Shazam, previously known as Captain Marvel, debuted in Fawcett's Whiz Comics during the Golden Age. After DC accused the publisher of ripping off Superman, the hero was taken out of print, later acquired by DC themselves and added to their universe. Even though he's often inhabited his own little corner of the DC Universe, Shazam has played a role in some of modern comics' best stories and is often referenced as one of the few superheroes who poses a threat to Superman.
Shazam has been written and drawn by some of the greatest creators in the comic book industry, from Jerry Ordway and Jeff Smith to Geoff Johns. Shazam has some of the best comic book runs at DC and is also one of the most underrated heroes. Having been around since the Golden Age, there are many excellent runs of the superhero for fans to choose from.
10 Golden Age Fawcett Comics (1939-1951)
In the Golden Age, Fawcett Comics published Whiz Comics, the series where Captain Marvel debuted. Here, Shazam was the wizard who granted the Captain his powers, and the magic word that activated them. Like all Golden Age comics, the many Shazam titles from this era can seem somewhat dated. However, it's also the home of much of the character's lore, and it established Marvel as an unusual hero.
While Shazam's Golden Age introduced heinous villains like Black Adam and Mister Mind, it also established Captain Marvel as a whimsical hero. While he often fought for high stakes, his problems and solutions were often wonderfully ridiculous. Combining science fiction, comedy, and fantasy, Captain Marvel's stories were more visionary than Superman's. Even though the character first appeared in 1939, even his earliest incarnations would be at home in comics from the 1960s.
9 Shazam (1973)
After DC acquired Captain Marvel & company, they put him into print almost immediately. His 1973 series introduced him in DC Comics and included many of his first team-ups and crossovers with other heroes. With the first issue written by Dennis O'Neil, Earth's Mightiest Mortal was in good hands from the start.
Shazam's 1973 series recapped the hero's origin story and even made sure to maintain his Golden Age art style. Despite being created during the darker Bronze Age of comics, the '73 title was true to the wholesome hero's spirit.
8 Superman/Shazam: First Thunder (2006)
Superman/Shazam: First Thunder was a fun team-up between Superman and Shazam. Starting with an incredibly action-packed fight, it had the two heroes unite when each of them had to contend with threats from the other's world. The series wrote a great friendship between the Man of Steel and the Big Red Cheese as they got to know each other's methods and limitations.
Superman/Shazam: First Thunder bucked a few trends of this era by having the two heroes quickly established as allies. Imitating earlier crossovers, like the 1976 story Superman vs The Amazing Spider-Man, the series didn't just pair Shazam and Superman but teamed up their arch-enemies, Dr Sivana and Lex Luthor.
7 Day Of Vengeance (2005)
DC's Day of Vengeance event crossed over between the worlds of Superman, the JSA, and Shazam. Under Judd Winick, Bill Willingham and Ian Churchill, the event gave fans a story centered around DC's magical heroes, with Eclipso as the story's main villain.
Day of Vengeance isn't just a classic Shazam story, it's also a great JSA and Superman book. It spotlighted a number of lesser-known DC heroes, such as Blue Devil, alongside Shazam and Superman. It also includes one of the few great Superman/Shazam battles in print.
6 Kingdom Come (1996)
Kingdom Come was by no means a Shazam story, but the fate of Billy Batson's hero was a key element in this story of superheroes gone wrong. Created by Mark Waid and Alex Ross, Kingdom Come was set in a nebulous future, where a younger generation of heroes proved too violent and reckless.
When the original Justice League came out of retirement, they were eventually confronted by a brainwashed Billy Batson, who cracked open their superhero Gulag and sparked an epic battle with Superman. The miniseries is best known for Shazam's self-sacrificing attempt to save the heroes, easily one of his greatest moments in comics.
5 Trials Of Shazam (2006)
In 2006, Shazam got a 12-issue limited series that followed Day of Vengeance. Trials of Shazam (Judd Winick & Howard Porter), unlike most of the hero's titles, didn't follow Billy Batson's champion of magic, but rather Freddy Freeman's quest to regain his powers.
Trials of Shazam revolved around Freeman's eponymous trials by gods who had withheld their power as he proved himself worthy of their divine gifts. In order to do this, he had to find each of the gods and exemplars whose initials comprise the SHAZAM name, from Solomon to Mercury, to reclaim his magic before his rivals could do the same.
4 Shazam (The New 52) (2013)
In DC's New 52 universe reboot, Geoff Johns penned a series of Shazam backup stories and added Shazam to the Justice League's roster. Along with artist Gary Frank, Johns gave Billy Batson and the Marvel family their newer origin story, which provided the basis for the 2019 movie.
The New 52 met with mixed reviews, but that era of Shazam is correctly remembered as the home of some of Shazam's greatest stories. It reimagined Billy Batson's first encounter with the wizard Shazam and the hero's strongest foe, Black Adam, and gave him the found family and saintly foster parents that resonated with fans everywhere.
3 The Monster Society Of Evil (2009)
The Monster Society of Evil is a team of villains comprised of Shazam's eccentric and strange rogues gallery, such as Mister Mind, Doctor Sivana, and Black Adam. The series of the same name pitted Captain Marvel against his society of villains for the fate of humanity.
The Monster Society of Evil series was written and drawn by Jeff Smith, best known for creating Bone. As Billy and the rest of the Marvel family teamed up, they faced the Monster Society's cunning and power. An all-ages story, it's a different kind of comic that makes great use of Smith's visual style and reimagines the whimsy of the Golden Age's Captain Marvel.
2 Geoff Johns' Shazam (2018)
In recent years, Geoff Johns has become Shazam's signature writer. After his New 52 run on the hero's stories, he returned for a 2018 series that followed the Shazam family. It sent the family on an adventure through the Magic Lands after Billy's father showed up looking for him.
Shazam's 2018 series was full of great moments, including a notable crossover with Batman in a story by Jeff Loveness and Brandon Peterson. The series concluded with Billy Batson getting a lesson in responsibility, both as a person and a superhero. This version of Shazam exemplifies the divide between Batson's youthful mind and Shazam's powerful body and makes it clear why he needs to grow into this role.
1 The Power Of Shazam! (1994)
While Shazam has been in and out of print since the Golden Age of comics, most of his greatest stories debuted during the Modern Age. Most notably, Jerry Ordway's definitive take on the superhero remains the most essential reading for Shazam's fans, especially for its run through his rogues' gallery.
Beginning with a graphic novel, the series lasted a total of 47 issues and, although some newer series have come close, it remains Shazam's best-known story. Full of battles with classic Captain Marvel foes like Sivana and Mister Mind, the title helped establish the character in a more modern continuity while keeping his feet firmly rooted in the Golden Age.