Shazam!: The Monster Society of Evil by Jeff Smith: Book Review

(Book Review--DC Comics)

Part of my Shazam / Captain Marvel Reading Project

Shazam!: The Monster Society of Evil by Jeff Smith: Book Review

 

Links to stuff mentioned:

* Shazam / Captain Marvel: Introducing a New Reading Project: https://youtu.be/LDdRNcUsxDc

* The Shazam Archives Volume 1 by C. C. Beck: https://youtu.be/HCrT80wrxgE

Related Playlists:

Graphic Novel Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x6NMoYW6CBw6Qj_cqK8DIeb

DC Comics Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x6kPikhXNalrSh9BnvzZi2f&si=4rAijTT4v9u_06q2

Book Review Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x7dao6py7ODX_PkUvrAEch7&si=EJ7CG8iO9IouNaYY

Books I Read in 2026: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x7YYl7seud9ov0n6dtdHzvj&si=iMERlWtiF0Rq2-uy

DC Archive Editions Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSVBV6yd5dlY&si=z27RHXJioTCE7Lif

Shazam / Captain Marvel Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNTXOUGMvilM&si=KyjjKL0qLDii_Dnc

I usually find Philip Defranco useful for catching up on the news:

And I always get a laugh out of Seth Meyers.

And here's the latest: 

The Time Machine by H. G. Wells: Book Review

Links to stuff mentioned:

From Reddit: My 1987 young readers' edition of H. G. Wells' "The Time Machine" has a chapter that doesn't exist in any other version of the novel: https://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/rxa5ms/my_1987_young_readers_edition_of_h_g_wells_the/

This is part of my so-called "Scripted Review" series, in which I make a Youtube video based on an old blogpost.  For more information on what this is and why I'm doing it, see HERE:

https://youtu.be/HgneyXvRI04  

and HERE: https://joelswagman.blogspot.com/2018/12/vlog-scripted-book-reviews-i-ramble-on.html

In this case, the old blog post is here: https://joelswagman.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-time-machine-by-hg-wells.html

Related Playlists:

* Book Review Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x7dao6py7ODX_PkUvrAEch7

* Scripted Reviews Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x5BKcEIufNKlS58JHU_glyL&si=Pje0KQqIqOgWGGUI

* Scripted Book Reviews Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x53WSp_2mGcDRHBR7ubQkDa&si=T_0QPBDOZqhqN-oa

* 2014 Reading List Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x6Qz8okehoyhie5HTXe_LMx&si=LWfalvGt8PPorKr6

* Fantasy and Science Fiction Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x4NClast3lkLp_cQ1Tn-2cb

* H. G. Wells Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x5YAU_w3X-QNEKibMxisUmR&si=UWp8HlE3oUqpJBgc

* Classics Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x53EsuWSZ-z0uFGL_0Jl6F1

Wow, this Anderson Cooper interview of Haley Stevens is an absolute disaster.  It's clear she is not cut out for this level of politics.  

Based on this second video (embedded in a tweet), it looks like Chuck Schumer is also responsible for this whole mess

Lis Smith on Chuck Schumer backing Haley Stevens: “I hope El-Sayed wins. I hope we get the Senate majority. But I hope we do not delay a reckoning for some of the people who are involved in some of these decisions, and start looking for new voices to lead Democrats forward.” https://t.co/outmqsm9Xs

— Majority Democrats (@MajorityDems) November 2, 2026

The Shazam Archives Volume 1 by C. C. Beck: Book Review

(Book Review--DC Archive Editions)

Started: October 28, 2026

The Shazam Archives Volume 1 by C. C. Beck: Book Review

Part 2: The Shazam Archives Volume 1 by C. C. Beck: Book Review

Links to stuff mentioned:

* Shazam / Captain Marvel: Introducing a New Reading Project: https://youtu.be/LDdRNcUsxDc

* The Golden Age Flash Archives Volume 1: https://youtu.be/C6Iay9niA0Y

Related Playlists:

Graphic Novel Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x6NMoYW6CBw6Qj_cqK8DIeb

DC Comics Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x6kPikhXNalrSh9BnvzZi2f&si=4rAijTT4v9u_06q2

Book Review Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x7dao6py7ODX_PkUvrAEch7&si=EJ7CG8iO9IouNaYY

Books I Read in 2026: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x7YYl7seud9ov0n6dtdHzvj&si=iMERlWtiF0Rq2-uy

DC Archive Editions Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSVBV6yd5dlY&si=z27RHXJioTCE7Lif

Shazam / Captain Marvel Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNTXOUGMvilM&si=KyjjKL0qLDii_Dnc

The Shazam Archives Volume 1 by C. C. Beck Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLB3mHTB1I40g&si=HLv0s2IC4TapUsQZ

A new video by Shaun out.  I always tell myself I'm not going to watch the whole thing, and then I always do.  There is something so soothing about listening to him calmly demolish bigots with logic.  I wouldn't have the patience to do this myself, but I'm glad he does.  Somebody's got to do it.

Shazam / Captain Marvel: Introducing a New Reading Project

Links to stuff mentioned:

* Shazam: Movie Review: https://youtu.be/aTZHxYdUDUA

* Captain Marvel: Movie Review: https://youtu.be/EidOlRNhY-o

* Superman: The Triangle Era Omnibus Volume 2: https://youtu.be/kbNWH5FDNHE

* Another Book Haul from the Library (and it's all comics): https://youtu.be/wmD5vr_x5vw

Related Playlists:

Shazam / Captain Marvel Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNTXOUGMvilM&si=KyjjKL0qLDii_Dnc

DC Comics Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x6kPikhXNalrSh9BnvzZi2f&si=AlZ2vcAXyFJvjdGX

Vlogs Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x7sWjmJPUFF0PhseI7SRLV0&si=epLhCVHIbAZ41ZNM

Started playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOY-0V_l_9x6iMcM85L9dcWvKxN6kGZKg&si=_CQ1ihibo9EqvzCU

As mentioned in the video, this reading project has both a long term and a short term phase.  In the long term, I plan to continually gradually reading Captain Marvel comics indefinitely (interspersed with my other comic book reading projects).  In the short term, however, I have a specific stack of books on my shelves that I got from the library that I mean to finish off in the next few weeks.  This blog post will serve as my started post for that specific stack.

The Shazam Archives Volume 1,

Superman / Shazam: First Thunder,
Shazam: The Monster Society of Evil,

The Power of Shazam: Book One: In the Beginning,

The Power of Shazam: Book Two: The Worm Turns,

The Trials of Shazam: The Complete Series

And also, on order from the library but not yet arrived,

Shazam! : a Celebration of 75 Years,

Shazam! : the New Beginning,

Shazam! Power of Hope

This Week in Booktube: November 1, 2026

(These are the Booktube videos I watched this week. As always, I encourage you also to check out each of the videos I've linked to down below.  Support Booktube.  And let me know what you've watched this past week.)

Google document: docs, pub 

Books I'm Not Reading Friday Reads: Easing Back Into Booktube!

Bucky749 Booktube: short story review : the scarlet citadel

Jzy Shzy Re-Read October Tag

Marian H I Have a Very Strange Book Collection

Randy Ray What Happens if You Listen to Audiobooks Every Day?

John David (NicholasOfAutrecourt) What I've Been Reading Lately | October 28, 2026

Patrick’s Book Reviews One Year on BookTube Anniversary Special (With Gifts and a Tag)!

Weekly Reading Wrap-Up 169: The Borrowers Avenged, The Indian in the Cupboard, Shazam Archives

(Weekly Reading Vlog)

Books (204 pages this week--the goal is 200 pages)

The Borrowers Avenged p.14-106 (92 pages)

The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks p.1-14 (14 pages)

Comic Books:

Superman: The Triangle Era Omnibus Vol. 2 finished

The Golden Age Flash Archives Volume 1 finished

The Shazam Archives Volume 1 Finished

DC Finest: Events: Zero Hour Crisis in Time Part One p.1-96

Book Reviews From This Week

* The Horse and his Boy by C. S. Lewis: https://youtu.be/BTRjz8ktlVI

* The Golden Age Flash Archives Volume 1: https://youtu.be/C6Iay9niA0Y

* Superman: The Triangle Era Omnibus Volume 2: https://youtu.be/kbNWH5FDNHE

For more information about what this is and why I'm doing it, see HERE.

Another Library Book Haul