Is this series worth getting? Does it take place after The Power of Shazam!?

Thanks!

No it takes place before the "Power of Shazam!" and was the first attempt to tell a modern origin for Billy and co. It wasn't well received and was quietly forgotten.

"Power of Shazam!" started again from scratch and ignored "New Beginning" completely (as did the rest of DC continuity).

I can't speak to whether it's good or not, but the premise was a "darker" story with a homeless Billy on the run from his abusive Uncle Sivana. I didn't read it, but I've never heard too much about it that was good.

Thanks! I think I'll pass on it since I already have The Power of Shazam!.

I've read it and it wasn't too bad if you can get it at a good cheap .25-bin price. While parts of it were chucked in favour of the "Power of Shazam!" retcons, bits of it still creeped into there (for example, Sivana still had a connection to Billy prior to the meeting with Shazam). It was a decent effort but I think it flopped in part for being far less C.C. Beck'ish than people would like for their Captain Marvel.

Ah, the series that should have been great.

THis was when Roy Thomas really started to show he just didn't have the knack for writing anymore.

Towards the end of his run on All-Star Squadron, and young All-Stars Thomas started to spend as much (if not more) time in his stories going back and re-capping, as well as making sense out of old source material.

WAY to much time spend on past details, and not nearly enough time fleshing out the actual storyline.

His Shazam series was all about boring unfortunately.

Its one of those series I have to re-read every year or so just to remind myself how boring it was.

(Tom Mandrakes art is decent though)

Its really unfortunate how DC hasn't gotten anybody to write Cap the way he should be written.

Thats to say how hard is it to figure out that when you've got a character with the power of the gods we readers want to see him show those powers off?!?!?

The last series made it to what issue 50 almost and Cap barely lifted anything massive, barely withstood gigantic destructive attacks, and sure as shooting didn't show off hius super speed.

Ordways heart was in the right place, but he gave us a stinker.

And because of it DC's take is now "well he's never worked for us at DC".

It boggles my mind when the powers that be at DC can't see that the problem was simply crappy story telling, and NOT the remarkable character.

I'm am enjoying the current series, but at this point it has jack squat to do with anything Cap.

Which is extra weird to me cause that 1st ish was freakin perfect!
And Cap was all over it!

I really don't see why they didn't just try telling "the new adventures of Captain Marvel/Shazam!" within that setting rather than go thbrough all the trouble they are now.

It also weirds me out to no end how the ramifications of Infinite Crisis (a series I really enjoyed especially with the hardcover making it soo much better) seem to largely be an neutering of the DCU teens.

We have a perfect Kid Flash, so hes gotta go?
Cap Marvel Jr. finally drops that stupid CM3 moniker and joins the Outsiders and then hes gotta go too?

DC greatest feature is that they take risks.
Its also thier greatest failure IMO.

Well that must be nice. Geez, you mind sharing that power with the rest of us mortals?

LOL! I wish I did have it. I wouldn't be snow-bound at my house today.

I hear that Darth, its nasty here in the northwest huh?

Answerman> Maybe Jeff Smith's upcoming mini might lead to something?

I read an interview with him a couple of weeks ago, where he talks about his passion for the character, and this is a dream come true. Let's hope he does it justice. I am sooo looking forward to that.

Yeah 7 inches of snow at my house , we lost power for 2 1/2 hours in 28 degree weather. Not fun at all!

Yeah I can't wait for this series to come out.

THeres no doubt in my mind that Smiths gonna nail it!

I do consider Bone the single best "all in one volume read".

the Bone "brick" is such an unbelavably great read.

The Hardcover was solid, sadly the series not so much.

But even in the Hardcover, theres a distinct lack of cool power feats on the Caps behalf.

;(