Jerry Ordway revamped Shazam in the mid 90's, both writing and painting the book. I love the classic movie poster look Ordway gives the book. It feels like a serial from the 30's. Ordway brings in all of the classic Captain Marvel elements with little updates. Sivana, Black Adam, Mary, even Talky Tawny all show up. The book never feels hokey even though he keeps Captain Marvel pretty wholesome. BTW, I loved the Bettie Page Easter Egg.

I’ve read lots of my favorite Marvel heroine’s adventures as Captain Marvel, so I figured it was high time I learned more about DC’s OG. This was a lot of fun. As an archaeological adventure connoisseur, I really enjoyed the beginning of the story with Billy’s parents exploring an Egyptian tomb. It’s the kind of setting that instantly gives a specific atmosphere to the story. And I was pleasantly surprised by the underlining narrative about artifacts belonging to Egypt. The rest of the story was...

Same old story. Not worth a read.

An updated origin of Captain Marvel/Shazam with beautiful artwork.The plot isn't anything out of the ordinary but has some good moments, making it a decent origin story.

The unique whimsy of the original Captain Marvel was never a good fit for the Oh So Serious post-Crisis DC universe. First Roy Thomas tried writing him as a gritty, realistic character. Then he was written as a kind of milquetoast softy, a kid in a man's body, during the years he was in the Justice League.Finally Jerry Ordway nailed it with this reboot graphic novel, which led to a series. Cap is definitely a kid in a man's body, but he's a more believable kid rather than played for comic relief...

A perfect jumping on point for those who are interested in delving into the world of Shazam. It's a pretty predictable origin story, especially for those who are familiar with the superhero genre (especially how parents are treated), but there are enough twists and turns to keep it interesting. Following Billy's journey of acceptance is rewarding, if a little rushed due to the page limit, and despite his stubbornness at times, he's a character that will grow on you. Fun, interesting and very acc...

Now this is more like it. Jerry Ordway got control of the Captain Marvel character in the early 90's and his love of the character shines through on every page while still making the character a more in tune with modern sensibilities. This re-imagining of the origin story is gorgeously painted with Ordway's classic four color style and it drops tons of plot elements from the original stories that Ordway would pick and and weave into the later ongoing series. One interesting if troublesome bit is...

Fantastic art and a whip fast story, Jerry Ordway delivers a quick, crackling take that laid the groundwork for his ongoing Captain Marvel series. A lightning fast read that provides plenty of dazzling artwork along with character depth in 90+ swift pages.

Very nice retelling of the Captain Marvel origin. Good art and story telling. entertaining read. Recommended

Excellent update on Captain MarvelShazam is undergoing a renaissance due to the success of the recent movie and comic book written by Geoff Johns. Jerry Or way had written the original graphic novel 2 decades ago and still enjoyed reading it years later. Like Johns, Ordway modernized Captain Marvel and maintained the classic elements and making it contemporary to both old fans and New ones. This is a must recommend of all ages.

Loved it. I've only seen the Shazam DC. movie before and thought it was... ok, good but not great so I didn't have a lot of high expectations for the comics. I was happily proven, it was well written, with an unexpectedly gritty premise (nowhere near as camp as I thought) yet I laughed out loud a couple of times. Simply gorgeous illustrations.Was a fan, looking forward to reading more Shazam!

This beautiful 1994 graphic novel written and painted by Jerry Ordway helped usher the true Captain Marvel into the 1990s. When the parents of Bill Batson uncover a lost tomb in Egypt, they are betrayed by their expedition partner. Using a sacred scarab artifact, this man turns into Black Adam! But as the scarab is incomplete, Black Adam's power is only at 50 percent! Meanwhile back in the United States, Billy is forced to survive on the means streets of Fawcett City, living off what meager earn...

My first Shazam story. Loved the artwork and the narration. Trying to catch up on the character before the movie comes out.

"The name is Marvel -- Captain Marvel." -- the hero, to a disbelieving villainAlthough it may not be a substantial and/or life-changing graphic novel, The Power of SHAZAM! gets it right by hitting its marks as an effective and streamlined - at just under 100 pages - origin story for the now-somewhat forgotten superhero who once outsold rival Superman some 75 years ago. Set in a 40's/50's amalgam (per the appearance of Art Deco skyscrapers, a zeppelin, the automobiles, and radio broadcasts being

This was my first Shazam read, so I do not have many references. However, I enjoyed the story very much, I felt it was almost worthy of the 5 stars. Even though I had my concerns at the beginning, the story wraps up nicely enough.

"I'm not a hero-- I'm just a dumb kid!"

This one was suggested to me by a friend here on Goodreads who said it was one of his favorite Shazam titles. And, honestly, had he not rubbed my nose in it, I probably would have skipped right over this. Something about the cover art is just very unappealing to me. Happily, that is not what was waiting for me on the inside. This is a pretty good self-contained Captain Marvel/Shazam! origin story for those of you who are looking for more insight into DC's newest movie star. I'm not sure I would

I saw the movie, now I'm delving into the comics in kindle unlimited since I really don't know much about the character. I'm pleased to say the art inside this volume is better than the cover, which I don't really care for. It's well drawn with a vintage vibe. The writing is pretty hokey, but it's a pretty hokey origin story so I guess just go with it or read something else. It was a decent jumping in point since it did start with the origin story, which is a bit different from how they played i...

I really enjoyed this. A bit stilted in places, but the art really sold the atmosphere for me. This is a good complement to the Jeff Smith "Shazam and the Monster Society of Evil", as both are origin tales for Billy, but told very different ways. That one is very whimsical and focused on Mr. Mind and Sivana, while this one focuses on Black Adam. Good stuff.

Gosh, this was an incredible read. I mean, it was fantastic as a Shazam origin. Obviously outdated in spots with the language and such - I'm not sure what time period, exactly, this is set in. I assume it's set in like the 40s or 50s considering the radio programs and the fact that this book was dedicated to the original creators of the characters (and Billy’s father named after one of them, CC Beck), but I don't think it ever said?Either way, I loved this. Holy moly, did I love it. From the ope...