Posted in: Movies, Warner Bros | Tagged: gail simone, shazam, twitter

Gail Simone Tweets Her Love of that OTHER "Marvel Family"

Published Mon, 08 Apr 2019 11:45:43 -0500

Last updated Mon, 08 Apr 2019 13:29:44 -0500

Comics super-star Gail Simone took to Twitter this morning to praise the new Shazam! movie, and what makes the Marvel Family different from just about every other batch of heroes out there.

Okay. I have a thing to say, it'll take a little bit and I'll try not to post anything too spoilery. But I saw Shazam. 1/

— Gail Simone (@GailSimone) April 8, 2019

Here's the thing. People ask me ALL the time what my favorite superhero is, or who my favorite characters are. And I usually take that to mean, 'of the ones I have written.' So I usually say Black Canary or Wonder Woman or Red Sonja. But it's not them. Not really. 2/

— Gail Simone (@GailSimone) April 8, 2019

Because there really is no question who my favorite it. It's the Marvel Family. It's Cap, and Mary Marvel, and Captain Marvel, Jr., and all the rest. Almost certainly, Mary Marvel is my absolute favorite comics character of all time. 3/

— Gail Simone (@GailSimone) April 8, 2019

There are a lot of reasons why, but the big one is, when all the other comics were trying to be grim or serious or even camp, the Marvel Family managed genuine, actual charm. They were funny, they were kind, they had a great look, and they were a FOUND FAMILY. 4/

— Gail Simone (@GailSimone) April 8, 2019

I loved the villains, from the weird and humorous, like Sivana and Mr. Mind, to the genuinely dark and scary, like Black Adam and Ibac. I loved everything about them. I watched the tv show every chance I got, even though I knew Mary was never going to show up on it. 5/

— Gail Simone (@GailSimone) April 8, 2019

But there was another element that really spoke to me with the Marvel Family that I didn't see in other DC comics much. They were POOR. They lived in poverty. Billy was a homeless kid, Mary lived in an orphanage, Freddie was a disabled kid selling newspapers in the rain. 6/

— Gail Simone (@GailSimone) April 8, 2019

They weren't billionaires or military contractors or gods or Amazons or sea kings. They were poor kids, abandoned by everyone. They were street kids just a couple decades after the great depression. 7/

— Gail Simone (@GailSimone) April 8, 2019

There's a lot more there, but what did Simone think of the movie itself?

This is all leading up to the movie. I will be honest. I was pretty skeptical right up front. The trailer worried me, it looked a little obvious, like a dudebro take on BIG. Which was not encouraging. I was more nervous than I was even for Wonder Woman. 14/

— Gail Simone (@GailSimone) April 8, 2019

I was wrong. We saw SHAZAM! at a late showing last night and I haven't stopped buzzing sense.

I loved this movie, I want to take it home and make it waffles.

It is not just an amazing superhero film, it is better than I could POSSIBLY have hoped. 15/

— Gail Simone (@GailSimone) April 8, 2019

There was stuff on the screen that I never, ever thought I would see in a Hollywood film. Characters I have loved not just treated with respect, but brought to vivid life by people who took care to do it right. 16/

— Gail Simone (@GailSimone) April 8, 2019

I want to spoil everything but I know a lot of people haven't seen it yet. Just go. Go see the thing. It's got more heart and charm than any three typical superhero films.

It's fully of sentiment, but it's MEANINGFUL sentiment, it never feels like tacked on mush. 17/

— Gail Simone (@GailSimone) April 8, 2019

That's really high praise from Gail Simone, someone who has definitely put in her time in the trenches in the comic book industry! If you still haven't seen Shazam!, it's in theaters now. Here's our own Kaitlyn Booth's spoiler-free review if you need more convincing to go!

Need even more? Shazam! has already brought in $159 million in international box office sales in less than a week, which might not seem like a big number in this day and age of huge super-hero blockbuster movies… but there's a catch. Shazam! only cost something in the ballpark of $90 million to make, so it's already tracking like a champ compared to much more expensive superhero fair!

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