How to Start Reading Shazam Comics

Known also by his signature catchphrase “Shazam!,” Billy Batson’s superhero alter ego is the true Captain Marvel of comic books. Envisioned as the ultimate wish-fulfillment character, the Big Red Cheese is known for his amazing powers and whimsical nature. Once caught in an epic legal battle against DC’s Man of Steel, he also had a huge impact on the development of Superman.

Since then, Captain Marvel has become a staunch part of the DC Universe, even if his actual comic books are published with the “Shazam” title nowadays. The World’s Mightiest Mortal has a publication history going all the way back to the Golden Age of Comics, which means he’s got quite a bit for newcomers to get caught up with. Thankfully, he’s a bit easier to get into than other mainstream DC characters, so those wanting to become fans of Fawcett’s answer to Superman aren’t in for much of a backlog.

The Golden Age of Comics Defined Captain Marvel

Created by C.C. Beck and Bill Parker, Captain Marvel debuted in Whiz Comics #2. This origin story introduced the character’s most recurring traits, which have continued to be used in his modern adventures. Captain Marvel’s alter ego was a young boy named Billy Batson, who lived on the streets as a downtrodden by kind orphan. Through several events, he’s taken to the Rock of Eternity and meets the wizard Shazam. By speaking the wizard’s name, Billy switches bodies with an ageless strongman named Captain Marvel. It’s explained that his powers and the meaning behind the Shazam name are derived from ancient gods and Biblical figures: Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles and Mercury. Gifted incredible strength, speed and resilience, he used his new powers to combat evil threats.

These included the mad scientist Dr. Sivana, who had an impish design and a hatred of the “Big Red Cheese.” Likewise, the character also received an additional solo title called Captain Marvel Adventures, which introduced the Lieutenant Marvels, Mary Marvel (Billy’s twin sister, Mary), and Captain Marvel Jr. (a boy named Freddy Freeman who, like Billy, worked as a newsboy). These two remained children when they gained their superhero forms, adding another element of wish fulfillment. Other new concepts included Hoppy the Marvel Bunny (a Shazam-themed take on the funny animals trend) and Uncle Marvel, a comedic sidekick character who was merely a corpulent man named “Uncle” Dudley. Sivana was no longer the only threat on the block, however, with the growing Marvel Family combatting villains such as Black Adam, Captain Nazi plus Mister Mind and his Monster Society of Evil.

Several Fawcett Captain Marvel creators eventually worked on Superman, transplanting the whimsical tone into the Man of Steel’s Silver Age comics Captain Marvel and the Marvel Family were “reprinted” as the British characters Marvelman and the Marvelman Family, who eventually were repurposed by Alan Moore in the dark series Miracleman Along with Hoppy the Marvel Bunny, the original Marvel Family also had a talking humanoid tiger ally named Tawky Tawny Billy Batson’s Lieutenant Marvels were three boys who were also named Billy Batson, though this concept was quickly abandoned Elvis Presley was a big fan of Captain Marvel Junior, with his black pompadour and jumpsuits based on Freddy Freeman’s superhero alter ego

Sales of Captain Marvel’s adventures took off overnight, with the character becoming a huge hit among kids. A big part of this was that his alter ego was an actual child, whereas Superman was an adult named Clark Kent. Likewise, the stories that Captain Marvel was featured in were often whimsical and cartoonish, whereas in the Golden Age, Superman was still taking on more relatable threats such as gangsters and corrupt landlords. Soon outselling Superman, Captain Marvel and Fawcett Comics became the targets of a lawsuit that alleged that the World’s Mightiest Mortal was an infringement on Superman’s central premise. Fawcett relented, mostly due to the decline in popularity of superhero comics. Thus, the company agreed to stop publishing Captain Marvel titles, with the biggest threat to Superman lying dormant for years.

With the character ironically owned by DC Comics in the present day, it’s equally as poetic that his Golden Age adventures (which were outselling Superman) are hard to come by. The easiest format to read them is through DC’s Archives series, though the Shazam collection of these titles is hard to come by and largely out of print. Thus, collecting back issues is the most feasible way to read all of these classic adventures, and it’s also quite expensive. It’s worth noting that Golden Age comics, while valuable, are not exactly up to the standards of many modern readers. So, for anyone looking to get into Shazam comics, these outdated classics might be a bit too old-school, anyway.

The Bronze Age Brought Captain Marvel to the DC Universe

Notable Creators: Denny O’Neil, Elliot S! Maggin, E. Nelson Bridwell, Gerry Conway

The plot point of the Marvel Family being forgotten after decades was revisited cynically in Alan Moore’s Miracleman The Bronze Age featured the first of several fights between Superman and Captain Marvel Captain Marvel went on to become a member of the Justice Society in later continuities following his close interactions with them in the Bronze Age

Following an agreement with DC Comics to no longer publish the character, Fawcett abandoned its version of Captain Marvel. Eventually, DC bought out its old rival’s assets, including the Big Red Cheese. In the 1970s, this saw DC bring new stories featuring the hero to the printed page, albeit with one major change. In the interim, rival company Marvel Comics had created its own Captain Marvel, and this trademark forced DC to label the original’s new adventures with the Shazam! label on the cover. Matching the passing of time, the stories explained that Captain Marvel and the Marvel Family had been kept in suspended animation for 20 years, covering their absence. Despite this, the stories remained as optimistic, upbeat and lighthearted as ever.

Perhaps due to this old-school nature, the revived Shazam! series didn’t last long. However, the good Captain did go on to appear in backup features and crossover storylines in other books. The DC multiverse was in full swing during the Bronze Age of Comics, with the universe where the Marvel Family resided designated as Earth-S. They would often travel to different realities and encounter the heroes of both the Justice League and the Justice Society. Thus, while the comics still might be outdated to some, these classic Shazam! titles are a great way to explore how the multiverse was once handled. The series was recently collected (along with crossovers) in DC’s Shazam!: The World’s Mightiest Mortal three-part collection can be purchased through venues such as Amazon.

The Post-Crisis Universe Truly Unleashed the Power of Shazam

After the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover event, DC continuity was heavily retconned and rearranged. The multiverse was gone, with the Justice League of America, the Justice Society of America and the Marvel Family now residing on the same Earth. The character’s first major appearance was the Legends crossover, but his backstory wasn’t fleshed out until Shazam!: A New Beginning. This introduced elements such as Sivana being Billy Batson’s uncle, giving them a closer reason for connection. Unfortunately, this rebooted version of the Big Red Cheese wasn’t quite the hit that DC expected, resulting in the need for another new take on the hero a few years later. This was seen in the miniseries The Power of Shazam!, which was a four-issue storyline that started things over for Billy Batson, Sivana, Black Adam and other familiar characters. Drawn and written by Jerry Ordway in a somewhat retro fashion, it stood out among the growing trend of grim and gritty 1990s comics. A major change was that Billy retained his personality whenever he transformed into Captain Marvel, adding a greater sense of childlike wonder. Thus, it was no surprise that Orday penned the ongoing Power of Shazam! comic book that went on to run for almost 50 issues.

These did a good job of retaining the hero’s classic nature while ensuring that he was now, more than ever, a part of the DC Universe. There were crossovers with other characters, ranging from Batman to Superboy, the Superman clone from The Death of Superman. Likewise, fellow Fawcett characters were also present somehow, be they Bulletman and Bulletgirl or Ibis the Invincible. Mary Marvel also had a notable appearance in Peter David’s run on Supergirl. Reflecting his Bronze Age adventures, however, Captain Marvel was also featured in books related to both the Justice League and the Justice Society. While the former had him taking Superman’s role as the team’s heavy-hitter or playing second-fiddle to the Man of Steel (as Billy Batson idolized the Last Son of Krypton), his ties to Starman and the JSA became defining elements. The broader Shazam! mythos was tied to other heroes, including Hawkman and Dr. Fate, with the JSA and the Golden Age heroes experiencing a renaissance in the 1990s.

Perhaps the biggest development, however, was Black Adam joining the Justice Society, with his more heinous actions being the cause of his modern descendant, the criminal Theo Adam. Black Adam transitioned into a brutish, violent yet just antihero, with his place on the JSA and his ruling the kingdom of Kahndaq making him even more popular than Captain Marvel. This was especially the case after the cancelation of the Power of Shazam! book, with Captain Marvel and the Marvel Family, relegated to the status of side heroes who occasionally teamed up with other characters. For instance, Captain Marvel Junior became a Teen Titans member when that team had a completely new roster. Beyond the mainstream post-Crisis continuity, however, Captain Marvel’s biggest claim to fame in the 1990s was the dark future of the storyline Kingdom Come. There, he was controlled by Lex Luthor and Mister Mind, with Billy Batson (now an adult who looked like Captain Marvel) afraid of his alter ego due to how dark superheroes had become. Following a fight against Superman (where he once again nearly killed the Kryptonian), Captain Marvel sacrificed himself to stop a nuclear genocide.

Elements of the 2022 film Black Adam were pulled from the Justice Society of America run featuring the character Superman/Shazam: First Thunder was loosely adapted into the animated short, Superman: Shazam: The Return of Black Adam The post-Crisis era gave Billy a firm love interest in the form of fellow JSA member Courtney Whitmore, a.k.a. Stargirl Following 52, the Black Adam Family gained their own equivalent to Tawky Tawny: Sobek the crocodile

The 2000s sadly saw an increased irrelevance for Captain Marvel and the Marvel Family, with a controversial storyline involving Mary Marvel becoming “Black Mary” and falling under the sway of Black Adam. Once again, the former villain had the most development of the entire franchise, with the series 52 seeing him marrying and empowering a young woman named Adrianna Tomaz, a.k.a. Isis (based on the heroine from the Shazam! TV series spinoff, The Secrets of Isis). A popular new story titled Superman/Shazam: First Thunder featured the first meeting between the two former intercompany rivals in the new continuity. There were also several alternate universe appearances by the hero, including The Dark Knight Strikes Again (a gritty sequel to the already grim The Dark Knight Returns that also features an old Captain Marvel dying) and Justice (a miniseries homaging both the Silver/Bronze Age canon and the Super Friends cartoon, with Captain Marvel as part of the Justice League).

Following Infinite Crisis, the wizard Shazam died, with Billy Batson replacing himas the keeper of the Rock of Eternity. This culminated in the 12-issue The Trials of Shazam!, with Freddy Freeman taking on the mantle of the new wizard’s champion and using the Shazam name himself. These elements were handled haphazardly, with Billy’s further appearances in the Justice Society of America book notably ignoring them. Sadly, the seemingly renewed focus on the character and the greater push for him to be tied to magic in the DC Universe was all for naught as he drifted further from the limelight after Infinite Crisis. One major bright spot was the miniseries Shazam: The Monster Society of Evil, a family-friendly redux on the character’s first battles against Dr. Sivana and Mister Mind. Though it was outside mainstream continuity, it did lead to the series Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam!, which was the character’s first ongoing in years.

Despite how shaky the era got for the character, the post-Crisis canon had some of, if not the best Shazam! comics that weren’t simply for the youngest readers possible. The Ordway run on The Power of Shazam! was a special gem, with many seeing it as an underrated series of the 1990s. The first 23 issues of the book have recently been collected in trade paperback and digital format, and more may be on the way. Other stories such as Geoff Johns Justice Society of America run, Starman, Justice and Superman/Shazam: First Thunder are also easy to come by, physically or digitally. The latter is also the best way to read the Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam! comics. The mainstream books and child-friendly titles are the best way to get into the Big Red Cheese’s classic mythos.

The New 52 Radically Changed Captain Marvel and Shazam

The New 52 depiction of Shazam/Captain Marvel and Blak Adam heavily informed the versions seen in the DC Animated Movie Universe and the live-action DC Extended Universe The modernized “Shazam Family” first appeared in the alternate universe storyline Flashpoint, where Captain Marvel was titled Captain Thunder (the initial preliminary name in the Golden Age) A more classic, traditional take on Captain Marvel appeared in Grant Morrison’s Multiversity series during this time period

In 2011, DC Comics underwent the “New 52” reboot initiative, which heavily changed the publisher’s continuity, much like Crisis had done decades before. The multiverse was more firmly established and used in a major reversal of that reboot, with the Justice Society and related characters residing on Earth-2. Billy Batson and his supporting cast were still on Earth-1, but not without some immense alterations. For one, DC temporarily abandoned the rule of calling the character Captain Marvel in the stories themselves while labeling his comics as “Shazam” or some variation. Instead, his superhero name was now Shazam, and his family was quite different. Billy Batson was altered from a kindhearted orphan to a cynical brat in the foster care system, and he’s taken in by a foster family that includes versions of Mary and Freddy (with the former no longer related to him). Likewise, the wizard’s name was now Mamaragan, and he was depicted as resembling an Australian Aboriginal.

Black Adam’s origin was also changed, though he remained a man from ancient Kahndaq. After being introduced, “Shazam” joined the Justice League, where he had a friendship with Cyborg. To contrast him with “flying bricks” such as Superman, he also had a greater tie to magic and mysticism. As a member of the League, he played a major part in later storylines involving the team, including “Darkseid War.” While the Geoff Johns and Gary Frank Shazam! origin was successful in many ways, it was also quite controversial due to the many changes. This was the case with the New 52 as a whole, with many fans having major problems with how different things were. Nevertheless, it still proved to be an important part of “Captain Marvel’s” publication history, and due to its popularity, it’s easy to go back and read. Geoff Johns’ Shazam! and Justice League runs can be easily found in collected, single issue and digital forms, and it’s arguably the most accessible era of Shazam comics.

DC Rebirth Is the Latest Take on the First Captain Marvel

Along with the use of the moniker “The Captain,” Mary Bromfield is also back to being called Mary Marvel Black Adam briefly joined the Justice League right before the Dawn of DC era began Waid and Mora’s Shazam! series has focused more on Billy, Mary and Freddy, evoking the original version of the Marvel/Shazam Family

DC Rebirth restored much of the continuity that was changed by the New 52, with heroes such as Superman and Wonder Woman returning to their more traditional incarnations. However, these alterations weren’t across the board, with the history of Green Arrow and Aquaman being examples where things remained mostly the same following their New 52 growth. The same was true with the Shazam Family, though not for long. Geoff Johns briefly had a new run on Shazam that expanded on the themes and concepts of his New 52 reboot of the character. There was also a Shazam! tie-in miniseries to the short-lived Teen Titans Academy book, the latter of which even featured Billy Batson. Likewise, a Black Adam miniseries focused on the antihero and his descendant, who gained his own divine powers.

During the Dawn of DC relaunch, a new Shazam! ongoing was released, written and drawn by Mark Waid and Dan Mora. This continued the same classical renaissance of Waid’s Batman/Superman: World’s Finest title, and it took the opportunity to establish some more old-school elements for the Big Red Cheese. For one, the character was now known as “The Captain,” evoking his usual Captain Marvel name of old. Likewise, while he was still with his foster family, elements such as Fawcett City (the home of Billy Batson in the Ordway Power of Shazam! run and named after his former publisher) and a more whimsical tone were brought back. The series has been running for over a year, and it’s a great place for those unfamiliar with the character or who’ve only watched the live-action movies to get started. Due to its new nature, it’s easy to track down in collected form and back issues. It’s a welcome return to the more traditional take on DC’s Captain Marvel.