Customer Reviews

The Power of Shazam!

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is by far the best modern Captain Marvel comic, and one of the best original graphic novels I have read. It is nice to see an artist/writer who really cares about what they are doing. The story has all of the elements of a great Captain Marvel story and Fawcett City has never looked better. Jerry Ordway has gone for a mix of classic art-deco and modern buildings, lending a necessary air of nostalgia. The new origin of Black Adam is a little odd, but we finally get to see who the mysterious stranger is that lures Billy Batson into the train tunnel. Lots of great "in-jokes," and even a small guest appearance from Mr. Tawky-Tawny!

"The Power of Shazam!" is a fun revitalization of the ORGINAL Captain Marvel, among the greatest of all Golden Age superheroes but one who has had a hard time finding his niche in the world of contemporary comics. Jerry Ordway's interpretation of The World's Mightiest Mortal is perhaps DC's best, preserving (for the most part) the classic flavor of the old Fawcett stories while grounding "Cap" firmly in contemporary America. Ordway's artwork is stylized and appealing, and if his script doesn't qualify as great literature, it at least deserves credit for some clever touches. One of the best is Ordway's depiction of Fawcett City, almost a giant movie set from film noir and the perfect breeding ground for pulp adventure. Billy's reaction to the Old Wizard's gift of power and the ensuing mental struggles are a neat twist to the character's origin, and Ordway's incarnation of Black Adam may be the most ruthless and believable ever. Finally, the ultimate slugfest between Cap and Black Adam is a real bone-cruncher that effectively mixes action and comedy. Though not really one of the great classics of comic storytelling, "The Power of Shazam!" is definitely a worthy addition to Shazam lore.

The Power of Shazam! is the updated origin on one of comics' greatest superheroes, the original Captain Marvel. Writer/artist Jerry Ordway recaptures the magic of what made this character work, while also adding some modern twists.
A beautifully painted story, The Power of Shazam! is a terrific updating of a classic hero who was once so much popular (and even outsold) Superman back in the Golden Age of comic books. Highly recommended to all Captain Marvel fans.

Hello , My name is Jose' Roberto Mesarina and I have some good things to say about the return of Captain Marvel (SHAZAM TO NON COMIC BOOK FANS) . The story and the artwork are both beyond superb! For those of you who are not comic book fans , I think this book will grab your attention. If you saw the movie " The Mummy " , this book is very similar to it. It has excitement, suspense ,and also lots of humor. Jerry Ordway is a very talented artist and his attention to detail really makes this book seem less childish. It actually moves pretty fast. You begin to see his true love for the charater when you see the love he put into the making of the book. I especially liked the way the opening of the book resembles the opening of an old Captain Marvel serial. This book is definitely worth your time and money and who knows , you just might end up becoming a fan of both comic books and Jerry Ordway. Jose' Roberto Mesarina.

`Power of Shazam' is a truly unique piece of art. This short graphic novel features a young, muscular, Fred MacMurry lookalike fighting a young, muscular, Boris Karloff lookalike, with results that are thrilling and wondrous as opposed to ridiculous. The success of this peculiar narrative form in this case is due to the virtuosity of artist/writer Jerry Ordway and the fact that the comic strip is still a place where anything can happen (CGI has brought cinema closer to achieving this, but as of this writing CGI still looks fake and creepy; CGI is still unable to portray human qualities).

This is a true graphic novel, a work created to stand alone (but which can also be appreciated as part of a larger framework), using the vocabulary of the comics, and conveying an experience unique to the medium. This particular graphic novel also served as a springboard to reboot the Captain Marvel (Shazam!) franchise, which DC comics has controlled since 1972.

Power of Shazam is an amazing synthesis of diverse influences. There are plenty of homages and nods to the original Fawcett comics and creators, and Ordway revisits and revises the original violent origin of Captain Marvel, and adds a big spoonful of gritty Raboy-esque tragedy for good measure. The overall tone here is darker and more violent than the classic years of Fawcett comics, but it thankfully lacks the blood-spattered gore that has permeated super-hero comics since the rise of Frank Miller. Ultimately, Captain Marvel rises above the trauma and brutality of his life and takes the reader with him. There is also a foreshadowing that perhaps Mr. Tawny will return, one way or the other.

This is one of the most cinematic comics I've ever seen: Black Adam is modeled exactly after Boris Karloff from the original 1932 `Mummy' and Ordway skillfully injects many atmospheric elements from the classic 1941 Republic Capt. Marvel serial.

As a die-hard fan of the original Capt. Marvel, Universal horror, and the classic serials (especially `Adventures of Captain Marvel'!), I found this to be one of the most enjoyable graphic novels ever. But I also think that the artistic merits and the power of the narrative would make this enjoyable beyond those who share my enthusiasms.

Being such a staunch fan of the original Fawcett comics, I was originally skeptical that I could accept this grimmer, more complex, more cinematic vision of our hero. But while the original Capt. Marvel had humor and whimsy, there was always excitement, and often deft social commentary: Binder and Beck created, for instance, the 1st comic book cautionary tale of the horrors of nuclear war. Cap usually visited our dreams but occasionally escorted us across our nightmares as well.

When DC revived the good Captain in 1973, they aimed at recreating Cap's glory days, even to the extent of signing on original artists C.C. Beck and Kurt Schaffenberger. But, while the art was always good, the stories more often than not were `camp.' And ultimately, camp is an creative dead end.

If Captain Marvel was going to be brought into the modern world and be viable, he needed to be revamped and he needed to follow a true personal artistic vision. Where Ordway's Cap is certainly far less whimsical than Fawcett's, he is certainly magical and powerful. He is perhaps a little deeper, but still personifies our wishes and optimism.

My only complaint about this graphic novel is that it's too short. But luckily, a great monthly series with the same name followed it, and I have every ish. DC would be wise to reprint that series in TPB form.

The Power of Shazam! is the return of one of comics' greatest superheroes, the original Captain Marvel. Former Superman writer/artist Jerry Ordway recaptures the magic of what made the character work while also adding some modern twists for the 1990s. A well written story with beautifully painted artwork, The Power of Shazam! is a terrific updating of a classic hero who has been away for far too long.

Thanks to all the reviewers who bought this book and liked it well enough to write. It was a labor of love for the author,trying to recapture the thrills of the 1940's Republic Pictures serial and has had a nice long shelf life. If you like this, please seek out the comic book that followed, or request that DC comics collect those issues into trade collections. Thanks, JerAdventures of Captain Marvel

Captain Marvel would have to be one of my most favorite superheroes in the DCU. Not only is he nearly as old as Superman in how long he has been around. Captain Marvel to me represents every childs imagination. While your outside playing superheroes (for those of us that did) we were imagining that we were "growing" up and being a Superhero. Not just becoming someone else with powers. Well, at least I did.

Captain Marvel is the corner stone to the childs imagination it taps into the dreams of all of us that wish to be superheroes and with in the pages of "Power of Shazam" we get to watch as a fellow child can become what we only can play at doing.. He becomes a Superhero.

The Power of Shazam is worth the read. PS I think if this is done correctly "The Power of Shazam" would transfer over to the big screen easily.

This modernization of the Captain Marvel comic book character is excellent, it depicts Billy Batson as an orphan, living on the streets and selling newspapers. His parents were part of the excavation of an Egyptian tomb and a greedy member of the team murdered them. It was in this tomb that the gems of mighty power were recovered.
Billy is having a really bad day when he encounters a mysterious man in a coat with his hat pulled down over his head. They board a mysterious train and Billy ends up facing an old wizard that gives him the mighty powers of Captain Marvel. Billy is very unhappy with his new station in life, physically attacking the wizard, which is now dangerous, given his newly acquired great power.
It is now up to Billy to be able to channel the power effectively, he makes some mistakes but it also allows him to confront the killer of his parents. The jewel that the man took from the tomb gives him great powers so it becomes a battle between two mighty forces. Using his newfound wisdom, Billy is able to defeat his foe and at the end he agrees to retain his powers.
No word seems more one suited to call up the wonders of magic than "Shazam!" The story here, where Billy is really a boy in a superhero's body is one that is more plausible than many others about heroes. His struggles in trying to keep himself in check and his desires to go back to simply being a boy are concerns that all of us can relate to. Parents often think back to the simpler days before parenthood and people in positions of great responsibility think back to the days when their life was simpler. Billy comes across as a regular guy, unlike his foe, a man that is depicted as motivated solely by greed. This is a character modernization that is very well done.

Fantastically painted, The Power of Shazam updates this underused character with both respect for his tradition and modern story telling techniques. Captain Marvel has not been this good for 40 years. Jerry Ordway really raises the watermark with this one. Welcome back CM, nice to see the real you again. It's been a long time.