A couple new trades from DC just rocked my reading world. There will be more to post about soon, but these two can’t wait.
SHAZAM and the Monster Society of Evil by Jeff Smith just came out in hardcvoer collecting the mini seires of the same name. My very first thoughts on finishing this were that I haven’t had this much straight up FUN reading comics in a long time. I read a lot of great comics, and some of the things I read are brilliant, but this, this was just plain fun. Fun in the way comics were fun when I was ten.
Creator of BONE, Jeff Smith has re-imagined the beginnings of our youthful Billy Batson and his meeting with the Wizard that allows him to access the powers of the Gods. Because of the great artwrok Billy appears much younger. In fact the artwork was a big part of the magic, Sivana looks more sinister, Mary looks more like a little sister, especially compared to the tramp she’s becoming in the regular DC universe these days!
It also had themes simlar to the big stories I loved as a kid, invader from outer space, talking alligators and tigers, and lot of monsters. And through out the whole thing this magnificent tale also manages to thow a little light on some very modern themes including government spending and sweetheart deals, the media and homelessness.
This is a book the whole family can enjoy, and both the adult in me and the usually in charge kid in me loved it.
Another new trade collction, JUSTICE VOLUME 3 is out in hardcover as well. This wraps up the miniseries by Krueger and Ross and Braithwiate. It is a true love song written to the fore-runners of the DC Universe. Gardner Fox would be proud of these boys as would Elliott S! Maggin and Julias Schwartz and all the other men that shaoed the heroes we love to read about.
The story follows a classic formula for heroic stories. Our heroes fight, they have a set back, they rally and kick ass and when all is said and done, we’ve learned something abot ourselves. Well volume three is the rally and kick ass act of this play and it’s done to perfection. The heroes work together to find a way to go after the villians, ad they find the real threat behind it all. The only thing missing was the soundtrack to the Magnificent Seven.
In the text opening it is mentioned that some DC cartoons of a generation earlier were par tof the inspiration for the tale and it comes through as a nice homage. The story is solid though out and the artwork is stunning.
The only reason to not get this would be that you might be holding out for an all-in-one collection. I couldn’t wait and I’m glad I didn’t. This was a reminder of why i started reading comics, big stories with lots of action and lots of heroes.
I’ll be catching up on my reading soon so there should be more updates soon.