Shazam! The New Beginning #1 (1987)

Shazam! The New Beginning #1 (April, 1987)
"Krakka-Thoom!"
Writers - Roy & Dann Thomas
Artist - Tom Mandrake
Letterer - Agustin Mas
Colorist - Carl Gafford
Cover Price: $0.75

Suppose I should get this out of the way.  I don't know a whole lot about Captain Marvel... yet, I really really like the character.  I always feel as though I should know more about him, his cast, and his past exploits... and yet, I don't.  I have a very pronounced Shazam!-sized hole in my collection, and in my addled brain-banks.  I've had this issue (and a handful of others) in the collection for years now, and just never gotten around to reading them.

I always hear comics-types in podcasts or blogs name Captain Marvel among their favorites, and I, for whatever reason just nod along... as if to agree, as though I have any idea what the character's all about.  If I'm being honest, the Captain Marvel with whom I have the most experience and knowledge is the New-52 iteration.  All others that came before... well, I can point him out in a line-up, but not all that much more.

The book we're going to discuss today is the post-Crisis (post-Legends) reimagining of Captain Marvel for (presumably) a new generation of readers.  Well, I'm psyched to finally get some first-hand Shazameducation... and I hope you are too.

--

The story opens on a rainy San Francisco street.  A car is barreling down a city street and winds up plowing into an electrical pole before ultimately bursting into flames.

Next, we're at the the Dudley Batson home, where Dud is entertaining his young nephew Billy with card tricks.  Dudley is a small-time magician who sometimes takes his show on the road.  They are interrupted by a ringing phone.  Dudley waits his requisite four rings (can't look too anxious, after all) before answering.  It is the authorities on the line, they inform him there'd been an fatal accident involving Billy's parents.  He breaks the news to Billy.

At the funeral, Billy and Dudley are joined by another one of Billy's Uncles.  This one from his mother's side of the family... it's his uncle Thaddeus Sivana.  Billy is confused, as he thought Dudley was his only Uncle.  Dud tells Billy that Sivana was Billy's mother's step-brother, and that he was her hidden shame.  Sivana promises Billy that he will see him again shortly.

Moving right along, we are now in the midst of a custody battle for Billy between Thad and Dud.  Billy is left outside of the proceedings, and he meets two blondes who claim to be the son and daughter of Dr. Sivana.  They tell Billy that if he stays with Dudley, he would have to give up his career as a road magician.

Billy is finally called into the courtroom.  When asked for his thoughts, he stuns Uncle Dudley by telling the Judge that he'd rather live with his Uncle Thaddeus.

Upon arrival at the rustic Sivana estate, Billy finds that his new brother Magnificus and sister Beautia aren't Sivana's children at all... they work for him.  Billy is shown his room, which is not much more than a utility closet.  When Billy questions him, Sivana becomes physically abusive to the boy.  That night he overhears Sivana on the phone with somebody about special equipment and payment.

The next day, Billy starts at a brand new high school where he immediately runs afoul of the resident bullies.

He walks home, minding the thunder... he claims it's been storming an awful lot of late.  When he gets home, the house is in complete darkness except for a sliver of light escaping from behind Sivana's metal door that had been left ajar.  The doorway leads to the basement, and Billy decides to take a peek.  He observes Sivana on the phone in a room full of humming machinery which is meant to make contact with other-dimensional lifeforms.  He overhears Sivana mention that he only wanted Billy for the inheritance he was due.

Billy runs for the door.  Sivana notices and gives chase, though Billy easily gets away.  He heads to Dudley's apartment only to find he had already left town on a trip.  He bolts out of Dud's building, tripping over a garbage can along the way.  He recovers to find he is sitting in front of a subway station on the very street that his parents died.  Behind the subway grate is a shadowy man... he is pointing directly at Billy summoning him inside.

Billy enters, and makes his way to the tracks... Suddenly he finds himself in front of statues representing the seven deadly sins.

He continues to a throne made of stone.  Atop it sits an old wizard... above him is a large stone block being held aloft by a thread no thicker than a hair.

The wizard introduces himself as Shazam.  He asks Billy to recite his name.  Billy becomes the World's Mightiest Mortal, Captain Marvel.

The wizard tells the tale of having been through this before, an indication that he is aware of the pre-Crisis universe, perhaps even the Fawcett universe.  He alerts Captain Marvel of the pending arrival of the man he had been created to fight, Black Adam.  Billy (still with the mentality of a boy) jokes that in his new body, nobody stands a chance... the old Wizard sighs and asks himself why he didn't choose to "start with a girl" this time around.

The stone block above the throne begins to fall.  Before it crushes the wizard, he asks that Captain Marvel say his name one more time.  Billy lets out one more "Shazam!" as the wizard is seemingly crushed.  With a bolt of lightning, Billy is back in his own body... and back in front of the subway entrance.

He says the magic word and becomes Captain Marvel once again.  He tears the grate off of the subway entrance and soars back toward Shazam... only to find a a brick wall.  No sin-statues... no wizard, just a brick wall.

Back in Sivana's lab, he is continuing with his trials.  He is attempting to make communicate with extradimensional life.  Wouldn'tcha know it, he's made contact.  Out of the ether flies the man who had been banished from Earth 5,000 years prior... Black Adam.

The issue opens with a short text piece on Captain Marvel by series writer, Roy Thomas.

--

I remember the first time I heard of the movie, Eraserhead by David Lynch.  It was the mid-1990's and I was in high school.  My friends and I really wanted to see this movie after hearing bits and pieces of what it was about.  Only problem was, the film was for whatever reason only released on BetaMAX (at least that's what our research claimed).  I remember imagining what the movie must be like, things that may happen... how I'd feel while I was watching this disturbing piece of work.  It wouldn't be until the late 2000's that I finally caught the movie... and while I dug it, I was so far up my own ass with how I thought it should play out that it ultimately affected my enjoyment.

I failed to separate the expectations of a 16-year-old boy and the reality of the work.  I'd watch a scene, and think to myself "That wasn't how it went..." or "No, that's not right..."  I had somehow convinced myself that I knew better than the creator.

This is how I feel after reading this Captain Marvel origin story.  Don't get me wrong, it's a wonderful piece of work by Roy and Dann Thomas... it's just not how I thought it was going to go.  When Dr. Sivana was revealed to be Billy's (step) Uncle, I was pulled out of the story... I didn't think that was the way it should go.  Billy being in San Francisco rather than Fawcett City (there is a Fawcett City right?  I didn't imagine that, right?) was another.  Keeping in mind, I have embarrassingly little Captain Marvel knowledge here... I guess what I'm trying to say, is that this issue surprised me.  I enjoyed it overall, however, while reading I couldn't shake that tiny voice in the back of my empty head saying "Nah, that's not how it goes..."

After shaking off my preconceptions, I can appreciate the story for what it was.  The writing/dialogue was very good, as would be expected.  The folks we meet in this issue are all given wonderful characterization.  It actually feels as though we are meeting them.  I'll concede that Dr. Sivana may have come across a bit too mustache-twirlingly evil, but by the same token, it kind of works for him.  He's a character that doesn't really need a "shade of gray".  I also really appreciate the fact that it appears as though Shazam knows about the pre-Crisis continuity.  That was a fantastic touch!  I love stuff like that.

Tom Mandrake's art fit the tone of the story very well.  It felt very down to earth and street level (dare I say gritty?) prior to Billy's meeting with Shazam.  Captain Marvel was given a majestic regal look, and the ending with Black Adam had a foreboding and black-magical feel to it.  Great work all around.

If you're a fan of (or have a passing interest in) Captain Marvel, go ahead and check this one out.

--

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Plastic Man #1 (2004)

Plastic Man #1 (February, 2004)
"Rebound"
Written & Illustrated - Kyle Baker
Editor - Joey Cavalieri
Cover Price: $2.95

Here's one that caught my eye while flipping through the ol' library.  Never was much of a Plastic Man fan... I know I watched the cartoon when I was younger, and sorta-kinda dug him as the oddball in the JLA, but never thought about reading his solo exploits.  This issue comes from the tail-end of my stint as a DC completionist.  I would grab one of everything they put out, regardless if I had any interest in the character(s).  At the time I had a decent job, no real responsibilities, and my wallet must have just been too damn heavy to lug around (that has all since changed).

It's quite interesting for me to revisit this point in my fandom, as back then I did not separate the wheat from the chaff.  I just bought, and bought, and bought... even if I wasn't really reading.  I suppose I have something of an obsessive streak in me, which makes me an easy mark for most of the comics industries gimmicks and sales ploys.  I also paid full price for all of my books... like I felt it was my civic duty to keep my local comic shops in business.  Caring more about their bottom line than my own, I spent, and spent, and spent.

What a difference a recession makes, eh?  Today we're gonna find out if Plastic Man was worthy of my hard-earned three bucks.

--

Down at the docks, a pair of mooks try and concoct a plan for their latest caper.  They huddle around a curiously colored table and plan.  One of the goofs spills a shaker of pepper all over the table... ultimately causing it to... sneeze?  That's right, it was not a table at all... it was the hero of this story, Plastic Man.  The ne'er-do-wells empty their pistols at Plas, which proves to be as ineffective as one may imagine.

With the help of Woozy Wink's backside Plas makes short work of these lugs, and hauls them off to the police station.

We get a brief look into Plastic Man's current lifestyle, he is surrounded by pretty women and is considered a local hero.  Even though everything seems great, he cannot shake feelings of loneliness that gnaw at him.  As he goes to bed for the evening, he hopes he doesn't dream.

Unfortunately for him (though fortunately for us) he does dream.  As he lulls to sleep, his face contorts to that of Eel O'Brien, his former, more crooked self.  He dreams how his transformation occurred.  He was doing one last job, at the Crawford Chemical Works.  He and his gang sought to loot their safes and make off with one last take.

A security guard happens by and attempts to chase Eel's boys off.  As they flee, O'Brien suffers a both gunshot wound in the shoulder and getting splashed with acid.  He manages to get away, though his gang drives off without him.  He struggles to maintain consciousness, however, his injuries prove too severe.  He stumbles through a swamp, and rubbery-legged, collapses.

He wakes up at the Rest Haven Monastery, where a monk had nursed him back to health.  It is here that Eel realizes that he's "turned into plastic".  He sees this as an opportunity to turn over a new leaf and perhaps use his new found powers for good.

Back in the present, Plas is shaken from his slumber by a ringing phone.  It is the Police Chief, who informs him there'd been a homicide.  Plas hops into the phone's receiver and pops out the other end.

As they investigate the crime scene, erstwhile bum Woozy wanders in.  He observes a wallet on the ground, and attempts to pocket it.  Plas excitedly announces that Woozy has found a clue causing him to drop the wallet right into the hands of the Police Chief.

The Chief believes the wallet belongs to the murderer... and it just so happens to belong to one, Eel O'Brien.

--

This volume of Plastic Man just feels special.  It's unlike anything from its vintage.  Remember wandering into an arcade or a bowling alley during the mid 1980's?  You'd see all the normal video game cabinets... then off on the periphery, you'd see Dragon's Lair.  Kyle Baker's Plastic Man was the Dragon's Lair of the mid-2000's comic book shelf.  It just demanded your attention... it was almost as though you were powerless against it.  You may not have bought or played it (as the case may be)... but, if you saw it, you remembered it.  It stuck with you.

 One of these games is more likely to draw your eye... at least initially

In reading, it's a fine story.  A great introductory piece for Plastic Man and a bit of his supporting cast... okay, just Woozy Winks.  The origin segment in this issue is inspired, and actually plays into the overall narrative of the piece.  You actually begin to feel for Plas/Eel as he is seemingly haunted by his past.  The cliffhanger is quite interesting, and makes you want to come back for the next issue.  The opening bit was a little hokey, however, it served its purpose well.

The art?  Are you kidding?  This issue looks like a collection of animation cells... and makes it work beautifully!  The art style is what makes this book special... it fits the character and concept almost perfectly.  The only aesthetic complaint I have is in the book's lettering.  The lettering looks like a like a poorly calibrated typewriter... it kind of pulls me out of the story.  I feel that a more traditional lettering style would have served this issue far better.

Is it worth checking out?  Hell yeah.  This series ran for 20 issues throughout the mid-aughts, and was a fun ride throughout.  This issue was part of a collection, Plastic Man: On the Lam, and the entire series is available digitally at DC Digital.  Definitely worth a look-see, even for just the novelty of the amazing art.

--

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Hacker Files #1 (1992)

Hacker Files #1 (August, 1992)
"Soft War, Chapter 1"
Writer/Creator - Lewis Shiner
Pencils - Tom Sutton
Inks - Mark Buckingham
Colors - Lovern Kindzierski
Editor - Robert Greenberger
Cover Price: $1.95

Here's a strange one.  The Hacker Files #1... a title I was introduced to via a DC Direct Currents giveaway.  A title that made me feel, I dunno, sort of uneasy from the get go.  It just looked weird.  You see, my sense of fear is a bit... odd.  I can watch or read anything that is intentionally scary or gory or disturbing and be pretty much unmoved.  I've always been like that, even as a kid.  The things that got under my skin were the offbeat.  The odd things that are difficult to explain... The Hacker Files, by the cover alone kinda tickled that "fright nerve" pretty well... like, if I bought it... I wouldn't wanna keep it with the rest of my comics.  It just wouldn't fit.  Hell, I wouldn't have wanted it in my bedroom.

Dirty, raw, and grainy... It felt like something I shouldn't be reading, like what was inside would freak me out... would get deep under my skin and stay there.  Looking back now (and especially after having read it), that is absolutely ridiculous... but, a kid's mind fears what a kid's mind fear, right?

--

We open at the Pentagon.  A pair of security guards have noticed that they'd lost network communications to a site called "Cheyenne Mountain".  Their first call is to a man who goes by the name "Hacker", although his real name is Marshall.  He is advised that Washington needs his help, and provides him information on his travel arrangements.  Within 90 minutes, Hacker arrives.

He is greeted by a man called Dawson, who will bring him to another fella who goes by the name of Steel.  As Marshall is escorted to the Data Processing area we get to listen to his internal monologue.  We come to find that he is not the biggest fan of the government, taxes, politics, or politicians... as if his anarchy t-shirt wasn't clue enough.

Hacker is informed that the ARPA (Advanced Research Projects Agency) network is down.  This is of the utmost importance is this network is also connected to the Securenet, the Milnet, NORAD, and something called the Internet... these books and their jargon, I tell ya.  Our man informs Steel to shut the whole thing down so he can work on it.  We are also informed that their equipment is digitronix brand, which will be important later.  Oh, and Mr. Steel has a metal left hand.

An odd exchange occurs during this scene.  Hacker alludes to Steel being "into" superheroes, to which Steel replies that this digital intrusion had nothing to do with "paranormals".  This makes me wonder if this maxi-series is set inside the DC Universe proper.  Granted, this is the only issue of this series I've read... so, if this is made clear one way or another later on, I am clueless.  The indicia at the start of this issue lists The Hacker Files as being copyright of Lewis Shiner and DC Comics... which makes things even less clear.  Maybe there are superheroes... just not our superheroes?

All of the commotion in the main data center proves too disruptive for Hacker, and he is led to a more private office setting.  He surprises Mr. Steel by cracking the password to the main computer inside.  As he prepares to enter the system, we are witness to the manifestation of him actually entering the computer, using a less digitized version of the main cover image.  He discovers that the Pentagon had picked up a virus... somewhere.  He mentions that the Internet has 60,000 nodes it may have come from.  I'm not sure how many nodes today... but, I'm guessing it might just be a bit more than back in 1992.

Marshall goes through all the ways in which he may fight off the virus, and mention is made of a group of younger hackers he deals with who he calls the "Speed Metal Kids".  As he readies himself to get down to work, he can't help but notice that the digitronix support team are still inside the system.  He refuses to proceed unless they remove themselves and he may move on unsupervised.  It is revealed that Marshall was once affiliated with digi, and since their parting they had ruined his reputation in the tech community.

Steel and Hacker head down to pull the support team off the gig.  As they approach, Marshall makes special note of a nearby Tempest File Server room.  A server that is so top-secret, one must be locked inside a safe simply to have a look at it.

We meet the support team, including a man named Charlie and Marshall's former good friend Yoshio.  The team refuses, to which Marshall has himself a seat, and begins typing... locking them out himself.  Infuriated, Charlie lunges at Hacker.  Yoshio holds him back, and threatens that someone named Sutcliffe will deal with him.  Upon returning to the office, Steel reinforces that Sutcliffe will likely be more than upset given the situation.

Marshall tells Steel to go home for the night.  Steel pleads with him to stay within the office and not enter the hall as he leaves.  He goes so far as to lock Marshall's entry pass in a filing cabinet.

As soon as Steel is gone, Marshall gets to work... picking the lock on the filing cabinet.  He picks the lock as he makes contact with the Speed Metal Kids, Phreddy, Dr. Zen, and Sue Denim (hey, I get at least one of those!).

Armed with his pass, Marshall heads straight toward the Tempest room.  He lets himself in and comes to find a map of Europe and Western Asia with offensive options listed... such as launching missiles.

A security guard comes in behind him, and there is a short-lived struggle.  The guard handily beats our boy, ultimately clocking him on the head with his baton.

When Hacker awakens, he finds himself in the presence of Sutcliffe... and we are [to be continued...]

The issue closes out with a two-page text piece by series creator/writer Lewis Shiner.

--

Now... I was really not expecting this.  This was remarkably good.  It feels like so often back in the 1990's technology was used as something of a boogeyman or something that didn't need to be explained so much... just a means to an end.  In this story, however, the use of technology feels natural and organic.  It is an accompaniment to the story, and not its crutch.

You can almost feel the passion Mr. Shiner has for this piece, and it is apparent that he threw himself into his research to make this story as legitimate and accurate as possible.  During the text piece, he asks readers to let him know if they can spot any errors... that's some commitment to quality.  He even goes as far as to say he will be setting up online letters columns on Compuserve and GEnie.  You may not know, but I currently write a column for DC in the 80's that focuses on Usenet and BBS fandom of the early 1980's... this is right up my alley!  I've gotta keep an eye out and see if I can't track down any of these archives!

The art is also surprisingly (if going by the cover alone) solid.  I honestly cannot think of a single complaint in the art department.

Overall, I really enjoyed this.  The only problem I have is that it is a rarity to find issues of this "in the wild".  Though, I will definitely be on the look-out from this point on.  To my knowledge this has not been collected, and has not been made available digitally.  If you're a cheap-o (or regular) bin trawler, keep this one on your radar.

--

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