Why prefer DC over marvel?

[Ilan Preskovsky]

I prefer the characters and the universe because those were what I was exposed to first, both in comics forms and in cartoons. Spider-man was the only Marvel character to have that kind of exposure for me at a young age but even then I didn't really get his comics on a regular basis until Ultimate Spider-man.

In terms of how they're run, DC generally seems to be the less crappy company in terms of treating their customers with contempt - see the way DC has improved the paper quality and started to increase the page count on their comics now that $4 is the norm, whereas Marvel still uses awful paper, even in trades, and flood the market with multiple books, shipping twice a month, and they've been at $4 for years now, despite being the biggest publisher in comics. But then you look at DC Publishers being allowed to reshape the DCU according to their own preferences or the moronic controvery around Black Label - mature-rated books have mature content? Gee, what a shocker - and they can be every bit as awful as Marvel.

If there is one area, though, that I think DC simply is flat out better than Marvel at it's... well, let me put it this way: google "greatest Marvel graphic novels ever" and then google "greatest DC graphic novels ever". Marvel has some quality stuff, sure, but in terms of both standalone graphic novels and the collective output of Vertigo (especially its first 15 years or so), DC is just on another planet. It's kind of nuts.

Oh, also, considering that I grew up reading comics in the '90s, DC couldn't help but win. The '90s were one of DC's best decades creatively and quite possibly Marvel's very worst ever.

[reni344]

Yeah, I very much enjoyed the story but the damage is lasting. I didn't read Civil War 2 but it seemed completely unnecessary and unrealistic to have another universe-wide infighting event. No lessons learned by the characters at all apparently. (What was the conflict even about?)

Civil War 2 storyline was Carol Danvers found an inhuman named Ulysees who could see some version of the future and she was using him to go after threats before they happened. Other heroes thought this was a dumb idea and that people could not be arrested when they had not committed a crime yet. It comes to a head when a vision is shown of the teenage Spider-Man Miles Morales killing Captain America (Who at this time was a secret Nazi by the way because of shenanigans) on the steps of the White House. This vision led to Carol wanting to arrest Miles and Tony Stark trying to stop her the whole thing ends with Carol putting Tony in a coma.

I stopped reading Marvel for a while after this there was a lot of heroes fighting heroes, and that put me off Marvel for a bit. It did not help that the Secret Empire event happened not too long after this which is the heroes fighting a Nazi-Hydra Agent Captain America.

[byrd156]

These days? Nothing really, they are both shells to me.

Lightning Rider hit a lot of points I would talk about but I plan on doing a much longer post about this topic if I remember to do so later. I've said it before somewhere else so I'm gonna go dig for it.

[bell]

I like dc more, just wish it did better with is live action movies.
The only thing in marvel for me is Cyclops but he is dead right now so i am being faithful to dc till he comes back.

[Buried Alien]

I started my comics-reading life as a Marvel fan back around 1977, but lost sustained interest in Marvel after the original SECRET WARS in 1984. After an interlude in which I was more interested in anime than American superhero comics, I resumed my interest in American superhero comics in the late 1980s (being a bit confused when I first came back because during my interlude, DC did this little thing you might have heard of called CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS) with DC, and have been mostly a DC fan ever since.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[Jim Kelly]

I started my comics-reading life as a Marvel fan back around 1977, but lost sustained interest in Marvel after the original SECRET WARS in 1984. After an interlude in which I was more interested in anime than American superhero comics, I resumed my interest in American superhero comics in the late 1980s (being a bit confused when I first came back because during my interlude, DC did this little thing you might have heard of called CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS) with DC, and have been mostly a DC fan ever since.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

I never would've guessed. I always assumed you got into comics thanks to the pre-Crisis Barry Allen Flash.

[Green Goblin of Sector 2814]

Posted this in the Marvel thread. Thought I should share here as well:

Well, I don't. I don't really have a preference. If I pick up a comic, its not because of which publisher's name is on the cover. Having said that, there are of course characters that I'm more likely to follow than others. For example, I'm probably gonna read a Spider-Man or Captain America or Fantastic Four comic before I read a Suicide Squad or Firestorm comic. But at the same time, I'm probably more likely to read a Green Lantern or Batman or Superman comic before I read a Daredevil or Punisher comic.

Honestly, I don't see how anyone reading modern-day superhero comics can even really have a genuine preference for one over the other. All of the classic "reasons" people have thrown out for preferring one over the other have been defunct since at least the 80s. The whole "Marvel characters are more human because they have problems, while DC characters are more godlike because they don't" dichotomy hasn't been true for a very long time. Spider-Man's famous "Parker luck" was unique in the 1960s when he debuted, but you know, for a long time now, Batman, Superman, the Flash, etc. have been presented with personal problems in their own careers and romantic lives as well. And, well, Thor is quite literally a god with pretty much any mention of his human, Donald Blake identity having been swept under the rug. Same thing with the whole idea that DC characters are more powerful and are more likely to win in battle. Again, Thor or Hulk could probably wipe the floor with any member of the JLA except maybe Superman or Wonder Woman. And Franklin Richards can literally create entire universe. Last I checked, Superman couldn't do that.

At this point, all that separates the Marvel and DC universes are superficial aesthetics and which characters happen to be the big guns. Marvel and DC comics (and superhero comics in general) are so similar in tone, employ the same exact tropes, follow the same exact plot beats, have almost identical character struggles, and so on that reading a comic from one is essentially no different from reading a comic from the other. And of course that makes sense, since the two companies have traded off creatives so much that there's essentially a talent pipeline running between them.

[Jim Kelly]

I always resent the idea that Marvel and DC are essentially the same and therefore it doesn't matter. That's not fair to either. Yes the talent is often the same and editors have floated between both companies. But Spider-Man, Captain America, Iron Man, Wolverine, Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern these are all very distinctive characters. It's insulting to say that it's all the same thing and there's no difference. That's like saying James Bond, Sherlock Holmes, Miss Marple, Jack Ryan, the Continental Op and William Murdoch are all pretty much the same thing and it doesn't matter what you read, you'll get the same thing out of it.

[Green Goblin of Sector 2814]

I always resent the idea that Marvel and DC are essentially the same and therefore it doesn't matter. That's not fair to either. Yes the talent is often the same and editors have floated between both companies. But Spider-Man, Captain America, Iron Man, Wolverine, Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern these are all very distinctive characters. It's insulting to say that it's all the same thing and there's no difference. That's like saying James Bond, Sherlock Holmes, Miss Marple, Jack Ryan, the Continental Op and William Murdoch are all pretty much the same thing and it doesn't matter what you read, you'll get the same thing out of it.

Well, I didn't say that. Of course Captain America, Wolverine, Iron Man, Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, etc. are all different in terms of character. But saying things like "DC characters are more this, while Marvel characters are more that" is well bunk. There is no defining attribute about a character that makes them more likely to fit into either universe aside from maybe aesthetics (and even that is stretching it). At the end of the day, I could see Superman fitting into the Marvel Universe. Marvel themselves can also apparently see Superman fitting into their universe, hence the existence of characters like Sentry and Hyperion.

[Killerbee911]

Posted this in the Marvel thread. Thought I should share here as well:

Well, I don't. I don't really have a preference. If I pick up a comic, its not because of which publisher's name is on the cover. Having said that, there are of course characters that I'm more likely to follow than others. For example, I'm probably gonna read a Spider-Man or Captain America or Fantastic Four comic before I read a Suicide Squad or Firestorm comic. But at the same time, I'm probably more likely to read a Green Lantern or Batman or Superman comic before I read a Daredevil or Punisher comic.

Honestly, I don't see how anyone reading modern-day superhero comics can even really have a genuine preference for one over the other. All of the classic "reasons" people have thrown out for preferring one over the other have been defunct since at least the 80s. The whole "Marvel characters are more human because they have problems, while DC characters are more godlike because they don't" dichotomy hasn't been true for a very long time. Spider-Man's famous "Parker luck" was unique in the 1960s when he debuted, but you know, for a long time now, Batman, Superman, the Flash, etc. have been presented with personal problems in their own careers and romantic lives as well. And, well, Thor is quite literally a god with pretty much any mention of his human, Donald Blake identity having been swept under the rug. Same thing with the whole idea that DC characters are more powerful and are more likely to win in battle. Again, Thor or Hulk could probably wipe the floor with any member of the JLA except maybe Superman or Wonder Woman. And Franklin Richards can literally create entire universe. Last I checked, Superman couldn't do that.

At this point, all that separates the Marvel and DC universes are superficial aesthetics and which characters happen to be the big guns. Marvel and DC comics (and superhero comics in general) are so similar in tone, employ the same exact tropes, follow the same exact plot beats, have almost identical character struggles, and so on that reading a comic from one is essentially no different from reading a comic from the other. And of course that makes sense, since the two companies have traded off creatives so much that there's essentially a talent pipeline running between them.

Nah Justice League(DC) is still around with its Capes and trunks, Domino masks,Secret Identities and sidekicks while Avengers(Marvel) have largely discard those things. Of course company each side has examples some of the other stuff Marvel has huge DC like legacy/sidekick character push over last couple years and Thor,Dr Strange and Vision still have Capes. But there is clearly different tone between the two yes it is closer than in past years but when DC is in its zone its heroes feel Godlike and like a spectacle, When Marvel is in its zone feel like what would happen if heroes were in the real world. Each has of course is trying to get customers you will see a Sentry aka Superman at Marvel or Damage aka Hulk at DC. The top heroes set the tone in the universe and there is clear difference but good businesses will try to give you a taste other thing.

Side note Some of the more Current Avengers runs have been leaking into Justice League territory the current run for example is playing in that sandbox.

[stargazer01]

I prefer DC because Superman is there. I grew up on DC. I also watched some Marvel cartoon/shows when little, but for me the DC characters were more fun and awesome. Their mythologies seem more rich and compelling and epic to me. And their villains are very interesting. From Marvel I like the X-Men. That's it. I don't care for the others enough.

[Jim Kelly]

Well, I didn't say that.

No, you didn't say that, but your comment helped remind me of this peeve I have. When people talk about the movies, for example, it's like they're comparing laundry detergent--as if both companies produce the exact same product and it's just a matter of comparing how fresh and clean they get your clothes.

[KNIGHT OF THE LAKE]

DC is mythology. Marvel is Soap Opera. DC's major heroes have fully realized and well designed universes. Marvel's major heroes are more codependent with more crossover.

[Buried Alien]

I never would've guessed. I always assumed you got into comics thanks to the pre-Crisis Barry Allen Flash.

My history as a comics fan is rather uneven. I was born to be a Japanese tokusatsu fan because though I was born in the U.S., I spent most of the first two years of my life in Hong Kong, where I first entered the world of geekery through tokusatsu series such as JINZO NINGEN KIKAIDA (ANDROID KIKAIDER) and KAMEN RIDER. I was conversant with Japanese superheroes years before I discovered any American ones.

I returned to the U.S. permanently when I was three years old. The first American superheroes I discovered were on TV...Captain Marvel on SHAZAM, Batman from reruns of the 1960s series, Lynda Carter's WONDER WOMAN series, George Reeves' ADVENTURE OF SUPERMAN series, and Christopher Reeve's first two SUPERMAN movies. There were also the various animated shows featuring DC's and Marvel's characters at the time.

The first American comics I picked up didn't feature superheroes. They were Marvel's GODZILLA and SHOGUN WARRIORS adaptations, but through them, I soon expanded into Marvel's regular fare...mostly AVENGERS, DAREDEVIL, and FANTASTIC FOUR. I also picked up the occasional DC book...mostly SHAZAM! and DC COMICS PRESENTS, with the occasional WONDER WOMAN and SUPERGIRL issue thrown in for good measure.

I knew of the Flash/Barry Allen beginning in the late 1970s with reruns of his 1960s cartoon and the various SUPERFRIENDS cartoons. The first FLASH comic book I picked up was FLASH # 316 in 1982 or 1983.

By the time I paid attention to the Flash again in the mid-1990s, Wally West was the Flash. Though I had seriously started reading DC beginning with the A DEATH IN THE FAMILY storyline in 1988 (and I was surprised that there was a new Robin in Jason Todd, having not realized that Dick Grayson had become Nightwing several years earlier, at around the time I began my four-year hiatus from American superhero comics as I obsessively pursued anime series such as ROBOTECH and MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM for a few years). During this time, I knew DC had released something called CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS, and that Supergirl had died in it, but I didn't realize just how big a deal it was until I became fully engaged with the DC Universe in 1994 with ZERO HOUR).

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[jetengine]

Marvel have ruined a good chunk of their characters through awful events and crossovers without the reboot to erase said idiocy. Their newer legacy replacements were introduced too quickly leading to resentment or given to garbage writers. They often too obviously focus on Synergy with the movies instead of cherry picking the best bits. Their also too clearly corporate focused via the F4 and Mutant embargo thanks to not owning the properties movie rights. Their editors are terrible at their jobs or straight up feud whilst the EIC does nothing, plus Ike Perlmutter who's a bastard.

Finally one third of the universe is the X-Men franchise which is terribly rubbish and stopped being worth a damn by the 90s.