Jeff Smith's Shazam!

This evening I struggled with what I wanted to write about... until I realized that I was sitting on a goldmine called Shazam: The Monster Society of Evil! written/pencilled by Jeff Smith. This Mr. Smith made a name for himself as the creator and writer/artist of the series Bone. A long running independent comic.

Bone was known for its blend of humor and dark, epic adventure. Characters were drawn in unique and varying styles to represent their individual natures, motivations, and purpose. As the story progressed, so did the characters and the sobering nature of the story.

Smith's rendition of Shazam/Captain Marvel is starting with similar effect. Billy Batson looks younger than ever and appears more childlike, offering a sharper contrast to Captain Marvel. While there are some amusing points in the story, it appears to hold true to the heavier and woven nature of Jeff's previous work. We see the struggles of a young Billy who is without family and lives on the street, yet still remains wholly good, the perfect innocent partner to Magic's Great Champion. And in the Captain, we see an older brother figure, who wants to help his young companion although the two only meet at the Wizard's home in the mountain.

After taking a look at his blog, I am further excited at his take on the classic hero and his family... Check out Boneville for more details... and pick up issue #1 and see what I mean, i'll be waiting for #2!

45 days, 45 runs...

Man of Action Studios

Digging through some half done posts, I pulled out this one and wanted to share:

After my post on the Superman: Emperor Joker TPB I had the chance to take a look at the Man of Action website. While there were many things that excited me, there were a couple of things that really brought me down.

Always start with the negatives: I found out that the Fantastic Four cartoon show's American license was cancelled... no more quality cartoons. I guess we'll all have to rely on the campy cartoon classic to see the fantastic family in 2D motion. Or wait for the second movie with Jessica Alba in a skintight suit. I know many eagerly await.

And updated news. Ben 10 is on DVD. Great show and finally available to the masses who don't have cable. I know you're out there. The first season develops the story of Ben Tennyson and him acquiring the Omnitrix and him learning how to use his newfound alien morphing powers.

The good thing about the site is that they update pretty frequently with news and announcements. They like to write and we love to read and watch their work...

Shrugged

In my last post, I finished the last volume of the Age Of Apocalypse on my return flight, had a great roast beef sandwich in Chicago,but that is neither here nor there, and finally retunred to the great city of Boston... I haven't gone back and pulled out my New Age of Apocalypse books to really finish out the set, but I'll get there.

Anyway, I have been reading this fairly new book entitled "Shrugged" by Aspen Comics. Aspen is Michael Turner's solo studio. You might know Michael as an artist and creator of Fathom and Witchblade. As well as is stunning renditions of the famed heroines of comic books (Supergirl, Wonder Woman, and many more..)

"Shrugged" takes the idea of each person having a mini angel and devil on their shoulders, offering advice on what to do and expands the world in which those guiding lights come from and what happens when our world and theirs combine, with some pretty dangerous results.

The book features an artist named Micah Gunnell, who pencils in the new school of style, something I am a big fan of, but you can see a touch of Turner's influence, who has a distinctive style all his own. But that is just my opinion, check out Micah's work on his deviantart page. (I linked to it.)

The story has been good so far, especially when the writers took an old concept and revitalized it with great art and a good plotline. Check it out if you get the chance, otherwise check out some of Turner's work... you'll appreciate it.