Shazam!: A New Beginning

Shazam! The New Beginning #1-4

by Roy Thomas

1987’s classic origin story for the World’s Mightiest Mortal is back in A NEW BEGINNING 30TH ANNIVERSARY DELUXE EDITION!
 
He was one of the greatest heroes of comics’ Golden Age—a square-jawed colossus with a child’s optimistic spirit. Then a great crisis came that destroyed his world and erased his adventures from history.
 
But even during the grim and gritty era that followed, this force of pure goodness continued to shine through the gloom like the bolt of lightning that strikes whenever young Billy Batson says the magic word…
 
SHAZAM!
 
Then, in 1987, the celebrated saga of the orphaned boy with godlike powers began anew. Under an all-new creative team, DC’s Captain Marvel was reimagined as a 15-year-old teenager—one who is fated to grow up much faster than he’d hoped.
 
Arrayed against him are some of the most menacing villains the world has ever Dr. Sivana, a scientific genius as evil as he is intelligent; Captain Nazi, an Aryan übermensch bent on building a new American reich; and Black Adam, a 5,000-year-old tyrant with the same powers as Captain Marvel and the cold-hearted ambition to rule the world!
 
SHAZAM!: THE NEW BEGINNING 30TH ANNIVERSARY DELUXE EDITION presents the complete Shazam! stories from legendary comics author Roy Thomas, his co-writer and wife Dann Thomas and acclaimed artists Tom Mandrake, Rick Stasi and Rick Magyar. Featuring a new introduction by the author, this special hardcover edition reveals a unique and never-before-reprinted chapter in the history of one of the most beloved and enduring superheroes of all time! Collects SHAZAM!: THE NEW BEGINNING #1-4 and the Captain Marvel stories from ACTION COMICS WEEKLY #623-626.

Genres: Comics, Dc Comics, Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Fiction, Superheroes

128 pages, Hardcover

First published December 12, 2017

About the author

Roy Thomas was the FIRST Editor-in-Chief at Marvel--After Stan Lee stepped down from the position. Roy is a longtime comic book writer and editor. Thomas has written comics for Archie, Charlton, DC, Heroic Publishing, Marvel, and Topps over the years. Thomas currently edits the fanzine Alter Ego for Twomorrow's Publishing. He was Editor for Marvel comics from 1972-1974. He wrote for several titles at Marvel, such as Avengers, Thor, Invaders, Fantastic Four, X-Men, and notably Conan the Barbarian. Thomas is also known for his championing of Golden Age comic-book heroes — particularly the 1940s superhero team the Justice Society of America — and for lengthy writing stints on Marvel's X-Men and Avengers, and DC Comics' All-Star Squadron, among other titles.

Also a legendary creator. Creations include Wolverine, Carol Danvers, Ghost Rider, Vision, Iron Fist, Luke Cage, Valkyrie, Morbius, Doc Samson, and Ultron. Roy has also worked for Archie, Charlton, and DC among others over the years.

Reviews

[Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating 3.7 stars.
I was first introduced to Shazam, or Captain Marvel, in an animated show, then again in the Shazam! (2019) film.
I thought it was so interesting to see a young kid gain these extraordinary abilities while also having everyone think you’re an adult.

I enjoyed how the New Beginning comics took his origin and put their own twist to them. Specifically making one of his villains part of his family!
Although, I’m not sure we needed two major villains in only 4 comics.

I would’ve preferred to see how Billy dealt with juggling these new powers and his everyday life.
How did he cope when he noticed the difference in the way he was treated when he was Captain Marvel as opposed to when he was ‘just Billy’?

Would he have struggled with it or did he enjoy the freedom of being a kid?

And because everything has to come back to Nazi’s (at least in the 80’s apparently), we were witness to the birth of a new Captain, Captain Nazi!
Which is a really silly name to call your ‘hero’ if you want any sort of acceptance, in my opinion.

I did appreciate how Billy was unsure of what to do when he snuck into that summer camp. It was one of the few times where you saw just how young Billy really was.

There were hints of more stories to come out of Captain Nazi (his refusal to take orders and his need to battle Captain Marvel) but supposedly behind the scenes disputes prevented a ‘Captain Marvel’ series happening at the time.

Anyway, while I enjoy a good origin and the modern take on a classic, this felt like it relied too much on the fights between the villains.
Maybe I’m being too harsh on comics that are almost 40 years old. It’s just that Billy seemed to take getting these incredible powers a little too well. I would’ve liked to see the journey in between gaining and accepting.

[Donovan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic! The whole Cap / Shazam flip-flop is a bit confusing, but this is a fun read nonetheless. Cheesy, fun, and a bit dangerous!

[Julio Bonilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

SPEAK MY NAME!⚡️

Finally read this after I saw the movie a week ago. Great artwork by Dann Thomas. The story takes place in The City By The Bay, 🌉making it nostalgic for me, since I am from Frisco. This story is very different from the movie.

CHECK IT OUT.

[Little Timmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always enjoyed the Golden Age Captain marvel stories and this is a great retelling/restart to the modern age version of the character. Nice art and writing. Recommended

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can understand with the film coming out soon to release this 30th-anniversary edition, but in all honesty, the New 52 version seems closer to the film than this. Honestly the last few issues of this were in poor taste with the Captain Nazi.

[Victor The Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting and more serious take on the origins of Shazam with a bizarre final part about a nazi supervillain. B+ (83%/Very Good)

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

While Roy Thomas is one of my favorite writers -- thank you, Mr. Thomas (and Dann Thomas too), for ALL-STAR SQUADRON and INFINITY, INC. -- the 1987 miniseries, SHAZAM! THE NEW BEGINNING, and its follow-up always felt a little off to me. Of course, I was a fan of the E. Nelson Bridwell/Don Newton, et al. run beginning in SHAZAM #34 (1977) and ending in ADVENTURE COMICS #502 (1982), which is still my favorite run on the character.

However, as I read the story again, there are things about this run that I definitely like, including Dudley and Sivana being Billy's uncles from different sides of the family. Tom Mandrake's art is beautiful, even if I believe he is too moody as an artist to be on what should be a more lighthearted character like Captain Marvel. (Look for the John Ostrander/Tom Mandrake 1990s series starring the Spectre for a series utilizing Mandrake effectively.) The introduction of Captain Nazi in the ACTION COMICS WEEKLY follow-up is rushed, but readers can still get a glimpse of the world-building that Roy and Dann Thomas were attempting for Captain Marvel.

There is a lot of potential here, and it's the readers who lost most when DC failed to follow through with an ongoing series (though Jerry Ordway's POWER OF SHAZAM! graphic novel and series were worth the wait, and deserving of a series of deluxe editions collecting the entirety of that series).

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A thoroughly enjoyable read for any Captain Marvel fan. I'd never had the chance to read this "rebirth" (so to speak) of Captain Marvel into the DC Universe, so getting to know this take on the character's origin was beyond enjoyable. The more grounded approach to Cap's story and villains was definitely a step in the right direction for this character, who previously had lived up to the nickname of "The Big Red Cheese." (And, don't get me wrong, I love those old comics... but for nostalgia, not necessarily for storytelling.) While there were still definitely some cheesy elements (such as his cousins' names), those were all a part of trying to stay true to the original source material... though, I'll be the first to admit they were a bit distracting in comparison to everything else. Still, what really made this comic work were: (1) Billy's voice (I really loved HOW he told the story; it felt very much like a 15-year old kid), and (2) His relationship with his uncle (which was sweet and relatable). The story was also a lot of fun, giving us action-packed fights against Black Adam as well as an introduction to Dr. Sivana--Captain Marvel's two biggest baddies (and a hint at Mr. Mind at the end... again, a callback to the cheesiness of yesterday, but, hey, it could work). The difficult part in reviewing this particular graphic novel is the last story that was included--a miniseries that was featured in Action Comics. It was... uncomfortable to read, to say the least. But... that was also kind of the point. Billy Batson goes undercover into a Neo-Nazi summer camp where the leaders are brainwashing young boys to be prejudiced and violent. Unnervingly real and not pulling any of its punches, you couldn't help but cringe as you read the story. Again, we got a classic Captain Marvel villain--Captain Nazi--but there was something about the entire story that felt too... possible. Again, I think that was the point: the Neo-Nazis and their cohorts are obviously the villains, and the writers showed us exactly how evil they are. They showed us what hatred and prejudice can do--again, the discomfort you feel while reading it was intentional. But it was still... very, very disconcerting. Not a bad story, but in comparison to hero that also goes up against a super-intelligent worm, it felt... somewhat out of place? But still... maybe not. Maybe this was the writers taking Captain Marvel seriously and trying to tell stories that mattered--stories that showed what true evil looks like in our world--and why we should always fight for good: With our own Wisdom of Solomon, Strength of Hercules, Power of Zeus, Courage of Achilles, and Speed of Mercury. We don't need to a magic word to have all of those; we just need to stand up for what is right.

[Iain · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of a tricky one to review. 3 stars, in this case meaning Meh... but I didn't dislike it.

This gets a lot of flak, and I definitely see where it's coming from. One complaint is that the art is terrible ("generic bad 80s comic art") and that's often true; it ranges from decent to awful, but it rarely distracts and it's not remarkably bad by the standards of the time. The author famously expected to get the call back for an ongoing series... and then didn't after this. Again, totally see why. The writing in this story, the overplayed childish affectation in the voice of Billy Batson's narration, make this a story that's hard to call good, even if it's enjoyable. I think the worst thing I can say about the writing is that it felt like it was trying to be a mature update of the character while brushing against the kind of laziness writers expect to be able to pass off to very young audiences. It's a bad mixture that just gives this story a low quality feel. Again, even if it was basically enjoyable.

Overall... I'm glad I read it. I enjoyed the stories well enough. It was nice to see another take on the character. But it's true that it looks very weak compared to what did eventually follow it.

[Darik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Billy Batson with a bowl cut? Blasphemy!!!

But seriously, there's something kinda charming about this 1987 reboot of Captain Marvel that tries, at times awkwardly, to turn the Captain into a better fit for the grim-'n-gritty '80s. The artwork by Tom Mandrake is often hideous to behold-- in particular the snarling faces of Marvel and arch-nemesis Black Adam, both of whom are often draped in heavy black shadows. But writer Roy Thomas really seems to be giving this his all, and this Shazam's "boy in a superhero's body" seems more authentically like a kid-- albeit a precocious '80s movie kid-- than the angelic, anachronistic cipher of Denny O'Neil's '70s books or Jerry Ordway's '90s revival.

I would have liked to see more of this! Shame that this four-issue miniseries (with a brief back-up feature follow-up) is all there is.

[Ross Mcleod · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a 1st time read for me and is a great introduction to Captain Marvel/Shazam !!!
Story was great and i especially liked Tom Mandrake's art here too.
It's set right before the awesome Legends mini series that the character features in heavily.
I would read a Shazam ongoing title if DC published it for sure.

[Scotty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Origin story was a tad hokey, but fun. The story from the late 80's about the white nationalist group, an Aryan summer camp, and Captain Nazi caught me off guard — wasn't expecting a realistic, grim tale. But it was well told and overall a good read.

[Maurício Dantas · Rating 2 out of 5]

A origem pós Crise dark e realista do Roy e da Dann Thomas. Bem fraca, arte do Mandrake excessivamente sombria. O que vale é o prefácio do Thomas descendo o pau na DC e dando os reais motivos da série mensal não ter ido adiante.

[Debashis Bandyopadhyay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good but sometimes very childish...science things are without description, just happens...good read for some child...not any brain dose...have liked and not liked in same time...just very simple magic system...doesn't put my literary boundary and imagination any challenge.

[OinkFish Pigs · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m not gonna lie, this was funny ash. But the dialogue was so bad☠️☠️☠️. Still a fun story tho, and I feel this could’ve been pretty great just with better dialogue and a story that focused more on Adam and Shazam’s dynamic. It could’ve been done in this tone too.

6.7

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

This reinvention of the Original Captain Marvel from the late 1980s both holds up well, yet the modernizing aspects are what hold it back.

[Paul Griggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

With the Shazam movie on the horizon this is a must-read

[Paxton Holley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better than Trials of Shazam. I liked it. Classic 80s DC. Need to read Legends next.

[Luiz Santiago · Rating 3 out of 5]

Crítica | Shazam: O Novo Começo (1987): https://www.planocritico.com/critica-...

[Book Enchanted · Rating 2 out of 5]

very childish writing that does not elaborate its magic system or advanced technologies described in it.

[Zachary Savage · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really liked this as a kid, still do now, not a big Shazam fan besides this

[Travis · Rating 2 out of 5]

A decent attempt to modernize the GA Captain Marvel, but, it was the 80's, so it takes it very seriously, and that just doesn't work.
Captain Marvel needs to be larger than life and fun or it just falls a bit flat.

And, I was never a big fan of Tom Mandrake's art. It's very dark and moody.