Should DC Comics do a "Shazam! '74" or "Superman '52"

I didn’t know if this was best suited in the comics, or TV forums. But here goes…

DC has seemed to have success with their “Batman '66” and “Wonder Woman '77” titles. Which got me to wondering, could DC successfully pull of the same format with comics based on the 50’s Superman or old Shazam Tv series.

Shazam! would probably be hard to do if they wanted to like the Superman and Batman books keep it in the spirit of the original TV series. Since that would mean no super villainsn, no serious stakes and no real danger for the hero. But the might be able to have him go to locations the budget of the show couldn’t do (I.E. have their supposed cross country trek take them places that didn’t look like the same part of California every time) or crossover with other properties of the time. Wonder Woman was not too far from it, or maybe crossovers with action shows of the time. The premise of Billy and Mentor traveling “The Highways and byways” would make it easy enough to insert them into anyplace they needed them to be for a crossover.

Superman I think they could do well. Not sure about crossovers since if like Batman and Wonder Woman they want it to be characters from the same era, not sure who they could use at least that would resonate at all with modern fans. But plenty of untapped story potential from the original series, which for something made in the 50’s doesn’t hold up near as bad as most would expect it to.

Don’t know, probably neither have the same relevance to people today that Batman and Wonder Woman’s classic shows do. But thought it could be interesting for them to try.

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Superman 52, hands down

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I don’t think that the Shazam TV series has a comparably-sized audience to the Batman and Wonder Woman shows. Adventures of Superman would be a more likely bet, but I suspect there’d be a greater demand for Superman '78. (Granted, the Geoff Johns run on Action Comics essentially was Superman '78.)

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I’m game for a comic continuation of the Adventures of Superman TV series. I’m even more interested in Superman '78.

I would also love a TV Trinity book of some kind that features a team-up of the George Reeves Superman, Adam West Batman and Lynda Carter Wonder Woman. As a kid, I always saw those three existing in the same continuity.

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A trinity book would be awesome for sure, if you wanted it to be accurate to the time (I.E. Batman being over a decade earlier) the age difference could be tricky. But it’s comics, no need to do that.

As for Superman '78 I don’t feel the comics differed enough from the book, or the comics of that time. Definitely was a difference between the Superman comics in 78 and the movie, but not as much of one as Batman and Wonder Woman I felt. Although not the worst idea. Wonder what people would think of a Batman '89 with new adventures of that Batman… maybe Batman the Animated Series was already mostly that.

As much as Christopher Reeves defined the way that Superman looks and acts, George Reeves was Superman. Not only do those old serials hold up way more than you think they do, but George (I can’t really call him “Reeves”, for obvious reasons) was Superman, even off the camera. There is a story (and I don’t know if it’s true or not, I’ve just heard this) that he was at a photo shoot, and a young boy brought his father’s pistol to it. The boy aimed the gun at George’s chest and told him that he was going to test his bullet resistance. Instead of breaking character and yelling for the police he told the child that, while he may be bulletproof, others in the audience are not, and the bullet might bounce off his chest and hit someone else. The child handed his gun to a security agent, and the rest of the photo shoot went smoothly. Ignoring whether or not that was the smartest action to take, he clearly understands Superman, and I’d love to see this take on the character get a second chance.

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So, I’d love a Superman ‘52.

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George Reeves can be called “Reeves” just as Christopher Reeve can be called “Reeve”.

It’s uncanny how that name and its variations pop up in the overall DC lexicon. George Reeves, Christopher Reeve, Matt Reeves, etc.

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@Vroom
It was just to avoid confusion, really.

A BIG yes to a “Superman '52” comic adaptation! The original series (one of TV’s greatest) barely scratched the surface of the source material at the time. No Luthor, Prankster or Toyman, never a return to Smallville or a nod to Lana. And with a seventh season planned–but not filmed–because of the tragic death of George Reeves, no chance of ever seeing Brainiac or Supergirl. Mix all these elements–with the likenesses of the original cast–into one retro comic and you would have something very special. Are you listening, DC? And if the future creators of such a wonderful addition to the Superman canon need more inspiration, then I suggest reading Kevin Anderson’s amazing period piece of the World’s Finest team: “Enemies & Allies”.

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Id rather see a Superman 78 or 88 or whatever u would call a comic, that takes place in the world of the Christopher Reeve Superman films.

Superman '52? AS opposed to a Clark Kent book?

Why not?

Hey, Vroom!

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@Misfit Hi! You want some Kellogg’s Corn Flakes?