DC PREVIEWS FOR NOV.28th 2006

[MattBrady]

<img src="http://www.newsarama.com/dcnew/Nov06/previews/BAB1_prev0001_t.jpg" border="0" align="right">DC has provided Newsarama previews for titles shipping on November 29th as well as December, January and February, including:

<b>THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #1</b>

Written by Mark Waid; Art by George Pérez and Bob Wiacek; Covers by Pérez

The greatest team-up title of all time is back! A proud DC tradition is restored as writer Mark Waid (52, SUPERGIRL AND THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES) and legendary artists George Pérez (THE NEW TEEN TITANS, CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS) and Bob Wiacek (ORION) put Batman and Green Lantern on the trail of what could be the greatest weapon in the DCU!

The trail leads to Ventura, the gambling planet…wanna bet what'll happen if they don't get their hands on the weapon?

This issue will feature two covers by George Pérez, Cover A spotlights Batman; Cover B spotlights Green Lantern!

DC Universe | 32pg. | Color | $2.99 US

On Sale February 21, 2007


Click <a href=>here</a> for the full previews...

[bluebird]

Who's the maniac that placed the TRIALS OF SHAZAM preview right after the Jeff Smith SHAZAM story? Freddy Freeman with a soul patch? In army fatigues? A villain in a belly shirt?! Aggghrrr! How many issues does Smith have to sell to convince DC to go more classic rather than more modern (and by modern, I mean 1999) with the Captain Marvel franchise? I sorely wish Smith could do a monthly, or someone capable of doing a Smith-style could follow that up with a monthly...

[bishop-m]

Porter's art looks amazing...I haven't been following him lately, but it looks much better than I recall...

[bishop-m]

Oh yeah, glad to see more George Perez pages....I'm in for Brave and the Bold

[theodoros2]

Porter's art looks amazing...I haven't been following him lately, but it looks much better than I recall...

His Superman in JLA was a bad draw. His nose was so strange. But he drew a mean Batman. I'd like to see him in a Batman title for 2-3 years. But his Shazam is way better. not only the way they use the color, but he is definately a better artist now.

IMHO

[Arion]

Oh yeah, glad to see more George Perez pages....I'm in for Brave and the Bold

Me too. George Perez's art is fantastic.

[CodeGuy]

Monster Society of Evil looks like everything I've ever wanted from a Captain Marvel book. :)

[tyopot]

a buncha nice previews.

[tyopot]

Oh yeah, glad to see more George Perez pages....I'm in for Brave and the Bold


its too generic looking for me,perez's art. the other previews are very fine, chaykin's, porter's and smith's.

[HuyLantern]

I can't wait for Jeff Smith"s Shazam book, I've been waiting for him to do something outside of Bone.

[richstanz]

Who's the maniac that placed the TRIALS OF SHAZAM preview right after the Jeff Smith SHAZAM story? Freddy Freeman with a soul patch? In army fatigues? A villain in a belly shirt?! Aggghrrr! How many issues does Smith have to sell to convince DC to go more classic rather than more modern (and by modern, I mean 1999) with the Captain Marvel franchise? I sorely wish Smith could do a monthly, or someone capable of doing a Smith-style could follow that up with a monthly...

I'm not usually a fan of Winnick, so I haven't been reading this book, despite being a fan of Shazam. It is kind of funny to see two VERY DIFFERENT interpretations right after the other.
Is there a general consensus on how Winnick's Shazam book is?

Also, still on the fence about this whole "Helmet of Fate" event and that Ibis preview doesn't really help. The artwork and dialogue are busy; they're not giving that scene any room to breathe.

[Jed Saxon]

Those Jeff Smith pages look gorgeous. Can't wait. :)

[Disco Cookie]

Damn - loving that Ibis preview. Loving them all actually. I hate previews. The make me want to buy stuff.

[Groovie Mann]

some good looking stuff. jeff smiths shazam is going to rock.

[BillReed]

Jeff Smith Understands.

[BatWolverine]

There is a mistake in the Shazam previews.

What the Wizard really wanted to say to Billy was not 'Touch my finger', but rather...*PULL my finger* :D

[cook]

Who's the maniac that placed the TRIALS OF SHAZAM preview right after the Jeff Smith SHAZAM story?

Clearly, someone who can't see that Jeff Smith operates on a whole other level. Captain Marvel is always one of those characters that seemed better in theory than in execution. Finally, it looks like DC's found someone that can bring the goods. I can't wait.

[Kidgalatea]

Okay, I'm sold on the Jeff Smith comic. The art is too adorable for words.

[saiyanspider]

Man Chaykin has been really busy lately!

Thank goodness for that! Love his work!

[BatWolverine]

There is a mistake in the Shazam previews.

What the Wizard really wanted to say to Billy was not 'Touch my finger', but rather...*PULL my finger* :D
Here ya go...Corrected!! :cool: :p

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h133/bw306/Manips/billy_meets_shazam.jpg

[Lex]

That Jeff Smith Shazam! preview shows that he gets it. He really, really gets the concept. I can't wait to get my hands on that book!

[Andre MOP]

Jeff Smith is a comic-god!
Look at the expressions, at the dialogue, everything´s placed so perfectly!

Oh, man, I want this so badly! In luxurious Tpb form, obviously!

[CodeGuy]

I wonder if Billy Batson can be de-aged?

In the current day stories he's about 17, I think. He was the same age as Star Girl before the one year later jump, so 17 is about right. I never liked that, I always though Captain Marvel worked best when Billy was really young, like 10. This preview makes him look even younger, and it works great.

After the current revamp falls through, would fans get too upset if Captain Marvel was de-aged somehow?

[Erik K]

Clearly, someone who can't see that Jeff Smith operates on a whole other level. Captain Marvel is always one of those characters that seemed better in theory than in execution. Finally, it looks like DC's found someone that can bring the goods. I can't wait.

Well he worked really well outside of the theory for a lot of the Fawcett run. Then DC sued them out of business and later grabbed the character. They somehow thought Captain Marvel was a Superman rip-off, and have never gotten the character. Smith looks like he's on the right track on this one, back to the glory days. No one else has managed that since, oh, the early 50s?

[The Bry]

I have to say I'm in the middle of the road on the Shazam thing, I think Trails is great but this Jeff Smith book looks freakin amazing!! and I am so happy to see Perez on pencils again actually just seeing Brave and Bold back in print is cool as hell I'll definetly be pickin up those books

[AdamYJ]

I think both Shazam comics look cool. They're two very different takes, but that's no big deal. I mean, how many different takes on Superman have there been ranging from Siegel and Shuster to what we have now?

[Xero]

Not trashing Smith here, but did he bring anything new to the table? That's the same origin we've been seeing for years. And as for Ibis, why get rid of that great suit and turban look for a crappily designed helmet-cape-staff guy?

[CaptainTemerity]

I'm not usually a fan of Winnick, so I haven't been reading this book, despite being a fan of Shazam. It is kind of funny to see two VERY DIFFERENT interpretations right after the other.
Is there a general consensus on how Winnick's Shazam book is?

Also, still on the fence about this whole "Helmet of Fate" event and that Ibis preview doesn't really help. The artwork and dialogue are busy; they're not giving that scene any room to breathe.

It's sort've hard to measure, really. The book isn't bad, exactly. In fact, it's better than some of Judd's other writings of late (Outsiders has just made me sad). And Porter... Man, back when Dell was inking Porter on JLA, I thought there would never be a single issue of a book that I would actually like of his art. But he's proven me wrong. I don't know if it's just the style he's using now, or if he's massively improved over time. But he's doing more than solid work on the new title.

That being said, I think a lot of us are in agreement that the direction they're going in with the Shazam Family is not what we fans want to see. I'm constantly frustrated by the idea that, to get "new fans" interested in a franchise, they feel they need to change everything that worked for the old ones. If you're looking for new fans of new stories, DC (or Marvel as well), then make a new book. Don't spit on those of us who were already buying.

The Jeff Smith book looks very nicely done, and I can't wait to read it. But, to be fair, I'm keeping up with the other series too, just to give it a chance. I'm not loving it, but there is some interesting bits, and I still hold out hope it'll right itself in the end.

[Storminator]

I didn't read the mature previews, but should they even be on the page?

[CodeGuy]

Not trashing Smith here, but did he bring anything new to the table? That's the same origin we've been seeing for years. And as for Ibis, why get rid of that great suit and turban look for a crappily designed helmet-cape-staff guy?

It's five pages. We basically saw one minute out of the origin. I think it's a little soon to say, "did he bring anything new?" We haven't even seen the monster society yet.

And even though what we've seen wasn't new, I still read it twice because it was more enjoyable than the new stuff I've seen with Captain Marvel over the years. He gets a lot of points for good execution. Kinda like Batman Begins was a good movie despite having the same origin we all know and love.

[gwangung]

That being said, I think a lot of us are in agreement that the direction they're going in with the Shazam Family is not what we fans want to see. I'm constantly frustrated by the idea that, to get "new fans" interested in a franchise, they feel they need to change everything that worked for the old ones.

The unspoken assumption here is that what worked for Captain Marvel in the Golden Age will still work now. I am not sure that's a warranted assumption to make.

That's not to say that what Winick is doing is entirely or even partially successful (and I'd say that what Smith is more successful at what he's attempting than Winnick is at what he's attempting). However, in the scheme of things, Smith's work may only sell to pre-existing Captain Marvel fans, and that would be more or less a failure as far as DC is concerned.

[EMeadow]

The unspoken assumption here is that what worked for Captain Marvel in the Golden Age will still work now. I am not sure that's a warranted assumption to make.

That's not to say that what Winick is doing is entirely or even partially successful (and I'd say that what Smith is more successful at what he's attempting than Winnick is at what he's attempting). However, in the scheme of things, Smith's work may only sell to pre-existing Captain Marvel fans, and that would be more or less a failure as far as DC is concerned.

Yeah I agree with what you're saying. What we have here are fans who refuse to let characters move forward and evolve. You can't keep characters stagnant. We complain enough about Batman and Superman being stagnant because they're corporate icons and therefore really can't be tinkered with. And we get plenty of great stories regardless, yet there's always people going "I wish they could do more".

Well here's a character which isn't stuck as being used as a major selling product (you guys know what I mean by that) therefore giving them the ability to change things up and everyone's crying foul because it doesn't stick to the old ways and they'd rather it stay stagnant.

To quote Bill Cosby: "This is not Burger King! You can't have it your way!"

Now I'm buying Trials of Shazam and I'm definitely looking forward to Jeff Smith's mini as well. Because I am glad to see a classic Shazam represented. Definitely good as a side story. But to fit along with what else is going on in the DCU, I'm glad to see Trials going and the character development there.

You don't go with the times, you're gonna end up with another Plastic Man series. A strange looking book that no one really knew what to do with or how to treat it and it didn't end well.

[SpyGuy]

its too generic looking for me,perez's art. the other previews are very fine, chaykin's, porter's and smith's.

Perez's art is too "generic-looking," hunh? Funny, I must have missed where extremely detailed backgrounds and distinctive character faces became "generic."

[bluebird]

Yeah I agree with what you're saying. What we have here are fans who refuse to let characters move forward and evolve. You can't keep characters stagnant. We complain enough about Batman and Superman being stagnant because they're corporate icons and therefore really can't be tinkered with. And we get plenty of great stories regardless, yet there's always people going "I wish they could do more".

Well here's a character which isn't stuck as being used as a major selling product (you guys know what I mean by that) therefore giving them the ability to change things up and everyone's crying foul because it doesn't stick to the old ways and they'd rather it stay stagnant.

To quote Bill Cosby: "This is not Burger King! You can't have it your way!"

Now I'm buying Trials of Shazam and I'm definitely looking forward to Jeff Smith's mini as well. Because I am glad to see a classic Shazam represented. Definitely good as a side story. But to fit along with what else is going on in the DCU, I'm glad to see Trials going and the character development there.

You don't go with the times, you're gonna end up with another Plastic Man series. A strange looking book that no one really knew what to do with or how to treat it and it didn't end well.


I don't think DC has really given Captain Marvel's "Golden Age" formula a chance post-Crisis, and certainly not since "Power of Shazam" was cancelled. If you look at Ross' treasury book, or JUSTICE, you see Captain Marvel played straight and in the modern DCU and he works just fine. His JSA appearances and his Family's 52 apperances also work perfectly fine as keeping the core concept in tact but putting it in the modern DCU and in the year 2006. WHile those books have a lot more going for them then the Marvel aspects, I think a straight forward Captain Marvel book by talented A-List creators would sell just fine.

I don't mind change, but we don't see Superman, Batman or Wonder Woman getting the sorts of extreme make over the Marvel Family's currently getting (Captain Marvel's not even Captain Marvel anymore!) Well, there was a time when we did--ElectroSupes, Az-Bats, Diana and Artemis as dueling WOnder WOmen), but those were temporary. Hopefully, TRIALS OF will be too, but, if that's the case, it seems like a futile excercise.

And PLASTIC MAN by Kyle Baker was NOT old-school, original flavor Plasitc Man. It was Kyle Baker's wacky new take.

I think both Plas and Cap should be on the same level as the Trinity in the DCU, but no creators seem to agree (or, the ones that do don't seem willing to get a monthly going).

[Beefy McHuge]

Perez's art is too "generic-looking," hunh? Funny, I must have missed where extremely detailed backgrounds and distinctive character faces became "generic."
I love Perez and I find this preview underwhelming. I think he tends to draw Marvel characters better than DC characters.

[Scarlet Mage]

It does seem a bone-headed move to undercut your attempts at a Captain Marvel revamp with another retro Shazam tale. Had DC paid for it already and is throwing it out there to make some of that money back? That's the only reason I can think of for doing it. And when did Billy become so young in the origin? I think I'll give this ode to yester-century a pass like I have every other attempt at presenting Captain Marvel as if it's still the Forties...

And BTW, if you can get all excited at seeing five pages of art, the rest of us can get turned off by it too. Maybe if Jeff Smith's next DC project is more than redoing CC Beck's work with better production values I'll give it a try. Bone was never to my taste so I doubt that...

[Michael D.]

From the B & B solicit:

"The trail leads to Ventura, the gambling planet…"

Ventura The Gambling Planet?

VENTURA THE GAMBLING PLANET?!?

Jesus, it sounds like some bad Star Trek fanfic written by an 11-year old.

Why must I always be reminded I'm about 25 years older than the target audience? *sigh*

[Munch]

How many issues does Smith have to sell to convince DC to go more classic rather than more modern (and by modern, I mean 1999) with the Captain Marvel franchise? I sorely wish Smith could do a monthly, or someone capable of doing a Smith-style could follow that up with a monthly...

It's amazing DiDiot is letting the Jeff Smith series see the light of day, what with the absence of rape and degradation in the book.

Perhaps he'll fix it for the hardcover.

[Bloodmage]

I think the Jeff Smith preview looks good too guys, but really, can you really say based off 5 pages of origin recap that "He gets it. He really gets it!"? He got what? The origin of Captain Marvel? The art style? Because that's really about all we see here in the preview. I'm not saying it's going to be bad, or that he doesn't get it, I'm just saying that before you decree someone's product is amazing, you might want to read it first.

[Cray_ws]

I think the Jeff Smith preview looks good too guys, but really, can you really say based off 5 pages of origin recap that "He gets it. He really gets it!"? He got what? The origin of Captain Marvel? The art style? Because that's really about all we see here in the preview. I'm not saying it's going to be bad, or that he doesn't get it, I'm just saying that before you decree someone's product is amazing, you might want to read it first.yeah I noticed that too, even more hypocritical is that they lamblast Winick's preview which doesn't really show any origin scenes. I mean Smith's preview is issue #1 and Winick's is issue #4.

[ducktales23]

It's amazing DiDiot is letting the Jeff Smith series see the light of day, what with the absence of rape and degradation in the book.

Perhaps he'll fix it for the hardcover.
I think thats exaggerating a bit.

This Jeff Smith Shazam looks amazing! I can understand DC's point with wanting to grow the character a bit in continuity, while keeping the origin the same. I mean how many times can you do an origin story and have it sell? All characters have to grow and develop, even Batmans and Supermans. And then a Crisis can come along and take things back the way they used to be.

"So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past."

[LunarDaydreamer]

Smith's Captain Marvel was an absolutely magical few pages. Brilliant all ages stuff and everything that's missing from modern day comics.

[NielsVanEekelen]

However, in the scheme of things, Smith's work may only sell to pre-existing Captain Marvel fans, and that would be more or less a failure as far as DC is concerned.
Don't forget the pre-existing Smith fans--who, thanks to the Scholastic Bone books, continue to grow in numbers, particularly in the much desired younger age brackets.

Me, the only part of the Captain Marvel franchise I've ever really been interested in is Geoff Johns's take on Black Adam, but Monster Society looks like a likely buy. (Once the collection comes out, that is.)

[The Mirrorball Man]

From the B & B solicit:

"The trail leads to Ventura, the gambling planet…"

Ventura The Gambling Planet?

VENTURA THE GAMBLING PLANET?!?

Jesus, it sounds like some bad Star Trek fanfic written by an 11-year old.

Why must I always be reminded I'm about 25 years older than the target audience? *sigh*
Well either it's a planet called Ventura where there's a lot of gambling going on, and it sucks, OR it's a living planet who calls herself Ventura because she thinks it sounds cool and who spends her time gambling all over the universe, which is a great idea. I should write every book.

[Ravager]

The Captain Marvel stuff looks sweeeet. Will hopefully get Trials of Shazam in trade.

[Beefy McHuge]

It's amazing DiDiot is letting the Jeff Smith series see the light of day, what with the absence of rape and degradation in the book.

Perhaps he'll fix it for the hardcover.
Just like he fixed New Frontier, the Plastic Man trades, Superman/Shazam and pretty much anything that wasn't Identity Crisis, right? :rolleyes:

[EmeraldGuy32]

That God Saves the Queen thing looks amazing.

[maxx]

sooo i'm picking up that jeff smith book. I'm familar with his bone comics merly cuz when i was lil i picked up the disney adventures for years and read bone in their. I've been meaning to pick up that huge ass dictionary version of all the issues.

Now why am i picking up jeff smiths shazam. Well...its not like i was a shazam fan before. I've been curious about him, basically the only or one of the only people who can go toe to toe with superman.

Now the art in this..literally made me excited..i havent been excited from the art ...well..ever. I love comics and i will get drawn in from the plot...but i have never been excited before. Its like when i read harry potter before i got sucked into this fantasy world...where i ignored everything around me and was just absorbed in this adventure harry was going on. This comic made me feel like i was looking at a disney cartoon, the expressions and maurisms were that of a well animated...comic. I know that sounds weird. But i am literally exstatic about this after seeing these pages.

Shazam has gotten a new fan.

[CodeGuy]

yeah I noticed that too, even more hypocritical is that they lamblast Winick's preview which doesn't really show any origin scenes. I mean Smith's preview is issue #1 and Winick's is issue #4.

There's nothing hypocritical about that. We're saying we like what we've seen so far of Smith's version. If that wasn't reasonable, then posting the previews at all would be pointless.

Also, read the comments about Winick's version again. People aren't "lamblasting" ( or even lambasting) Winick based on a preview. Pretty much everyone is talking about the series in general, including the issues they've already read. So if people don't like it, that's reasonable, not hypocritical.

[Drcharles]

So what are the cvrs to Brave & Bold going to be like ?
Is it the Batman solo figure we see, in the Preview, and the same again for GL ?

Glad I didn't order Shazam Monster Society, judging by the art it looks crap yeah I know the majority on these posts are in favour, but I don't see anything to be impressed by !

[Mack]

The Shazam re-vamp is going the same place as The Aquaman and The Flash and the Wonder Woman and the Blue Beetle and the etc., etc. re-vamps. Straight ahead to a dead-end wall. The re-envisioning craze, no matter how much it sells at the start, is an obvious gimmick that always ends the same place: some horrible All-Star version where the hero calls his sidekick "retarded." There's a reason certain versions of certain characters are considered "classic." Now, I know "classic" means "old" to my MTV generation, but it turns out we have better taste, after all, than anybody could've predicted. They'd be better off just re-drawing "old" - or "classic," whatever you want to call them - stories than pulling out minority identities, sexed-up teens, undead, AIDsy sidekicks and lesbian Batwomen for shock value. The Smith series, though, will win an Eisner and sell less than Marvel's seventeenth zombie sequel.

[Lex]

I think the Jeff Smith preview looks good too guys, but really, can you really say based off 5 pages of origin recap that "He gets it. He really gets it!"? He got what? The origin of Captain Marvel? The art style? Because that's really about all we see here in the preview. I'm not saying it's going to be bad, or that he doesn't get it, I'm just saying that before you decree someone's product is amazing, you might want to read it first.
Are you refering to my post when I said Smith gets the concept? If so, I was including previous interviews and other released artwork with these five preview pages. All of that combined gives me the assumption that Smith's work will more closely fit my idea of how a Captain Marvel story should be.

If people are enjoying Trials, then that's wonderful. I personally don't like it, but I'm glad there are people out there who enjoy the current Marvel Family stories, because these are some of the best characters in comics. But there seems to be an assumption that any attempt to move characters forward is a positive thing. Progress is usually good, but sometimes you can change something so much as to make it almost unrecognizable.

Like a rubber band, you can only stretch these characters so far before some of them have to snap back. A lot of the changes that have been tried over the years have eventually been reversed. Not all, though, and in those cases the change worked for the better. We'll see in time whether this change to Captain Marvel will remain or snap back.

[dcbill]

Ventura, the gambling planet

Didn't DC use this way back in the mid-60s or thenabouts? I always kind of liked the concept, in a semi-cheesy Silver Age sort of way.

[Brenticles]

I really don't see why people are so excited about the Jeff Smith Shazam. Those few pages are nothing to excite; the art is so simplistic. And how old is Billy supposed to be? Three? I really don't get it, if I wanted a more childish version I'd read the 40's comics. But hey, if you want it I hope you enjoy it. I wouldn't buy it at $3 let alone $6...well maybe for my niece that's seven years old.

Trials of Shazam has been a lot of fun. It is enjoyable to see a different take on a character. Will it stick? Should it stick? I don’t know, but right now it is fun, and a considerably better product than Winick has been doing on Outsiders. I finally dropped that a wrote a letter to DC it has gotten so horrible.

[bluebird]

Also, read the comments about Winick's version again. People aren't "lamblasting" ( or even lambasting) Winick based on a preview. Pretty much everyone is talking about the series in general, including the issues they've already read. So if people don't like it, that's reasonable, not hypocritical.

Yeah, I read the first two issues of TRIALS OF..., as well as the previous Winick-written Marvel stuff, so I feel I have enough to go on in forming an opinion that it's not for me.

[vbartilucci]

Who's the maniac that placed the TRIALS OF SHAZAM preview right after the Jeff Smith SHAZAM story? Freddy Freeman with a soul patch? In army fatigues? A villain in a belly shirt?! Aggghrrr! How many issues does Smith have to sell to convince DC to go more classic rather than more modern (and by modern, I mean 1999) with the Captain Marvel franchise? I sorely wish Smith could do a monthly, or someone capable of doing a Smith-style could follow that up with a monthly...

I rather liked the dichotomy. Light shining down, revealing all the cracks and spots you couldn't see in the semi-darkness. Nothing like seeing something done well to make you realize how much you've been settling. Kind of like when they had a scene from a classic Pink Panther scene in the Roberto Begnini Panther film: it was funnier than anything in the movie.

Ladies and Gentlemen, THIS is Captain Marvel.

It saddens me that once 52 is over, that'll be it for the classic Cap for what I predect will be at least 3 years, while they try desperately to convince us this Bold New Direction is a good idea.

But don't worry. I survived "Shazam A New Beginning" where they made Billy Batson an abused child. This too shall pass, and a new Jerry Ordway will arise that will bring us a version of Cap that will make us cheer.

Then it won't sell, and they'll see if adding a little leather to the costume will help.

Personally, I think the best place for Classic Cap is in the Johnny DC line. And before you accuse me of throwing away the character, look at some of the killer stories they've told in JLUnlimited and tell me that sometimes it's a breath of fresh air, and a style of comics that we don't all sorely miss.

of course, I liked the !mpact titles, so whadda I know?

[Mundungus]

I was actually fond of Porter's earlier work than his Shazam stuff.

But hot diggity damn does the Jeff Smith Shazam look awesome! I miss Bone...

And Brave and the Bold seems good. It almost seemed kind of corky when i read the first pages, but then it picked up. I'll try it out.

[gwangung]

I think some of the people complaining about revamps miss the point. They're focussing on all the surface details and mistaking that for the substance.They're focussing in on the transient styles like soul patches, and are thus, just as clueless about what makes the concept work as the people they're criticizing. Just because Smith works for them doesn't mean it works for everyone (let alone meaning that it's the "right" way to do it).

Much of what made Captain Marvel work isn't DIRECTLY translatable to today. Wide-eyed innocence is gone at earlier ages, and attempts to recapture that has to drive the age of the character to earlier ages than before. You can only go so far with that (and tend to lose your younger audience way before that anyway, as they have no patience or appreciation of innocnce as a virture--they want to lose their as quickly as possible....).

But sense of wonder? Well, that can translate....but, again not quite the same as before. There are all sorts of wonders even in this society, and a Captain Marvel could mine that vein of urban fantasy. I think it would be more successful if they tried to get Captain marvel to work in more thematic ways rather than just ape what worked in the past.

[Duke Jupiter]

Putting the two Shazam projects alongside each other in the previews only reminds me I made the right choice in supporting the Jeff Smith book when it comes out. The other one's not for me, plain and simple.

Oh, and I'm still amazed by the 'generic' comment applied to Perez's work for B&B. If anything, everybody caught up to what Perez innovated in sequential storytelling methods thirty years ago so his work seems commonplace. His first Avengers run will soon be reprinted in Marvel's 'Essential' series for anyone curious.

Perez is not so much of an innovator these days, but he's a legend still at the top of his game doing solid work, and it's a real treat to see new art from the man. Your mileage may vary.


- DJ

[richstanz]

Much of what made Captain Marvel work isn't DIRECTLY translatable to today. Wide-eyed innocence is gone at earlier ages, and attempts to recapture that has to drive the age of the character to earlier ages than before. You can only go so far with that (and tend to lose your younger audience way before that anyway, as they have no patience or appreciation of innocnce as a virture--they want to lose their as quickly as possible....).

Hmm, that may be true, but like bluebird said:
I don't think DC has really given Captain Marvel's "Golden Age" formula a chance post-Crisis, and certainly not since "Power of Shazam" was cancelled. If you look at Ross' treasury book, or JUSTICE, you see Captain Marvel played straight and in the modern DCU and he works just fine. His JSA appearances and his Family's 52 apperances also work perfectly fine as keeping the core concept in tact but putting it in the modern DCU and in the year 2006.

How often did writers handle Billy Batson growing up in the 90s and 2000s? Its more frustration with wasted potential than resistance to change.

Something that I thought really summed up the Shazam family really well in modern context was Blue Beetle's line in "Countdown" - that Fawcett City looks like it exists out of time. That's an idea that I think can work.
It doesn't mean the Shazam comics need to have the tone of the 1950s, but the Shazam family can have a "classic" morality in a modern setting. If its not about writing books that sound 60 years old, but writing characters who stand behind their beliefs in a world that's not quite theirs. I feel like that would connect to longtime Shazam readers AND people who think the concept is too dated.
I actually really like all that has been done with Black Adam in making him the the opposite of Shazam - including how he adapts to the modern world.

But sense of wonder? Well, that can translate....but, again not quite the same as before. There are all sorts of wonders even in this society, and a Captain Marvel could mine that vein of urban fantasy. I think it would be more successful if they tried to get Captain marvel to work in more thematic ways rather than just ape what worked in the past.

To be honest, I don't think Shazam works as a straight superhero book - its more suited to fantasy and humor and children's adventure. Its about magic and talking tigers and evil worms and Egyptian gods. There are too many weird concepts that are just tossed out there for it to be about bad guys with bazookas in the desert. I haven't seen too many writers attempt to see if those fantasy ideas could work in a modern setting before giving up on them.

I've heard there is a Shazam movie in the works, to be written by William Goldman - author of the Princess Bride. That seems to be right tone for a Captain Marvel - rather than trying to confine it to one genre, the author should try to weave in and out of different styles.

I don't mind change, but we don't see Superman, Batman or Wonder Woman getting the sorts of extreme make over the Marvel Family's currently getting (Captain Marvel's not even Captain Marvel anymore!)
...
Hopefully, TRIALS OF will be too, but, if that's the case, it seems like a futile excercise.

I'll admit, its a shame that Batson is no longer Capt. Marvel, but even in the Smith pages, it acknowledges the wizard won't be Shazam forever - he needs a replacement.
And to be honest, the idea of "CM3" just didn't work, in my opinion, and they needed to find a way around that.
The idea of promoting Batson to the Shazam position has been there (at least for awhile) - its just there's a lot of potential in the idea of a 13 year old boy being stuck having to guard the Rock of Eternity for, well, eternity. Is Winnick's series handling that dramatic conflict at all?

[Scarlet Mage]

I rather liked the dichotomy. Light shining down, revealing all the cracks and spots you couldn't see in the semi-darkness. Nothing like seeing something done well to make you realize how much you've been settling. Kind of like when they had a scene from a classic Pink Panther scene in the Roberto Begnini Panther film: it was funnier than anything in the movie.

Now reverse your intention, and the childish simplicity of Monster Society makes everything that Winick is doing to bring Captain Marvel JR into the new millenium seem even more golden. I've been reading Shazam since the revival in the 70's and have had to drop each revival because it doesn't work for me. Considering how many failures the Marvel Family has had I think I'm not in a small percentage. Either give up and just let Marvel have the only Captain Marvel or find some way of presenting the character and concepts that resonate with enough readers to drive sales. Yes, Monster Society might get sales with the Bone connection and the disaffected who were one of six people buying a previous incarnation but declare it an ongoing and I doubt it'd make it past twenty-three issues. Winick knows how to drive sales. Outsiders is in the forties now and is still the writer. The soon to not be creative team on the new Flash series got seven. Manhunter was excellent but sales have driven a stake through its heart. Winick's version looks to have legs and is interesting. I'm just sorry he didn't make Freddy gay. He makes every third character he writes gay and he couldn't do it to the one that I had a thing for back when I was realizing I was a big fat homo? Life sucks.

And wasn't Ventura a Battlestar planet? Or am I thinking She-Thing.

[BornToRun]

It's a good time to be a GL fan. Take a look at those!

[Zugernaut]

I'm buying the Jeff Smith books. To each his own, of course, but IMO you'd have to be nuts to read that preview and then the atrocity that follows it and somehow prefer the Winick stuff. That is not Captain Marvel, and it will not last. The Jeff Smith material looks like an instant classic.

[tarjeetb]

I take this all to mean that the "definitive" Ordway origin is no longer definitive....

[DaVeO]

Am I the only one who thinks Chaykin pencils with an ugly stick? Have to get Brave and the Bold though.

[khuxford]

Am I the only one who thinks Chaykin pencils with an ugly stick? Have to get Brave and the Bold though.

Lately? I'd very much agree on that ugly stick.

[Kolimar]

Perez' art looks great as usual but that preview didn't do much for me.

[Kolimar]

Chaykin's aliens are good.

[Kolimar]

http://www.newsarama.com/dcnew/Nov06/previews/IBIS_10001.jpg

Now, that was one cool preview that made me sit up and pay attention. :D

[Brenticles]

Am I the only one who thinks Chaykin pencils with an ugly stick? Have to get Brave and the Bold though.
Totally agree.

[Mercury]

good lord, does that Jeff Smith Captain Marvel look amazing. All this time DC has said they didnt know how to do C.M relevant or make him work, all they need do was not worry about relevance at all and just make a whimsical, amazing looking Cap like that. If only they'd get Jeff Smith on a regular title and work out with Marvel to call it "Captain Marvel" instead of "Shazam!".