Shazam! The New Beginning #4 (1987)

Shazam! The New Beginning #4 (July, 1987)
""A" is for Courage... "M" is for Speed...!"
Writers - Roy & Dann Thomas
Artist - Tom Mandrake
Letterer - Agustin Mas
Colorist - Joe Orlando
Cover Price: $0.75

Wow, look at that cover... Norman Osborn is pissed off!

Wrapping up my introduction to the post-Crisis Captain Marvel today, if you need to catch up please check out these discussions: #1, #2, #3.

--

When last we left Cap, he was about to be strapped into Dr. Sivana's dimension-hopping machine.  As we open, we find that Cap is now in fact strapped in and ready to go!

Sivana and Black Adam bicker over Doc's use of the laser contraption last issue.  Despite his dramatic denial, Adam knows full well that Sivana created the laser with him in mind.  On the television, then-current President of the United States Ronald Reagan is discussing the recent aircraft hijacking.  Reagan, who plays a rather large role himself during the Legends crossover, states that he refuses to bargain with terrorists.

This is not what Adam wanted to hear.  He thinks that perhaps he and Sivana's plan wasn't quite extreme enough.  Maybe if he were to begin slaughtering hostages (and conveniently, he says aloud where they're being held) the United States government will take him seriously.  He leaves through one of the several holes in poor Thad's roof, but first tells Sivana he'd best be blasting the Big Red Cheese to limbo with the quickness.

With Adam now gone, squirrely Sivana attempts to broker a deal with Captain Marvel.  He promises to release him from the contraption if he agrees to serve him.  Naturally, Cap tells Doc to pound salt.

Just as the switch is about to be thrown, Uncle Dudley bursts on the scene smashing Sivana in the face with a thick blue tome.

Sivana instinctively goes for his pistol, and blows a hole in poor Dudley's right shoulder.  In all the confusion Billy Shazams-down to his human form, which allows him to slip out of the interdimensional machine.  He waits until he has Sivana's full attention before returning to his Captain Marvel form, which blows Thad's mind six way from Sunday.

Cap briefly plays with Sivana's machine and heads out to cut Black Adam to the chase while Dudley holds Sivana at gunpoint until the police arrive.

Captain Marvel arrives at Big Sur peninsula, which is the top-secret location Black Adam so carelessly let slip in Sivana's lab, and after getting a surprise preemptive strike a battle begins to rage.

This is a very entertaining battle... watching these two powerhouses just absolutely lay in to one another.  At one point, Captain Marvel actually throws the top of a mountain at Black Adam... which Adam then swats away.  You get the feeling that several miles away from the fracas there are windows shattering from the impact of their blows!

Using the wisdom of Solomon, Captain Marvel knows there's gotta be a better way to take care of his foe.  He flees from battle, heading back toward Sivana's, and Adam immediately gives chase.  Inside the lab, Cap Shazams-down to bite-size Billy, and goads Adam into throwing a punch.

Billy ducks the blow, and Adam winds up punching the switch that controls Sivana's diabolical dimension hopping device... Black Adam is caught in the blast, and is thrown back into the nether realm from which he'd been summoned.

With the immediate threat neutralized, Cap flies back to Big Sur to rescue the hostages.  He drags the craft from an underground cave to a nearby beach, and changes back to Billy before the hostages know who saved them.

As the adventure comes to a close, we learn that Billy has been offered the position of newscaster for special features at K-WHIZ TV by our old friend, and pick-pocket Mrs. Thickert.  His first guest is a fella by the name of G. Gordon Godfrey, who we will get a better feel for during DC Legends.

Billy's interview is aired far and wide, including in a tiny run-down cantina, where one patron is especially interested.  Dr. Sivana, who managed to give ol' Dudley the slip, ran down Mexico way to drown his sorrows in a bottle of tequila.  He thinks how if he only had a partner... he could take Captain Marvel down.  As luck would have it, there's a particularly sinister worm at the bottom of his bottle...

--

After a bit of a slow start, this miniseries really hit its stride.  I found myself enjoying this a lot more than I thought I would.  As I've said multiple times during this Marvel-ous journey, when it comes right down to it... I don't know a whole lot about this character.  Like many folks out there, I can honestly say I like him, and think he's a really cool idea... but cannot for the life of my qualify that statement.  Now, after experiencing his reimagining for the post-Crisis DC Universe I feel as though I have a bit more knowledge on the subject.

The Thomas' do a great job of shifting our man from Captain Marvel to Billy dependent on the situation.  Very creative uses of this novel concept.  Having Billy become a TV news reporter pays homage to his earlier incarnation's roots as a radio newscaster, but with a more contemporary 1980's feel and sensibilities.  The way in which he banished Black Adam was perhaps a bit too convenient, and ultimately anticlimactic.  I suppose it makes sense that Adam would be undone by his hubris, but after all the build up, it was a bit underwhelming to me.

I feel that Tom Mandrake was sorta-kinda miscast here.  While I enjoy his take on the civilians, and Billy in his child-form, his Captain Marvel just looks off.  After really liking his take in the first issue, things changed moving forward.  I've joked a time or two that he looked like Norman Osborn... or they at least have the same barber.  I guess I just prefer a squeaky-clean looking Captain Marvel rather than this arguably grittier look.  I've bagged on the DC Animated style in the past, but even I gotta admit, that look (to me) is tailor-made for the Marvel Family.

This issue was a great way to wrap this series up.  The resolution was both satisfying and left room for a continuation.  I gotta wonder how this one sold being as though there was no proper follow-up.  It seemed as though it was tailor made for a revisit, what with Dr. Sivana slipping through Dud's fingers, and hinting toward his inevitable team-up with Mr. Mind.  This series (at least as it pertains to the narrative) leads directly into the DC crossover Legends (even though, in actuality Legends shipped it's final issue the same month this series shipped its first).  In newsstand time, this series released around the same time as the Giffen/DeMatteis Justice League, in which Captain Marvel was (all too) briefly a member.

This entire run is recommended to check out, and shouldn't be too terribly difficult to track down on the cheap.

--

Interesting Ads:

Shazam! The New Beginning #3 (1987)

Shazam! The New Beginning #3 (June, 1987)
""A" is for Stamina... "Z" is for Power..."
Writers - Roy & Dann Thomas
Artist - Tom Mandrake
Letterer - Agustin Mas
Colorist - Carl Gafford
Cover Price: $0.75

Today I'm going to continue pursuing my degree in Shazamology by working my way further through the Big Red Cheese's post-Crisis origin tale.  Only one issue to go after this one.  Let's get to it!

Of course, if you need to catch up check out my earlier discussions:
Shazam! The New Beginning #1
Shazam! The New Beginning #2

--

Following the events of the previous chapter, a dejected Captain Marvel (along with Uncle Dudley) returns to the roof of Unc's apartment building.  Cap is lamenting his inability to stop Black Adam from escaping with the aircraft, and fears that the powers he's been granted are only good for breaking things.

After changing back to Billy, they head downstairs.  Following a brief run-in with banana bread brandishing nosy neighborette, Mrs. Peebles, the Batson men retire to the comfort of Dud's living room.  After turning on the television, the pair watches a piece from K-WHIZ Station Manager Emily Thickert which is discussing the events that occurred over the desert last issue.

The News update ends with a request for any citizens who have any information to come forward.  Billy feels this is his opportunity to make things right, however, Dudley prevents him from making that call.  He reminds Billy that while he did witness the event, he really has no other information.  This is a wonderful illustration of Billy's boyish naivete.  Still a child, he was more willing to act on impulse rather than think things through.

Dudley makes up the couch for Billy (couldn't give the poor boy your bed, Dud?  C'mon...) and reties for the evening.  Once Billy is sure his Unc' is asleep, he slips away and SHAZAMs over to the K-WHIZ Building to chat up Ms. Thickert.

Before entering, he changes back to Billy.  He finds it easy to make his way through the building as he feels that adults don't notice kids... and as it turns out, even at this late hour he is absolutely right in this instance.

Billy enters Thickert's office and approaches her with his recounting of the occurrence over the desert, leaving out all the "Big Red" parts of the tale.  Thickert is amazed that Billy seems to know things about the story that hadn't yet been released to the public, and may even sort of believe him.  She excuses herself and invites Billy to make himself comfortable while she attends to some paperwork.

Billy winds up falling asleep on her couch only to be awakened by the familiar voices of Beautia and Magnificus Sivana.  While he was out, Thickert snapped his ID out of his pocket, found out where he lived, and made a call.  The Sivana Siblings claim that Billy's just a confused runaway who doesn't really know what he's saying.

Before they can "claim" him, he SHAZAMs up and hops out the office window.  He decides to search out the old wizard Shazam... by bashing his way through the abandoned subway tunnel in which they'd first met.  As it turns out, the brick wall he'd found in the first chapter was just a bit of wizard's magic made to keep people out of the holy chamber.

Billy approaches the empty stone throne, and notices an unlit brazier in the vicinity.  Bashing a couple of rocks together makes enough of a spark to ignite a flame.  This causes the ethereal form of Shazam to materialize atop the throne.

The two discuss the recent appearance of Black Adam, leading to Shazam sharing Adam's origin story.  As it turns out Black Adam (then Teth-Adam) was given his God-like powers by the wizard Shazam himself.  After using his great gift in constructive ways, Adam comes to the realization that with the power he wields he can not only rule over men and kingdoms... but the world as well!  Shazam was unable to strip Adam of his powers or even harm him.  Instead, he banishes Adam to another realm... as far as the farthest star.  The realm from which Sivana has apparently freed him.

Captain Marvel takes off to the Sivana home straightaway.  He breaks in through the roof to find the three Sivanas having a contentious chat.  As Cap approaches the Doc, Magnificus bashes him in the back with a piece of heavy machinery... to absolutely no effect.

Black Adam suddenly breaks into the scene... putting another hole in the Sivana roof.  Billy launches him back through the roof (hole #4 at this point!) with a well-placed uppercut.  The two battle in the sky above Sivana's neighborhood before they both careen back through the Sivana roof (there's five!).

When they land, the Doc blasts Captain Marvel in the back with his "Secret Weapon", which actually does prove to be effective.  This displeases Black Adam greatly, as he assumes that Sivana only crafted the device to eventually use on him.  Adam demands that Captain Marvel is sent to the dimension from which he was summoned... to be immediately proceeded by the destruction of Sivana's machinery which would spell eternal banishment for our Big Red Cheese.

--

Loving this series more with each subsequent issue.  This chapter really played with the duality of the Captain Marvel/Billy Batson dynamic.  While Marvel has the appearance of an adult, he still is very much a boy.  He acts impetuously and follows his inexperienced "gut".  In this issue, his naivety got him into a few jams.

There was also a bit of duality played with within the Sivana family.  Magnificus is clearly more on the side of the Doc, while Beautia leans more neutral... to the point where just prior to Captain Marvel's arrival it is plainly stated that the Doc was physically hitting her.  We've seen previously that Beautia has a bit of a soft spot for Billy, while Mag is somewhere between indifferent and antagonistic toward the boy.  I really enjoyed witnessing this twisted family's dynamic.

There really isn't all that much more to add.  I do have to say, the further I make in this series the more I feel that perhaps Tom Mandrake was a bit of a miscast for Captain Marvel.  I can't really qualify that statement, it's really just a feeling I'm getting.

Thus far this series has proven to be both quite entertaining as well as quite informative for a Captain Marvel novice such as myself.  I'm looking forward to seeing how this one plays out, and eventually hunting down the rest of Jerry Ordway's Power of Shazam! volume as well.

--

Interesting Ads:

We could use an ad like this Now!

Shazam! The New Beginning #2 (1987)

Shazam! The New Beginning #2 (May, 1987)
""S" is for Wisdom... "H" is for Strength..."
Writers - Rey & Dann Thomas
Penciller - Tom Mandrake
Inker - Jan Duursema
Letterer - Agustin Mas
Colorist - Carl Gafford
Cover Price: $0.75

During my semi-recent endeavor to actually learn a thing or two about the Big Red Cheese, I just so happened to luck across the remaining three parts I needed of Shazam! The New Beginning during a fortuitous jaunt through the local cheap-o bins.

After a good, if not somewhat befuddling opening chapter let's see how this series' sophomore issue fares.

*Note: If you need to be brought up to (the) speed (of Mercury), check out my coverage of Shazam! The New Beginning #1.

--

Continuing directly from the previous issue's cliffhanger, Black Adam has emerged from Dr. Sivana's lab-portal.  He is speaking in an odd tongue that Thad can't quite grasp.  Frustrated, Adam destroys everything in the basement laboratory, before setting his sights on the puny little doctor.

Adjusting himself to be able to speak in a contemporary tongue, Black Adam threatens to kill Sivana so that he can never be sent back from where he came.  He ultimately thinks better of it, realizing that perhaps the Doc can be of more use to him alive... as his own personal slave.

Curious to his current whereabouts, Adam grabs Sivana and flies them both through the roof of the decrepit mansion.  They arrive at the nearby Golden Gate Bridge... oh yeah, we're in San Francisco... not Fawcett City, grumble grumble...

Atop the bridge, Sivana comes to the realization that his presumably extra-dimensional guest doesn't hail from another dimension at all... but from the distant past.  Adam discusses places which tie his origins to ancient Egypt including the Nile and Memphis (probably not our Memphis).  Black Adam decides he will not destroy the world, as he feels he is instead destined to rule it.  Sivana accepts his role as a servant, though has designs on a slave uprising.

We now rejoin young Billy Batson, who is writing the word SHAZAM in the sands of Stimson Beach... and watching the tide come in to wash it away.  He decides to go to the nearby bus depot with hopes that he may be able to afford a fare to Albuquerque where he can reconnect with his kind Uncle Dudley.

With only twenty bucks to his name, the Greyhound employee tells him he'll only go as far as Sacramento.  A disappointed Billy suddenly feels a hand on his shoulder, he swings around to find his supposed-sister Beautia.  She apologizes for orchestrating the ruse back at the family court, and offers to give him $200 so that he can go be with Dudley.  She also lets it slip that there may be more than meets the eye in regard to his parent's fatal car accident... with Dr. Sivana mixed up in it somehow.

After an uncomfortable and uneventful bus ride, Billy arrives at the theater where his Uncle is performing his magic act.  The ticket-taker refuses to let the boy in, as the theater is also showing movies that are Rated R.  Billy excuses himself to a nearby alley, and says him a magic word... and emerges as Captain Marvel.  The shocked and befuddled ticket-taker grants him entry.

Inside, ol' Dudley's act ain't going all that great.  He's getting heckled by a couple of jerks in the crowd... Captain Marvel "suggest" they cool their jets and keep their mouths shut, before joining his unaware Uncle on stage as his special volunteer.

Cap enters a large box on the stage, and lets out a SHAZAM just as his Uncle says his own magic words.  The box flops to the stage, revealing a young boy standing where a full-grown man once was.  The pair have a touching reunion, and Billy promises he'll explain everything that's gone on.

Billy and Dudley spend the night at Dud's hotel, and Billy tells him everything that has gone on over the past few days, including the theory that Sivana was somehow behind the death of his parents.  Billy wants to head back to San Francisco to get to the bottom of it all, and Dudley agrees to join him.

Without enough money for the bus fare home, Billy SHAZAM's up and sets about flying the two back to the Bay.  On the way, Dudley gets a grumbly tummy, and asks if they can stop for some eats.  As they belly up to the bar, and Billy downs his second... or third triple-cheeseburger, an Air Force officer runs in and informs a General, who was in the middle of a cup of coffee that there's a UFO getting a little too close to a top-secret high priority aircraft that was transporting some VIPs.

Billy sees this as an opportunity to help out, so he SHAZAM's once more and takes to the skies.  As he zeroes in on the target aircraft, he can make out a small black figure making its own approach.  Before he realizes it, Black Adam socks him right in the mush, nearly knocking him out of the sky.

After regaining his bearings, Captain Marvel recognizes Black Adam from his meeting with the Wizard Shazam.  He serves up a knuckle sandwich of his own, and the now it's on!

Rather than fight fair, Adam heads straight for the aircraft and threatens to tear it in two unless Cap backs off.  Billy considers his options, and ultimately retreats.  He'd rather the inhabitants of the vessel remain alive, even if they are Black Adam's captives.

Billy hangs back as Black Adam makes off with the ship... but promises that he will one day take his pointy-eared foe down!

--

Now, this is more like it.  While I did like the first issue, this one is so much better.  Perhaps it's due to the increased action, or maybe it's just because the "origin" story is out of the way.  This issue really illustrated that no matter which body Billy inhabits, he's still a young boy.  Not the petulant New-52 Billy, nor the saccharine Fawcett version, but just a normal, perhaps impetuous, boy.

I enjoyed seeing Billy reunite with his Uncle Dudley... and really dug him coercing the hecklers.  What I didn't like was his Norman Osborne hairdo when he's in his Captain Marvel form... yikes.

My Black Adam experience is more the turn of the century version... the one that worked with the Justice Society of America... sometimes even on the same team as Captain Marvel.  Seeing him as a full-fledged villain is certainly a novelty... at least to me.  I've seen him as a bad dude before, but for all his badness (think Fifty-Two post-Infinite Crisis), his actions were justified.  Here, his motivations aren't entirely clear... though, I will say that I'm intrigued.

Overall, I really enjoyed this issue.  I thought all of the characters were well done.  Really digging this version of Billy, and even Dudley... who I initially thought I'd hate.  I'm also quite interested in what the second half of this miniseries has in store for the Sivanas, Beautia especially.  If you're a newcomer to (or just a fan of) Captain Marvel/SHAZAM! you really ought to give this one a shot.

--

Interesting Ads:

Mad Balls are to Ugly Balls... as
Lego are to Mega Bloks

I'm kind of a Suicide Squad hipster...
Liked it before it was cool