Outselling Superman was enough for National Comics Publications (now known as DC Comics) to claim copyright infringement. Kids could live vicariously through Billy Batson. Most kids want to be adults, but instead of doing all the boring things, they want to go on exciting adventures and do incredible feats. These were stories that had an aspirational element for the target audience. With powers similar to Superman, he fights Black Adam and a menagerie of weird bad guys.Ĭaptain Marvel was incredibly popular during the 1940s, even outselling Superman.

For those unfamiliar, here’s the elevator pitch:īilly Batson is a boy who can transform into an adult superhero when he utters the magic word “SHAZAM”. If you’ve seen the Shazam movie, you’ve got a general idea of the character’s premise. (Captain Marvel/Shazam has his own confusing history that you can find out more about in this explainer.) This character was created in 1940 by Fawcett Comics as a reaction to the popularity of Superman. However, not Carol Danvers Captain Marvel or any character published by Marvel Comics, but the character formally known as Captain Marvel but is better known to people as Shazam. You’re in for a wild ride involving reinventions, ownership disputes, and much more.īefore we dig into Miracleman, I should discuss Captain Marvel first. If the character has recently come to your attention and you’re baffled why Neil Gaiman would write new material for him in 2023, then strap yourself in. However, there’s a particular comic that has a history far more confusing than the average superhero title – Miracleman. Thanks to intertwining stories and years of history, it can be enough to give any reader a headache. Superhero comics can be confusing at the best of times.

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