old man, and yet he's supposed to have a brain of a 12- or 15-year-old boy, you just kind of end up with a mildly retarded Superman. 
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 12,353
Award-Winning Author 10000+ posts
|
|
Award-Winning Author 10000+ posts
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 12,353 |
G-Man just pulled a 'Phausen!
Knutreturns said: Spoken like the true Greatest RDCW Champ!
All hail King Snarf!
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 43,951 Likes: 6
Officially "too old for this shit" 15000+ posts
|
|
Officially "too old for this shit" 15000+ posts
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 43,951 Likes: 6 |
|
|
|
|
|
