What are the little things about Marvel you like?

[Hybrid]

Sometimes, it's the little things that matter. This is where we acknowledge them.

To begin:

I pointed this out in the hero-exclusive villain thread on why I often have an easier time getting into Marvel than DC, and felt it'd make a good starting point for such a topic. I for one like the fact it's rare to encounter a hero in Marvel who can fly "just because". This stems from the early days, as Stan Lee hated how so many heroes from DC could fly for no reason, and set out to have every character have some kind of unique way of traversal. For the most part, this philosophy stays true today. It really does help to make each character feel unique, just by the way they get around. Some hold onto something like a magical hammer, use jet propulsion, sling on a web, have a suit of armor with thrusters, ride on an object, glide as an extension of their abilities, leap great distances, use a wingsuit, have wings, wear a magical artifact that enables them levitation, surround themselves with energy, or make clever use of shapeshifting. Really, it's a small element that helps each hero feel distinct. In DC, I feel like there are way too many characters who have an innate ability to fly, that makes so many of them feel the same when they traverse.

Anyways, what about you guys? What are the little things about Marvel that you appreciate?

[RachelGrey]

I think we get to see the personal side of Marvel characters more often.

Take a simple example. Otto as Superior Spiderman in San Francisco. He is trying to build a life for himself as a hero and a university professor. He is just his own worst enemy, but the funny thing is he actually tries to be better, even though he is the most arrogant and insufferable prick ever, he still tries to be better.

Jane Foster struggled with her cancer for the entire run of Mighty Thor, and being a hero was killing her.

Carol has found her entire life falling apart with her half Kree heritage exposed and now she has become public enemy #1, even more so than Peter as Spider-Man.

Tony is back, but he is fighting in court to be recognized as more than just an AI back up of himself and may not be able to regain his company.

The Heroes of the Marvel Universe struggle on a human level in their day to day lives as much as they do against the villains. I actually felt sorry for Otto when his secret identity was revealed, I can't imagine what his status quo will be going forward, is he going to go back to being a villain, or will he rise up and try to be an even better hero.

I find the Marvel heroes are more human, even the ones that aren't human at all.

[Revolutionary_Jack]

When I re-read old Marvel comics, I often get a real sense of time capsules. If you read Marvel of the '60s, '70s, '80s, either in terms of political references, social references, pop culture, and fashion choices and so on, you get a sense of the past, a documentary of that period.

In DC, because it's fake cities, you get less of that. Not nearly to the same extent.

[KangMiRae]

I love how they destroy marriages and couples. Really gets the blood pumping.

[Marvell2100]

How everything is so connected. It was not a surprise or big deal for Spider-Man to show up an issue of Fantastic Four.

Heroes having lives outside of the costume.

[Derek Metaltron]

I like the fact that Marvel has evidently failed to stop people using the Earth 616 analogy, because it demonstrates nicely how the Marvel Classic Comics universe is but one of many, even if we do spend more time there.

[Lee Stone]

I liked the Micronauts in the mid-‘80s.

[Hybrid]

I also like how Marvel doesn't have a "Trinity" like DC does with Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman. It's versatile, and can be broken up into at least four pillars with Spider-Man, X-Men, Fantastic Four and Avengers, and then going further in misc. stuff like cosmic, supernatural, non-Spidey street, and outside stuff that can't easily fit any category (where does Runaways, Exiles and Immortal Hulk fit?). The closest thing to a Trinity in Marvel is Iron Man, Captain America and Thor, but they can't seriously be called the Marvel Trinity, just the Avengers Trinity.

I'd say it's a good sign for how multifaceted the universe and storytelling is. I honestly never really liked the way DC promoted a Trinity above all else and that everything goes back to them.

[Lee Stone]

I do like how Marvel ‘could’ tie all the street level stuff to Spider-Man, like DC does with Batman, but they don’t.
Spider-Man acts more as a link between the street heroes and the wider superhero community.

Daredevil, Cage, Iron Fist and Moon Knight aren’t defined by their connections to Spider-Man.

[Ptrvc]

The whole "Flying Brick" is less of a standard.

DC sometimes feels like it's full of Earth Shattering gods and street levelers with little inbetween. Like there's two poles, with Supes and Wondy on one side and Bats on the other.

Marvel feels more centered around the middle. Also without FTL being the standard for top tiers, it's a little more likely that lower-powered characters can contest with stronger ones.

[Raye]

As some others have said, the main thing I like about Marvel is that the characters feel more human. (even when they aren't) they have a lot of emphasis on personal lives, internal struggles, they screw up, etc. And while I realize it's not completely universal, and the divide has lessened over time, so there are definitely elements of making characters more human at DC, it just feels like it happens more at Marvel, and is more integral to the characters for the most part.

[Rosebunse]

I like that Marvel feels like an ongoing story. People have suggested reboots in the past and while we got a very soft one in the wake of Secret Wars, I'm happy it wasn't a complete reboot. I like that we're able to see characters grow and regress and have personal relationships that do the same.

[K7P5V]

All of those "man on the street" comments while the super-beings are having their slug-fests. It's enough to make me bust a gut because they're so hilarious.

[Tony Stark]

I think we get to see the personal side of Marvel characters more often.

Take a simple example. Otto as Superior Spiderman in San Francisco. He is trying to build a life for himself as a hero and a university professor. He is just his own worst enemy, but the funny thing is he actually tries to be better, even though he is the most arrogant and insufferable prick ever, he still tries to be better.

Jane Foster struggled with her cancer for the entire run of Mighty Thor, and being a hero was killing her.

Carol has found her entire life falling apart with her half Kree heritage exposed and now she has become public enemy #1, even more so than Peter as Spider-Man.

Tony is back, but he is fighting in court to be recognized as more than just an AI back up of himself and may not be able to regain his company.

The Heroes of the Marvel Universe struggle on a human level in their day to day lives as much as they do against the villains. I actually felt sorry for Otto when his secret identity was revealed, I can't imagine what his status quo will be going forward, is he going to go back to being a villain, or will he rise up and try to be an even better hero.

I find the Marvel heroes are more human, even the ones that aren't human at all.

This is one of the many reason I grew up being more Marvel than anything else. Very good point and breakdown.

[Digifiend]

I also like how Marvel doesn't have a "Trinity" like DC does with Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman. It's versatile, and can be broken up into at least four pillars with Spider-Man, X-Men, Fantastic Four and Avengers, and then going further in misc. stuff like cosmic, supernatural, non-Spidey street, and outside stuff that can't easily fit any category (where does Runaways, Exiles and Immortal Hulk fit?). The closest thing to a Trinity in Marvel is Iron Man, Captain America and Thor, but they can't seriously be called the Marvel Trinity, just the Avengers Trinity.

I'd say it's a good sign for how multifaceted the universe and storytelling is. I honestly never really liked the way DC promoted a Trinity above all else and that everything goes back to them.

Runaways truly doesn't fit. Exiles is usually considered to be an X book, though the most recent run came from the Avengers office. Hulk definitely counts as part of the Avengers line.

They have tried to put a square peg in a round hole before. When they put everything into categories in the 90s, New Warriors didn't fit. It ended up becoming a spider book, with Ben Reilly added to the roster to justify it.