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  1. #61
    Out Fighting for Peace! AJpyro's Avatar
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    DC has Vertigo. ANd The Legion.

    So while I like dipping into the vast universe and such from JLA to JSA to Titans, there are also other wells springing from the DCU that I can read from now to back in the 70s, 80s and other places.

    Plus Superman.
    Le Suck it, Dolphin!

    -God I am so tired.

    SCOTT SUMMERS AND EMMA FROST DESERVED BETTER.

  2. #62
    Son of Satan DevilBat66's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lightning Rider View Post
    I've heard others express similar sentiments before, but not as completely or well thought out. Great post.
    Totally. Wish I could have been as eloquent.
    Batman - Daredevil

  3. #63
    Incredible Member Ishmael's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Comic-Reader Lad View Post
    I started reading superhero comics with DC as a kid in the early 1970s, so I'll always have affection for their characters. DC was also very easy to get into by picking up any random issue because most of their stories were done-in-ones and their most famous characters were on TV in reruns of The Adventures of Superman and Batman '66 -- plus Super Friends on Saturday mornings, so that also made it easy to know who was who.

    I got into Marvel in the late 70s as I grew older and wanted the more sophisticated storytelling that Marvel offered at the time. However, I never turned my back on DC. I only wished that DC would age-up their storytelling to Marvel's level, and that's what began to happen around 1980 when Marvel people who were frustrated working under Jim Shooter began to arrive at DC. So, while during the years of 1978-1980, I was frustrated by DC's lack of willingness to grow up (particularly on Schwartz's Superman titles), that changed with the arrivals of Marv Wolfman and Roy Thomas. When the British writers, led by Alan Moore, arrived in 1983, followed by Marvel's crappy cash-grab miniseries, Secret Wars in 1984, DC really rose to the top again in my book as Marvel fell drastically out of favor with me.

    If I had to put my finger on one problem that Marvel has that makes me not want to stay with their characters for very long, it would be what they tout the most: their "realism."

    Marvel has it so thoroughly drilled into their own heads that their characters must be flawed and have all these problems, that eventually the writing becomes very contrived. It takes me out of the story when I can see the latest "problem" coming down the pike simply because Marvel's heroes must have an unending streak of problems.

    For me, this led to what I refer to as the "Gilligan's Island Syndrome." A lot of Marvel's series are set up where the hero is in undesirable circumstances and wants to be free of it. So, for awhile you root for the hero to overcome his obstacle (e.g. cure himself of being The Hulk, The Thing, Man-Thing, Ghost Rider, Werewolf by Night, etc. etc.), but eventually you realize that can never happen. Just like in Gilligan's Island, they must try to get off the island in every episode, but they must ultimately fail because if they succeed the show's over. If all of a sudden Banner cures himself of the Hulk, it's over. If everyone all of a sudden loves mutants, it's over. Peter Parker can never be too happy for too long. And so on and so forth ad infinitum for most of the Marvel characters. This constant trying and failing only works for me in the short term before it becomes frustratingly repetitious and disempowering. At that point, the new problems and obstacles really stick out to me as editorial contrivances rather than organic storytelling, and I have to jump ship.

    I like DC's characters because they try and succeed rather than constantly failing at their core objective. That's very empowering, and more fun to read. DC's characters aren't stuck in an endless cycle of failure and misery like the Marvels.

    Also, DC's characters generally like themselves while a lot of Marvel's have self-esteem issues. I get that this is highly relatable to comics nerds when they are teenage outcasts themselves, but eventually you grow out of it and accept yourself and like yourself. However, the Marvels never do. Again, the Gilligan's Island Syndrome dictates that it they should ever overcome their core identity problem, the story is over. That's why I loved Alan Moore's initial Swamp Thing story. Changing the concept of Swamp Thing so that he was never Alec Holland, but just a sentient swamp creature with Holland's essence, allowed Swamp Thing to get rid of that Gilligan's Island anchor around his neck and the storytelling opened itself up to new and innovative avenues.

    So, for me, the general lack of Gillgian's Island narrative dead-ends is why I much prefer the DC Universe over the Marvel Universe.
    Wow. THIS. This really nails it.

    I loved DC when I was young and then Marvel when I was an angsty teen. But as an adult, I find DC's characters are the ones I relate to - for many of the reasons noted in this post. I also LOVE the mythic elements of the DCU - their characters are iconic in a way that Marvel's are not. So at this point I'm strongly partial to the DCU.

  4. #64
    DC Enthusiast Tony's Avatar
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    In the early 80s I prefered Marvel, late 80s to mid 90s DC, took a break and came back for early 2000s Marvel then Rebirth put DC back on top. Now I only read Red Hood and Adventures of the Super sons.

    I think both companies are at a pretty low point at the moment. If Bendis and King are the top dogs at DC I expect Marvel to pull ahead soon despite being owned by Disney.

  5. #65
    Incredible Member Eto's Avatar
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    I love Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, Daredevil and their stories

    However, I've personally enjoyed myself with significantly more DC characters compared to Marvel's.
    Over the last couple of years, Marvel has like what 2/3/4 titles I read whereas DC has over 10. It's not even close.

  6. #66
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    My love of DC lives or dies with the Legion of Super-Heroes, primarily, but also the All-Star Squadron, Teen Titans, Young Justice, Justice Society, etc. I like the Legion, particularly, more than pretty much anything Marvel has ever done (although I am a fan of many Marvel teams and characters as well).

    Since most of those characters and teams aren't really in use at the moment, I'm mostly reading Marvel these days, since I'm more likely to see a Madrox or Domino series than a Booster Gold or Vixen series, but I'm still around, waiting to see if DC ever gets back to the stuff I like.

  7. #67
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    I'd rather read back issues.

  8. #68
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    Batman

    10char

  9. #69
    Mighty Member My Two Cents's Avatar
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    I know Marvel is based in the real world and the characters have real life problems
    But D C characters have always come off as being more human to me.

    Its is like with Marvel, the characters are on the stage projecting there lines
    out to the audience and each one is trying to up stage the other

    While D C is more of a hidden camera following the characters round, capturing
    them in there normal state.
    Last edited by My Two Cents; 10-20-2018 at 04:31 PM.

  10. #70
    Three Legged Member married guy's Avatar
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    Legacy.

    The history of the DCU hooked me as a kid.
    I learned to read with Amazing Spider-Man, but I fell in love with JSA and their adventures during WWII.
    Hitler with the Spear of Destiny trying to unmask Batman.... CLASSIC.

    Then Batman, the Justice League, and the hooks were forever sunk in when I discovered the Flash.
    "My name is Wally West. I'm the fastest man alive!"
    I'll try being nicer if you try being smarter.

  11. #71
    Astonishing Member kingaliencracker's Avatar
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    For me, the answer is simple.

    I got into Superman and Batman as my first comic book heroes, and just read the expanded DCU from there. I'm just more knowledgeable about the DCU as a result, so it reads easier for me.

    Had I gotten into Spider-Man or X-Men instead, the situation would probably be reversed. Having said that, there are plenty of Marvel characters that I do love as much or more so than certain DC characters.

  12. #72
    Post Editing OCD Confuzzled's Avatar
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    For me, it boils down to DC having the superior animation portfolio. It's as simple as that, being a major animation addict.

    I also love the concept of Elseworlds and as a kid, I was exposed to more standalone Batman/Superman stories, so that definitely helped as well. And of course, the characters who started off in the Vertigo imprint are unparalleled.

    The Spider-Man and mutant franchises are irreplaceable in my heart though, but I don't find anything outside of those corners to be all that captivating in the Marvel Universe. Whereas I'm more invested in a larger swath of DC franchises.

  13. #73
    Extraordinary Member Lightning Rider's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by My Two Cents View Post
    I know Marvel is based in the real world and the characters have real life problems
    But D C characters have always come off as being more human to me.

    Its is like with Marvel, the characters are on the stage projecting there lines
    out to the audience and each one is trying to up stage the other

    While D C is more of a hidden camera following the characters round, capturing
    them in there normal state.
    That's really interesting.

  14. #74
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    Quote Originally Posted by kingaliencracker View Post
    For me, the answer is simple.

    I got into Superman and Batman as my first comic book heroes, and just read the expanded DCU from there. I'm just more knowledgeable about the DCU as a result, so it reads easier for me.

    Had I gotten into Spider-Man or X-Men instead, the situation would probably be reversed. Having said that, there are plenty of Marvel characters that I do love as much or more so than certain DC characters.
    This is essentially the same path that I followed. Maybe if I had been older (and had more money), I would have got into Marvel first and then DC after.

  15. #75
    Extraordinary Member Lightning Rider's Avatar
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    On the aspect of childhood, I definitely formed an attachment to Superman (Adventures of Lois & Clark) and BTAS/STAS, but during different intervals I was easily as into X-Men or especially Spiderman shows. When the X-Men movies came out I was all into it. I guess the JL cartoon came out when it was perfect for my age group, more mature character-based writing. I loved the show so much I rented Alex Ross's "mythology" from the library and it was a gateway drug. I still read some of the best Marvel had to offer but they never inspired the awe that the JL did, especially when some of my first exposure was to a mythological framework.

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