Say the Name and FEEL THE POWER!

DC Comics’ Captain Marvel aka Shazam is hitting theaters Friday April 5^th, 2019.

Here are a few graphic novels featuring ‘The Big Red Cheese’ worth checking out before or after seeing the movie.

Shazam! Origins by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank

Young orphan Billy Batson has bounced from foster home to foster home, but he’s far from the ideal child. Brash and rude, Billy is a troubled teen who just can’t seem to find a calling. But after a fateful night on a subway car, that all will change.

Brought to the feet of the magical wizard Shazam at the Rock of Eternity, Billy is imbued with powers beyond any mortal man. By shouting the wizard’s name–Shazam!–the young teen is mystically transformed into the powerhouse known as Shazam! Now given abilities that make him Earth’s Mightiest Mortal at the utterance of a simple phrase, will Billy make the right choices and do what it takes to become a hero? Or will he succumb to the poor choices of youth–and the villainous Black Adam?

Perfect for any new fan of the World’s Mightiest Mortal, this new edition of Geoff Johns and Gary Frank’s classic graphic novel features a photo cover of star actor Zachary Levi. Collects Justice League #0, #21 and stories from Justice League #7-11, #14-16 and #18-20.

Shazam: A New Beginning 30^th Anniversary Deluxe Edition by Roy Thomas

1987’s classic origin story for the World’s Mightiest Mortal is back in SHAZAM: A NEW BEGINNING 30TH ANNIVERSARY DELUXE EDITION!

He was one of the greatest heroes of comics’ Golden Age—a square-jawed colossus with a child’s optimistic spirit. Then a great crisis came that destroyed his world and erased his adventures from history.

But even during the grim and gritty era that followed, this force of pure goodness continued to shine through the gloom like the bolt of lightning that strikes whenever young Billy Batson says the magic word…

SHAZAM!

Then, in 1987, the celebrated saga of the orphaned boy with godlike powers began anew. Under an all-new creative team, DC’s Captain Marvel was reimagined as a 15-year-old teenager—one who is fated to grow up much faster than he’d hoped.

Arrayed against him are some of the most menacing villains the world has ever seen: Dr. Sivana, a scientific genius as evil as he is intelligent and Black Adam, a 5,000-year-old tyrant with the same powers as Captain Marvel and the cold-hearted ambition to rule the world!

SHAZAM!: THE NEW BEGINNING 30TH ANNIVERSARY DELUXE EDITION presents the complete Shazam! stories from legendary comics author Roy Thomas, his co-writer and wife Dann Thomas and acclaimed artists Tom Mandrake, Rick Stasi and Rick Magyar. Featuring a new introduction by the author, this special hardcover edition reveals a unique and never-before-reprinted chapter in the history of one of the most beloved and enduring superheroes of all time! Collects SHAZAM!: THE NEW BEGINNING #1-4 and the Captain Marvel stories from ACTION COMICS WEEKLY #623-626.

Shazam! The Monster Society of Evil by Jeff Smith

When a young orphan Billy Batson finds himself transformed into the World’s Mightiest Mortal whenever he says the magic word “Shazam!,” he must use his extraordinary abilities to face an invasion of alien creatures and stop mad scientist Dr. Sivana and his Monster Society of Evil from taking over the world.

Superman/Shazam: First Thunder Deluxe Edition –by Judd Winick and Joshua Middleton

While Superman must stop members of a cult from stealing an ancient artifact from the Metropolis Natural History Museum, in Fawcett City, Shazam must defeat rampaging giant mechanical monsters. When the same cult attempts to pays a visit to the Fawcett City Museum, Superman drops by and teams up with Shazam against an all-new threat only the combined might of Superman and Shazam can stop!

Shazam!: The Golden Age of the World’s Mightiest Mortal  by Chip Kidd and Geoff Spear

Shazam made his debut in Whiz Comics in 1940, and outsold his biggest competitor, Superman, by 14 million copies a month. It wasn’t long before a variety of merchandise was licensed—secret decoders, figurines, buttons, paper rockets, tin toys, puzzles, costumes—and a fan club was created to keep up with the demand. These collectibles now sell for outrageous prices on eBay or in comic book stores and conventions. Seventy years later, an unprecedented assortment of these collectibles are gathered together by award-winning writer/designer Chip Kidd and photographer Geoff Spear. Join Kidd, Spear, and the World’s Mightiest Mortal in this first, fully authorized celebration of ephemera, artwork, and rare, one-of-a-kind toys, and recapture the magic that was Shazam!