Brooks on Books: Shazam! Monster Society of Evil

The first thing you notice when picking up this hardcover collection of the DC Comics miniseries is how beautiful it is. Even without the cover folding out into a nifty poster, it really is a well-put-together book, offering good binding and paper quality, plus vibrant color. The attractive production design helps Jeff Smith's work. This is an all-ages book that hearkens back to the olden days, and this is a case of form enhancing content. The images pop out in an appealing way, and the overall package has a nice heft that gives it a timeless feel.

I didn't read this Shazam mini in its original format, and I'm kind of glad I didn't. Another of the hardback edition's virtues is that it offers the opportunity to enjoy the story in a few sittings rather than waiting a few months between installments. The original serialized "Monster Society of Evil" story from the 1940s (on which this is based) lasted something like two years, but Jeff Smith's version should be digested in much less time. However, he retains some of the flavor of the issue-to-issue flow and connectivity with his covers and little touches like reproducing the Monster Society of Evil secret code to create the title for each chapter (issue). All of this is included in this volume.

The story is a lot of fun. Smith does a great job of creating this Fawcett setting all over again in his own style. One thing that kind of threw me was his character design for Billy Batson and Mary Marvel. In Smith's telling, Billy IS really young, and what's more, he LOOKS like a little kid. And Mary looks even younger. It takes some getting used to if you're accustomed to the traditional renderings of the Marvel Family, but ultimately it gives this particular version a unique flavor.

And that unique flavor is welcome because Smith retells Captain Marvel's origin as well as crafting a neato story involving Sivana and Mr. Mind and some monsters. He works Tawny Tiger in there, too, and makes him a key player. I think how he handles Tawny is quite clever and one of the best things about his interpretation. Also, he emphasizes the distinctness of Cap and Billy, with Billy being a vessel for The Big Red Cheese's spirit. Smith puts some clever spins on this, as well, with Billy at one point buying a hot dog so that when he says "Shazam!" it'll be there for the superhero. I wish there had been a little more of that aspect, actually, but this story focuses on other things, especially once Mary is introduced.

The story is fun without being silly, timeless without being antiquated, and all-ages without being tame (in fact, there is at least one PG-13 joke involving a fetching young reporter seemingly admiring Captain Marvel's package).

The back of the book contains sketches, art extras, and some really cool comments from Smith about how he went about the project and why he made some of his choices. All told, it's a fine collection of a fun story.