For many people, listening to someone speak about how much better Marvel Comics is than DC Comics could inspire a barroom brawl. Tables could easily be flipped over and chairs thrown around the room in disgust, tattoos of superheroes being displayed as a sign of unity with their favorite comic book company. It is not something to take lightly. Although, this brawl is not likely to happen in an actual bar. There is more of a chance for it to break out in someone’s basement or at a comic book convention by those in homemade costumes. But that does not make this argument any less important.
We all have our preference of which company we like better. Plus, there are solid points for our beliefs. The only thing we can all unite on is a distaste for someone that does not know the difference between Marvel and DC. My wife will sometimes ask if Superman or Batman will be making an appearance in the Avengers movies. I try my best not to serve her with the divorce papers on the spot. Listed below are some valid points about which company can proclaim dominance and the reasons behind it.
Live Action Films: Advantage Marvel
If you are solely basing your argument that Marvel is better than DC by only looking at the live action films that both companies are making, then you have a valid point. I am a fan of both companies, but I enjoy DC more. And as much as it pains me to admit it, Marvel puts out better live action films. I am not even a Thor fan, and that last Thor movie with the Hulk was amazing. Wolverine films are always action packed and interesting. It is too bad that Batman is not presented in the same way. Plus, when you see Hugh Jackman get ripped for these movies, there is a sense of dedication there. While I don’t believe Ben Affleck has done a bad job portraying Bruce Wayne, he should definitely be a lot more jacked than he is. Instead, they are forced to add padding to his costume.
However, a true comic book fan is not going to judge a company only on their ability to put out good live action movies. If you are doing this, then you are only a movie fan and not a comic book fan.
Better Cartoons: Advantage DC
This one is not even close. The last good Marvel cartoon I remember seeing is Spider Man and His Amazing Friends from the 1980s with Ice Man and Fire Star. By the way, whatever happened to Fire Star? Anyway, DC has been putting out great series of cartoons and their animated movies are above and beyond what Marvel can offer. In fact, DC’s live action films are quite a letdown after knowing what they can accomplish with their animated films.
If you have not watched Justice League and Justice League Unlimited from the early 2000s, do yourself a favor and check them out. If you are a newer fan just getting into comic books, also try and find Challenge of the Super Friends from the 1980s. The whole series is about the Super Friends battling it out with the elite villains the Legion of Doom. If you have a young child, go ahead and buy these online and tell your wife that you are only watching these because your kid likes them.
The Comic Books: Tie
Both Marvel and DC have taken turns dominating the actual comic book field. Sometimes Marvel is outselling DC and other times DC is outselling Marvel. I believe the DC graphic novels are far away more superior than Marvel’s, but Marvel is not really known for their graphic novel. I grew up reading just as many Marvel comic books as DC. I really did enjoy them both. But I always felt that the DC storylines were a bit slanted more towards adults and the Marvel comic books were geared more for the young kids. This is only my opinion on this, so if you vehemently disagree, that is okay with me.
Can’t We All Just Get Along?
Really, when it comes down to it, we should not be arguing about which company is better. We should be coming together over our love of superheroes. Finding someone that loves comics in this life as much as you is like a little gift from the heavens above. Perhaps all superheroes’ most important power is the ability to bring people together. That and xray vision is pretty cool, too.