Robot 6
The rise and fall, and possible rise again, of Captain Marvel
- Posted on June 3, 2009 - 11:16 AM by Kevin Melrose
Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam! #4
NPR's Glen Weldon recounts the history of the Marvel Family, and wonders why Captain Marvel, whose comics once out-sold Superman's, isn't more popular.
"He's what other superheroes would be if they, like him, had skipped the '60s altogether," Weldon writes, "when superheroes began to develop personalities and -- as rapidly followed -- neuroses. He's what other superheroes would look like, if they weren't so heavily encumbered by the years of backstory and tortured exegesis that we middle-aged comic book fans eagerly pore over like Talmudic scholars.
"No wonder the theology of his origin doesn't scan, and he sports a mysterious, quasi-military title, and that he's friends with talking tigers. Captain Marvel is what Billy Batson -- and kids like him, if they still exist -- imagine, when they image a superhero."
Weldon sees promise, though, in the all-ages Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam! which jettisons continuity and modern-superhero seriousness in favor of an attitude more closely akin to, "Lighten up, nerds, comics should be fun. Hey, look! A bunny in a cape!"
- Share This!
9 Comments
Joe Kerr
June 3, 2009 at 11:35 am
Nice to see somebody appreciates the Big Red Cheese. If only the Powers That Be at DC Comics did....
Mark Kardwell
June 3, 2009 at 11:38 am
Or, what comics could be like if they knew how to market at the huge market for kids' books, rather than just the - adults in comic shops - shrinking direct market.
Larry King
June 3, 2009 at 11:50 am
The only reason I haven't given Mike Hunkels take on The Big Red Cheese is because of the failed take of the character by Jeff Smith. Though over the years the closest to getting the character of CM came in Ordway's POWER OF SHAZAM oneshot and series.
Mysterious Stranger
June 3, 2009 at 12:33 pm
Captain Marvel is the superhero version of Calvin and Hobbes. Unbridled imagination? Check. A kid taking on grown-ups? Check. Talking tiger? Check.
Though I'm not sure if Black Adam should equal Suzie Derkins. The imagery alone is a bit disturbing.
Wraith
June 3, 2009 at 1:54 pm
What was Calvin's superhero identity anyway? I remember Spaceman Spiff, of course, but I think there was a superhero type at least once or twice in there.
Ian Thal
June 3, 2009 at 1:59 pm
I really loved the golden age Captain Marvel reprints that I read as a kid. They combined naîvité and outright surrealism. His adventures begin when Billy boards a strange subway train! One of his most dangerous enemies was a caterpillar! His next adventure could simply be the result of following a a length of string found in the park!
Wally East
June 4, 2009 at 7:50 am
Wraith: I believe it was Stupdendous Man.
DigiHunt
June 4, 2009 at 10:37 am
"He’s what other superheroes would look like, if they weren’t so heavily encumbered by the years of backstory and tortured exegesis that we middle-aged comic book fans eagerly pore over like Talmudic scholars."
Maybe that's the problem. He's too simple. There's nothing about the guy to make you care. He comes across as a kiddie character. He'd be great in a Titans or Brave and the Bold-stlye cartoon but as a superhero comic, not so muc.
mdtk
June 6, 2009 at 7:39 pm
NIce piece by Glen Weldon. Personally I love Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam. In addition, I'm delighted that the series is now monthly.