The series was the first solo series starring the superhero after he was the star of the anthology title Whiz Comics. It was first released in 1941. The premiere issue was written and drawn by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby.[2] The series was a huge success at the time. It sold 14 million copies in 1944,[3] and was at one point being published bi-weekly with a circulation of 1.3 million copies an issue. Several issues of Captain Marvel Adventures included a blurb on their covers proclaiming the series the "Largest Circulation of Any Comic Magazine".[4] The series would be cancelled with issue #150 in November 1953.[5][6]
Outside of Captain Marvel stories, there were other featured character stories within the anthology every now and then, like Captain Kid.[7]
The success of the comic series lead DC Comics to file a lawsuit on Fawcett Comics regarding the character being too similar to Superman, which Fawcett would forfeit, and DC would win.[4]
Collected editions
The Monster Society of Evil: Deluxe Limited Collector's Edition (1989, American Nostalgia Library, ISBN0-948248-07-6). Compiled and designed by Mike Higgs. Reprints the entire "Monster Society of Evil" story arc that ran for two years in Captain Marvel Adventures #22โ46 (1943โ1945), in which Captain Marvel meets Mister Mind and the Monster Society of Evil. This oversized, slipcased hardcover book was strictly limited to 3,000 numbered copies.[8]
^Lavinie, Michael L. (Summer 1998). "Comic Books and Graphic Novels for Libraries: What to Buy"(PDF). Serials Review. Vol. 2, no. 24. p. 34. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2005-10-02. In 1944, the best-selling comic book title (Captain Marvel Adventures) sold more than fourteen million copies for the year.
^ ab"Comic Book Success Stories". The Museum of Comic Book Advertising. Retrieved 2005-06-17. By the middle of the decade, Captain Marvel had received a self-titled comic book, Captain Marvel's Adventures [sic], which had a circulation that reached 1.3 million copies per month. Captain Marvel's circulation numbers exceeded National's Superman title and the rivalry between the companies led National to sue Fawcett for plagiarism.