Yes, I know. On the box his name's Shazam--but that's actually the name of the immortal wizard who grants little Billy Batson his power. It's due to the copyright/naming/trademark issues that DC has with Marvel Comics--the latter has their own Captain Marvel.
Let's check out his origins:
The thing I love about Captain Marvel is that in a day and age when Superheroes have to be dark and gritty in order for them to be more human and thus relatable to us, good ol'Captain Marvel's retained the good, wholesome character and image of his.
Just look at his good old fashioned pearly whites, combed-back hair, and square jaw.
This guy puts the original Big Blue Boy Scout to shame.
Cap may have been a Fawcett Comics' knock off of Supes (They've both got the same powers except for x-ray/heat vision and super breath) but after DC bought Fawcett over some time ago, Cap's character has grown by, well, remaining stagnant.
You see, the more and more other characters like Batman and Superman get acquainted with their dark sides, the more Captain Marvel's wholesome virtues stand out. If you haven't seen Justice League Unlimited's "Clash", then you ain't seen nothin' yet! ;)
And I also guess Captain Marvel was one of those heroes who boys didn't have to grow up to be--you could just say a magic word and become a Superhero. It's gotta be every litle boy's dream, especially when they had a TV Series in the 80s. Check this out!
And as if that weren't enough, the had a cartoon series too!
Talk about a blast from the past!
Well, here's how I rate this awesome, awesome figure!
Character Accuracy: 9.5 -Wholesome 60s look (jaw, hair, teeth, blue eyes) - check. Bright red and yellow colour scheme - check. Fancy schmancy half-cape and collor with gold rope fastener and trimming and fancy flower designs, check. Gold button and Star Trek Enterprise-like uniform top - check. Foldover yellow boots, yellow belt sash and gold bracers - check. Now that's a whole lotta accuracy. ;P
Aesthetic: 9.5 - At first glance, he's your classic design/colour scheme. But closer examination shows a lot of detai in the sculpt. There's a nice yellow wash on his boots, creases in his belt sash, veins in his fists, a slight red wash for his red parts, and a slightly more bronze paint for his flowers, which are sculpted and painted, and not just painted on.
And where Supes, Bats, Lantern, or even Flash have abs, Captain Marvel's got wrinkles in his suit to reflect a looser costume and thus more consevative look. And he's even got those below the sash. And weirdly enough, though his head is supposed to look more "classic" and more "Momma's Boy" than Superman, it actually has more character.
(A portrait right out of the high school yearbook!)Poseability: 9.5 - Hey, what can I say? Standard DC Universe 21 points of articulation, and with extra molded parts like the cape that don't get in the way. :)
Overall: A wholesome 9.5! - This character deserves a toy like this. Now I've got to get Black Adam so they can have a throw down. Oh, and the rest of his family (Mary Marvel and Freddy Freeman) would be awesome too!
And I almost forgot--Captain Marvel (or Shazam. Bleargh.) comes with "Collect and Connect" Kalibak's left leg. And since I have the left arm and club that came with Superman, and DCSH Darkseid, I have a little itch to want and complete his son, Kalibak. :P
Yes folks, the leg is standing on it's own....
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