For anyone who remembers a more innocent age, Captain Marvel was a hero to champion.  He was the alter-ego of a young boy, Billy Batson, who was given the combined powers of the classical gods  - Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles, Mercury - by a benign wizard, and who could turn into a red-clad champion of the Earth whenever he uttered the word 'Shazam!'  Created in the wake of Superman's popularity in 1940s and long before the Marvel Age of Heroes, his more light-hearted adventures have been lost in the current trends towards grittier, more violent realism.

However, comics writer and artist Jeff Smith has been given the task of reinventing the character for modern audience and in Shazam!: The Monster Society Of Evil he maintains the spirit of the original age of innocence and fun.  He retells the origin of orphaned Billy Batson with clear uncluttered storytelling, keeping the cartoony feel to his artwork that was the success of his much-loved, award-winning series, Bone. 

He brings a sense of wonder, magic and adventure into this tale of giant alien robots threatening to destroy the planet.  Smith sets the action at a leisurely but vibrant pace, capturing the childlike innocence of Billy and his younger sister, Mary.  The menace of Dr Sivana is less darkly sinister than shady, old fashioned in megalomaniac ambitions, and the quirky delights of the talking tiger, Mr Tawky Tawny, works with the same charm as those comic strip favourites, Calvin and Hobbes.

It's a bright, uncomplicated adventure, packing an emotional punch alongside a smoothly witty script.  The breezy draughtsmanship, as highlighted in  the pages reproduced from his notebook, reveal Jeff Smith's skills of composition as much as his love of the characters and the original source material. Shazam!: The Monster Society Of Evil is a delight for all ages, and reminds us that comics can still be a fun, entertaining read in these cynical times.