A beloved ’80s film gets a hilarious homage in an upcoming variant for Shazam!. DC Comics has provided a look at its upcoming books for next February. One alternate cover for Shazam! #8 delightfully recreates one of the most iconic scenes from the hit Steven Spielberg film, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.
DC Comics’ batch of solicitations revealed a lot of goodies in store for fans in early 2024. While other titles feel the effects of the “Beast World” crossover, books like Shazam! are keeping up with their own epic storylines. Speaking of Shazam!, February’s issue includes a fun variant cover drawn by Chris Samnee with colors by Matheus Lopes. In a tableau that brings the epic bike-chasing scene from E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial to mind, Billy Batson’s alter ego the Captain bikes alongside his foster siblings Mary and Freddy. But instead of a friendly alien in the basket of Batson’s bike, he’s chauffeuring his classic nemesis Mister Mind to an unknown destination.
- Shazam! #8
- Release Date: 2/6/2024
- Writer: Mark Waid
- Artist: Goran Sudžuka
- Cover Artist: Dan Mora
- Variant Cover Artists: Pete Woods and Chris Samnee
- Synopsis: The Captain’s side deal with Solomon is proving to be more curse than blessing! Will even his newfound levels of wisdom help him stop the alien dinosaur invaders called The Auditors from unleashing planetary chaos?
Shazam! Cover Art Recreates Bike Chase Scene from E.T.
The beloved 1982 science-fiction film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial was the story of a young boy named Elliot who found a wayward alien and their journey to get the latter home. In one of the movie’s most famous scenes, Elliot helped E.T. escape from government agents on his bike. When the two encounter a roadblock set up by police, E.T. used his telekinetic powers to make the two fly. The image of Elliot carrying E.T. on his bike as the two sail across a full moon is arguably the film’s most well-known shot and was even used as the logo for director Steven Spielberg’s production company, Amblin Entertainment.
Samnee and Lopes’ Shazam! variant does a great job recreating the scene from E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. The only real difference is that while E.T. is a friendly alien who cares about Elliot, Billy is carrying one of his greatest foes. Unlike E.T. Mister Mind is not a friendly alien, but a conqueror who has tried to take over the DC Universe numerous times. So why is Billy, one of the kindest souls in comic books helping Mister Mind evade the authorities? Sure it’s just a parody of an iconic moment from a beloved film, but it also speaks to who Billy is. When someone’s in trouble, even someone like Mister Mind, the Captain is willing to lend a hand.
Shazam! Variant is a Whimsical Portrayal of Billy Batson’s Character
Billy Batson was chosen to be the wizard’s champion because he’s one of the worthiest souls around. The Captain would save a friend or a foe, a kind alien or an evil one, whoever needs his help. While Samnee and Lopes’ variant is a charming send-up of a classic cinematic moment, it doubles as an affirmation of the spirit Billy possesses. While he likely won’t be saving Mister Mind in the story itself, seeing Shazam’s champion save the day in a send-up of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is a fantastic representation of his character.
Shazam! #8 will be available from DC Comics on February 6, 2024.
