Superman Through the Ages! Forum

So it is not the Fawcett Captain Marvel. Nevertheless, some people believe that it was the closest that DC has ever come.

This Showcase collects the full original DC run.

Here is the cover:

(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/1401210899.01._SS500_SCLZZZZZZZ_V49823164_.jpg)


Does anyone have it? Post some reviews!

I've been re-reading "The Power of Shazam" comics I have and DANG! I miss the REAL Captain Marvel!

I was gung-ho about this book when it was announced, but then I thumbed through it at the store and ended up putting it back, at least for now.

I don't know, I think after "Superman Family" and two volumes of "Superman" I may just be in the mood for something a little meatier and darker (like "Unknown Soldier") and/or more rock-em, sock-em (like Brave and the Bold).  This material just seems really light-hearted and kid-oriented to fit my mood at the moment.  Plus I was surprised to see how much of it I already bought and read back in the day (though most of it's not in my possession any more).

On the other hand, you can't go too wrong with a book that has so much Schaffenberger, Beck and Oksner, with a little Cockrum thrown in for good measure.  I have to say Bob Oksner made Mary Marvel the hottest superheroine in comics, back in the day when "hot" didn't have to mean "slutty."

I think I'm more interested in the later stuff by Don Newton and Alan Weiss, but sooner or later I'm bound to buy this volume.

The really cool part is that this stuff is definitively Bronze Age, which augers well for other material from the era making into Showcases eventually.

AMEN!  I had such a crush on Oksner's Mary Batson/Marvel when I was a kid!  Poor pathetic me....

I've never read or even seen any of these "original DC run" Captain Marvel comics. If this volume has a significant amount of Bob Oksner art, I'll buy it (how much is there?); but aside from that, how good are these comics?

He drew that cover for one and the following stories:

Invasion of the Salad Men! (7 pages)
Mary Marvel - The Thanksgiving Thieves! (6 pages)
Captain Marvel and the World's Mightiest Dessert! (7 pages)
The Golden Plague! (7 pages)
Mighty Master of the Martial Arts! (7 pages)
The Case of the Charming Crook! (12 pages)
Mary Marvel - The Haunted Clubhouse! (8 pages)
Mary Marvel - The Green-Eyed Monster! (8 pages)
The Celebrated Talking Frog of Blackstone Forest! (11 pages)
Mary Marvel - Secret of the Smiling Swordsman! (7 pages)

This series also saw the return of C. C. Beck. Most of the stories were written by Elliot S! Maggin.

I only read a few of them, a long time ago, unlike the Golden Age comics, these focus more on Captain Marvel than Billy Batson. Also, The Shazam TV Show was hot at the time, and you can also see the influence of the TV Show on the comics.

Showcase Shazam Vol.2?

If they did make a 2nd Volume, what could be included? I made a list:

Pre-Crisis:

Shazam! #34
The Führer of Chicago 17 pages

Shazam! #35
Backward, Turn Backward, O Time in Your Flight 17 pages

All-New Collectors' Edition #C-58
The Great Superman Captain Marvel Match Up 1 page
When Earths Collide! 72 pages
The Courtroom Battle Between Superman and Captain Marvel 1 page



Post-Crisis

Shazam! The New Beginning #1
"no title" 24 pages

Shazam! The New Beginning #2
S is for Wisdom..."H" is for Strength... 22 pages

Shazam! The New Beginning #3
A is for Stamina..."Z" is for Power... 22 pages

Shazam! The New Beginning #4
A is for Courage..."M" is for Speed... 22 pages


And that is only 198 pages total! So we need some serious padding!

Pre-Crisis

All-Star Squadron #36
Thunder Over London! 24 pages

All-Star Squadron #37
Lightning in Berlin! 23 pages

Justice League of America #136
Crisis on Earth-S! 17 pages

Justice League of America #137
Crisis in Tomorrow! 17 pages

DC Comics Presents #33
Man and Supermarvel! 17 pages

DC Comics Presents #49
[no title] 25 pages

DC Comics Presents Annual #3
With One Magic Word 40 pages


I can't think of anything else.

Don't forget all the stories that were in World's Finest and (I think) Adventure!!!

As David pointed out, Shazam stories also appeared in World's Finest Comics #253-282, and Adventure Comics Digest #491-492 (the main reason I completed my runs of these issues for this period was for the Shazam stories!).

The tally of pages for World's Finest Comics comes to 316, less covers - although if memory serves me correctly, Captain Marvel (or CM Jr., or Mary) appear on either the front or back cover of a number of issues - the total for Adventure Comics Digest is 22 pages, including the two covers, which do feature CM.

Allowing a minimum of 350 pages from these comics - plus the remaining Shazam comics, and other odds and ends (such as the Superman vs. Shazam! tabloid) gives us ample material for an ostensible Showcase Presents: Shazam! Volume 2, without having to resort to post-Crisis stories.

Personally, I prefer the Shazam stories in World's Finest Comics and Adventure Comics Digest to those in their own comic, generally speaking.

I loved the Don Newton Captain Marvel ;)
I hated when they reduced those books to digest size  >:(

I have recently picked up a few 70s Shazam-related comics and love them (many contain Golden Age reprints as well).  E Nelson Bridwell wrote some and Shaffenberger drew some.  What more do you need?

Schaffenberger was one of the great unsung artists I think.  His work on Cap was very fitting and appropriate, I loved his Lois Lane.  His work on Superboy was also very appropriate and enjoyable.  I unfortunately never really appreciated his work on Action and Superman though.  My 1st introduction to his Superman work was in Action when a character named Kar-Bak was introduced (who had an alleged allergic reaction to Superman), and the story included Vartox.  I supposed I just enjoyed Swan's art so much I didn't care for Kurt Schaffenberger on the Superman proper books.  Although I'd take Al Pacino easily.

Yeah, Al Pacino's pencils were okay, but Robert DeNiro's inking was awesome!  :D

"Are you penciling to me?"