Even at this early stage, I like C.C. Beck's clean, designy illustrations, which contrast well with Shuster's rough-but-dynamic work on Superman. Whiz Comics #2 (technically the first issue) introduces Captain Marvel to the world, the super-strong and invulnerable hero that would go on to outsell Superman and draw Fawcett into a lawsuit from DC before eventually giving the property up to the comics juggernaut. WAS Captain Marvel a rip-off of Superman? From today's perspective, I dare say no. Aside from similar powers and some other slim commonalities, the two are completely different. Their attitudes, origins and eventually, tones, are completely different. It's just that at the time, there were so few costumed heroes, DC was more or less working from the premise that they'd invented a genre and owned that genre. And even if that weren't true, Cap was closer to Superman than any other character. So I can see why the lawyers were salivating.
Back in Superman's own book, which technically dropped twice in December of '39 no matter what the cover dates say, the actual Man of Steel was having a rematch with the Ultra-Humanite. The twist: Ultra had transferred his brain into the body of sexy actress Dolores Winters. This "bald Luthor" precursor had apparently met his death in issue 19, but in his new bod, would continue plaguing Superman in the next issue of Action as well. To whit...
Superman holding a gun? Bet he can't wait to get hear vision, eh?
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Captain Marvel was the first hero to be flying. Captain Marvel was the first one to be invulnerable as we know the term today. In a lot of ways, Superman became a Captain Marvel imitator, as his abilities stopped being "human but enhanced" and more superhuman.