Thanks to John Bodin at the JBF for this link...

http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.co ... -heart-it/

Joe Rice seems like a gem of a guy... those kids look like a great bunch!

(An aside: Joe's new best friend is very cute).

Nice story. Seeing them all with the lightning bolt shirts is great. Team Marvel.

And I definitely agree with your aside.

Forgive me, but my first thought when I read the words "Marvel Family" was the House of Ideas, not the Heirs of Fawcett. Great story, though!

Kids love comics. They are natural companions.

Very cool story. Funny how indy comic guy Jeff Smith is doing such a great job of bringing comics back to kids.

I can't find the more general thread about the new Jeff Smith Shazaam. I've made up my mind to get it after all the posts about it. Query: how does it pick up with the Infinite Crisis stuff (and Shazaam being killed and all)?

It doesn't at all. Think of it as a Captain Marvel: Year One. From what I've heard, it's supposed to be in-continuity, but I don't really understand how it could be.

It ignores all of it.

(Seriously, the "Shazam!: The Monster Society of Evil!" miniseries is set outside regular DCU continuity. And I hope it outsells Winick's "Trials of Shazam!" mini about 10-1.)

"Trials of Shazam!" should really be called
Shazam's Horribly Irritating Trials.

I had heard the "in continuity" thing, but I flipped through it and from even a casual glance I didn't see how it matched the Infinite Crisis stuff. And the "Monster Society" subtitle made me think of Batman and the Monster Men, so I was trying to figure out whether to form an ongoing relationship with this version of Captain Marvel.

Superboy Prime, where are you?

Well, Smith started the project several years ago, right? There was no such thing as INFINITE CRISIS when he took the job.

Very cool!

Monster Society of Evil is in Continuity, Smith has it written in his contract to be so.

What it is, is the new official origin of Billy and Mary which would have taken place 8-10 years ago in the DCU timeline. It basically replaces the Ordway version of the origin. With that in mind, everything that has happened in IC and Trials of Shazam still is happening and in continuity... unless and until DC decides it isn't.


Fans who only know about the Marvel Family from Ordway's work and JSA seem to have a preference for ToS while brand new fans and older comic fans who appreciate the classic Marvel Family stories seem to like MSoE.

Me, I not only am enjoying MSoE, but I really want to see Smith keep writing these early Captain Marvel stories until he's introduced all of the Marvel Family and runs out of material. He GETS what Captain Marvel is about and if that means it's pitched down towards the 10 year old audience, great! Harry Potter and the Lemony Snickett books are aimed at that demographic, too.

It was a bit jarring to read how Cap and Billy are different.......until I read at the JBF thats how it was originally.Its a great first issue.Its modern yet it has a goldenage feel to it.Looks great too.

Now that is good stuff

Amazing article and pics...thanks for posting that Rob it really made me smile!

And cudos to Jeff Smith!!

Innit? I tell ya, I could read stories like that one all day long. The industry needs to do more of this stuff. Build up goodwill, hook em young. Get kids reading and drawing and thinking.

Amen brother! But we need to get outside of the shops to do that.

I loved this comic.

I was torn about it. Not crazy about the changes that were made.

I whipped through this book and decided not to buy it. I know I seem to be in the minority but I did not like the art or the re-re-boot idea. I actually liked the idea that captain Marvel was a wise child in a mans body. All in all this book was not for me.

I bought it and read it, but otherwise this post describes me as well.