The Power Of Shazam One Million [1998] (Random Comics Theatre)

Random Comics Theatre

The Power Of Shazam One Million [1998]

This is a one-shot published between #43 and #44 of Jerry Ordway's 1995 to 1999 THE POWER OF SHAZAM series, published to tie in with a DC crossover that deals with characters in the 853rd Century. It's by the regular team of the series at the time, Jerry Ordway writing, pencilling and doing the cover (over a poorly aged computer art background) and Dick Giordano inking.

I'm pretty unfamiliar with the crossover except for a handful of  issues of other series I read, and I only recently got the other issues of this series around this issue and haven't read most of them yet, so a lot of it isn't something I can follow, but Ordway does a pretty decent job of making it as clear as possible. Suffice to say the story involves the far future, about one million months from now, and the return of various heroes in different forms.

The art is much more interesting than the writing.  Ordway had launched this run with a painted "graphic novel" in 1994, but had mostly just written (and painted the covers) for the subsequent on-going series.  He returned to the art for this last half-year of the series, and really just has one of those timeless styles, with classic elements but still feeling modern in the 1990s and not looking dated at all almost three decades later.  This particular story premise also gives him a chance to do some design work on the one-off characters and future architecture and technology.

Mildly recommended more as a diversionary part of the entertaining full series than as a standalone.

Michael Zulli, R.I.P.

Sad to hear of the passing of Michael Zulli at the too young age of 71. A long-time favourite comic book creator of mine, with a wide variety of work.

Some earlier posts on his work:

Tundra Sketchbook Series #3 [1991] by Zulli
On the 2015 PUMA BLUES collection/finale
On the TMNT story "Soul's Winter"
On the unfinished SWEENEY TODD (w/ Neil Gaiman)

I'll update this post over the next few days with a few notable images.

This was a double page spread that Zulli did with Dick Giordano inks, Danny Vozzo colours, Todd Klein letters (on the other pages, at least) and a Neil Gaiman story for THE SANDMAN #53 [1993].  Just a spectacular image, moreso for something done in the constraints (and compensation levels) of mainstream comics of that era.

"Night Gaunts" is a Lovecraft inspired painting, circa 1990, intended for an unrealized Tundra book of Lovecraft related comics, eventually published in TABOO #8 [1995].

Zulli's covers to THE PUMA BLUES from 1986 to 1989, the series he created with Stephen Murphy. Bold design unlike almost anything else being published then.  Exquisite rendering, intriguing glimpses at the various aspects of the complicated story.

LONGSHOT (1998) was an interesting one-shot of the Arthur Adams / Ann Nocenti created character (a rare creation credit of the era acknowledged in the book) who had been a member of the X-Men for a while.  It's a 48-page Zulli pencilled story "Fools" written by frequent collaborator J. M. DeMatteis and inked by the legendary Al Williamson, the only example of that artistic team.  Very unusual, with a lot of the frequent DeMatteis traits, allusions to classic children's literature, themes of losing your way and finding grace.  Well worth seeking out.

From THE SHADE #4 [1997], a spin-off of the Tony Harris / James Robinson STARMAN series, written by Robinson. MZ only drew this final chapter of a story about generational grudges and revenge. Some nice bits in the art, but you really need to read the whole mini-series to understand it.  Well worth it, with other great artists on the other chapters.

I believe the first collaboration of Zulli and DeMatteis was on the 1990s series SEEKERS INTO THE MYSTERY, which had a variety of interesting artists.  Zulli did a story called "Falling Down to Heaven" from #6-#9, with a quartet of brilliant covers.

A sample of the challengingly eclectic contents of SEEKERS that Zulli expertly realized, original art and printed colour version.

At the height of Ninja Turtles fever in the early 1990s, Zulli did the very off-beat "Soul's Winter" trilogy.  Apparently not liked by some TMNT fans, while adored by others.  I know what camp I'm in.  I wrote about it previously over here.