Superman/Shazam!: First Thunder [Paperback]

Judd Winick (Author), Josh Middleton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2006

Witness the pulse-pounding first meeting of the Man of Steel and Captain Marvel, Earth's Mightiest Mortal. Only the combined efforts of these two powerful heroes will be enough to defend Fawcett City and Metropolis from the combined onslaught of their archenemies: Lex Luthor, Dr. Sivana and Eclipso.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: DC Comics (May 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401209238
• ISBN-13: 978-1401209230
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 0.2 x 10.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #458,392 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Man of Steel, Meet the Earth's Mightiest Mortal, September 10, 2006

By 

William James Taylor IV - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Superman/Shazam!: First Thunder (Paperback)

A simple but nicely told retcon of how Superman first met Captain Marvel, fighting big ugly monsters, cultists, giant robots, etc.

I may get flamed for this, but it's better than the Justice League Unlimited episode "The Clash", in which Superman uncharacteristically acted like a callous d***weed towards Cap for an honest mistake; the overall ep was basically just an excuse to have Superman and Captain Marvel duke out, which has been a popular feature in the comics.

"First Thunder" is not exactly a Hugo Award winner, but it's briskly paced and worth a look for seeing Supes befriend Marvel, watching them chit-chat back and forth about their powers, where they've been, what they can do, all that good stuff. There's some poignant moments thrown in with the humor and violence as well, with Superman making a passionate speech against the Wizard who gave little Billy Batson his powers in the first place about how a little kid shouldn't have to carry the weight of being a superhero, with the last few panels alluding that Superman will become a mentor to Captain Marvel.

All in all, a nice little diversion.

15 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great Art, No Story, June 20, 2006

By 

E. David Swan (South Euclid, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Superman/Shazam!: First Thunder (Paperback)

Captain Marvel has always been the underdog in the struggle against the Man of Steel. The upstart hero took on Superman in 1940's and 50's and actually beat him in comic sales with a combination of fantastic artwork from C.C. Beck and superior writing. Unfortunately he lost the war thanks to a copyright lawsuit that put Cap on the shelf until the Fawcett characters were bought up by the very company that killed Captain Marvel in the first place. As if poor Cap hadn't been through enough Marvel Comics discovered that DC neglected to copyright the name Captain Marvel and snatched it up for themselves. When DC brought Captain Marvel out of mothballs in the early 70's the comic couldn't legally be called Captain Marvel hence the title 'Shazam!'. DC managed to get C.C. Beck back but the honeymoon was short lived with Beck leaving bitter and the comic folding after the stories went through a rapid decline in quality. Sadly, 'Shazam!' was likely the pinnacle for Captain Marvel in DC comics.

I always imagine there's a feeling of guilt on the part of DC comics for the treatment of Captain Marvel and in a sense the infrequent meetings of Marvel and Superman always gives me a feeling that Superman wants to make amends. `First Thunder' is written to be the first encounter of Superman and Marvel. The artwork is a beautiful compromise between the cartoony art of C.C. Beck and the more realistic art of the Superman comics. However, once again Captain Marvel is given short shrift as the story is absolutely anemic. The first half of the book deals with a group of museum robbers who are collecting artifacts in order to unleash Sabbac, a longtime villain of Marvel's. At the same time Superman is occupied with Eclipso who is busy doing what he does best. Luthor makes a brief and inconsequential appearance and Sivana tries to ice Marvel by taking out Billy Batson for the six thousandth time.

The only interesting points are the bonding moments between the Worlds Mightiest Mortal and the Man of Steel. Cap is awestruck by Superman's vast array of powers while Superman shows some magic envy. In the end it all amounts to very little and First Thunder goes down like a heaping bowl of whip cream. It looks great and tastes delicious for the first few bites but it's all empty calories with no substance.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars BIG GUNS IN ONE G-NOVEL!, March 18, 2008

By 

John D. Min "criticfilm" (Allentown, PA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Superman/Shazam!: First Thunder (Paperback)

Ever since I was a child in the 70s, I have loved Captain Marvel/Shazam, but he has always been in the shadow of the Big S! A meeting of these two have always been like two world champion Superbowl teams meeting in a head to head battle. Though past issues have always wanted to see the two guys battle, it is better to see the two equally admire and aid each other. This reintroduction of their first meeting is a little on the light side for literary merit, but overall is excellent in execution and artistic action. I do not want to go into too much detail of the storyline, but if you like Shazam at all, this is a great read, less so for Superman fans since he is more of the secondary act in this tale. Shazam material is hard to come by, there isn't as much out there, and I've read them all, this one is my personal favorite to date. Thanks.
John Dae