Captain Marvel no more? DC is slowly bringing back some of their more iconic characters that didn’t get a new book upon the relaunch. One of them though, is seeing a bit of a change. DC has announced that fan favorite, Captain Marvel is coming back to the comic line. Except, he won’t be Captain Marvel. Seeing as there’s a bit of a problem with a legally using the name Marvel as a character, in a company who’s main rival happens to use the same name, DC is going ahead and changing ol Cap’s name to SHAZAM now.
Why? Mostly because everyone calls him SHAZAM anyway. There have been a few tv and animated incarnations already that didn’t use the Marvel name and just called him Shazam, so DC figures that they can lure more casual comic readers back by going with the name everyone seems to know. Which is SHAZAM.
Now if you’re a big comic nerd, you know that Shazam is the word Billy Batson, a young whippersnapper, says to become the demigod Captain Marvel. (SHAZAM being an acronym for the various Gods that Marvel uses in his repertoire of powers) Oh, and SHAZAM is also the name of the Wizard that gives young Billy his powers too. Personally, I think it’s long over due. Captain Marvel, being one of the few characters to really make it on his own in the DC Universe after the company bought Fawcett Comics, needed to stand out just a little more. SHAZAM is already a pop culture quote, and just calling him that gets over any mild confusion of whether or not he’s a Marvel owned character or not.
In other news, Neil Gaiman and Todd McFarlane have ended 
they’re nearly decades old legal battle over ownership and payment of Spawn #9. The issue, written by Gaiman, introduced Medieval Spawn and Angela, a hell spawn hunting angel. It was one of the most popular issues of the once unstoppable 90′s comic. Sadly, McFarlane and Gaiman had a falling out and Gaiman wanted what he was owed for the book and creation and claim to the copyright of the characters Medieval Spawn and Angela.
Well, after many bitter years, the two have settled their dispute. Seems both came to an agreement that suited each other just fine. No word on the details, as they’re kept private. It’s a bit ironic as this was at one time the biggest public dispute in the comic industry, and it’s quietly been settled with out much of a peep. What dose this mean for Spawn characters Angela and Medieval Spawn? Time will tell.
