Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam! is a breath of fresh air. For anyone who has been reading the mainstream DC comics, they would know that the Golden Age classic team, the Marvel Family, has gone through a multitude of changes to make them more “mature” and “grown up” for modern audiences. That’s heartbreaking for anyone who was a fan of their more popular incarnations during their heyday as the most read heroes of the 1940’s golden age, and their critically acclaimed run, oddly enough in the darker 90’s, brought to readers by the pen of the legendary Jerry Ordway.
History of Shazam!
CC Beck and Otto Binder’s work on Captain Marvel and his family was known for its straightforward innocence and lighthearted take on everything, something that struck a chord with kids. They could connect with a child who could transform into a hero, not as much with a rich socialite or a large city newsman.
This was treated with respect in Ordway’s run. The subject material may have gotten more mature, but the heart of the team - being a family fighting for what’s right - never left. In the modern comics, Mary’s gone psychotic with power and lost everything that made her interesting and fun to read, Billy’s a distant father figure now, having inherited the wizard’s power, and Freddy doesn’t seem to have a place anywhere. As Freddy states in a recent issue of DC's new Final Crisis crossover, “Not much of a family.”
The Golden Touch
In Jeff Smith's SHAZAM! Monster Society of Evil, posted here, much praise is heaped upon the fresh and amusing work. This new series, Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam!, takes place in that same world, that same place of mature innocence that harkens back to the 1940’s renaissance of Captain Marvel. Since the original was penned by family friendly author Jeff Smith, DC wisely chose to find another writer who writes comics that are meant to be enjoyed by all - Mike Kunkel. His work on Herobear and the Kid has been universally praised (and will likely appear as another Comics for Kids article soon), and its charm shines through.
The Story
Kunkel opens the story with a fun “coloring book” drawn synopsis of Monster Society. This leads into a fun situation and Billy and his sister, Mary, using their magic powers to stop a runaway circus train. The majority of the story is set up, establishing how an 11-year old boy and his kid sister can get away with living by themselves (here’s a hint, Captain Marvel plays “Dad”) and shows most of the characters from the world of Fawcett City.
A classic Marvel Family enemy prepares his return by trying to find out how to get his powers back, and it is all told with the same smile-cracking wit that Otto Binder and CC Beck had back in the golden age of comics. Mary’s as cute as she was in Monster Society, waking up from a dream where she’s “washing unicorns.” The sibling rivalry also shines through with the two, and it will only be a matter of time before the third member of that family, Captain Marvel Junior, shows up to add to the fun.
Final Word
Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam! is straightforward fun. The plot was easy to follow, but intricate and interesting for even an older reader. It captures what made Captain Marvel fun in the Golden Age - he was smartly written for kids. That’s what he needs to be, and thankfully, that’s what readers are now getting.
