New 52 Shazam trade paperback |
The Billy Batson and Shazam/Captain Marvel of the New 52 as I encounter them in the pages of the Shazam trade paperback are quite different from their golden age counterparts. N52 Billy is a brat. He's rude and has an attitude! The N52 Cap capitalizes on his heroics for cash. Here are a few examples.
So now let's look at the answer to my question - how would golden age Captain Marvel handle N52 Billy Batson and Shazam? I base my answer on how golden age Cap handled a similar character by the name of Roughneck Ryan in Captain Marvel Adventures #29.
Roughneck Ryan has some similar traits as N52 Billy Batson and Shazam. He's rude, has an attitude, and seems to have no endearing personality traits whatsoever. He does all he can to disrupt the meetings of the Captain Marvel club, calling club members 'sissies', and he even seriously injures a club member by knocking down the club house. Captain Marvel tells the club members to keep an eye out for Roughneck, but not for vengeance! Cap believes that Roughneck can be made into a productive citizen. Cap even tells the club members, "That's the Captain Marvel spirit! Give a fellow a chance to do right!" By the end of this story we find Captain Marvel doing all he can to give Roughneck Ryan a chance to do right and make things right with those he's wronged.
Not gonna lie,I dig the good Captain's new look,which is all that was really needed.
ReplyDeleteHis attitude,I can take or leave....