5 Underrated Avengers Comics

It’s hard to believe, but for nearly 60 years The Avengers have been saving the Marvel Universe from all kinds of evil threats from across the galaxy. Along the way, Marvel Comics has published some awesome stories with some of the industry’s best creators leaving their mark on Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.

Thanks to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Avengers have found a new legion of fans over the course of several films. Now With “Avengers: Endgame” about to explode into pretty much every theater in the world this weekend, this is the perfect time to take a look at some underrated comics starring Marvel’s super-team.

One last thing you should know: the comics listed below are by no means necessary to enjoy “Avengers: Endgame” on the big screen. Nor are the comics listed in any particular order. These are just good comic stories you might enjoy before or after seeing the gates of hell take over London this weekend. Got it? good, and away we go:

5.New Avengers #1-5 (2005)
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Art by David Finch.

After destroying the Avengers apart in Avengers: Disassembled, Brian Michael Bendis relaunched the series with David Finch on art duties. To be honest, when New Avengers first came out I wasn’t too thrilled with the book. But as time went by, I began to like this team more and more.

But if I had to choose, I’d say the first few issues are the best. In the series first story arc, the New Avengers have to deal with a mass breakout of super-villains from a super-maximum-security prison. The team comes together just in time to track down and return more than 40 super-villains that have escaped and are roaming free.

New Avengers not only rebuilt the team from the ground up, but it also introduced many new members to the roster including, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Spider-Woman and Luke Cage. These additions were surprising in 2004, but now, of course, it seems odd not to have a different character on the Avengers.

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4.Wonder Man #9 (1992)
Written by Gerard Jones
Art by Jeff Johnson, Stephen B. Jones, and Bud LaRosa

Operation: Galactic Storm was the follow-up to the classic The Kree/Skrull War. This time around, it’s the Kree vs. the Shi’ar, both of whom have been using our solar system as an interstellar waypoint which has led to solar destabilization. It’s complicated, to say the least, but makes for fun reading anyway.

But since Galactic Storm took place in the ’90s, it meant Marvel forced you to buy a bunch of comics you didn’t read. In this case, Galactic Storm took 19 issues to tell the complete story, with various degrees of success. My favorite issue in the bunch is Wonder Woman #9  Written by Gerard Jones with art by Jeff Johnson, Stephen B. Jones, and Bud LaRosa.

In Wonder Man #9, if Simon and the Vision fail, the Earth is doomed. That’s because Wondy and the Vision are trapped aboard the Nega-Bomb which has been stolen by the Skrulls; As the Avengers move in the help, the bomb is detonated in the heart of Kree space. Despite the tension, this issue has some really funny moments, like the new Thor falling over Scarlet Witch and his reaction is priceless.

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3.Avengers #350 (1992)
Written by Bob Harras and others
Art by Steve Epting, Tom Palmer, and others

This era of The Avengers has always been the butt of jokes, many of which are aimed at writer Bob Harras. As the chief X-Men editor at the time, Harras attempted to turn the Avengers into the X-Men, even donning the team with matching bomber jackets. He tried other things to drive up the Avengers cool factor, with little to no success. But among the excess of the ’90s, this era had a few highlights, like Avengers #350.

For this giant-sized issue we got a double foldout cover and a flip-book that reprints a classic Avengers issue. Avengers #350 also guest-stars Professor Xavier, Cyclops, and the Starjammers. This issue also deals with the aftermath of Operation: Galactic Storm when surviving Kree admiral makes a deal with Hepzibah and Raza Longknife to assassinate the Black Knight for the death of the Supreme Intelligence.

To that end, the two starjammers convince their teammates to journey to Earth under the false pretense of visiting Binary (Carol Danvers) in Avengers Mansion. But while the Starjammers and Avengers get acquainted, Raza slips away to slay Dane Whitman. In the blink of an eye, the Black Knight comes face-to-face with his judge, jury, and executioner!

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2.The Last Avengers story (1995)
Written by Peter David
Art by Ariel Olivetti

This two-issue prestige format series was released with almost zero promotion. The only ad that I remember seeing came in an issue of Wizard magazine. Because I didn’t know what the heck this book was about, I skipped it in 1995. Somehow I doubt I was the only one who didn’t try this series, and that’s a shame because The Last Avengers is arguably one of the best Avengers stories ever.

Last Avengers Story is set in the not so distant future and it follows the remaining original Avengers as they come together for a final conflict with their greatest foes, led by Ultron. The first issue is primarily setup, updating readers on what’s become of Marvel heroes and introducing a few new characters. The second issue, however, details the brutal, destructive war between the two sides. It’s a tale of tragedy, hope, and heroes. A story that unlike many 90s comics, had brutal consequences.

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1.Avengers Unplugged #3 (1996)
Written by Mike Lackey
Art by M.C. Wyman Sandu Florea

As the price of comic books began to sore during the 1990s, Marvel Comics launched a line of books which only cost 99 cents per issue. Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four and other got an Unplugged title around this time. I was looking to save money wherever I could and was delighted when I discovered I liked most of the Unplugged books. But when fans bring up the Unplugged line these days, Avengers Unplugged is always forgotten.

Avengers Unplugged #3 probably has one of the most outlandish Avengers stories of the 90s. In it, Crystal and Natasha enjoy a night out on the town until they bump into the Super-Android (model F-4). This crazy construct has recently battled the Thing and is itching for a rematch! But right now the enraged android must settle for the Inhuman elemental and the Black Widow…in their club wear and high heels no less.

The battle itself is wild and fun, but I think my favorite moments in Avengers Unplugged #3 come when Crystal and Natasha take in a male stripper show complete with Avengers lookalikes. Crystal’s reaction to the Quicksilver dancer is great, as is Natasha’s laugh at the expense of her teammate and friend. It was nice to see two Avengers just having fun and enjoying each others company.

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Movie Flashback: Airspeed

Having suffered from long bouts of insomnia for most of my life has come with a few challenges as you can imagine. I really can’t say the lack of sleep over the years came with many positives (if any).

But if there’s been one upside to my insomnia, it would be that it has given me a chance to watch a bunch of movies I normally would have missed. One such movie is the 1998/1999 air disaster flick “Airspeed.”

I first came across “Airspeed” during one sleepless night around 2000. The movie was airing on one of the Starz channels, and based on the description, it sounded like it could be an interesting movie.

Plus like a lot of people, I’m a sucker for a good air disaster movie like “Airport” and “Executive Decision.” But if you still have nightmares involving Karen Black trying to land a 747 in “Airport 1975,” then these kinds of movies are probably not for you.

 

Come to think of it, “Airspeed” and “Airport 1975” have something in common, as both feature a non-pilot trying to land a plane with help from someone on the ground. There are some differences though. “Airspeed” doesn’t feature a stellar cast of has-beens and the one person trying to land the plane isn’t a flight attendant but a spoiled rich teenage girl named Nicole Stone (Elisha Cuthbert).

Also, instead of a mid-air collision, “Airspeed” involves lightning blowing a hole in the plane’s fuselage which electrocutes the pilot. That’s just one of the problems Nicole faces as all the adults onboard are incapacitated by oxygen deprivation. I still don’t quite understand why she wasn’t affected, but then again is she’d passed out this would have been a short movie.

While Nicole is stuck on the family place, her father Raymond Stone (Joe Mantegna), the volatile CEO of Teknacom Inc., anxiously awaits the landing at the airport tower. I know Stone was rich and well-connected, but if this happened in real life there is no way he’d be allowed in the tower and they try to help his daughter. It doesn’t help that Stone is a control freak and simply tries to throw money at the problem as if that would help.

Unfortunately for Nicole, things keep getting worse as the ground crew realizes the auto-pilot on her plane is stuck. So they come up with the idea of sending another airplane to deposit a rescue crew on doomed Flight. This is where we see Nicole start to change as instead of letting the rescuers take her, she first makes sure the other passengers are taken care of. But her selfless act causes her to miss her chance at rescue.

Anyways, now truly on her own, a panic-stricken Nicole does what any of us would do and gets on the radio to air traffic control. This leads to some sappy conversations with her family, but this is also where she befriends a guy named Jeff, (Charles Edwin Powell). Jeff is a young air traffic controller, but it’s perhaps because of his age that he can relate to Nicole.

Jeff is an unlikely hero for this kind of movie, but I thought once he came into the picture “Airspeed” became as much Powell’s movie as it is Cuthbert’s. His calmness helps Nicole over her fear, and his resulting tone moves her to do what everyone around him thinks is impossible: safely land the plane. Even though the two have never met face to face, they become friends, and I liked that.

Of course, all of the stuff I mentioned above would have more of an impact if “Airspeed” had any production value to it. As it is, “Airspeed” looks like a low-budget tv movie of the week. Special effects are almost non-existent in the movie. Most of the airplane shots are either models or very poor CGI effects. Nearly all of the sets are small, poorly lit and crowded. The plane Nicole is supposed to be on is not very realistic, neither is the plane sent to help her.

Acting wise, “Airspeed” is not an award contender. Though I really can’t place all the blame on Elisha Cuthbert who was very young at the time. Her movie dad Joe Mantegna however, is another story. In this movie, he is so overdramatic that it comes off as laughable rather than touching. Had this been anyone else I might give it a pass, but I know Joe Mantegna can act because I’ve seen him do it. Maybe he was just having a hard time acting in front of a radio or something, who knows?

Charles Edwin Powell probably does the best acting in “Airspeed,” but he too has some cheesy moments. He also has one cringe-worthy moment in the end when he finally meets Nicole and somehow the subject of them dating comes up. It’s creepy because Nicole is 12-14 maybe, and if he’s an air traffic controller then he must be at least in his mid-twenties if not older. But maybe Nicole thought he was Seth Green or something.

In the end, “Airspeed” is not a must see movie. However, this is one of those movies that is cheesy and pretty bad at times, but one that I can’t help but like. Yeah, this is definitely one of those movies that are so bad it’s good, and one that if I ever find on DVD, will scoop up no questions asked. As for my insomnia, that’s a lot better now. Whether watching bad movies like “Airspeed” had anything to do with it is anyone’s guess.

Better late than never review: Bumblebee

Possible spoilers ahead!

After just ten minutes, “Bumblebee” was already the best Transformers movie ever. Everything this movie clicked with me. The action was good and you could tell who was fighting who. All the robots looked like the Transformers that  I remember as a kid, you know before Michael Bay destroyed my childhood with his crap movies.

The “Bumblebee” script had the perfect combination of heart and genuine humor, and the relationship between Bumblebee and  Charlie Watson (Hailee Steinfeld) is the best in the series. Hell, even John Cena was good, and I’m a wrestling fan who can’t stand John Cena. By the time the movie was over, I had a tear in my eye. If that’s not a great Transformers movie, I don’t know what is.

“Bumblebee” score: A-

Hellboy Review

Possible spoilers ahead!

Based on the comics by Mike Mignola, the new “Hellboy” movie serves as a reboot for the character, this time with David Harbour taking over the lead role. The new film sees Hellboy (Harbour) teaming up with allies of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense (B.P.R.D.) in an effort to prevent the ancient witch Nimue (Milla Jovovich), the Blood Queen, from wiping out all of mankind.

The movie also operates as an origin story for Hellboy, offering insight into the character’s part through his adoptive father, Trevor Bruttenholm (Ian McShane). The professor, like in the original film, chose to raise Hellboy like a son rather than killing him. A decision that still doesn’t sit well with many in the paranormal community.

Professor Bruttenholm even gives Hellboy some new B.P.R.D. teammates in the form of Alice Monaghan (Sasha Lane) and Ben Daimio (Daniel Dae Kim), who join him for the main storyline. But this movie features subplots which see Hellboy on different missions where he battles giants, vampires, a faerie changeling, and a surreal face off with Baba Yaga.

Ay caramba. where to start?

To put it bluntly, “Hellboy” is a mess. While there were a few things in the film that I did enjoy, the movie has serious pacing issues, lack of focus at times, a pointless villain, and a weak third act. All of this could be due to the lackluster script, or perhaps by the average direction of Neil Marshall. Then again, the problems with this movie could come down to a combination of both thins.

Normally I don’t mind a comic book movie script sticking close to the source material. But in “Hellboy,” the screenwriters might have stuck to closely to the format Mike Mignola uses in the comics. Basically, the “Hellboy” script spends so much time setting things up that it took far too long for the main story to kick in. A good 20-30 minutes into the movie we’re still being introduced to characters, some of which had nothing to do with the rest of the movie.

Don’t get me wrong, some of the subplots are based on some of Hellboy’s best comics. “The Wild Hunt” for instance, is one of my favorite Hellboy comics. By itself, it would make an awesome Hellboy movie, but it simply wasn’t needed in this movie. So now and forever, “The Wild Hunt” is nothing more than an early sequence in the third Hellboy movie and not even a great sequence at that.

What ticks me off is that “Hellboy” had all the potential in the world thanks in large part to its strong cast. And this is really the only place where “Hellboy” excels, with David Harbour as Hellboy probably being the film’s best asset. It didn’t take long for me to enjoy his take on the character. Some of his best scenes were the smaller ones like when he’s playing with baby Alice or his shaving conversation with his dad early in the film.

A pleasant surprise was the introduction of the character of Alice Monaghan (Sasha Lane). For one thing, we’ve never seen her in the movies before. Second, she’s not a love interest for Hellboy, but she does share a past with him which was a nice touch. Her “powers” also come in very handy and would be interesting to explore in a sequel which now seems unlikely to happen.

Unfortunately, Ian McShane, Daniel Dae Kim, and Milla Jovovich are not as lucky. McShane is more or less playing himself here, but he lacks the warmth that John Hurt brought to the same role in 2004. Daniel Dae Kim is fine and his character definitely has potential. But Kim’s British accent seems to come and go, and all the background we get on him comes via a short flashback scene.

Faring worst of all is Milla Jovovich who spends most of the film as a head. No seriously, she’s just ahead because during the middle ages King Arthur chopped her into pieces and now she has to find all of them so that her powers are restored. That’s all fine and good, but I never truly believed that Jovovich was a true threat to Hellboy and the others. Plus I was too distracted by her low neckline which seemed out-of-place in a movie like this.

Action wise, “Hellboy” delivers a few nice set pieces, but the Guillermo del Toro film’s had more of a flare when it came to action. However, the opening “wrestling” sequence in Tijuana was fun, as was the solo battle with a giant. Another thing from the del Toro movies is that they made me care about the characters, but this version only made me care about Hellboy and Alice. Other than them, it didn’t matter who died or didn’t.

Once again, it all comes down to the damn script. The third act alone is too similar to the 2004 film, and boy is it quick. As I was watching it I thought you myself” This can’t be it.” But a few minutes later my train of thought had changed to “Oh, that was fast.” As weird as it sounds, the climactic sequence felt rushed compared to everything else.

In the end, “Hellboy” has its moments and a couple of nice performances, but they’re not nearly enough to lift this reboot. In this day age of excellent comic book adaptations, it’s rare to see a misfire like this. But you know what? there’s still potential here, not as a movie, but perhaps as a streaming series.

“Hellboy” final score: C-

5 Underrated Hellboy Comics

In case you haven’t heard (or forgot), there’s a new “Hellboy” hitting theaters this weekend. It’s a whole new take on Mike Mignola’s creations as this time “Game Of Thrones” director Neil Marshall takes over the directing duties and actor David Harbour (“Stranger Things”) becomes the latest incarnation of the big red monster from hell.

The all-new, all-different “Hellboy” is, of course, the third big-screen appearance for the big red guy, an impressive feat for a character not published by Marvel and DC. Personally, I would have loved for Guillermo del Toro to finish his story, but I’m still looking forward to the new flick. With the new movie nearly upon us, and because the marketing campaign has been somewhat lackluster, I think this is the perfect time to take a look at some underrated comics starring Hellboy.

One last thing you should know: the comics listed below are by no means necessary to enjoy “Hellboy” on the big screen. Nor are they listed in any particular order. These are just good comic stories you might enjoy before or after seeing the gates of hell take over London this weekend. Got it? good, and away we go:

5. Hellboy: Conqueror Worm (2001)

In this 2001 mini-series, Hellboy and his team from the Bureau Of Paranormal Research And Defence (B.P.R.D.) head to an Austrian castle to prevent a Nazi scientist and his cybernetically enhanced gorillas (seriously) from reviving a Nazi space programme designed to summon a monstrous being from outer space.

This story was written and drawn by Mike Mignola is cool for a number of reasons, one of which is the fact that the Nazi scientist’s head is kept in a jar. Conqueror Worm is also important because, at the end of the series, Hellboy quits working for the Bureau and decides to travel around the planet.

More than likely, we’ll never see this story in a live action movie because of how expensive it would be to film it. But this series would make an awesome animated film. Plus Conquering Work introduced one of Hellboy’s most iconic supporting characters: The Lobster (AKA Lobster Johnson).

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4. Hellboy: The Chained Coffin (1995)

This 1995 one-shot, sees Hellboy return to his East Bromwich birthplace to have a psychic vision of his true origin. However, doing this reveals more about his origins than either Hellboy or us as readers were expecting. The Chained Coffin is also the story of Hellboy’s mother, Sarah Hughes. She was a seventeenth-century English witch who had deathbed repentance. The titular coffin is where her dead body was chained inside the East Bromwich chapel, guarded to save her soul by a priest and a nun for three nights.

The Chained Coffin is an interesting chapter for Hellboy, and it’s cool to see how he played into the mythic history of England and witchcraft, which sounds similar to the new movie. Whether the new film adapts this comic, remains to be seen though.

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3. Hellboy: The Wild Hunt (2006)

In this series by Mike Mignola and Duncan Fegredo, Hellboy joins the legendary wild hunt to kill the giants that periodically rise from their graves to wreak havoc on the English countryside. I may be wrong, but this is something that might be popping up the new movie as well.

Oh yeah, Wild Hunt also features a demon slaughtering a whole village and Gruagach uses the blood to resurrect Nimue. The Wild Hunt is also the story that reunites Hellboy and Alice and sees them traveling in fairy realms. As you can see, the Wild Hunt is a packed mini-series and one that is worth tracking down. Or get the trade, either way, works.

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2. Savage Dragon #34 (1996)

Now we get to Savage Dragon #34, the issue that introduced me to Hellboy. Yup, before I ever read a Hellboy title, it was Savage Dragon #34 by Erik Larsen that first brought him to my attention. This might be one of Hellboy’s strangest appearances, but it remains one of my favorites too.

In this issue, Brainiape, who is revealed to be Adolph Hitler’s brain preserved within the body of a gorilla,  (you can’t make this stuff up) is sent on a mission to kill the Dragon by Cyberface, the defacto leader of the Vicious Circle. Cyberface is decomposing, so to save him, Abner Cadaver summons the creatures of the undead, who attack the world-renowned paranormal investigator Hellboy.

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1. Batman/Hellboy/Starman (1999)

In one of the most unorthodox crossovers you’ll ever read, DC’s Dark Knight meets Mike Mignola’s Hellboy! Things start when Ted Knight comes to Gotham City to lecture at a conference on alternative energies sponsored by Wayne Industries. But when Knight is kidnapped by a group of magic-wielding Nazis called the Knights of October, Hellboy offers his aid to Batman to help find Ted and thwart.

Eventually, the heroes learn that the Knights of October plan to marshal the Golden Age Starman’s knowledge for their own nefarious purposes. As the heroes track the kidnappers–and their victim–to the Amazon jungle, they’ll need some additional help: from Ted Knight’s son Jack, Starman.

This series was a lot of fun. My only complaint at the time was that at two issues it was too damn short. I wanted to see these heroes team up for at least four issues or more, but it wasn’t meant to be. Twenty years later, Batman/Hellboy/Starman is worth checking out and adding to your Hellboy collection.

Movie Flashback: Jersey Girl (2004)

When the management changed at my place of work in early 2004, I found myself working every Saturday night for most of the year. As you can imagine, this wasn’t my favorite shift to work, but not having to work until 4 pm left my Saturday mornings free. This gave me the chance to see a few matinees with my friends, one of which was the 2004 romantic comedy  “Jersey Girl.”

I’m sure you’ve heard of “Jersey Girl,” after it has been the butt of jokes since it came out in March of 2004. But in case you don’t remember “Jersey Girl,” the movie was directed by Kevin Smith and starred Ben Affleck as Ollie Trinke, a hotshot Manhattan publicist whose beloved wife Gertrude (Jennifer Lopez) is pregnant with her first child. The film co-stars include Liv Tyler, George Carlin, Stephen Root, Mike Starr, and Raquel Castro.

However, Jennifer Lopez wasn’t in the movie for that long as her character died in childbirth. When this happened, many in the theater roared with glee. It was a strange reaction, but “Jersey Girl” came during a time when the nation was obsessed with the phenomenon of Ben Affleck and J. Lo dating. And by the time this movie hit theaters, people had grown tired of Bennifer.

To be fair. Jennifer Lopez was pretty good in her few scenes. This might be the most natural I’ve seen her. What I mean by that is that for once I believed her acting. Her few minutes of screen time helped to explain why the character Ollie remains true to her and still mourns her, many years later.

But after her death, his life and career fall to pieces. Under pressure to hold a job while raising a newborn daughter, he loses it one day in front of the press,  offending his employers by causing a scene at the opening of a Hard Rock Cafe. During the meltdown, Ollie asks why he should take Will Smith seriously as a movie star saying, “Yeah, like the Fresh Prince of Bel Air is ever gonna have a movie career.”

It’s one of the movie’s funniest moments, but it’s also sad to see someone unravel like that. When the story resumes, Ollie has moved back to New Jersey and is living in the same house with his father Bart (George Carlin) and his beloved daughter Gertie (Raquel Castro), who is now about 7. Ollie is no longer in public relations anymore after his very public implosion. He now works with his dad in the town’s public works department.

This being billed as a romantic comedy, you’d expect Ben Affleck’s character to start dating eventually, but he never does. As I said earlier, he stays true to his late wife, and instead, Ollie throws all his energy into raising his daughter. The highlight of the week is when he and Gertie go to the local video store, where she plunders the kid’s section for something to watch while he just wanders around.

Sometimes though, he makes a quick dash through the bamboo curtain to grab a porn video. One night he’s confronted by Maya (Liv Tyler), the clerk who claims she’s taking a survey about his pornography usage. This is the scene where we all remembered Kevin Smith directed this movie. Nevertheless, it’s a funny scene and a unique way for the two characters to meet and start a relationship.

The day my friends and I saw “Jersey Girl,” I was surprised by how many people were in the theater. There were so many people at the 10:30 show that we had to sit way in the back near the top. From what I remember, my friends and I wanted to see “Jersey Girl” mainly due to Kevin Smith’s involvement. But I don’t think either my friends or I knew too much about the movie before we saw it. At the time “Jersey Girl” was the least Kevin Smith like a movie of his career. It was as if Smith were actually trying to make a film or something.

All joking aside though, I’m probably one of the few people who enjoyed this movie. I thought Liv Tyler and Raquel Castro were great in the movie. I totally bought into those two becoming friends. The Late Great George Carlin delivered one of his more subtle performances as Ollie’s dad. Even Ben Affleck did a good job as a grieving widower who has to learn how to live again.

I’m not saying “Jersey Girl” is a perfect film, it does have some clichés like The central character’s choice between returning to the big city and staying with his family in a small town; the parent who arrives late at a school play. but just at the moment when the child needs him; and the closure scene with whatever/whoever the main character disagreed with in the beginning. In this case, it’s a quick cameo by Will Smith.

However, I felt that “Jersey Girl” made up its faults with a good amount of heartfelt moments. As much as I hate to admit it, by the time the movie ended I was invested in what happened to these characters. I could relate with one event destroying your world and appreciated the real moments the script and the actors delivered.

Perhaps the main reason “Jersey Girl” still gets so much hate is because of the Bennifer factor, if that’s the case, that’s a shame because “Jersey Girl” has some genuinely touching moments and solid performances from the cast. Maybe this isn’t at the same level as other rom-coms, but I was entertained and have learned to appreciate this movie for what it is: a story about the strength of family.

Shazam! Review

Possible spoilers ahead!

“Shazam!” tells the story fourteen-year-old Billy Batson (Asher Angel), a troubled foster kid who spends more time looking for the mother who abandoned him rather than trying to live a normals life with any of the foster families he’s been placed with. After his latest run-in with the law, Billy is placed in the home of Rosa (Marta Milans) and Victor (Cooper Andrews) who have a wonderful makeshift family of their own, including young Darla (Faithe Herman),  video-game-addicted Eugene (Ian Chen), college-bound Mary Bromfield (Grace Fulton), quiet Pedro Peña (Jovan Armand), and superhero buff Freddy Freeman (Jack Dylan Glazer).

But despite the loving family around him, Billy’s biggest goal is to run away and continue looking for his biological mother. That all changes one day after school while escaping on the subway from some bullies and Billy is transported to the Rock of Eternity, by the Wizard Shazam (Djimon Hounsou). The wizard transfers his powers to Billy because he finds Billy is of “pure of heart,” and When Billy says the wizard’s name, Billy transforms from a teenager into the hero (Zachary Levi).

Unfortunately for Billy, The maniacal Dr. Thaddeus Sivana (Mark Strong) has found a way to the wizard’s cave, unleashing the Seven Deadly Sins that sat dormant in the lair. The seven spirits can now change from large gargoyle-like beings into an evil that Dr. Sivana can carry around in his right eye. When Sivana finds out that someone has similar powers to his own, he starts to hunt Shazam down, not knowing Shazam is actually a fourteen-year-old boy.

First off, I have to mention that “Shazam!” is a lot darker than I was expecting. Not only is this movie very sad at moments, but it also has a huge body count for a movie that is thought of as lighter and more fun than other DC films. Most of the deaths in the movie come courtesy of main villain Dr. Sivana and the Seven Deadly Sins, and at least a few of them are quite gruesome.

In the theater I was in, there were a lot of families with young kids, more than usual for a superhero movie. During an intense board room scene featuring Dr. Sicana, a lot of the younger kids in the audience started crying, and at least two families walked out. So if you have young kids, you may want to see “Shazam!” first, before deciding it’s appropriate or not. All that said, I still thought “Shazam!” was a lot of fun.

The main reason for that is the stellar cast led by Zachary Levi. He had a very tricky role in playing a literal image of Asher Angel. But to his credit, Levi pulls it off most of the time. The joy and wonderment that anyone would feel at gaining powers are all there. Oh sure, there were a few moments where it was obvious he was imitating Angel, but for the most part, I thought Levi did a solid job as the hero, and with the shenanigans that teenagers get into.

But perhaps the biggest highlights of “Shazam!” is the supporting cast, starting with Freddy Freeman (Jack Dylan Glazer). He’s the moral compass of the movie and for Billy as he navigates this strange new world as a superhero. Freddy knows right from wrong, and his constant attempts to train Billy to give the film some of it best humor But when the opportunity arises to have a little fun (like when Billy discovers he’s bulletproof) Freddy is ready with his camera.

Another personal favorite was  Mary Bromfield (Grace Fulton). For one thing, she looks like Mary from the comic book, especially the current series by Geoff Johns. She acts like her too, and as the oldest of the kids in Billy’s new foster home, she often acts like another mom. I also thought that her questioning whether to go to college in California or stay near her family was a nice touch. It was a good contrast to Billy Batson who has never adjusted to foster life.

If Warner Bros. is smart and they make a sequel to “Shazam!” I would love to see more of the home of Rosa (Marta Milans) and Victor (Cooper Andrews). Those two only have a handful of scenes, but they steal every single one. Their home looked like a wonderful place to live and the kid’s attitudes are proof of that.

There were one or two things in “Shazam!” that irked me a little bit. For example, in a few scenes, Billy Batson is an absolute jerk to others. Whether it was being mean to Darla, or telling Freddy off, it didn’t sit right with me. That’s because, in all the comics that I’ve read, Billy is never like that to anyone, let alone his friends. That’s one of the reasons the Wizard chooses him in the first place.

Another thing that bothered me was Billy’s search for his biological mother. Looking for her is understandable, but once he gains Shazam’s powers, he never once uses them to look for her. And when this storyline finally hits the head, Billy’s reaction is a way to subtle. In that situation, I think most people would scream, cry, make a scene of some kind. But Billy just goes back to his day like his life’s quest didn’t just implode on him.

One last thing I found odd was that Zachary Levy’s superhero goes the entire film without getting a proper name. I understand you can’t call him Captain Marvel, but you could have had Billy say something like “How about Captain Ma” and then have Freddy Freeman cut him off by saying “Nah, that’s taken.” At the very least, he could have dubbed himself Shazam by the end of the film.

Despite a few minor issues here and there, “Shazam!” is still quite enjoyable. There’s a lot to like in this movie, beginning with the kids and their foster parents. The movie is funny, action-packed, and with a touching coming of age family story. The mid-credit scene
has me excited for what could come next, and I for one can’t wait to see these character grow into their own.

“Shazam!” score: B+