Make Me Enjoy DC

[Danileriver23]

Now before I get started, just to preemptively fan any flames Im gonna cause let me say this: While I do prefer Marvel more, I DO NOT hate DC comics. On the contrary, I actually actively try to read and enjoy DC. As of right now I am only reading a handful of them, but almost all of them fall under the Batman line. Now, I'm super excited for the June launches because it looks like there's gonna be plenty of new stuff to like.

But the issue that I'm having is that I feel like it's hard for me to enjoy DC as a whole. Like I said, probably 85% of my DC books are Batman because that's simply the only area of DC I feel comfortable grasping onto. With Marvel, I can go into almost any line of books and find what I like, and this isn't about (or at least I don't think it is) about me just inherently liking Marvel more. I like to think that a good character and a good story can translate well in almost any book if done properly. I thought for awhile that what it was that It was because I was relatively new to comics (3 years) but then I figured out that probably wasn't true either because I've got a pretty good grasp on marvels 75 years well with DC I barely understand the Crisis events.

The point I'm trying to get to here is this: I want to love DC. I really do. I wouldn't even say they're bad. They just aren't appealing to me and I'm having a hard time finding out why. So is there anybody here who can tell me what I need to read to make me start to love (or at least care about more than just batman titles), back issues or new stuff? Is it because I am not invested in DC's old mythos? Are there lesser known characters I should be reading about? Is there some seminal character or story I need to read about to 'get it'? Like I said this isn't about which publisher is better, They're both good in different ways. I just want to learn to love DC the way I love Marvel.

[Ishmael]

Well maybe one way to get into DC is to read some of their classic books that are really good, and have been collected in tpb form (and would probably be an easy access point for a Marvel fan).

Along those lines, I'd begin by recommending the following (and others will probably have different recommendations, and that's cool):

The New Teen Titans v. 1 and 2 by Marv Wolfman and George Perez (a classic run that briefly knocked the Uncanny X-men out of the #1 spot back in the '80's)

Green Arrow by Mike Grell, particularly the Longbow Hunters, Hunters Moon, and Here There Be Dragons (if you loved Daredevil: Born Again, you will probably love this)

Nightwing: Bludhaven by Dixon and MacDaniels. Just great, fun superhero stuff.

The Spectre by Ostrander and Mandrake, specifically Crimes and Judgment and Wrath of God. Really thoughtful stuff that mixes horror, philosophy/theology, and superheroics in an outstanding way.

Deathstroke: the Terminator: Assassins, by Wolfman and Erwin. Some smartly done anti-hero stories that present Slade Wilson less as a villain and more as an amoral mercenary.

JLA by Morrison and Porter, specifically the first two volumes, which are really good volumes (I think it begins to lose steam as it goes).

Others can recommend New 52 stuff or other works if they want. But these are some things I've read recently that struck me as tonally consonant with the sorts of stories associated with Marvel, and which you may like (and which may serve as a springboard into seeing what DC fans find compelling).

[colonyofcells]

Dc is mostly Batman anyway so just reading Batman could be enough to know dc very well. Batman is like the mickey mouse and hello kitty of Dc. Dc mainly has more god like heroes than Marvel such as Superman, wonder woman, captain marvel shazam, martian manhunter, new gods, lanterns, spectre, etc. Dc's meta teams like doom patrol, titans, outsiders and gen 13 are less popular than the x-men. Dc's space teams like omega men, 21st century legion, 31st century legion are also less popular than the Guardians of the Galaxy.

[tako]

Dc is mostly Batman anyway so just reading Batman could be enough to know dc very well. Dc mainly has more god like heroes than Marvel such as Superman, wonder woman, captain marvel shazam, martian manhunter, new gods, lanterns, spectre, etc. Dc's meta teams like doom patrol, titans, outsiders and gen 13 are less popular than the x-men. Dc's space teams like omega men, 21st century legion, 31st century legion are also less popular than the Guardians of the Galaxy.

not sure if joking or not

[colonyofcells]

Dc's Justice League is also less popular than the Avengers. Dc's jsa sort of evaporated after flashpoint. Dc means detective comics so it is very appropriate that batman is the main guy propping up DC. DC does not have a big space franchise like Star Wars.

[vartox]

Well... What is it you like about Marvel that you don't think you've found with DC?

They are not THAT different, if you like something about Marvel chances are DC has something equivalent.

[colonyofcells]

Dc does have an edge over marvel in magic heroes and vertigo so maybe check those comic books. Dc has Sandman, John Constantine Hellblazer, Swamp Thing, Books of Magic Tim Hunter, Dr Fate, Spectre, etc.
Dc has an edge in gay heroes like Midnighter.
Dc's suicide squad is probably more popular than the marvel equivalent if there is any.
Dc seems to have more comedy titles like Bizarro, Bat mite, etc.
Marvel looks goofy and sad bec Marvel does not have Scooby Doo.
Dc is currently revamping many of its lame properties like Aquaman to make them ready for the movies. Currently, Aquaman is changing to become more like Poseidon and Thor. A good time to look at DC comics would be after most of the dc movies come out. Most of the improvements from the movies will trickle down to the comic books.

[Broddie]

I don't really know what you plan to accomplish with this thread. It's something so preferential that it's difficult to know how to even respond.

Full disclosure: I was 5 when I got into DC comics. DC books were to me what Dr. Seuss books were to some of my peers. My gateway into becoming a life long avid reader.

I got into it through Batman 1966 reruns and also reruns of the Batman filmation cartoon back in the late 80's. So my almost 3 decade old Batman collection is fairly extensive. Ironically I haven't read the flagship bat book for almost 2 years now since Snyder's run really doesn't appeal to me. Nor am I in anyway interested in the immediate future of any New 52 Batman (READ: not bat family) title. Even 'tec which I got back into with the current creative team.

I'm turning 32 in a couple of months but I understood Crisis and all it's aftershocks before I was even 10. So I never got the whole "DC continuity is so confusing and the Crisis is rocket science" rhetoric. I mean if I got it as a not so sharp wet behind the ears little kid I don' see how adults can't grasp it.

Truth be told I always viewed it as a cop out answer from people who try to dive headfirst into DC and force themselves through it and make it seem like a chore. Simply because they don't immediately grasp that DC's form of storytelling and their overall universe may just not appeal to their tastes even if they love Batman.

Same way you are with DC I have been with Marvel for about 9 years now. I got into Marvel a couple of years after I got into the DCU. I grew up on everything from Morbius the Living Vampire to Ghost Rider and Power Pack to the mainstream stuff like Hulk and X-Men. A very diverse and eclectic groups of books covering different segments across the entire marvel verse.

However I started disliking a lot of marvel stuff after Avengers Disassembled (never liked new avengers) and JMS took over Spidey after cats like Paul Jenkins left the character but still grabbed quite a few titles ever month. Since Civil War however which was just horrid IMO I dropped the 20 plus Marvel monthlies I was reading at the time and never looked back.

Ever since the only non-Daredevil or Spidey titles (Slott's book anyway from Big time up to spider verse when I finally dropped it) I checked were Hickman's S.H.I.E.L.D. and F4 epic as well as my guilty pleasure All-New X-Men. I don't try to kid myself and go back all in either. Nothing Marvel could do would seem to change that. I don't even like their movies so I don't know if it's that I just outgrew their characters overall or just really dislike their creative administrations across all media in 2015.

Regardless I just recognize that 90% of what Marvel publishes today has 0 appeal to me and so I logically ignore it. So my point is maybe DC just isn't for you and as a huge DC fan I say that's ok. Everything isn't made to appeal to everyone. Frankly life is too short to waste time on things that just won't ever appeal to you.

[colonyofcells]

For dc, the Legion of Super-Heroes used to be popular and maybe will be revived soon. Hopefully, Legion of Super-Heroes will become more popular than chibi usa (sailor moon).

[blackbolt396]

Dc's Justice League is also less popular than the Avengers. Dc's jsa sort of evaporated after flashpoint. Dc means detective comics so it is very appropriate that batman is the main guy propping up DC. DC does not have a big space franchise like Star Wars.

I don't think DC comics are for you.

[colonyofcells]

Wonder Woman is probably not as popular as Black Widow. Wonder Woman is definitely much much more popular than both Electra Woman and Dyna Girl.

[blackbolt396]

Wonder Woman is probably not as popular as Black Widow. Wonder Woman is definitely much much more popular than both Electra Woman and Dyna Girl.

Please stop.

[colonyofcells]

Even though Aquaman was probably copied from Namor, I would estimate that Aquaman is more popular than Namor.

[Danileriver23]

I'm not even really sure. I feel cheap saying I just flat our like the characters, but that seems to be what it is. I mean, I grew up watching all the Bruce Timm developed cartoons and I loved those characters there, but I feel like none of the DC books characters I can invest him because I don't really know them, and the ones I am interested in don't get any focus in books (though, that's changing with books like Constantine and martian manhunter)

[colonyofcells]

Hopefully, the Martian Manhunter title will last. Maybe it will be fighting lots of aliens like the Supergirl tv show. Jack Kirby designed Dc's new gods to be an improvement over marvel's norse gods. Dc should have a New Gods title soon.