The Ides of March have come and gone, but this month’s Official DC Community Book Club is just getting started!
In celebration of the just-released Shazam! Fury of the Gods, we’re kicking off a new edition of the Official DC Community Book Club in the form of a STACKED 4-book series: The New Champion of Shazam! Starting on Monday, March 20 and running until Sunday, April 2, join us in this very thread for weekly discussion questions and general Shazam antics…Shazantics?
Remember, The New Champion of Shazam! #1-#4 will be free to read all throughout this 4-week-long book club, so head over to DCUI and get readin’!
Issue #1 Discussion Questions
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On the very first page of this book, Mary asks the reader the question: How do you define a person? How would you answer this question?
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From early in this first issue, we learn that there’s a lot of pressure on Mary to be many different things…a hero, a sister, a daughter, a high-achiever, and more. What are some examples from your life where you’ve struggled with expectations and pressures?
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Balancing family, college, a social life, and being a hero seems like a lot for Mary to handle. How do you see her managing as this story unfolds? What do you think will be her greatest challenges?
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Do you think it would be hard to be in Mary’s shoes? How would you go about balancing all the disparate pieces of Mary’s life?
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Has your answer changed at all to question 1, by the time you arrived at the end of this first book?
Issue #2 Discussion Questions
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When we first see Eugene in the second issue, he’s swarmed by other students who praise him for being a genius. Mary is surprised to see that Eugene has suddenly become popular! What do you think it takes to be the cool kid in school?
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Everyone lost their powers … except Mary. Because of this, Eugene expresses feelings of guilt for not being able to save their foster parents. Why do you think Billy solely gave Mary the powers? Do you think Eugene and the other kids are justified in their hurt feelings?
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Do you trust Mary’s new biology professor, Dr. G? Why or why not?
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Three new antagonists make their debut shortly after Mary investigates the car crash near her campus. They are quick to render her powerless using their scientific knowledge. With her powers being focused on electricity, do you think she stands a chance against them alone?
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Do you think having the public eye on Mary as a superhero will be beneficial in any way?
Issue #3 Discussion Questions
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Following her debut on the Philly 5 news channel, Mary finds herself the victim of some harsh digs on the internet … and less-than-flattering superhero names. If you’d just seen her on the news, what superhero name would you choose for her?
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“I’ve got this under control.” Typical Mary line, sure … but why do you think she insists on doing everything alone, even when her siblings are perfectly capable of helping without powers?
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What do you think of Dr. G now compared to when you first met her in Issue #2?
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Babel’s power involves rooting through peoples’ inner-most thoughts to pull out all the negative things they think about themselves. When he uses this tactic on Mary, he claims that he didn’t even have to read her mind because he just used the terrible things people are saying about her online. The more he does this to her, the more shocking the results are. Do you think the things Babel pulls from Mary are still only based on his brief research, or some of her actual thoughts?
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Why do you think Darla took Hoppy with her when she ran away, given that he’s now just a normal rabbit?
Issue #4 Discussion Questions
- Mary again asks the question of how one defines a person. This time, however, she asks the reader directly: How do YOU define yourself? What would be your answer for her?
- If you were a hero, do you think you’d follow more in Billy’s fighting style of action > thought, or Mary’s fighting style of thought > action?
- What did you think of Dr. G’s surprise familial reveal?
Were you expecting her to be related to them?
- If you could isolate any of the six main powers that make up SHAZAM, which one would you prefer to have?
- Why do you think Mary was able to catch a glimpse of Billy when no one else could see him?
As with every month, no DC Community Book Club is complete without some great digital perks!