Superman/Shazam: First Thunder

(DC, 2005–2006)
™ and © DC Comics, Inc.

Since the original Captain Marvel made his return in 1973 in the pages of DC’s Shazam!, fans have rejoiced at the World’s Mightiest Mortal’s occasional meetings with the Man of Steel himself, Superman. In the mid-1970s, it was established that the Big Red Cheese and the other members of the Marvel Family existed on Earth-S, which kept them separate from the heroes of the Justice League of America on Earth-One and the Justice Society of America on Earth-Two most of the time.

This all changed after the Crisis on Infinite Earths. Now, Captain Marvel existed alongside Superman, and this limited series from Judd Winick (Green Arrow) and Joshua Middleton (Meridian) recounts the story of the first meeting of these two iconic figures. Thieves are stealing mystical objects from museums in Metropolis and Fawcett City, and this, of course, does not escape the attention of our heroes—one of whom has magic coursing through his veins and one of whom is vulnerable to magic. It’s an intriguing dichotomy Winick explores here, and Middleton’s gorgeous artwork evokes an earlier era and gives the story an expansive, cinematic feel.

Purists may balk at any tale that sets the adventures of Captain Marvel in a modern context, but make no mistake about it: this is old-fashioned comic book fun at its finest.

— Thomas Moudry

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