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DC Anniversary Celebrations
Shazam!: A Celebration of 75 Years
DC Comics celebrates the World's Mightiest Mortal in this new collection starring Captain Marvel and his extended crimefighting family: Captain Marvel Jr., Mary Marvel, Tawky Tawny and more, plus villains Dr. Sivana, Mr. Mind, Black Adam and others!
393 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 10, 2015
94 people are currently reading
605 people want to read
About the author
Bill Parker
136 books5 followersWilliam H. "Bill" Parker, Jr. was an American comic book writer and editor. He is best known for creating Fawcett Comics' most popular character, Captain Marvel, in 1940, along with artist C. C. Beck.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
May 12, 2019
I know I sound like a crank when I say "There weren't enough golden age stories," but there weren't.
Pining for the 100 pp. Shazam no. 8 from my childhood. Some of which is also here, granted.
Other than that, I thought the two Superman stories were very interesting; the one from 1974 with "Captain Thunder," and the one from 2000 with an absolutely schizo Mary Marvel.
I did not like the Roy Thomas "new beginning," but the Ordway-Krause Power of Shazam was no P.O.S. (although that is what they called it. More innocent times.).
You'd think if anyone could recapture the spirit of G.A. Captain Marvel, it would be Jeff Smith, but his contribution to this anthology is not fun.
Overall a fair and representative retrospective.
Pining for the 100 pp. Shazam no. 8 from my childhood. Some of which is also here, granted.
Other than that, I thought the two Superman stories were very interesting; the one from 1974 with "Captain Thunder," and the one from 2000 with an absolutely schizo Mary Marvel.
I did not like the Roy Thomas "new beginning," but the Ordway-Krause Power of Shazam was no P.O.S. (although that is what they called it. More innocent times.).
You'd think if anyone could recapture the spirit of G.A. Captain Marvel, it would be Jeff Smith, but his contribution to this anthology is not fun.
Overall a fair and representative retrospective.
May 29, 2015
A very fine collection! Reminded me of being a boy and reading my prized 80-Page-Giants that DC issued back in the 1960s. I loved those issues! They were a grab bag of impossible to find stories, often from the Golden Age. They were probably my introduction to DC's Golden Age heroes and it's lesser known elements.
What we have here is something like a Deluxe version of the 80-Page-Giants I so loved. Now they're all grown up in hardcover editions with introductions written in the various stages of Capt over the years by well known creators. Can't say I'm widely versed in Capt. Marvel, as he's not a character's I've widely read but I did enjoy the selection presented here and I think it much be fairly representative of the hero.
I especially enjoyed an issue of Superman from the turn-of-the-century by Joe Kelly. Loved that story and I'd totally forgotten about it. Little gem that one. Hanging on to this book for the permanent collection.
A CELEBRATION OF 75 YEARS is now a full line of books showcasing DC's greatest heroes. Look for other titles. I'd recommend the LOIS LANE book, in particular.
A big thank you to DC COMIC and GOODREAD'S FIRST-READS programs for the Giveaway! What a truly wonderful book to win! A real treasure :D !!!
What we have here is something like a Deluxe version of the 80-Page-Giants I so loved. Now they're all grown up in hardcover editions with introductions written in the various stages of Capt over the years by well known creators. Can't say I'm widely versed in Capt. Marvel, as he's not a character's I've widely read but I did enjoy the selection presented here and I think it much be fairly representative of the hero.
I especially enjoyed an issue of Superman from the turn-of-the-century by Joe Kelly. Loved that story and I'd totally forgotten about it. Little gem that one. Hanging on to this book for the permanent collection.
A CELEBRATION OF 75 YEARS is now a full line of books showcasing DC's greatest heroes. Look for other titles. I'd recommend the LOIS LANE book, in particular.
A big thank you to DC COMIC and GOODREAD'S FIRST-READS programs for the Giveaway! What a truly wonderful book to win! A real treasure :D !!!
May 1, 2015
I received this book from the goodreads First Reads program in exchange for an honest review.
Admittedly I knew very little about Shazam! other than his origin story and his feud with Black Adam before starting this collection, I was excited to see how he would be represented. In all I thought the collection entertaining and enjoyable albeit quite repetitive and lacking in imagination.
The original comics were very representative of the comics portrayed in the era and had a very similar feel to early Superman and Avengers comics and maintained that incorruptible, inhuman goodness that superheroes had for a long time. The artwork of the time was very basic, but very well done and fun to look at on its own regardless of the story.
The more current comics were much more entertaining on the story side and the images were also incredibly well done. The darker nature of the more recent comics was made more enjoyable because of reading through the early eras quiet, drama free stories.
All told, the collection aptly sums up Shazam!'s history fairly well I feel, but looking at it as a whole each comic, with a few exceptions, is a repetition of the same origin with minor alterations, the best story of bunch being the final comic in the collection.
If you don't have a firm grasp on Shazam! this would be an excellent starting point, but if you are a regular Shazam! reader this may be simply too repetitive for your enjoyment. The biggest thing I took from it is the cliffhanger at the end of the final comic. Well played DC.
April 21, 2019
I thought this celebration of 75 years was a wonderful overview of the life of the original Captain Marvel. It's interesting that he's not even considered that anymore due to copyright reasons and the New 52 world. I liked Captain Marvel's catchphrase (or maybe it wasn't his catchphrase, but he sure said it a lot), "Holy Moley!" It was also fun to see the evolution of the art from Billy's first appearance back in 1940 to the New 52. And it was nice to see how DC integrated Shazam into their universe with Superman after Fawcett Comics was bought. I think that Captain Marvel was distinctly different from the Krypton native, but maybe that's just me. Captain Marvel's villains were unique, but I think my favorite was Black Adam. He made sense because he was the first world's mightiest mortal that turned bad. Mr. Mind and Sivana were odd little bitter creatures/bald men. I really enjoyed the occasional appearance of the wizard Shazam. 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. Not quite sure exactly where flight comes in there, but I'll suspend my disbelief for the sake of a pretty cool character. Though it seems that sometimes Billy Batson and Captain Marvel were not alter egos of one another, but rather two dual personalities. I'm not completely sure, so maybe I'll have to read more. I mean, I'd never read any of Shazam before, so being put in the middle of a plotpoint in the 90s comics could get confusing. It was much easier to randomly be put in the story in the 40s because the storylines were simpler and you didn't really have to have foreknowledge of anything except the origin story. I appreciated that Mary was seen as Captain Marvel's equal, especially back in the 40s. Girls can obviously be superheroes, too. The grace of Selena, the strength of Hippolyta, the skill of Ariadne, the fleetness of Zephyrus, the beauty of Aurora, and the wisdom of Minerva proved that women can be just as important as their male counterparts. I do also like that Captain Marvel for his due diligence after being bought by DC. They clarified that Superman and Captain Marvel have their own specific sets of skills and it doesn't matter who's more powerful. They both fight for the good of Earth, so they're equal in my eyes. This was a fantastic book and I recommend it to those who need some hope, like Billy Batson before that fateful night on the mysterious subway.
July 13, 2018
Ever since I first came across Captain Marvel, he’s been one of my favorite superheroes. The concept alone is a fun one with boundless possibilities: a boy with the power to become the world’s mightiest mortal. The dichotomy between the very adult battles he faces and his often childlike reaction to them is priceless. All media, comics included, go to some very dark places these days. But Captain Marvel maintains a certain amount of innocence that is downright refreshing—even in his New 52 incarnation (though it’s not nearly as strong, which is why I’m not as much of a fan of that particular take on the character). Still there’s something magical (obviously) about a character who can become someone else, someone who can do more but whose potential comes from Billy Batson, not his magic word and not even the wizard. It’s Billy’s spirit that ultimately makes him a hero, and that is obvious in all of the stories collected in this volume. In addition, this book also supplied some interesting history of the character, particularly in terms of the legal battles. It’s interesting to see how the publishing world affected Captain Marvel’s story. And many times...it still worked. Sure, sometimes the stories were cheesy, but that was a part of the charm (like the less-than-stellar special effects in “Doctor Who” or the hokey plots in the 1960s “Batman” TV show). At the same time, there were writers who came along and challenged what the character could be, providing more in-depth plots and asking what dilemmas a child forced into an adult’s world would face. The best comics had a balance between both elements, and “The Powers of Shazam” seemed to be the epitome of that. (Though my personal favorite is still “Superman/Shazam: First Thunder.”) Superman and Shazam’s relationship is likewise fascinating—as it is both that of a mentor and an equal. One of my favorite reads in this collection was “O Captain, My Captain!” Many of these issues I’d previously come across in other volumes, but they were fun to revisit and, even if I didn’t read them word-for-word, I did enjoy at least skimming them. That’s probably the best part of Captain Marvel’s character: his inherently fun nature never gets old. Here’s to 75 more years.
May 27, 2015
I thought about making this one 4 stars (and if I was more unbiased I would), but honestly I just loved it so much I had to go with 5. Captain Marvel is such a fun character and his adventures are zany. Not every story was my favorite (I'm looking at you new 52), but overall it couldn't have been more fun
June 12, 2018
Shazam!: A Celebration of 75 Years is a compilation of some of the best representative Shazam (formally Captain Marvel) stories over the years to commemorate the seventy-fifth anniversary debut of one of the most iconic comic characters (2015). Over the years, there were many incarnations and depictions of the Hero of Fawcett City and this collection explores them all rather well.
This anthology is divided into four sections or more precisely comic era. The first section depicts Captain Marvel in the Golden and Silver Ages of Comics, the second section deals with the Bronze Age of Comics, and the last two sections deals with the Modern and Rebooted Ages of Comics.
It is very interesting to see about how Captain Marvel's evolution through the years from his humble beginnings as a sweet little boy that was given superpowers because he was worthy in Whiz Comics #2 to a more realistic boy granted power from the wizard Shazam to fight crime in the Modern and Rebooted Ages of DC Comics.
As a whole, Shazam!: A Celebration of 75 Years is a rather unbalanced book. Of the twenty-one stories, more than a third is dedicated towards the Golden and Silver Ages of Comics with nine entries. The Bronze and Modern Ages is rather even with six stories each with one issue coming from post Reboot in 2011. While unbalanced, it gives us a nice perception of the era in which these stories were produced – a reflection of the times, despite its tendencies for the earlier stories.
Story selection must have been difficult to say the least. Captain Marvel/Shazam has a long history and has been featured or cameos in many stories over many titles and it is no easy feat to pick out the best or favorites from the masses. The thing is those measuring sticks are subjective and will never reach perfect consensus. Actually, we all can agree that in an anniversary collection like this, we could all agree one story: Whiz Comics #2 – the first appearance of Captain Marvel – the rest is debatable.
Regardless, I think the editors picked a somewhat nice selection, would I swapped some stories out for others – sure I have my favorites, but it is difficult if not impossible to please everyone, since everyone is different. On the whole I was really happy of which stories were presented.
All in all, I think Shazam!: A Celebration of 75 Years is a wonderful selection of stories over the three-quarters of a century that Captain Marvel/Shazam has been around. It is a good anthology for both the avid and subdued fan alike. However, for the newly initiated I would recommend a collection that is more substantial and cohesive.
This anthology is divided into four sections or more precisely comic era. The first section depicts Captain Marvel in the Golden and Silver Ages of Comics, the second section deals with the Bronze Age of Comics, and the last two sections deals with the Modern and Rebooted Ages of Comics.
It is very interesting to see about how Captain Marvel's evolution through the years from his humble beginnings as a sweet little boy that was given superpowers because he was worthy in Whiz Comics #2 to a more realistic boy granted power from the wizard Shazam to fight crime in the Modern and Rebooted Ages of DC Comics.
As a whole, Shazam!: A Celebration of 75 Years is a rather unbalanced book. Of the twenty-one stories, more than a third is dedicated towards the Golden and Silver Ages of Comics with nine entries. The Bronze and Modern Ages is rather even with six stories each with one issue coming from post Reboot in 2011. While unbalanced, it gives us a nice perception of the era in which these stories were produced – a reflection of the times, despite its tendencies for the earlier stories.
Story selection must have been difficult to say the least. Captain Marvel/Shazam has a long history and has been featured or cameos in many stories over many titles and it is no easy feat to pick out the best or favorites from the masses. The thing is those measuring sticks are subjective and will never reach perfect consensus. Actually, we all can agree that in an anniversary collection like this, we could all agree one story: Whiz Comics #2 – the first appearance of Captain Marvel – the rest is debatable.
Regardless, I think the editors picked a somewhat nice selection, would I swapped some stories out for others – sure I have my favorites, but it is difficult if not impossible to please everyone, since everyone is different. On the whole I was really happy of which stories were presented.
All in all, I think Shazam!: A Celebration of 75 Years is a wonderful selection of stories over the three-quarters of a century that Captain Marvel/Shazam has been around. It is a good anthology for both the avid and subdued fan alike. However, for the newly initiated I would recommend a collection that is more substantial and cohesive.
October 20, 2022
With DC Comics and Warner Bros’ newest film, Black Adam, set to debut on October 21st, I’m reviewing the story about the man who started it all, SHAZAM! (Originally Captain Marvel, but due to a trademark by Marvel Comics, DC couldn’t publish his stories under that name, so the publisher had to improvise.)
In this Hardcover Anthology, SHAZAM! A Celebration of 75 Years collects the biggest stories about everyone’s favorite Big Red Cheese. The year 2015 was a very big year for Billy Batson and Fawcett City. It marked Seventy-Five Years since Shazam’s heroic debut.
Over the years, there have been many incarnations and depictions of Fawcett City’s Mighty Hero, but luckily for us, this collection is divided into four sections, and each section showcases Captain Marvel in different Comic Book Eras, starting with the Golden Age and Silver Age, the second section going over the Bronze Age of Comics. And finally, the last two sections explore the Modern and Rebooted Era of Comics.
It was interesting to witness the evolution of Shazam throughout the years. From a sweet little boy who was given superpowers because he was worthy (WHIZ Comics #2) to more of a realistic boy who was granted power from the wizard to fight crime in the Modern and Rebooted Era.
When you get down to it, this Hardcover Collection has twenty-one stories and brings memorable characters such as the Marvel Family, Hoppy the Marvel Bunny, and so many more. His Rogue Gallery is nothing to sneeze at, each villain whether it be Doctor Sivana, the terrifying Mister Mind, or Black Adam, these villains cleverly thought out, no matter how weird or corny their evil plots were at that time.
What was truly enjoyable about this book was who else was involved in this collection. You have Bill Parker, C.C. Beck, Otto Binder, Curt Swan, Roy Thomas, and so many talented artists and writers who brought Billy Batson and the World of SHAZAM to life. Each era was a representation of the times, and to be honest, it is hard to pick a favorite story. If you’re a fan of SHAZAM or perhaps just want to catch up before watching the premiere of BLACK ADAM, then this is the perfect item to add to your library.
In this Hardcover Anthology, SHAZAM! A Celebration of 75 Years collects the biggest stories about everyone’s favorite Big Red Cheese. The year 2015 was a very big year for Billy Batson and Fawcett City. It marked Seventy-Five Years since Shazam’s heroic debut.
Over the years, there have been many incarnations and depictions of Fawcett City’s Mighty Hero, but luckily for us, this collection is divided into four sections, and each section showcases Captain Marvel in different Comic Book Eras, starting with the Golden Age and Silver Age, the second section going over the Bronze Age of Comics. And finally, the last two sections explore the Modern and Rebooted Era of Comics.
It was interesting to witness the evolution of Shazam throughout the years. From a sweet little boy who was given superpowers because he was worthy (WHIZ Comics #2) to more of a realistic boy who was granted power from the wizard to fight crime in the Modern and Rebooted Era.
When you get down to it, this Hardcover Collection has twenty-one stories and brings memorable characters such as the Marvel Family, Hoppy the Marvel Bunny, and so many more. His Rogue Gallery is nothing to sneeze at, each villain whether it be Doctor Sivana, the terrifying Mister Mind, or Black Adam, these villains cleverly thought out, no matter how weird or corny their evil plots were at that time.
What was truly enjoyable about this book was who else was involved in this collection. You have Bill Parker, C.C. Beck, Otto Binder, Curt Swan, Roy Thomas, and so many talented artists and writers who brought Billy Batson and the World of SHAZAM to life. Each era was a representation of the times, and to be honest, it is hard to pick a favorite story. If you’re a fan of SHAZAM or perhaps just want to catch up before watching the premiere of BLACK ADAM, then this is the perfect item to add to your library.
March 10, 2017
This books collects numerous books through Shazam (Captain Marvel)'s history. The Golden Age section really is a treasure of wonderful firsts and great stories with Captain Marvel's origin story, the first Mary Marvel tale, and the first Marvel family story (with them battling Black Adam in his first appearance.) We also get to see Captain Marvel battle the Earth is a surreal tale, as well as two chapters from the Monster Society of Evil storyline and Captain Marvel taking on the Seven deadly sins. These stories are top notch and some of the best the Golden Age had to offer.
The second section begins with the Superman story, "Make Way for Captain Thunder" which has Supes taking on an alternate universe version of Captain Marvel. Still, don't think it belongs in this collection...Then we see a couple stories from the 1970s Shazam comic, a back up story from World's Finest, and then a Superman/Captain Marvel team up against Black Adam. I like all these fine. They're not quite as much fun as the Golden Age tales, but still pretty good.
Captain Marvel battles Lobo in a somewhat pointless story in L.E.G.I.O.N. #31 and it's okay, but really pointless because of it's sudden stop and start that the reader of this book has no way of knowing about.
Then we have more modern Captain Marvel comics beginning with the Power of Shazam #1 and #2 which set up this run of Captain Marvel and it's not bad. It doesn't have the magic of the earlier runs, but it has some nice moments. It does give, "Yeah, this is a face only a Mother Could Love" (Power of Shazam #33) some context but it's still not a great story. It's kind of dismal and depressing as well as not all that sensitive to ]victims of disfigurement.
O Captain, My Captain (Action Comics #768) features mostly the Marvel family trying to get Superman's help as something has gone wrong, and Superman gets to examine his own impressions of Captain Marvel and of Lois. The story doesn't really feel like it fits in Action Comics modern day, it feels like a modern all ages book and that works both for it and against it.
JSA #48 is a somewhat pointless story that has Billy Batson talking to Stargirl while she fights some things. It's the pointless story in the book.
Shazam: The Monster Society of Evil #2 creates the second issue of the lovely Jeff Smith mini-series which has come closets to capturing the come closest to capturing the pure joy of the original. It's hurt by the fact it's only one part in the mini-series.
The same goes for the new 52 entry, Justice League #21, the issue actually concludes a longer story arc and while it's not bad, it really feels disconnected without the other tales.
Overall, this collection was okay. I was a lot harder on the Shazam: The Greatest Stories Ever Told when it came back even though it had similar stories. Why I feel more generous to this has to do with the fact that the book doesn't claim to collect "the greatest stories," only to celebrate the character's entire history which this book does.
The quality of the stories are mixed because since the Golden Age, comics have really struggled with handling the character properly. In addition, the one shot story that was king in the Golden Age is far rarer in our age of writing comics "for the trades." That's not the book's fault. The Golden Age stuff is pure gold. The rest ranges from "meh" to "okay." That doesn't reflect on the compilers but on how comics, and particularly Shazam comics have been published.
The second section begins with the Superman story, "Make Way for Captain Thunder" which has Supes taking on an alternate universe version of Captain Marvel. Still, don't think it belongs in this collection...Then we see a couple stories from the 1970s Shazam comic, a back up story from World's Finest, and then a Superman/Captain Marvel team up against Black Adam. I like all these fine. They're not quite as much fun as the Golden Age tales, but still pretty good.
Captain Marvel battles Lobo in a somewhat pointless story in L.E.G.I.O.N. #31 and it's okay, but really pointless because of it's sudden stop and start that the reader of this book has no way of knowing about.
Then we have more modern Captain Marvel comics beginning with the Power of Shazam #1 and #2 which set up this run of Captain Marvel and it's not bad. It doesn't have the magic of the earlier runs, but it has some nice moments. It does give, "Yeah, this is a face only a Mother Could Love" (Power of Shazam #33) some context but it's still not a great story. It's kind of dismal and depressing as well as not all that sensitive to ]victims of disfigurement.
O Captain, My Captain (Action Comics #768) features mostly the Marvel family trying to get Superman's help as something has gone wrong, and Superman gets to examine his own impressions of Captain Marvel and of Lois. The story doesn't really feel like it fits in Action Comics modern day, it feels like a modern all ages book and that works both for it and against it.
JSA #48 is a somewhat pointless story that has Billy Batson talking to Stargirl while she fights some things. It's the pointless story in the book.
Shazam: The Monster Society of Evil #2 creates the second issue of the lovely Jeff Smith mini-series which has come closets to capturing the come closest to capturing the pure joy of the original. It's hurt by the fact it's only one part in the mini-series.
The same goes for the new 52 entry, Justice League #21, the issue actually concludes a longer story arc and while it's not bad, it really feels disconnected without the other tales.
Overall, this collection was okay. I was a lot harder on the Shazam: The Greatest Stories Ever Told when it came back even though it had similar stories. Why I feel more generous to this has to do with the fact that the book doesn't claim to collect "the greatest stories," only to celebrate the character's entire history which this book does.
The quality of the stories are mixed because since the Golden Age, comics have really struggled with handling the character properly. In addition, the one shot story that was king in the Golden Age is far rarer in our age of writing comics "for the trades." That's not the book's fault. The Golden Age stuff is pure gold. The rest ranges from "meh" to "okay." That doesn't reflect on the compilers but on how comics, and particularly Shazam comics have been published.
September 5, 2020
Why can’t modern writers do what C.C. Beck could? Tell great stories about a boy who can turn into a great man, the powers are magic but the character is pure Billy. BTW, his powers (if you forgot or are new to the character):
Solomon- Wisdom
Hercules- Strength
Atlas- Stamina
Zeus- Power
Achilles- Courage
Mercury- Speed
Yep, Greek AND Roman AND Hebrew gods all gave their powers to an Egyptian wizard. Then this wizard gave it to Billy.
Some of these early stories were sublime if not downright silly, like fighting the Earth itself but otherwise had a tongue-in-cheek attitude to the whole “long-Johns” genre. And it is a genre I love.
There were a quite a few Golden Age stories and I did enjoy the Superman crossovers.
The last iterations of this hero just didn’t work so well. I think the character of the new “Shazam” (I admit I have enough purist in me that I think he should stay “Captain Marvel”) should not be a jaded kid.
Final criticism for an otherwise solid anthology; why doesn’t anyone at DC know Mary gets her powers from different beings, just the same acronym? It’s explained in THIS book! Holey Moley they’re thick.
Selena—- Grace
Hippolyta - Strength
Ariadne—. Skill
Zephyrus- Fleetness
Aurora- Beauty
Minerva- Wisdom
Solomon- Wisdom
Hercules- Strength
Atlas- Stamina
Zeus- Power
Achilles- Courage
Mercury- Speed
Yep, Greek AND Roman AND Hebrew gods all gave their powers to an Egyptian wizard. Then this wizard gave it to Billy.
Some of these early stories were sublime if not downright silly, like fighting the Earth itself but otherwise had a tongue-in-cheek attitude to the whole “long-Johns” genre. And it is a genre I love.
There were a quite a few Golden Age stories and I did enjoy the Superman crossovers.
The last iterations of this hero just didn’t work so well. I think the character of the new “Shazam” (I admit I have enough purist in me that I think he should stay “Captain Marvel”) should not be a jaded kid.
Final criticism for an otherwise solid anthology; why doesn’t anyone at DC know Mary gets her powers from different beings, just the same acronym? It’s explained in THIS book! Holey Moley they’re thick.
Selena—- Grace
Hippolyta - Strength
Ariadne—. Skill
Zephyrus- Fleetness
Aurora- Beauty
Minerva- Wisdom
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 26, 2021
This book collects a sampling of Captain Marvel comic books from 1939 to 2014. I thought it would be fun to read the early stuff, and it was, but I wish they had included some of the nuttier stories, and at least one with Talky Tawny. But at least they did include a wild story about the Earth getting really annoyed with the little people on its surface digging for oil all the time so it eliminates all the clouds and makes the planet get too hot. Talk about prescient!
I wound up enjoying the material from the 80s and 90s which I had never read before, way more than I expected. They rebooted Captain Marvel (under the title of Shazam because Marvel had trademarked the name Captain Marvel in the 60s when it had become available) several times. I was particularly taken with Jerry Ordway's turn writing the title, just because he kept a lot of plates spinning at the same time in each story. At the end, there was the final reboot which inspired the film, and alas, this comic book story was overheated, confusing, and lacked all the dynamics which made the best stories here so much fun.
I wound up enjoying the material from the 80s and 90s which I had never read before, way more than I expected. They rebooted Captain Marvel (under the title of Shazam because Marvel had trademarked the name Captain Marvel in the 60s when it had become available) several times. I was particularly taken with Jerry Ordway's turn writing the title, just because he kept a lot of plates spinning at the same time in each story. At the end, there was the final reboot which inspired the film, and alas, this comic book story was overheated, confusing, and lacked all the dynamics which made the best stories here so much fun.
Want to read
March 25, 2018I've been a fan since the live action show and its renewal as The SHAZAM/Isis Power Hour. The best part of the show was the moral at the end presented by Captain Marvel or Isis explaining how kids could become better and improve their own lives and communities by protecting and defending their friends, neighbors and towns.
The comic book series combined the religious beliefs of Greece, Rome and Israel to show the American idea that you have the right to choose your own religious beliefs and that we can learn from other countries.
Captain Marvel represents the real American Conservative by protecting the individual, preserving and protecting the idea that each individual male or female regardless of race, color or creed has the right to make their own decisions. The same ideas that was fought for in the American Revolution is what true American Conservatism is all about not the crap being feed us by Democrats and Republicans.
The comic book series combined the religious beliefs of Greece, Rome and Israel to show the American idea that you have the right to choose your own religious beliefs and that we can learn from other countries.
Captain Marvel represents the real American Conservative by protecting the individual, preserving and protecting the idea that each individual male or female regardless of race, color or creed has the right to make their own decisions. The same ideas that was fought for in the American Revolution is what true American Conservatism is all about not the crap being feed us by Democrats and Republicans.
May 25, 2025
This particular collection isn’t as comprehensive as some of the others DC’s put out. For one thing, and sure, this was published before the recent movies, but no mention (except on a cover) is made of Captain Marvel’s onscreen adventures (including a TV show and a vintage movie serial). It covers Billy Batson’s adventures across Fawcett and DC pretty well, but his bigger moments in the ‘90s are omitted (Underworld Unleashed, Kingdom Come), even in the essays. Freddy Freeman’s time as Captain Marvel, in The Trials of Shazam!, is also ignored. Tawky Tawny doesn’t show up until late in the anthology, so anyone actually learning about any of this for the first time here would end up somewhat misinformed.
All that aside, though, this is a fine survey of the Big Red Cheese’s history. That’s all these are intended to be.
All that aside, though, this is a fine survey of the Big Red Cheese’s history. That’s all these are intended to be.
September 30, 2019
This might be the best of the DC "A Celebration of XX Yers" collections, with nearly a third of book dedicated to the Otto Binder / C. C. Beck era stories originally published by Fawcett. Re-reading those stories, even as dated as they seem, it's easy to see why DC panicked over the character. (No, it wasn't because he was a Superman rip-off, its because he was outselling Superman).
The newer stories are mixed bag. DC hasn't really know quite what to do with the Fawcett characters in any of their Post-Crisis continuities. Captain Marvel is, more than many Golden Age characters, an artifact of his time and world; and forcing him into the modern DCU era just feels wrong at times (although Jerry Ordway did a bang-up job trying to make the character work during his tenure with him).
The newer stories are mixed bag. DC hasn't really know quite what to do with the Fawcett characters in any of their Post-Crisis continuities. Captain Marvel is, more than many Golden Age characters, an artifact of his time and world; and forcing him into the modern DCU era just feels wrong at times (although Jerry Ordway did a bang-up job trying to make the character work during his tenure with him).
May 17, 2021
An excellent collection with some hilarious golden age stuff. The only downsides are some occasional repetition, with quite a few variations of Captain Marvel's origin story and a few disappointing modern takes. However these faults are completely made up for by the presence of an abundance of classic cheesy golden age goodness.
Captain Marvel fighting a genius villain that's an evil worm, check! Captain Marvel as a cartoon bunny, yep! A sidekick named Uncle Marvel that's just some old guy they humor who has no power, why not! Captain Marvel literally fighting the entire earth itself as it takes revenge for oil drilling, you betcha! What more could you ask for?
An excellent overview of the history of Captain Marvel/Shazam with most choices being worth a read. Highly recommended. 4.5/5
Captain Marvel fighting a genius villain that's an evil worm, check! Captain Marvel as a cartoon bunny, yep! A sidekick named Uncle Marvel that's just some old guy they humor who has no power, why not! Captain Marvel literally fighting the entire earth itself as it takes revenge for oil drilling, you betcha! What more could you ask for?
An excellent overview of the history of Captain Marvel/Shazam with most choices being worth a read. Highly recommended. 4.5/5
December 17, 2020
The backstory involving the seven deadly sins is covered. In one story Billy is a newspaper reporter. Whiz 21 has a story with Nazis in it. Mary Marvel shows up in another story. Then there's one with Captain Nazi, one with an evil worm, one with Black Adam and one with another origin story.
The origin of Mary Marvel is covered and then there's a Marvel Bunny. The DC/Whiz comics legal battle is covered, Billy ends up 20 years into the present time, there's Captain Thunder, another origin story, Prince Lucifer and various other stories. It gives a good overview of the types of Captain Marvel stories that were done.
The origin of Mary Marvel is covered and then there's a Marvel Bunny. The DC/Whiz comics legal battle is covered, Billy ends up 20 years into the present time, there's Captain Thunder, another origin story, Prince Lucifer and various other stories. It gives a good overview of the types of Captain Marvel stories that were done.
August 6, 2017
This was a nice collection of the adventures of Captain Marvel, alias Shazam! I enjoyed seeing his original origin, the addition of Captain Marvel, Jr., Mary Marvel and the three Lieutenant Marvels to the family and the various attempts to reboot this character (when frankly I didn't see the need to reboot him). Some of the revisions were better than others. I didn't care for the one that made Billy and Mary Batson look like they were 7 years old- bad artwork on that one.
On the whole, I enjoyed this collection.
On the whole, I enjoyed this collection.
May 4, 2019
A fun collection of stories spanning the three quarters of a century history of Shazam! Some of these stories I've read before but there were enough I hadn't to make this worthwhile. I love the ridiculous whimsical golden age stories and I was a big fan of the 1990's Power of Shazam series. Everything in-between was fun in its own right. This book contains great art from C.C. Beck, Mac Raboy, Don Newton, and many others. A nice smorgasbord of Shazam fantasy action.
March 9, 2018
I thoroughly enjoyed reading how Shazam/Captain Marvel has evolved over the decades, as well as how some things have remained the same. Marvel Bunny was cute, and I had no idea He had so many run-ins with Superman! I wish some of the stories presented in this tied in with each other more, but I will just have to find them at some point to read in order more.
February 22, 2020
I really like seeing the various iterations of Captain Marvel through the years. I did not like them all equally but it was still a fun read. Missed out on a 5 star rating because several stories were continued in the next comic and that particular comic was not in the volume. One time the last couple of pages of a good story were not given [Lobo vs. Cap]. Really? Really.
June 17, 2021
A bit disappointing where the book spends a large chunk of its entirety in the earlier issues and less in the later ones. It also felt like Shazam's powers were never truly explored (except strength and flight) and most later chapters were always duos with some other heroes. Shazam is never truly celebrated in this book, which should be about him.
January 20, 2019
I like these sort of "best of" collections when I don't know much about a comic. I really liked the essay excerpts that explained the evolution and history of Captain Marvel/Shazam over the years. However, it can be frustrating to just get part of a story and not know how it began or how it ends.
April 7, 2020
Entertaining Shazam! Collection graphic novels
Awesome and entertaining collection about Golden Age to New 52 of Shazam! (Captain Marvel).
Hope to see more stories in the future about Shazam!
Awesome and entertaining collection about Golden Age to New 52 of Shazam! (Captain Marvel).
Hope to see more stories in the future about Shazam!
November 23, 2020
I am not exaggerating when I say 40 percent (if not 50) of this book is the telling and re-telling of how everyone got their powers. The blame lies solely on the editors. Could you not find anything else to include in this collection?
April 17, 2023
Shazam A Celebration Of 75 Years.
En fin kurateret samling af Shazam (blandt mange andre navne) der går fra 1940 og op til 2015. Virkelig god introbog til figuren, som jeg ikke kendte meget til før filmen.
August 17, 2023
While some of this material has already been featured in CM specific collections, I'll give it a pass because a) the printing quality was higher, and b) it's all still really REALLY fun. I also think it's got some wonderful variety in the latter sections.
March 16, 2018
Good book for those who don't know anything about Shazam!
November 21, 2019
Had so much fun with this collection (and so glad I read it before seeing the movie!)!
March 9, 2020
Good historical survey of 75 years of The Big Red Cheese proved an entertaining followup to the popular 2019 movie.
July 28, 2021
A good overview of The Big Red Cheese.
Whether you call him Captain Marvel or Shazam this book gives you a good look into his origins and evolution over the years.
Whether you call him Captain Marvel or Shazam this book gives you a good look into his origins and evolution over the years.
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