# data[].attributes.body
In 1940, the Shazam mythos were born. Created by Bill Parker and C.C. Beck, and published by Fawcett Comics, Captain Marvel (as he was then known) quickly became one of the most popular superheroes, even surpassing Superman and Batman for a time.

# data[].attributes.body
Enchanted by an ancient wizard, young Billy Batson need only speak the magic word of "Shazam" to become Captain Marvel, Earth's mightiest mortal!

# data[].attributes.body
With his magical powers,  Billy must defend the Earth from fearsome foes, such as Black Adam, Dr. Thaddaeus Sivana, Captain Nazi, Mister Mind, and the Monster Society of Evil.

# data[].attributes.body
Eventually, Billy would be joined on his quest for justice with other magical heroes, such as Mary Marvel, Captain Marvel Junior, and Uncle Marvel. Together, they are the Marvel Family!

# data[].attributes.body
These classic times had to end eventually, and in 1953, with superhero comics losing popularity, Fawcett decided to cancel all of their comics featuring the Marvel Family.

# data[].attributes.body
In the 1960s, Stan Lee took the Marvel name and gave it to his comics company. In 1967, Lee created a Captain Marvel of his own, completely unrelated to the Fawcett character. They successfully trademarked the name, even though it wasn't their creation.

# data[].attributes.body
In 1972, DC Comics bought the Captain Marvel character from Fawcett. Due to Marvel Comics trademarking the name, DC had to title any future series "Shazam!", but they could still call the character by his original name. The character would become a key character within the DC Universe and would appear in media outside comics such as cartoons and TV shows.

# data[].attributes.body
In the early 2010s, DC was revamping its entire line of comics, working to bring their characters into the modern age. In 2012, they started to revitalize the Captain Marvel mythos. This task was handled by writer Geoff Johns (basically THE guy at DC since 2000).

# data[].attributes.body
Gary Frank would join Johns as the book's artist. Frank had worked with Johns before on Superman: Secret Origin, which was, similarly, a revitalization of that character.

# data[].attributes.body
In this new version, Billy Batson would no longer be the extremely polite and well-behaved kid that he was in the original stories. Now, he was a troubled fifteen year old orphan with a bad attitude. Billy hops from foster home to foster home because he can't get along with anyone and shows no initiative to grow.

# data[].attributes.body
Billy eventually gets sent to a foster home in Philadelphia, where he gets new "parents" and an incredibly diverse group of "brothers" and "sisters". Billy doesn't try to get along with them, causing trouble at home and school. He also has to deal with some bullies from a local wealthy family.

# data[].attributes.body
Eventually, Billy finds himself transported to the home of Shazam, a wizard from ancient times. Shazam tells Billy that there is a magical supervillain who is about to unleash an even greater evil upon the world. He sees great potential within Billy and thus imbues him with an adult body filled with great powers. Like the original comics, Billy can access these talents by saying the wizard's name: Shazam. Unlike in the past, Billy's adult alter ego would not be called Captain Marvel. Instead, he would simply take the name of the wizard as his superhero title.

# data[].attributes.body
With his newfound powers, Billy chooses to do anything but be a hero. With his foster brother Freddy (who has a walking disability), he helps people on the street in exchange for money, buys beer, and even tampers with ATMs to steal cash.

# data[].attributes.body
While Billy is using his powers for his own personal gain, the evil Dr. Sivana works to master the arts of magic so that he can help his family out. His quest leads him to the tomb of the legendary figure Black Adam.

# data[].attributes.body
Sivana frees Black Adam, expecting him to assist him in his quest, but Adam is not the ally he expected. In actuality, Black Adam was a past champion of the wizard Shazam. However, he began to use his powers for selfish means and Shazam saw fit to imprison him. Now, after thousands of years of waiting, Black Adam is determined to destroy the wizard and his allies. With Sivana and Black Adam threatening the world, Billy must learn to renounce his selfish past and become the hero, and family member, that he was destined to be.

# data[].attributes.body
I love how writer Geoff Johns approaches this story. The goal was to attract new readers, but since most superheroes have decades and decades of history, this isn't easy. Johns pulls it off, though. He takes all of the confusing and strange elements of the character's history and streamlines them in a way that anyone can enjoy them. He also keeps any references to other DC characters to a minimum, making this a truly standalone story.

# data[].attributes.body
Billy's evolution from troublemaker to hero is such a joy to experience. While he really can be rotten at the start, he is always relatable. This is someone who has lacked family for his entire life. Beneath the rude exterior is someone that just wants to be loved. His struggles with being part of a family, and also having to deal with bullies (giving a glimpse at modern income-inequality), makes Billy a character that anyone can relate to.

# data[].attributes.body
Billy's foster family adds a ton to the story. Foster homes aren't often represented in media, let alone something as mainstream as a superhero comic, so this is a big deal. Many might view foster homes as scary places, but this proves they can be as loving and safe as the best "normal" household. Each member of the family is lovable, and the group of kids gives us some racial diversity as well. Billy's brother Freddy has a physical disability, giving the book another valuable example of representation.

# data[].attributes.body
From the magical settings, such as the Rock of Eternity, to the powerful villains, such as Black Adam, this is a story of fantastic fantasy. There's also some incredible action in the climax of (and even a giant tiger).

# data[].attributes.body
Gary Frank's art is incredible. He especially does an amazing job of capturing emotions within faces. This story was released in monthly chapters from 2012 to 2013, but some chapters took longer than a month to be released since Frank dedicated so much time to his work. While that may have been frustrating for those reading it as each chapter released, the art was worth the wait.

# data[].attributes.body
The 2019 Shazam film, directed by David Sandberg, was based almost entirely on this story. The main difference was that it omitted Black Adam so that he can get his own standalone film, instead making Dr. Sivana the main antagonist. Still, it's an awesome movie and does a great job of capturing the magic of the Johns/Frank story.

# data[].attributes.body
Geoff Johns continued the story in 2018, with Shazam and the Seven Magic Lands. Gary Frank was replaced by Dale Eaglesham on art duties, but he is just as good at portraying the world of Shazam. This time, the story isn't as welcoming to new readers, due to one of the main antagonists being a character from Superman comics, but it's still a great follow-up that is worth reading for fans of the first book.

# data[].attributes.body
Overall, Shazam! by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank is a really great story that anyone can enjoy, thanks to its cool fantasy elements, bombastic action. lovable characters, and beautiful themes of family and belonging. The quote below really sums that last bit up.