Comic Book "Clones" -- Why do Marvel Fans Like the DC Versions Better?

[Reviresco]

http://emergingverticals.com/comic-clones/

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2015/03/...dc-first-best/


I don't know who this company is, but they've set up polls for 11 characters who have inspired 'clones' or copies at either Marvel or DC -- asking which is the best version. Marvel is losing, 4 to 7. And it's no wonder, as they also show how Marvel fans and how DC fans voted -- and Marvel fans have voted for DC characters an awful lot.

Especially on the only two characters that are original at Marvel, Namor and Man-Thing. Over half of the Marvel fans think DC did a better job at Marvel's original concepts, with Aquaman and Swamp Thing. Okay, Swamp Thing, I can see, since Alan Moore hasn't written Man-Thing, but Namor??? Really??? Marvel fans want their sea king to talk to fish and be treated as a joke???

Marvel fans also prefer:

Green Lantern Corp to Nova Corp

Catwoman to Black Cat

Superman to Hyperion (okay, this isn't surprising)


And Hawkeye is barely eeking by Green Arrow.

So what's the deal here? If you like DC's characters, better, why wouldn't you label yourself a DC fan?


Also, you can still vote here:

http://emergingverticals.com/comic-clones/

[UltimateTy]

Looks like a popularity contest to me.

[SickAlice]

From past experience and in some of the examples you provided a bit of the backing goes by " who came first ". Much the same as fanbases use the same type of notion that an earlier work than a later is always the better version simply for the fact it happened further in the past. Additionally in cases where the Marvel character came first a lot of fans don't seem to actually know that as far as I've observed (example: Namor > Aquaman/Black Adam) so they motion from the same stance. Personally I think it's an empty reasoning and more a schoolyard clubhouse type of thing, but it's undeniably present and effective all the same.

[hawkeyefan]

Eh it's just a couple hundred peoples' opinions. At most. I feel like it would be really easy to vote again and again I that poll...you don't have to log in or anything.

Some of the choices make sense, even if I don't agree. I like Namor so much more than Aquaman, but many folks don't know who Namor is, but they know Aquaman due to DCs cartoons over the years. And although I have no faith in the upcoming movies with Momoa as Aquaman, that'll ramp up his profile even more.

I like Hawkeye so much more than Green Areow too. I don't think I can even describe how much more. But Gren Areow did come first, and he has a successful show that people seem to like. Hawkeye was in the Avengers movie, sure, but he spent most of it brainwashed. I imagine that Avengers 2 will pump him up a bit as Whedon has said he has a much bigger role in the second movie.

All in all, I'm not really surprised by any of the results on the poll. But I also don't put much stock in them.

[Reviresco]

Looks like a popularity contest to me.

Most polls are.

Eh it's just a couple hundred peoples' opinions. At most. I feel like it would be really easy to vote again and again I that poll...you don't have to log in or anything.

Some of the choices make sense, even if I don't agree. I like Namor so much more than Aquaman, but many folks don't know who Namor is, but they know Aquaman due to DCs cartoons over the years. And although I have no faith in the upcoming movies with Momoa as Aquaman, that'll ramp up his profile even more.

I like Hawkeye so much more than Green Areow too. I don't think I can even describe how much more. But Gren Areow did come first, and he has a successful show that people seem to like. Hawkeye was in the Avengers movie, sure, but he spent most of it brainwashed. I imagine that Avengers 2 will pump him up a bit as Whedon has said he has a much bigger role in the second movie.

All in all, I'm not really surprised by any of the results on the poll. But I also don't put much stock in them.

I understand that. But surely people that identify themselves as Marvel fans know who Namor is? Ditto Hawkeye.

[hawkeyefan]

Most polls are.




I understand that. But surely people that identify themselves as Marvel fans know who Namor is? Ditto Hawkeye.

It depends. Sure folks on the board that tend to know a lot about comics. But these days someone who is new to comics could consider themselves a Marvel fan. Or someone who isn't even a reader, but who enjoys the movies.

Then there is the question of how folks come across the poll. Where did you find it? Bleeding Cool?

[Lady Warp Spasm]

As much as I like Aquaman, the older I get, the more I enjoy Namor. I haven't read a lot, but what I have, I quite like. He's a great character for conflict both internal and external and he's a lot of fun.

As far as DC, well Green Arrow will always trump Hawkeye to me; no matter what stupid stuff they do with Ollie. (And they've done a lot.)

As far as the OP's question if you like DC characters more why wouldn't you be a DC fan? Well, as much as I grumble about both companies and the directions they've taken as of late, I read more Marvel than I do DC. It's rare when DC produces a run I want to read, even if I prefer the character to Marvel.

[SickAlice]

Another thing when it comes to poles, users unionize for favorites often. Whereas they petition other users whether originally interested in the poll or not to vote a favorite up. A lot of factors such as this speak against the merit of such polls. I can't remember what it pertained to anymore but years ago someone brought a poll to characters defense (actually I'm pretty sure it was Marvel Vs DC). I just linked fifteen more poles all with completely different results. Surveys don't account for much in the way of proof at the end of the day.

[SidheKnight]

Eh it's just a couple hundred peoples' opinions. At most. I feel like it would be really easy to vote again and again I that poll...you don't have to log in or anything.

Some of the choices make sense, even if I don't agree. I like Namor so much more than Aquaman, but many folks don't know who Namor is, but they know Aquaman due to DCs cartoons over the years. And although I have no faith in the upcoming movies with Momoa as Aquaman, that'll ramp up his profile even more.

I like Hawkeye so much more than Green Areow too. I don't think I can even describe how much more. But Gren Areow did come first, and he has a successful show that people seem to like. Hawkeye was in the Avengers movie, sure, but he spent most of it brainwashed. I imagine that Avengers 2 will pump him up a bit as Whedon has said he has a much bigger role in the second movie.

All in all, I'm not really surprised by any of the results on the poll. But I also don't put much stock in them.

If you don't mind me asking, since you seem to be a Hawkeye fan (hehe).. what do people like about him?

I mean, I don't dislike him, he just seems.. "bland" to me, for lack of a better word. Green Arrow has the whole "robin hood/social justice/extreme measures/vigilante" vibe to his character (and a pretty great TV show), while Hawkeye strikes me more as a "generic SHIELD agent that happens to be really really good at archery". Hell, he doesn't even have his classic, colorful, medieval archer costume anymore, he just wears a SHIELD uniform with a purple arrow painted on it.

Please don't take this as me dissing the character, it's just that I fail to see the appeal in him but he's very popular, so I'm curious.

Also, I haven't read Hawkeye's solo ongoing. My references are his appearances in Avengers/New Avengers and the movies.

P.S: Sorry if I derailed the thread.

[Pat Thomas]

I think one answer to your question about Namor is that in most appearances a casual reader would see him in, he's either working with the bad guys
or having a misunderstanding and either attacking humans or fighting a hero every time he pops up. There's also the fact that he acts like a dick. His fans
may consider that something positive or regal. To others, he's just a dick. Although Aquaman, at least the version a lot of us were first introduced to on
Super Friends, might be treated as something of a joke, he didn't ever act like a jerk. His characterization these days is more like Namor anyway, and he's
been powered up, but he doesn't have the years of bad things associated with him like Namor does. If you think about it, Namor is still making shitty choices
whenever he has options, all the way to current. I doubt he's gaining any fans, and it's a testament to the loyalty of his dedicated fanbase that they can
still rationalize that he has always been in the right. That's not to insult anybody, but it is the truth, and Aquaman doesn't have so much negative crap
attached to him.

[Tony Stark]

I'm a Marvel guy and I voted 7 out of 11 for Marvel. What's the big deal?!?! You can be a Marvel fan and like the other version of a character more and vice versa.

[Frontier]

I'm a big fan of both companies and their characters, so I try not to compare them too much and just enjoy the characters for who they are. Whether I prefer one character to another who occupy similar positions in their respective universe is a case by case basis. I vastly prefer Aquaman to Namor and Superman to Hyperion, though I do like Namor (sometimes) and Hyperion, but I probably wouldn't choose between Hawkeye/Green Arrow or even Catwoman/Black Cat or at least it would be a lot harder.

I grew up with all these characters, and I think they're all great in their own way and for what role they fulfill in their world .

[Rogue Star]

http://emergingverticals.com/comic-clones/

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2015/03/...dc-first-best/


I don't know who this company is, but they've set up polls for 11 characters who have inspired 'clones' or copies at either Marvel or DC -- asking which is the best version. Marvel is losing, 4 to 7. And it's no wonder, as they also show how Marvel fans and how DC fans voted -- and Marvel fans have voted for DC characters an awful lot.

Especially on the only two characters that are original at Marvel, Namor and Man-Thing. Over half of the Marvel fans think DC did a better job at Marvel's original concepts, with Aquaman and Swamp Thing. Okay, Swamp Thing, I can see, since Alan Moore hasn't written Man-Thing, but Namor??? Really??? Marvel fans want their sea king to talk to fish and be treated as a joke???

Marvel fans also prefer:

Green Lantern Corp to Nova Corp

Catwoman to Black Cat

Superman to Hyperion (okay, this isn't surprising)


And Hawkeye is barely eeking by Green Arrow.

So what's the deal here? If you like DC's characters, better, why wouldn't you label yourself a DC fan?


Also, you can still vote here:

http://emergingverticals.com/comic-clones/

It could just be that the people answering the questions are voting without a bias. As for me, I currently read more Marvel than DC but I like characters from both sides so I won't hesitate to vote for the better characters.

[Pat Thomas]

If you don't mind me asking, since you seem to be a Hawkeye fan (hehe).. what do people like about him?

I mean, I don't dislike him, he just seems.. "bland" to me, for lack of a better word. Green Arrow has the whole "robin hood/social justice/extreme measures/vigilante" vibe to his character (and a pretty great TV show), while Hawkeye strikes me more as a "generic SHIELD agent that happens to be really really good at archery". Hell, he doesn't even have his classic, colorful, medieval archer costume anymore, he just wears a SHIELD uniform with a purple arrow painted on it.

Please don't take this as me dissing the character, it's just that I fail to see the appeal in him but he's very popular, so I'm curious.

Also, I haven't read Hawkeye's solo ongoing. My references are his appearances in Avengers/New Avengers and the movies.

P.S: Sorry if I derailed the thread.

Personally, I liked Hawkeye because he had a cool purple costume and was brash when I started reading comics in the 1970's. I was also reading
reprints of the Avengers from the Cap's Kooky Quartet days, and he featured in them a lot. I've kept my admiration of the character based on what
I read way back when. I doubt I would notice him at all if I were a new reader, because there is nothing that really stands out. Marvel wants him to
be realistic looking instead of a flashy, badass comic book character since the general public apparently couldn't handle all the stuff that makes
superhero comics awesome. So now he is a generic archer. exciting.

[hawkeyefan]

If you don't mind me asking, since you seem to be a Hawkeye fan (hehe).. what do people like about him?

I mean, I don't dislike him, he just seems.. "bland" to me, for lack of a better word. Green Arrow has the whole "robin hood/social justice/extreme measures/vigilante" vibe to his character (and a pretty great TV show), while Hawkeye strikes me more as a "generic SHIELD agent that happens to be really really good at archery". Hell, he doesn't even have his classic, colorful, medieval archer costume anymore, he just wears a SHIELD uniform with a purple arrow painted on it.

Please don't take this as me dissing the character, it's just that I fail to see the appeal in him but he's very popular, so I'm curious.

Also, I haven't read Hawkeye's solo ongoing. My references are his appearances in Avengers/New Avengers and the movies.

P.S: Sorry if I derailed the thread.

No worries. He's actually not a SHIELD agent. That's just a product of the movies, which were influenced heavily by the Ultimates from a few years back. The main Marvel Universe Hawkeye is an ex-carney and ex-criminal who reformed and joined the Avengers.

What appeals to me about the character is that he gets by solely on his skill and his wits. He's kind of unique among the Avengers in that way...most of them are super powered. I find the idea of a guy with no powers running into battle alongside Thor and Iron Man and so on to be pretty cool.

He also has a bit of an edge to him. He tends to do things his own way even if it gets him into trouble. But at his core, he just wants to help people.

His recent solo series will probably be considered a seminal run, so you should definitely check it out. I could go on and on about it, but the comic will show you better than I can tell you.

And I don't think you derailed the thread so much as showed why some people may vote based on familiarity with one character and not with another.