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The Shazam! Archives #4
The Shazam! Archives, Vol. 4
A treasure of vintage tales, THE SHAZAM ARCHIVES VOL. 4 reprints the earliest adventures of the World's Mightiest Mortal as they were originally published in the 1940's. Stumbling upon an ancient wizard in an abandoned subway system, adolescent Billy Batson soon found his whole life changed. Now when the young orphan utters the word "Shazam," he is instantaneously transformed into the adult super-hero. Captain Marvel. In this beautiful volume, the legendary hero uses 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 to protect his city from deadly threats and nefarious super-villains.
196 pages, Hardcover
First published August 4, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 26, 2015
I was 5 years old or so, when the Saturday Live Action SHAZAM came out on Saturday mornings. I loved it! At the same time, DC Comics put out reprints of the old comics, as well as a series of new stories. Because Marvel comics had snagged the copyright on the name Captain Marvel, DC(while they could call him Capatin Marvel in the comic itself) had(has) to use the title SHAZAM(This is the magic word Billy Batson speaks to transform into Captain Marvel)
So I read some of the old comics back then, but it's been awhile.
This is a great collection of comics from the 1940's. Cap fights Nazis!!!(Hilter even pops up once or twice) The art gets better,as the stories continue, as does the story-telling. In this volume, we also meet Captain Marvel, Jr.(Who I always liked!!! and it is said, so did Elivs!)
I had fun reading these, I hope to read the other volumes in the set soon.
So I read some of the old comics back then, but it's been awhile.
This is a great collection of comics from the 1940's. Cap fights Nazis!!!(Hilter even pops up once or twice) The art gets better,as the stories continue, as does the story-telling. In this volume, we also meet Captain Marvel, Jr.(Who I always liked!!! and it is said, so did Elivs!)
I had fun reading these, I hope to read the other volumes in the set soon.
July 14, 2018
this has the origin of captain marvel jr. and stories w/bulletman and bulletgirl!
July 27, 2021
My library didn't have the first three volumes sadly, and DC Comics, which sucks doesn't reprint the issues individually or have any new cheap editions of the original WWII series. Naturally, before I read the ones in this collection I might have said, what everyone is probably thinking. "These stories are cute but dated, and they're not really good or entertaining to modern day audiences." Funny how other artists works from the same eras or earlier still get reprinted in countries were comics are considered art without these idiotic assumptions. Truth be told, the sexism, racism, they're all there. These books were produced in a less enlightened time. Slap a disclaimer on the front. I'm sure even children could appreciate that this stuff is not okay anymore. Yet you allow re-runs of Big Bang Theory despite how horribly misogynistic the show is with no warning whatever and kids easily able to access that crap fest.
I have this to say about the books stories. They range from mildly amusing, to outright entertaining. It's nice to see the way people spoke and dressed in an earlier age. How ridiculous comics could be when they were written for "chlidren", and the classic adventures contained here were not insipid, or in any way not amusing. A good story is a good story regardless if the audience is "all-ages" or literary adults. This is not Shakespeare but no comic is. To be fair, the number of adult comics that I would even deign to consider actual "literature" using the metric of the snobs who don't read older comics or "all ages" books or even YA or genre work is miniscule. Maus, The Dark Knight Returns (only the original one), Watchmen and a fair few others. Most of the tripe DC presently publishes or their esteemed competition wouldn't even be given a passing mention. Grimdark does not good writing make.
Captain Marvel teams up with Bulletman to fight Captain Nazi. Captain Marvel Jr. appears in the book in some random issues and as I said, the story quality rises and drops with the different creative teams but it is nothing if not amusing. The stories are short and sweet and I still think they hold some value and would resonate with a present day audience. The quality of the art like that of the stories, likewise rises and falls. Going from the sweet, simple cartoony style of CC Beck in the beginning Captain Marvel tales, to the more serious and closer to realism and more modern style art of Mac Raboy's Captain Marvel Jr.
Sadly, rather than keep the material in print, or have cheap reprints or editions of this available DC dumps it into the hands of only the most avid collectors and library collections by only reprinting them in these stupidly expensive collections that they do not reprint. Sadly, trying to find a copy of this new or cheap would not be easy. So some of these stories are relegated to dusty libraries and the libraries of very rich collectors. Another sign, that again, greed and comic book publishers are pricing their own audiences out of comics collecting.
I have this to say about the books stories. They range from mildly amusing, to outright entertaining. It's nice to see the way people spoke and dressed in an earlier age. How ridiculous comics could be when they were written for "chlidren", and the classic adventures contained here were not insipid, or in any way not amusing. A good story is a good story regardless if the audience is "all-ages" or literary adults. This is not Shakespeare but no comic is. To be fair, the number of adult comics that I would even deign to consider actual "literature" using the metric of the snobs who don't read older comics or "all ages" books or even YA or genre work is miniscule. Maus, The Dark Knight Returns (only the original one), Watchmen and a fair few others. Most of the tripe DC presently publishes or their esteemed competition wouldn't even be given a passing mention. Grimdark does not good writing make.
Captain Marvel teams up with Bulletman to fight Captain Nazi. Captain Marvel Jr. appears in the book in some random issues and as I said, the story quality rises and drops with the different creative teams but it is nothing if not amusing. The stories are short and sweet and I still think they hold some value and would resonate with a present day audience. The quality of the art like that of the stories, likewise rises and falls. Going from the sweet, simple cartoony style of CC Beck in the beginning Captain Marvel tales, to the more serious and closer to realism and more modern style art of Mac Raboy's Captain Marvel Jr.
Sadly, rather than keep the material in print, or have cheap reprints or editions of this available DC dumps it into the hands of only the most avid collectors and library collections by only reprinting them in these stupidly expensive collections that they do not reprint. Sadly, trying to find a copy of this new or cheap would not be easy. So some of these stories are relegated to dusty libraries and the libraries of very rich collectors. Another sign, that again, greed and comic book publishers are pricing their own audiences out of comics collecting.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 17, 2023
Difficult to review as the earliest years of the Marvel Family were a desperate scramble for cash by the publishers of what suddenly became the most popular superhero of the golden age, and the farmed work out to comic artist shops of varying ability for the first few years. The big "meh" this time around is the first third of the book, reprinting Captain Marvel Adventures #4, done by a very average shop. The team credited here as "Fawcett Captain Marvel Art Staff" is light years better and obviously includes C.C. Beck, and then there's the three part crossover with Bulletman that introduces longtime antagonist Captain Nazi and permanent sidekick Captain Marvel Jr., with two chapters done by the amazing Mac Raboy himself, years before his Flash Gordon work.
The trilogy is followed by a story that introduces a character who's the reason the next three years of Golden Age Captain Marvel gets spotty reprints if they appear at all: a textbook racist caricature who begins thr story as a food truck owner and then gets graciously handed the princely job of valet by Billy Batson at the end of the story. His name is Steamboat, and the 1940s were unfortunate times.
So, given all this, my star review reflects all of this--there's 100 pages or so of five star Golden Age hero dopiness in the middle, definitely five star material for the period, but the rest? Eh?
The trilogy is followed by a story that introduces a character who's the reason the next three years of Golden Age Captain Marvel gets spotty reprints if they appear at all: a textbook racist caricature who begins thr story as a food truck owner and then gets graciously handed the princely job of valet by Billy Batson at the end of the story. His name is Steamboat, and the 1940s were unfortunate times.
So, given all this, my star review reflects all of this--there's 100 pages or so of five star Golden Age hero dopiness in the middle, definitely five star material for the period, but the rest? Eh?
July 8, 2019
I wish DC would release a Bulletman volume. I really liked Mac Raboy's art.
August 21, 2025
A bit of a letdown. Too many stories by unknown and lesser writers and too many drawn by the Jack Binder Studios. CM is still fun, but these stories do not present him at his best.
March 1, 2017
Classic golden age goodness starring the Big Red Cheese. This volume has appearances by Sivana, the Lieutenants Marvel, Bulletman, Captain Nazi and the origin of Captain Marvel Jr.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews