Despite I'm quite a bit cynical, actually scratch that, extremely cynical, I do appreciate Captain Marvel since characters like these reminds us that hopes can still shine no matter how dark the world can be, something that marvel and sometimes DC forgets, specially on the current times we live in which oozes cynicism, so it would be appreciated if either DC, marvel or any other publishers makes a reminder of this: *hope is still there*
Gabriel .Strange Watch Man of Steel and Batman v Superman. That’s literally what the movies are about. It mirrors our society in the real world. Hope still shines no matter how dark. Masterpieces of films.
Solomon is for wisdom.. Hercules is for strength.. Atlas is for stamina.. Zeus is for power.. Achilles is for courage and Mercury is for speed. That's the power of SHAZAM!!!
@@knightofberenike9633 I mean, Atlas wasn't really a hero tho, just a guy doing his job And Zeus was an asshole. You remember what he did to that random woman when he transformed into a bear?
It is so good to see comics of this nature that all ages can enjoy again. A little nod of the hat to the golden and silver age without all the camp. Well, maybe a little camp. LOL
The comic knowledge of Stan Lee, the ability to analyze Heroes, a strong sense of Attention to detail, Zero complacency for mediocre content, Amazing screenshots and editing, and the Magic of childhood wonder. Matt: SHAZAM!
Picked up the book a few years ago while i was on vacation in seattle and just about to finish college (when I actually began reading trades and researching the history of DC). This became my favorite comic book ever whilst reading it, it's everything a superhero story should be. Child-like but not childish, mature but not graphic, hopeful and altruistic. There is a place for Ennis and Millar books to examine the theoretical psycholgy of superheroes and people with great power as fascistic and something to be mistrusted and feared if made real, but the power of fiction and fantasy is to write realities both like and unlike our own so that moral goodness reigns supreme and that those with great power can do great good and change people for the better as people in history have before. Great video, earned a subscriber
Tao Jones T.jones Really? I thought it did showcase hate and awful politics. Sivana is an especially hateful and cynical character wit firmly political motivations, almost a hybrid of Mr. Huph from the Incredibles and Rudy Giuliani. Billy's homelessness is shown as, in some ways, perilous, esp. in the form of bullies trying to take what little he has. The world of Shazam! the Monster Society of Evil is a contemplative and contemporary take on the Shazam mythos that tackles tough issues both modern (government fear mongering) and timeless (the search for family). To me, it's strength comes not from "fun" but from the fact that it portrays all of its elements unironically. The story doesn't jab us in the ribs with the fact that Shazam is actually a kid. The fantasy/Superhero elements are presented with a sense of reverence and mystery, without spoonfeeding readers the "hows" and "whys". Just because something is depicted subtly and tastefully does not mean it's not there.
I've always liked Captain Marvel / Shazaam but had no idea how many giant monsters he battled. I'm a HUGE fan of Godzilla and world weary social commentary along with good old fashion super heroics and this comic seems right up my ally. Thanks for this video and related recommendation!
the quality of your videos have gotten significantly better which is strange to say in itself because theyve been so top-notch from the start! thanks for another great video, keep up the quality content matt!!!!!!
Thanks! I had almost finished this video when Stan Lee passed, so I didn't have any time to make one. Hopefully, my past videos on his comics serve as a nice tribute.
Awsome! And since I know you like deep reads that truly deliver a message I'll fokus on those storylines. Agent Venom is a 24 issue story, that deals with becoming a hero despite being worn down by your own demons. Alkohol, depression, disability, self doubt, bulliing, writer Rick Remender deals with all of that in a beautiful and uplifting fashion. Dr Strange - the oath doesn't just present the reader with a heart breaking and interesting moral dilema, it also puts Stranges profession as a medic front and center and exsamins the hypocrathean oath in thought provoking way. Goeff John's Flashpoint is an almost perfekt exsamination of time travel gone wrong and ends with a sacrefice that makes the reader think about the defining nature of everything negative in life and how it shapes a better future. Black Hammer by Jeff Lemire has been described as this generations Watchmen and that has been earned. It crates instances of extreme sadness and trials for its characters that make them feel real along with building an intreaguing mistery. J. Michael Straszinskis Silver Surfer Requiem is a beautiful goodbye to a beloved character and deals wit the melancoly of both terminal illness as a patient as well as the perspective of losing a loved one. Dark Knight - a true Batman Story is the real story of Paul Dini and how he fell into depression and cripleing anxiaty and how he overcame it. Famous characters of the Batman mythos are used here to symbolise different emotions. And finally the mighty Thor by Jason Aaron presents the reader with not just a mortal version of the God, or in this case Godess of Thunder, but it also showcases a heroine that literally kils herself every time she saves lives showcasing true sacrefice and what real altruism is. I really hope at least one of those got you interested. Having one of them made into a video of yours would be the biggest honor I ever recieved.
These are great recommendations and your descriptions are very eloquent! I’ve read quite a few of these and already have plans for several of them. At least one should be coming in he best few months. Thanks!
Little known fact... during 9/11, Jeff Smith was with frank miller in New York at that time. So.. frank made “holy terror”, a racist, terribly drawn, sack of garbage... and smith made this amazing story. Life if good!
I haven’t really read a lot of Shazam. The closest is the Geoff Johns’s New 52 story which I did enjoy. I mean I understand everyone’s problems with it (I mean Billy was a total unlikable jerk at the beginning) but I liked it. Also, I really like Shazam in the DC Showcase short with Superman as well as the JLU episode which did show the kind hearted hero that he’s supposed to be. So yeah, I can’t wait to read more Shazam stories (including this one and the upcoming Johns ongoing series) and really looking forward to the Shazam movie
Yeah, Shazam needs a good movie. Here’s hoping DC doesn’t screw it up again, though the trailer does look promising. Also, another great video man. Keep up the great work
How is it that Billy becomes a full-grown adult when he says Shazam, but Mary stays a little girl instead of a a full-grown woman? I tended to like (the original, one-and-only) Captain Marvel when I was growing up because the comics and the stories were very charming and good-natured, never confused or neurotic re: what is good/what is evil: The differences were kept clear and well defined. Values are important, and is, as far as I'm concerned, what can save us from pure selfish and/or destructive behavior.
The 1940s original story used racial caricatures to depict foreigners which seem in poor taste today. So, not the monsters themselves and nothing in Smith’s version. But this caused DC to not reprint the 40s comics.
Despite I'm quite a bit cynical, actually scratch that, extremely cynical, I do appreciate Captain Marvel since characters like these reminds us that hopes can still shine no matter how dark the world can be, something that marvel and sometimes DC forgets, specially on the current times we live in which oozes cynicism, so it would be appreciated if either DC, marvel or any other publishers makes a reminder of this: *hope is still there*
Gabriel .Strange Watch Man of Steel and Batman v Superman. That’s literally what the movies are about. It mirrors our society in the real world. Hope still shines no matter how dark. Masterpieces of films.
i did and you are right, tho with batman v superman the message gets a bit lost with all the stuff that is over the movie
There is nothing hopefully about BvS or Man of steel.
@@tayojones9460 man of steel tried to give a hopeful message, BvS kiiiiinda threw that out of the window
Gabriel .Strange *tried to give a hopeful message, ends up throwing Zod into densely populated skyscrapers.*
Solomon is for wisdom.. Hercules is for strength.. Atlas is for stamina.. Zeus is for power.. Achilles is for courage and Mercury is for speed. That's the power of SHAZAM!!!
I always thought it was strange that they used one biblical character, two Greek gods, two romans and one Greek hero
@@tomatomodest2487 Heroism is heroism, regardless of cultural origin.
Also acronyms are fun.
@@knightofberenike9633 I mean, Atlas wasn't really a hero tho, just a guy doing his job
And Zeus was an asshole. You remember what he did to that random woman when he transformed into a bear?
I love Jeff Smith's work Bone is the main reason I love comics
I'm a huge Captain Marvel fan. This series was nothing short of spectacular!
It is so good to see comics of this nature that all ages can enjoy again. A little nod of the hat to the golden and silver age without all the camp. Well, maybe a little camp. LOL
The comic knowledge of Stan Lee, the ability to analyze Heroes, a strong sense of Attention to detail, Zero complacency for mediocre content, Amazing screenshots and editing, and the Magic of childhood wonder.
Matt: SHAZAM!
Haha I love it! Thank you!
It’s my all time favorite origin story for captain marvel billy bastion and Mary marvel
Captain Marvel is I think what a kid who fantasised about being Superman while still being a kid would be.
TL;DR a family can be a Brother, a Sister, an ancient wizard, a magic adult version of yourself, and a talking tiger.
Picked up the book a few years ago while i was on vacation in seattle and just about to finish college (when I actually began reading trades and researching the history of DC). This became my favorite comic book ever whilst reading it, it's everything a superhero story should be. Child-like but not childish, mature but not graphic, hopeful and altruistic. There is a place for Ennis and Millar books to examine the theoretical psycholgy of superheroes and people with great power as fascistic and something to be mistrusted and feared if made real, but the power of fiction and fantasy is to write realities both like and unlike our own so that moral goodness reigns supreme and that those with great power can do great good and change people for the better as people in history have before. Great video, earned a subscriber
1:45 Well that's an unexpected cameo of Stan Lee.
Strange isn't it?
Yay Shazam the monster Society of evil I loved that series it’s so awesome and adorable
We need more comics like this! No more comics filled with hate and awful politics. Just pure fun.
Tao Jones T.jones Really? I thought it did showcase hate and awful politics. Sivana is an especially hateful and cynical character wit firmly political motivations, almost a hybrid of Mr. Huph from the Incredibles and Rudy Giuliani. Billy's homelessness is shown as, in some ways, perilous, esp. in the form of bullies trying to take what little he has.
The world of Shazam! the Monster Society of Evil is a contemplative and contemporary take on the Shazam mythos that tackles tough issues both modern (government fear mongering) and timeless (the search for family).
To me, it's strength comes not from "fun" but from the fact that it portrays all of its elements unironically. The story doesn't jab us in the ribs with the fact that Shazam is actually a kid. The fantasy/Superhero elements are presented with a sense of reverence and mystery, without spoonfeeding readers the "hows" and "whys".
Just because something is depicted subtly and tastefully does not mean it's not there.
🤡
@@blakeadamson1576 Dude people read comics to for escapism and fucking fun. You do know what fun is right?
@@zemox2534 And I read this comic for fun, during which I picked up on themes in it. But go off I guess
@@blakeadamson1576 I just like superheros stories that don't reference shit from the real world. I read comics to get away from that stuff that's all.
Never read a Shazam book, but you’ve convinced me to check this out - love everything Smith is doing here!
I've always liked Captain Marvel / Shazaam but had no idea how many giant monsters he battled. I'm a HUGE fan of Godzilla and world weary social commentary along with good old fashion super heroics and this comic seems right up my ally. Thanks for this video and related recommendation!
I deeply enjoyed this
the quality of your videos have gotten significantly better which is strange to say in itself because theyve been so top-notch from the start! thanks for another great video, keep up the quality content matt!!!!!!
Thanks! I just try to push myself with every video.
This is what the Shazam movie should have been. Jeff Smith understood Billy Batson better than most modern writers.
Maybe in the James Gunn's DCU
I really loved reading this comic the message it conveys is a very good one and overall just a fun read
Excellent video! It brings that vibrancy of a classic cartoon! Superb!!
Thank you!
The Power of Shazam! series from the 90's is in my top 10 of all time.
The t.v golden age cpt. Marvel was a beast, throwing people off buildings and bridges.
Matt this is such a beautiful video man, thank you for telling us this story!!😭😃
Congrats on the 10k subscribers! But i really think you deserve much more, keep on the good work bruh!
Thank you!
Great video as always Matt!!
Thank you!
Yeaahhh freakin love Monster Society of Evil! So underrated
So wholesome. I love it.
Great video man one of my all time favorite series
Two videos in two weeks awesome man! Keep that up! 👍👍👍
I'm just surprised you didn't make a Marvel video in light of the sad recent news.
Thanks! I had almost finished this video when Stan Lee passed, so I didn't have any time to make one. Hopefully, my past videos on his comics serve as a nice tribute.
Honestly I think he'd be proud of your take on his work! Would you like a few recommendations from me? I kind of owe you some.
Sure, hit me with them!
Awsome! And since I know you like deep reads that truly deliver a message I'll fokus on those storylines.
Agent Venom is a 24 issue story, that deals with becoming a hero despite being worn down by your own demons. Alkohol, depression, disability, self doubt, bulliing, writer Rick Remender deals with all of that in a beautiful and uplifting fashion.
Dr Strange - the oath doesn't just present the reader with a heart breaking and interesting moral dilema, it also puts Stranges profession as a medic front and center and exsamins the hypocrathean oath in thought provoking way.
Goeff John's Flashpoint is an almost perfekt exsamination of time travel gone wrong and ends with a sacrefice that makes the reader think about the defining nature of everything negative in life and how it shapes a better future.
Black Hammer by Jeff Lemire has been described as this generations Watchmen and that has been earned. It crates instances of extreme sadness and trials for its characters that make them feel real along with building an intreaguing mistery.
J. Michael Straszinskis Silver Surfer Requiem is a beautiful goodbye to a beloved character and deals wit the melancoly of both terminal illness as a patient as well as the perspective of losing a loved one.
Dark Knight - a true Batman Story is the real story of Paul Dini and how he fell into depression and cripleing anxiaty and how he overcame it. Famous characters of the Batman mythos are used here to symbolise different emotions.
And finally the mighty Thor by Jason Aaron presents the reader with not just a mortal version of the God, or in this case Godess of Thunder, but it also showcases a heroine that literally kils herself every time she saves lives showcasing true sacrefice and what real altruism is.
I really hope at least one of those got you interested. Having one of them made into a video of yours would be the biggest honor I ever recieved.
These are great recommendations and your descriptions are very eloquent! I’ve read quite a few of these and already have plans for several of them. At least one should be coming in he best few months. Thanks!
I always loved this hero...'s suit. The suit of shazam is really cool.....oh and yeah the character is also great.
Could you talk about Mark Waid's Flash run? I find the lack of videos of that run disheartening :(
I haven’t done any Flash stuff yet, but Waid’s Flash could be a great place to start!
I loved this so much!
Shazam is my favorite DC heroes of ALL TIME!!😍😁😀👍👍👍🤘
nice video love the book as well
The ongoing series that followed this was also pretty damn good, though it never quite reached the same level as the miniseries.
Glad it’s out for everyone to enjoy
Thanks to you, I got the trade for these issues!
Thanks for reminding me about bone
People sleep on this run, it was great.
Tyler Hallstrom i agree this run is so awesome
Love this comic
Captain Marvel and Billy are different people in the series
It was my first Shazam comic.
Give Jeff Smith more comics to write!
I also noticed Dr. savanna looks like Elmer fed
I just realized that Shazam is an acronym.
Shazam is, Going To Be Hard, Good, Battling, Like Superman, 👍👏👌,
Shazam, is , Going. TO , BE GOOD, Battling, Like Superman,
Don't know how many people are going to groan at this but... Billy Batson here looks like Steven Universe (The star t-shirt).
Way more of a real hero than Steven *Could ever be*
Ironic since Steven's voice actor played Billy a few times.
Wait, really!?
70th comment. @ 11:04 best part from the book of all time
Hmm yes hope is all about
Little known fact... during 9/11, Jeff Smith was with frank miller in New York at that time.
So.. frank made “holy terror”, a racist, terribly drawn, sack of garbage... and smith made this amazing story.
Life if good!
How in the world did you get permission to use The Midnight songs? (Not that I'm complaining).
ANIMATED FILM??
I haven’t really read a lot of Shazam. The closest is the Geoff Johns’s New 52 story which I did enjoy. I mean I understand everyone’s problems with it (I mean Billy was a total unlikable jerk at the beginning) but I liked it. Also, I really like Shazam in the DC Showcase short with Superman as well as the JLU episode which did show the kind hearted hero that he’s supposed to be. So yeah, I can’t wait to read more Shazam stories (including this one and the upcoming Johns ongoing series) and really looking forward to the Shazam movie
I hope the film brings him lots more fans and lots more stories, this character deserves it.
Yeah, Shazam needs a good movie. Here’s hoping DC doesn’t screw it up again, though the trailer does look promising. Also, another great video man. Keep up the great work
Thank you!
Wow, I really gotta get around to reading this. My only exposure to Captain Marvel is the New 52 version by Geoff johns.
Lots more great Shazam stories out there. I highly recommend you check them out.
@@MattDraper any suggestions? I've read First Thunder a few months back but not sure if I wanna read his old 90s book though
I’d say check out Trials of Shazam, Alex Ross’s Shazam, and the single issue of Thunderworld
@@Chandasouk Jerry Ordway's Power of Shazam
I hope the Shazaam movie has some of the heart this comic does.
Me too!
Funny thing is that neither Solomon nor Achilles were gods.
How is it that Billy becomes a full-grown adult when he says Shazam, but Mary stays a little girl instead of a a full-grown woman?
I tended to like (the original, one-and-only) Captain Marvel when I was growing up because the comics and the stories were very charming and good-natured, never confused or neurotic re: what is good/what is evil: The differences were kept clear and well defined. Values are important, and is, as far as I'm concerned, what can save us from pure selfish and/or destructive behavior.
Wait what? Can you elaborate on the Monster Society being racial caricatures
The 1940s original story used racial caricatures to depict foreigners which seem in poor taste today. So, not the monsters themselves and nothing in Smith’s version. But this caused DC to not reprint the 40s comics.
Shazam 2
Show me the Iron Man
This mind set is needed in these times more than ever.