The Magic of SHAZAM!

As I mentioned yesterday, I've been looking forward to DC's new Magic of SHAZAM series since it was first announced last Fall. Not only because it was an honest effort on DC's part to connect with today's younger readers (something I passionately believe in), but also because I'm thrilled to see a bold, expressive cartoonist like Mike Kunkel getting the mass-audience exposure he deserves.

So, today I finally got my hands on it, had a chance to read it, and man...like an ice cream cone on a summer day...what a treat.

As both the writer and illustrator for the title, Mike Kunkel has brought a delightfully unique vision to the world of Captain Marvel without getting hung up on imitating past creators. Loosely tied into a previous SHAZAM project by Jeff Smith (which I wasn't bananas about), Kunkel jumpstarts Cap's world with a giddy cartoon energy, bursting with brilliant design and gentle humor.

Here...check out this early exchange between Cap and his little sister Mary Marvel, as they spot a runaway circus train (click on the panels for a larger view):

Note Kunkel's inventive use of multiple figures within panels two and five. In panel two, instead of confining each of the statements to their own panels, Kungel's triple-progression feels much like an animator flipping through a stack of key frames, giving Mary's motor-mouthed monologue a real sense of movement and personality.

Next up, in one of my favorite sequences, Cap assesses the situation with the train's frantic engineer. During the exchange, the boyish Billy Batson aspect of Cap briefly surfaces with charming results...

Beyond the great pacing and the cute gags, take another look at that gorgeous artwork. Speaking with my cartoonist hat on now, Kunkel's sense of expression, mass, fluid motion, and his elegant pencil work just blows my mind.  In fact, the only negative aspect of the artwork is that the panels looks so great, it's tough to stay in the story flow...since I'm too busy taking in and enjoying each panel!

Another talent of Kunkel's I really admire is his ability to craft a story just for kids without it feeling fake or condescending (like so much of children's entertainment). Having worked in the children's entertainment and education fields for almost twenty years, very few people have what it takes to craft material kids really connect with....and Kunkel is definitely one of them. His ear for natural-sounding kid dialogue and behavior is gratifying to read, knowing how well he's connecting with any kid who's lucky enough to pick up a copy.

Another indicator of Kunkel's talent is his ability to infuse the more down-to-earth scenes with the same playful spirit as his action set pieces. A great example is the exchange between Cap (posing as Billy and Mary's "father") and his school principal Ms. Strikta. Prior to the meeting, Billy/Cap struggled with how to convincingly dress like a grown up (which you can see from the red tennis shoes, he still needs to work on).

Later in the story, a young tough named Theo Adam magically appears in Billy's world, obviously the alter ego of long-time Cap villain Black Adam...who'll probably be appearing in the near future.

Obviously, I highly recommend Billy Batson and the Magic of SHAZAM.  It's part of DC's kid-oriented Johnny DC line and retails for a somewhat cheaper $2.25 (due to its newsprint stock).  For all of you who are weary of the non-stop dreariness of so many modern comics...or burned out on multi-part mega events...give Magic of SHAZAM a shot.  Even if the lighter approach isn't your thing, there's surely a kid in your life who'd enjoy something like this....so pick 'em up a copy!

UPDATE: ShadoWing, a regular reader of Comic Coverage, took the time to translate the coded messages left throughout the first issue of Magic of SHAZAM. If you bought the first issue and haven't translated the messages, click here to read them. Thanks, ShadowWing!

Comments

[felgekarp]

Thanks for pointing this out, it's not something I was aware of, more than likely due to it being a Johnny DC title but I'll be checking it out.

[phillyradiogeek]

A writer at CBR has written a ridiculously scathing review of the issue: http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2008/07/03/billy-batson-and-the-magic-of-shazam-or-comics-are-for-kids/

What bothers me is not so much that the writer thinks kids wouldn't like this , but he thinks kids shouldn't like this.

[ShadowWing Tronix]

I would have preferred something closer to Adventures in the DC Universe (some interesting Shazam! stories there), but I'll pick it up when I go this weekend and keep an open mind. I can see where the difference can be a bit jarring (he seems to be a big fan of the last series, which I avoided since that was way too much to pay for that comic), but that doesn't mean it won't be good.

[Brian Disco Snell]

Hey, wait a minute!! I wear red tennis shoes all the time!!

But then again, rumors of my grown-uppedness have always been highly exaggerated...

[mdtk]

Wonderful first issue; I'm definitely picking this up on a regular basis.