Tag: Shazam

When Shazam! Fury of the Gods Has Focus, What’s His Inspiration?

When we’re dealing with the classical antiquity as core concept for Shazam! Fury of the Gods, the entire Greek pantheon better show up!

Shazam! Fury of the Gods Movie PosterAll the DC movies from this year exist in a strange place. Since they’re not part of the new universe, they aren’t necessarily considered ongoing canon. That’s because of Warner Bros/Discovery wanting to revamp everything. After Black Adam (my movie review and commentary can be read here) did not invest enough into the legends and lore, I had trepidation regarding Shazam! Fury of the Gods.

I love the idea of incorporating mythology from ancient cultures into any superhero movie treatment. When done right, some heroes are just modern day updates to classical figures. For example, Horus is the spiritual predecessor of Hawkman. For the titular hero in this franchise, he embodies the best traits from six Greek divinities–Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles, and Mercury.

But when a sisterhood from Greek myth decides it’s time to torment Billy Batson (Asher Angel and Zachary Levi), he’s in trouble. They are targeting his surrogate family to reacquire the power bequeathed to them by Shazam (and The Wizard). The death of the gods and to resurrect them is a big theme.

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Where to Find Golden Age Comics. Waxing the Nostalgia.

Thankfully, there are digital archivists actively looking to preserve Golden Age Comics and offer them to readers to read online.

By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

Golden Age Comics Spy SmasherTo read some great comic books from the yesteryears, most aficionados will have to hit auctions and estate sales to find what they want. From the Platinum Age (1897 – 1938) to Golden Age Comics (1939-1950), these titles are nearly hard to find. The latter introduced the era of the superhero to more than just one generation of readers and to purchase these comics now is near impossible. Unless you are rich, forget it.

Depending on the title, some are worth a hefty price or require handing out at least an Andrew Jackson ($20 USD) to own.

Thankfully, there are digital archivists actively looking to preserve this bit of the past and offer them to readers to read online. Not everyone is out to make an investment with an Action Comics #1 so they can wind up having a million dollar nest egg to retire on sixty-five years later. There are people out there who simply want to read these decades-old comics and recall what they enjoyed back in the days when 10 cents could buy a hamburger. For newer generations, perhaps all they want is to look at how their favourite hero or narrative medium has evolved over time.

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Who Do you Want The Rock to Play? Shazam or Black Adam

By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

William_Batson_(Injustice_Gods_Among_Us)_001According to Associated Press, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has stated that he will play a role in an upcoming DC Comics film. Many fans believe he has the charm and looks to pull off being Shazam. There is beauty in those words, and to picture this former WWE wrestler belt out those words on-screen will have some people cheering. But for Johnson, if he had the choice for which character to play, his preference is Black Adam, a supervillain and rival to the hero. He was an ancient Egyptian prince named Teth-Adam who was thought to have been virtuous, but was not when the powers he gained corrupted him.

For this fan, the hope is for Adam. The Rock played the nefarious Scorpion King, a character which started his rise to Hollywood fame. The two villains have Ancient Egyptian roots who share similarities in terms of how they were granted power. To have this tiny nod can go a long way since Johnson has moreorless prepared for the role. It will also please some fans of The Rock’s works.

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