Is DC better than Marvel?

[gwor]

As a young collector, I sampled a variety of books from the Big two, but found myself prefering the characters of the DC Universe over the Marvel ones. Even when it was cooler to read Marvel (when they were outselling the pants off of 'em under Jim Shooter), I stuck to the dorkier books released by DC.

I prefer Supes to Spidey, what can I say? <g>

I find that I'm a big DC fan at heart even today. Marvel's explosion of success under Joe Quesada annoys me, I must admit <g>, and I hope Final Crisis puts DC back on top.

Is it silly to prefer one company over the other, or are they simply both awesome in their own way?

[gwor]

Oops, this thread should be within the DC Universe forum....

[pariah-1972]

As a young collector, I sampled a variety of books from the Big two, but found myself prefering the characters of the DC Universe over the Marvel ones. Even when it was cooler to read Marvel (when they were outselling the pants off of 'em under Jim Shooter), I stuck to the dorkier books released by DC.

I prefer Supes to Spidey, what can I say? <g>

I find that I'm a big DC fan at heart even today. Marvel's explosion of success under Joe Quesada annoys me, I must admit <g>, and I hope Final Crisis puts DC back on top.

Is it silly to prefer one company over the other, or are they simply both awesome in their own way?Well this topic has been covered over and over.
but i think Marvel is better with darker more realistic characters but dc has the iconic heroes and used to have more of a light hearted story telling thing going on.
but of course now thats been thrown out the window mostly and i wish they would at least partially try to get back to what made them so great in the first place without trying so hard.
some characters work good "dark" like Batman but not so much the others.
i think Final Crisis will be very controversial and be much talked about like his x men run.
anyways i find myself attracted more to marvel for whatever reasons.

[Choppa]

Short Answer: Yes
Long Answer: Define "better"

[Peter Svensson]

DC and Marvel are like Chocolate and Vanilla ice cream. Both are good, some people will eat them both, some will only eat one, and a rabid few will argue that the other is terrible.

[Kevinroc]

Marvel sells better.

From a quality level? That's a matter of opinion. Both companies publish a number of crappy comics and both publish some great comics.

[md62]

DC and Marvel are like Chocolate and Vanilla ice cream. Both are good, some people will eat them both, some will only eat one, and a rabid few will argue that the other is terrible.

Great answer! Personally I like both of them. For me I would break it down to:

1938-1953: DC > Fawcett > Marvel
1953-1964: DC > Marvel
1964-1985: Marvel > DC
1985-1992: Marvel = DC
1992-1996: Valiant > DC > Marvel
1996-2002: DC > Marvel
2002-2006: Marvel > DC
2006-present: DC > Marvel

[Ben Fox]

Yeah, there's no real answer. It just depends on who you ask. I'm not even sure which one I prefer.

[Matthew E]

It's not silly to prefer one over the other, but since there are no criteria for judging whether one... company? fictional universe? set of characters? library of stories?... is better than another, there's no way to answer the question in the thread title.

[Hawkman]

I prefer DC by a pretty wide margin, though Daredevil's still my second-favorite superhero of all time. They're both good in their own ways, but on the whole, DC's universe meshes better with me, for whatever reason.

[Rabid Trekkie]

I don't really prefer any one universe, I just go for the characters or writers I like or stories I want to try out. If for whatever reason Batman jumped to Marvel or Dark Horse and the story was good I'd get it without question.

[Micro]

Great answer! Personally I like both of them. For me I would break it down to:

1938-1953: DC > Fawcett > Marvel
1953-1964: DC > Marvel
1964-1985: Marvel > DC
1985-1992: Marvel = DC
1992-1996: Valiant > DC > Marvel
1996-2002: DC > Marvel
2002-2006: Marvel > DC
2006-present: DC > Marvel

I think that is pretty close, but I don't completely agree. It changes up from year to year, as to which is better. But as a general rule, I would say:

When Marvel is at it's best, it's better,
but at the same time,
when it's at it's worst it's terrible.

I've always found DC more consistant in recent years, they always seem to keep a better set of standards as to what their characters can and can't do. Marvel tends to let it's writers do whatever they want, which can lead to some great stories(Brubaker), but also so horrid ones(One More Day).

Even when DC does more risky stories such as Knightfall or Death of Superman, they seem to have a more clearly planned beginning, middle and end.

I always used to find it interesting how in DC the Heroes seem to be more important that the Person, while in Marvel the Person is more important than the Hero. DC has been able to pass down the mantel to a new generation with Green Lantern, Robin, Flash, and Green Arrow; yet in Marvel with Captian America, Spiderman, and Iron Man, they are never able to change the guy under that mask. I'm not really sure what that says about either company, but I always wondered why that was.

I guess recently though, that has somewhat changed, with them bringing back Hal Jordan at DC, and making Winter Solider the new Captian America. I guess it will be interesting to see how it all plays out.

In the end though, it really depends on the creative teams they have working on the books. A great writer can make a lame character great, but a bad writer can ruin a great character.

[ZT4]

Both companies have been at their strongest in recent years, but they both seem to falter tremendously when they do brooding, overly dark storyline "events". The stuff in between the cracks is where the strengths lie

[Shellhead]

For extended periods of time, DC or Marvel may do a better job of entertaining me. But in the long run, most of the top writers and artists end up working for both companies, so it all evens out. My all-time favorite comics are JLA/Avengers #1-4, so that's a wash. However, I do believe that Alan Moore is the best comic writer ever, and the only work that he ever did for Marvel was early in his career, before he became great. So maybe a slight edge in favor of DC.

[Tyr]

DC and Marvel are like Chocolate and Vanilla ice cream. Both are good, some people will eat them both, some will only eat one, and a rabid few will argue that the other is terrible.

Congrats Pete your quote just made my sig. That is it would but can't seem to use quotes for my sig anymore, its been disabled for some reason. :(

[Powerboy]

I grew up in the 1960s. I liked DC better as a very young child. At a certain point, maybe nine or ten, it was about 50/ 50. Then I drifted more to Marvel as DC at the time was for little kids. There was a period where I wasn't reading comics. Then in the late 1980s I got back into it and it was about 50/ 50 again. Another time lapse. Then I drifted more and more to DC. I don't entirely know why. Sometimes its Superman, then its Wonder Woman, then Green Lantern or the Flash. I get on tangents. I'd prefer to just buy everything I am interested in but comics just don't cost 12 cents anymore and I've got adult bills to pay.

I buy the Ultimates TPBs, just Ultimates, not the entire Ultimate Universe line. I try to keep up on the Supreme Power TPBs. In 616, I buy Thor and the occasional western.

I think when I was a kid and could go out and buy everything Marvel published for a dollar or two a week, I loved the shared universe quality and that it was designed to be that. But at three dollars a comic, I prefer characters that were originally never designed to be in a shared universe and their own books have a feeling of mostly being their own world.

As a young collector, I sampled a variety of books from the Big two, but found myself prefering the characters of the DC Universe over the Marvel ones. Even when it was cooler to read Marvel (when they were outselling the pants off of 'em under Jim Shooter), I stuck to the dorkier books released by DC.

I prefer Supes to Spidey, what can I say? <g>

I find that I'm a big DC fan at heart even today. Marvel's explosion of success under Joe Quesada annoys me, I must admit <g>, and I hope Final Crisis puts DC back on top.

Is it silly to prefer one company over the other, or are they simply both awesome in their own way?

[Powerboy]

Great answer! Personally I like both of them. For me I would break it down to:

1938-1953: DC > Fawcett > Marvel
1953-1964: DC > Marvel
1964-1985: Marvel > DC
1985-1992: Marvel = DC
1992-1996: Valiant > DC > Marvel
1996-2002: DC > Marvel
2002-2006: Marvel > DC
2006-present: DC > Marvel

One question: 1938-1953? There was no Marvel.

[Paul Newell]

One question: 1938-1953? There was no Marvel.
Well there was Timely/Atlas/etc.

[dupersuper]

I get mostly dc simply because Superman's my fave, and I can't afford much more after getting all the Superman and related books. Good writer=good comic regardless of company.

[md62]

One question: 1938-1953? There was no Marvel.

Marvel was Timely Comics in the 40's & Atlas Comics in the 50's.

[lazlo_toth]

As a young collector, I sampled a variety of books from the Big two, but found myself prefering the characters of the DC Universe over the Marvel ones. Even when it was cooler to read Marvel (when they were outselling the pants off of 'em under Jim Shooter), I stuck to the dorkier books released by DC.

I prefer Supes to Spidey, what can I say? <g>

I find that I'm a big DC fan at heart even today. Marvel's explosion of success under Joe Quesada annoys me, I must admit <g>, and I hope Final Crisis puts DC back on top.

Is it silly to prefer one company over the other, or are they simply both awesome in their own way?

I think the vast majority of readers buy titles from both companies every month. I always considered myself more of a DC guy than a Marvel Zombie, but there have been times where my pull had more Marvels than DC, sometimes by a wide margin. I love the Marvel Universe. I love the DC Universe. I can't even imagine the mindset behind somebody reading one company exclusively, and completely writing the other one off. You can be a huge Marvel fan, bu there's probably at least one or two DC books you pick up every month. And vice-versa.

[Ryan Day]

"Better" is certainly subjective, and tends to change a lot as creators, editors, and owners move around. A few years ago, I was reading a bunch of Marvel books and very little DC; now there's only one or two books from Marvel that interest me, and several at DC.

What I find interesting, though, is that while DC generally has the reputation of being more conservative - and it's borne out in a lot of its flagship titles - it's also been more likely to push the envelope. DC has Dark Knight and Watchmen - Marvel has nothing in its catalogue of that stature. DC published Swamp Thing, and started the roots of Vertigo with "DCU" books like Animal Man and Sandman. Even among the lesser-known stuff, you've got books like Grell's Green Arrow and most of the books Ostrander wrote in the 90s.

Marvel has generally been better at capitalizing on trends, but DC's been more likely to start them.

[Will.S]

I'm more of a sucker for Marvel stuff than I am of DC but I more or less get the same amount of titles from both companies. However this topic is very subjective and dependent on the reader's tastes, DC may scratch your itch while Marvel won't and vice versa. Writers on DC might appeal to you more than Marvel's, maybe Marvel's writers/artists make the appeal better there, it goes on and on.

Lately though I think DC has been on a very bad low with all the flooding of the Countdown spin offs, mishandled talent (Pete Woods, the Kuberts), and clunkers like Amazon Attacks. I mean, it's pretty bad when Marvel outsells DC and DC put out more titles than they have.

So far you had to kind of search for the good stuff like Green Lantern, Booster Gold, Blue Beetle, Action Comics, All Star Superman, Detective Comics, Checkmate, etc. I actually thought all of the 52 spin offs outside of Metal Men and the decent Infinity Inc were great.

[jv2k]

I got into comics about a year and a half ago and I jumped into DC.
OYL(not necessarily the actual event but the books that came after) , DC seemed to have more and better books than Marvel did. Unfortunately more recently with Cook leaving the DC, the classified books turning to poo, the confidential lines for batman and superman becoming even more mediocre, Ras Al Gul wasting precious time from Dini's run, countdown(although it has gotten better), and Teen Titans taking a nose dive I can't say as confidently that DC is better.

Then again superman didn't sell his marriage to the devil recently.

[Liberty Belle Fan]

It honestly depends on personal preference.

I personally find the Marvel Universe to be more engaging. Marvel also takes great lengths to ensure everything written is in continuity.

DC has been around longer and been through various ages and stages of Crisis to bring everything to a stable continuity which makes it less appealing to me.

[Alex Smith]

Both companies have their great stories and characters. It bothers me a bit when people try to say one is inherently better than another. If you like it more that's one thing, but to argue that it's just better as a whole is outrageous.

If you really love comics you love both companies. As well as Dark Horse and Image.

[Chiroptera]

NEither is necessarily better than the other, infact, it's foolish to even argue this.

It's a matter of personal preference.
Marvel has heroes who are more real and relatable. You can read about Spider-man and go "Man, I relate to that guy, he goes through the same stuff I do."

DC has heroes who are more mythic and unreachable. You read about Superman and go "I'd love to be half the person he is!"

With Marvel you relate, with DC you look up to.
DC's style tends to be more 'classic hero' ish, where the heroes are over the top, have incredible powers that make them seem near unstoppable, so they must face near unstoppable foes in kind.

Marvel's stories are more down to earth, dealing with real life issues in comic book life style, such as the parallels between the Patriot Act in the real world and the Registration act in Civil War.

It all comes down to a matter of taste.
Me, I take DC over Marvel any day of the week. I don't WANT relatable characters, the ones I want are the ones I can look up to, the ones I can strive to be like in my own life. I want my hero to be a hero and a mentor. For me, they're no longer heroes when they no longer seem any better than I am.

Personally, I stopped reading Marvel back in the 90s when x-men turned into a melodramatic super hero soap opera. I gave Marvel another chance when I find out Rogue was getting a miniseries, then they turned me off again when they turned her into yet another fire tossing pyrokinetic.
I was almost ready to give them another shot, then they went and killed the only hero in their arsenal who I actually looked up to. The death of Captain America was the death of Marvel as far as I'm concerned, just as it would be with any DC char for me.

I don't like seeing my heroes die. That's not good story telling in my book, that's just disappointing/depressing.
I've decided to give Ms. Marvel I go though. I like what they've been doing with her. She comes off more as a hero and less like another relatable person.

[Parch]

I can't even imagine the mindset behind somebody reading one company exclusively, and completely writing the other one off. Each universe is so huge with so many titles that I can see chosing one over the other. Especially for new readers who are also interested in older stuff. Concentrating on one universe is complicated (and expensive) enough without trying to deal with both.

[Will.S]

The death of Captain America was the death of Marvel as far as I'm concerned, just as it would be with any DC char for me.

I don't like seeing my heroes die. That's not good story telling in my book, that's just disappointing/depressing.
I kind of hate to burst your bubble here DC is just as guilty of this.

Pre-Crisis Superman died, Superman died in the famous story we all know about, same for Blue Beetle, Flash (Bart), Conner, The Question, Ralph Dibney, Jean Loring.

[Kevinroc]

As a comic series, Captain America is REALLY, REALLY good right now. Killing Cap has made the book better.

By contrast, I find some DC books unreadable because they have killed off major characters. I haven't touched Flash since Bart died and find Teen Titans terrible without Bart or Kon.

Different strokes, I guess.

[BurningStarIV]

Lately, I've been more into DC. With DC, I tend to follow story lines, even when they crossover to books I don't normally read, in addition to characters. With Marvel, I generally only follow characters, and ignore their big crossover events (except for Annihilation/Annihilation: Conquest).

However, there is one area where I feel Marvel is superior: trades. From what I've seen, when DC releases a trade, they generally only release the "important" issues in the trade, rather than every issue (example: Wonder Woman volume 3 trades.... issues 1-4 and the annual, then 6-10, but no sign of issue 5). Whereas Marvel will release every issue in the trades, regardless of whether or not it is filler.

With DC, this is not always the case. There have been many series that have been released in their entirety. But, I have never purchased a trade or hardcover from Marvel and found anything to be missing.

[snarkbunny]

Is it silly to prefer one company over the other, or are they simply both awesome in their own way?

I don't think you can say that one company is "better" than the other, but it's completely normal if you prefer one company over the other or if you like both. The key concept that sometimes seems to be forgotten, is that just because it's not to your taste, does not mean it's not good.

I rarely read Marvel Universe. I don't like their "scary/feared/outcast mutant" universe, and many of their characters I would like to smack upside the head when I do read the stories. Last MU stories I enjoyed were the White Tiger miniseries and N.E.X.T.wave. Still there appears to be plenty of good MU stories (like Captain America), they just aren't to my taste.

Yet I love the DCU, and I'm far more likely to try new books in the DCU, I also like other superhero books like PS238.

[LungerTony]

I prefer Marvel over DC. However, that doesn't mean that I believe Marvel is way better than DC. I just have followed the MU for than the DCU, and thus, simply buy more Marvel.
In a nutshell, I read both, but I follow the MU universe more. I don't read 52, or Countdown, or any big universe type of events in DC, but just stick with whatever titles/characters I am specifically interested in.

[Umberto]

I'll try to explain the situation here in Italy, the stuff it's very strange...
Here in Italy we've always had a publisher for Marvel comics, but for a long time none for the DC. So in my country everybody (who read comics, certainly) knows everything about Marvel heroes, while the DC's are unfamiliar.
I've done the same route, starting as a Marvel fun but opening a DC comic it's been love at first sight.
The magic, the multiverse and the other things make the universe very very beautiful and more interesting for me.;)

[Comicbookfan]

Better i would say no, Marvel takes more chances and has stronger characters. DC has a great long history and some nice characters like Superman and Batman (especially Batman) Oh and Aquaman 'cos Aquaman Rules but for the most part DC has a boredom factor i can't get over. and for me its the chances marvel takes that put it over the top like caps death the new avengers and so on.

[rZi]

I was a die-hard marvel only reader till about 4 years ago but since reading some TPB's ive gotten into DC more.

But i only really like superman, batman and green lanter. I cannot stand wonder woman or the flash...or hawkeye or martian manhunter or anyone else from the DCU. It feels like the dcu is powered by mainly bats and supes which is a little frustrating to me. where as in marvel i love practicaly all the characters..

[dancj]

DC and Marvel are like Chocolate and Vanilla ice cream. Both are good, some people will eat them both, some will only eat one, and a rabid few will argue that the other is terrible.
I can't stand vanilla myself.

Personally I'd say that since Bill Jemas and Joe Quesada revamped Marvel it's fairly even. Before that I really have to scrape around to find anything worth reading (other than Frank Miller stuff) at Marvel.

[Ramiel]

Well, since it all comes to personal preference, I guess, I'd say Marvel is better for me. I read considerably more Marvel books then DC ones. I think the main thing that DC has over Marvel is Vertigo, which has been considerably better then most of Marvel MAX.

[gwor]

Thanks guys, thoughtful answers all. I think I started the thread because I can't quite explain why I find myself 'rooting' for DC; logically, success for Marvel means the overall industry is healthy, so it would make sense to wish both companies continue to sell well.

[Lemurion]

I say yes, at least for me :)

I grew up on DC first, and that's where my heart is. One key point for me is that whenever there are similar characters in both franchises, I always think of the DC character as the original and the Marvel as the derivative one.

Another factor is that while I love some of Marvel, they have more characters that I just can't care about than DC does. With DC I like almost everyone in the DCU. With Marvel I avoid the X-books, dip in and out of Spidey, am largely uninterested in FF and can't develop any interest in Hulk or the Punisher.

Marvel has more major characters I don't want to read about, so I like the DCU better.

[DarkCrisis]

I grew up with Marvel but have become a DC lover.

I think the writing is just better at DC.

Yes DC makes a lot of stupid moves as well. Amazons Attack and Superemp Prime etc.

But for some reason stuff like Devil Deal Makin' Spidy and so forth just seems to much worse.

I'm used to extra cheese from DC cause he that's them. Superman moved planets to avoid comets hitting them, you're my dopelganger from Earth 32, etc.

I guess I expect better from Marvel cause it would all seem so much easier to write, thus they seem to fall the farthest.

[Chiroptera]

I kind of hate to burst your bubble here DC is just as guilty of this.

Pre-Crisis Superman died, Superman died in the famous story we all know about, same for Blue Beetle, Flash (Bart), Conner, The Question, Ralph Dibney, Jean Loring.

I think you didn't understand what I said.
When I said the death of a hero is the death of a comic for me I meant it.

I stopped reading comics ENTIRELY when they killed off Superman. They killed the man of steel, the first true SUPER hero. I didn't read comics for years. I didn't come back to them till a friend gave me "The Death of Superman" TPB and the story of his return.
It took me about 3 months to read the whole thing because I really just didn't care at that point. Eventually I finished reading it on a 'few pages a day' basis and even then didn't return to comics for another year or so. The only thing that brought me back into comics when I heard about the new Catwoman series (the one character I was willing to return to a comic shop for).

As for the other characters you mentioned, I never really cared about them so they didn't affect me. I care about the characters I love, I don't give a flying rats behind about the rest of their universe, it can all go to hell in a hand basket. Part of the reason I'm loving Gail Simone's run on Wonder Woman is that she's ignoring all the ridiculous crap going on in the rest of the DCU right now.


Cap was the only character in Marvel I cared about after they wrecked Rogue. With him dead I had no reason to continue following the company at all. The only chance they might have of bringing me back is Ms. Marvel which I've bought on occasion but it's yet to be good enough to warrant me putting it on my pull list.

[matt_hatyber]

i used to love both. But then marvel came out with CW. i read every issue of it with all the cross-overs, and after that i only pick up one marvel book untill last week, were i picked up Spider-man. So i would have to say i like dc alot more.

[snarkbunny]

Thanks guys, thoughtful answers all. I think I started the thread because I can't quite explain why I find myself 'rooting' for DC; logically, success for Marvel means the overall industry is healthy, so it would make sense to wish both companies continue to sell well.

So did the thread help at all?

Just remember, you don't have to be logical about it either. For most people I know, their favourite stories are those that resonate the most powerfully emotionally with them.

For some folks it's the story of choosing to do the right thing for people that hate and fear you, that resonates with them.

Me? I like a universe where an alien is a favourite because of the type of person he has chosen to be. I like a world where people are either loved, liked, hated or ignored not because they are different, but because what they have chosen to do with those differences. It appeals to my optimistic soul that a person can change the world for the better. Oh, and the fact that I love talking primates, mad scientists and explosions. Lots and lots of explosions.

Either way, it's good.

[Parch]

I just stumbled upon this from the Bullpen Bulletins Stan's Soapbox PPSSM #27. It's obviously Marvel's point of view but I tend to agree...

QUOTE
...Here's where you get a serious opinion as to the real difference in editorial approach between our competitors and Marvel...
Basically, it seems to me that we write about people while they write about things. We're concerned with the psychological problems and urges that motivate our characters, while the other company prefers to dwell on what happened, how did it happen, and how do we catch the bad guy? Perhaps another way of saying it is, we write for the older reader, for those who are interested in true-to-life dialogue, in absorbing sub-plots and secondary story lines, and in provocative, imaginative themes to boggle the mind. We like to flavor our yarns with satire, with offbeat philosophical concepts, and with controversial subjects. On the other hand, our competitors' mags are aimed at a younger market, which is the reason their stories are generally simpler and more basic in approach.
Now then, I don't mean to sound smug and self-satisfied. I've been telling you the type of stories we aim for, but I'm not claiming a bullseye each time around. As all true believers know, we've certainly come up with our own share of clinkers, of stories that could have been and should have been better...
Stan
UNQUOTE

Perhaps that's a little biased, OK maybe a lot, but I tend to agree. I've always felt that Marvel was a little more "mature" and dialogue based while DC keeps it a little more basic. Not saying that one way is better than the other but more of a personal preference.

[Chiroptera]

I think Stan's quite is fairly accurate.

I wouldn't say it's more mature necessarily, it just appeals to a different type of adult. Heck, most younger readers I know tend to read Marvel while it's the adult comic fans I know who prefer reading DC.

The description is apt though, DC focuses more on the events of the story rather than the people in it. Personally I think that's why I like them. When I want sub-plot, controversy and other in depth detail I'll go see a well acted movie or watch a good drama on TV, for me, a comic is all about the good guys stopping the bad guys.

In my opinion that's probably why I see more adults reading DC and more kids reading Marvel. A lot of kids tend to be excited about growing up, they can't wait to be older, better, stronger, etc. and that means that they're more enticed by the storylines that seem to focus more on an adults life style, the way marvel does.

A lot of adults, meanwhile, would love to recapture some of the joy and imagination that they had in their childhood, so they go to DC to find that. To remind themselves what it was like to be playing Batman and Superman in the backyard.


So yeah, I think Stan makes a good point about the way the stories are geared, I think his estimate that Marvel attracts older readers is rather inaccurate. And try as he might to assure that he's not meaning to sound smug or self-satisfied, I've met the man in real life, I've read plenty of interviews.. And he always sounds smug. But that's just my opinion.

[hugh45]

DC and Marvel are like Chocolate and Vanilla ice cream. Both are good, some people will eat them both, some will only eat one, and a rabid few will argue that the other is terrible.

Hey Hey good reply. :)

[gwor]

I've just read part one of the interview with Bendis about Secret Invasion, and I'm certainly intrigued. I also saw the awesome teaser image of Libra by Jones for Final Crisis, looks cool.

It's interesting how hard both companies are working to attract readers. I think if DC focused on solidifying creative teams on key books (which they seem to be doing), they might just catch up in 2008 <g>....

[Parch]

Heck, most younger readers I know tend to read Marvel while it's the adult comic fans I know who prefer reading DC.

It would be interesting to see how the demographic actually does break down. I suppose it depends on the specific title. I think Marvel has more titles that are specifically aimed at a younger crowd, ie teen characters, issues, etc.

I'm an old fart that just recently started reading comics so I sampled a lot of stuff trying to figure out what to concentrate on. There isn't a lot of DC superhero stuff that appeals to me. I'll eventually get into some Batman but I definately prefer to stick with some of the Marvel superhero stuff for now. Where DC wins is their mature titles. I really like several of the Vertigo titles, whereas I haven't seen a lot of the MAX titles that look good.

It's hard to label one company as "more mature" than the other. It really depends on the specific title.

[sHayden]

It all comes and goes. I went on a big DC tear for about 3 months, and outside of Batman and Catwoman I probably have not bought any DC comics in over six months.

[Shellhead]

I think Stan's quite is fairly accurate.

I wouldn't say it's more mature necessarily, it just appeals to a different type of adult. Heck, most younger readers I know tend to read Marvel while it's the adult comic fans I know who prefer reading DC.

The description is apt though, DC focuses more on the events of the story rather than the people in it. Personally I think that's why I like them. When I want sub-plot, controversy and other in depth detail I'll go see a well acted movie or watch a good drama on TV, for me, a comic is all about the good guys stopping the bad guys.

In my opinion that's probably why I see more adults reading DC and more kids reading Marvel. A lot of kids tend to be excited about growing up, they can't wait to be older, better, stronger, etc. and that means that they're more enticed by the storylines that seem to focus more on an adults life style, the way marvel does.

A lot of adults, meanwhile, would love to recapture some of the joy and imagination that they had in their childhood, so they go to DC to find that. To remind themselves what it was like to be playing Batman and Superman in the backyard.


So yeah, I think Stan makes a good point about the way the stories are geared, I think his estimate that Marvel attracts older readers is rather inaccurate. And try as he might to assure that he's not meaning to sound smug or self-satisfied, I've met the man in real life, I've read plenty of interviews.. And he always sounds smug. But that's just my opinion.

When reading the boards here at CBR, there does seem to be a real age difference between the DC and Marvel fans, with the younger fans reading Marvel. I wonder if that has something to do with the success of the X-Men and Spider-man movies, in which case there may be a DC resurgence coming when the Teen Titans and Legion cartoon fans get a little older.

Right now, I feel like DC and Marvel are both better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick, but not much better. I am weary of these huge, expensive crossovers. Since DC offers a better selection of titles that aren't part of these crossovers, they are currently getting more of my money.

[princesa]

There is no right or wrong answer to this question because its all a matter of taste but I enjoy Marvel better. DC has some things that are very good, GL and the JSA are outstanding and the JLA also. But Marvel has many more titles I enjoy.

[Dubbilex]

I don't agree with them, but I always thought Elliot S! Maggin and Cary Bates' comments in an interview in The Amazing World of DC Comics were interesting.

MAGGIN: Letter columns, ad campaigns, promotional gimmicks, even fan magazines National puts out, they're not as SILLY as at Marvel. They take themselves much more seriously at National for some ridiculous reason that's beyond me. Where Marvel will call their magazine FOOM, spend six months trying to get people interested in what FOOM means, and it turns out to be "Friends of Ol' Marvel", with "old" spelled "o-l-apostrophe"... National will put out a magazine called THE AMAZING WORLD OF DC COMICS. It's an uninteresting name. FOOM is, too, but at least FOOM is dumb and silly, and everyone will say, "FOOM - what a stupid name." Nobody will think twice about a name like THE AMAZING WORLD OF DC COMICS, it seems to me.

BATES: This is the difference between National and Marvel. Marvel's readers are older, so they look at the books as more "camp," to be made fun of. National has younger readers who take the books much more seriously. If National wrote dialogue that tried to be campy, I'd be offended.

INTERVIEWER: DC TRIED THAT DURING THE BATMAN TV ERA. IT SEEMED VERY FALSE FOR OUR CHARACTERS.

[Carter Hall]

I agree with those who say it depends on what period you're talking about. I think that currently (2004-present), DC has been better by far, since I feel they've stayed pretty true to their identity that was established over the last few decades (post-Crisis). DC is also the older of the two companies, and you really could make an argument for Superman and Batman being the first "superheroes" as we understand the term. So you gotta give props to that.

Marvel, however, just has better characters, I feel, and an all-around better universe. The idea of the flawed hero that Stan Lee came up with in the 60s is just incredibly interesting and has great storytelling potential. I just don't feel that his successors have been really with it (probably since about 1995-present, I'd say).

So all in all, I'll say I like both equally overall, with edges to either company at any given time.

Golden Age (1938-1956): Advantage, DC
Silver Age (1956-1985): Advantage, Marvel (despite premiering in '61)
"Bronze" Age (1985-1995): Equal
Modern Age (1995-current): Advantage, DC

(Please excuse my dates, they're just my guesstimates, I didn't get them out of any book and don't even know if most would agree with me).

[lazlo_toth]

I love all of it. The DCU, the MU, the characters are equally important to me. As a kid, when I first started reading comics, I leaned towards DC solely because they had more single-issue stories than Marvel, and the convenience store at the corner that was my sole source for new comics was not a place where I could rely on getting consecutive issues of anything. Nevertheless, Spider-Man, Iron Man and Captain America found their way into my consciousness along with Superman, Batman and the Flash. Eventually I found a real comics shop, got hooked on the Legion right as Great Darkness was starting up, and became a total Legion nut right when all my friends were getting hot and bothered about the X-Men, and John Byrne's Fantastic Four. I never understood the attitude of the "Marvel Zombie." I read the Marvel stuff just as they were, but I couldn't get my head around the idea of just shunning anything that didn't have that stupid MARVEL COMICS GROUP bar across the top. I was the de facto DC apologist among my peers, but at the same time I loved the FF and the Avengers (25+ yr runs on both titles) and I couldn't imagine life without either company. Still can't, although the travesty currently being performed upon the Spider-Man mythos is seriously making me re-consider whether or not I want to have anything more to do with Marvel...

[Parch]

Outside influences definately have an effect. The success and popularity of movies must have a huge impact on comic sales. Lately Marvel has done a good job at getting their characters exposure. It's going to continue with the Iron Man movie.

It would be hard to find somebody that doesn't know Spiderman, but there's a good chance that the majority knows nothing about Green Lantern.

[snarkbunny]

Outside influences definately have an effect. The success and popularity of movies must have a huge impact on comic sales. Lately Marvel has done a good job at getting their characters exposure. It's going to continue with the Iron Man movie.

It would be hard to find somebody that doesn't know Spiderman, but there's a good chance that the majority knows nothing about Green Lantern.

Well, that's a bit silly to compare Spiderman with Green Lantern. Spiderman is comparable with Superman or Batman. Now if you were telling me that more people know who Daredevil is than Green Lantern, I would say you may have a point, but stick to apples and apples, please.

That aside, so far it doesn't look like the popularity of movies has a huge impact on sales - especially if you look at the sales numbers over the last few years. I do agree that is an area that I don't think either Marvel or DC have capitalized on well. Marvel is doing a better job at promoting its major events like Civil War, or the recent new Captain America, than DC seems to be doing.

[Pixie_Solanas]

I used to be rabidly pro-Marvel (I think my distaste for Superman and all things Teen Titan helped), but i'm noticing more and more Marvel books being kicked off my pull list (megacrossover crap is tiring me out) and more DC titles (i.e. Catwoman, Batman) making their way as must-buys.

I'm not saying DC is flying high right now (personally, I can't get into anything Countdown-related, and still abhor Superman), but now i'm probably 50/50 when it comes to Marvel and DC.

And if we include Vertigo titles, then yeah, i'm heavy DC now.

[HeckBoy]

I used to be rabidly pro-Marvel (I think my distaste for Superman and all things Teen Titan helped), but i'm noticing more and more Marvel books being kicked off my pull list (megacrossover crap is tiring me out) and more DC titles (i.e. Catwoman, Batman) making their way as must-buys.

I'm not saying DC is flying high right now (personally, I can't get into anything Countdown-related, and still abhor Superman), but now i'm probably 50/50 when it comes to Marvel and DC.

And if we include Vertigo titles, then yeah, i'm heavy DC now.Same here. I used to be Marvel-only, but nowadays I've branched out to other companies. However, my read list is still a majority of Marvel, but it's probably only about 60/40, give or take mini series and what not.

I'm also getting sick of all these mega events. I'll admit I still end up reading them, but it's starting to wear on me. I'm finding that the books that aren't directly associated with the event (or only minimally) are the more enjoyable ones. And as much as I enjoy a shared universe, I don't think they have to keep writing about it every year. I think it would be better for each title to keep to its own little corner of the universe more and do their own thing for a long while.

[Parch]

Well, that's a bit silly to compare Spiderman with Green Lantern. Spiderman is comparable with Superman or Batman. Now if you were telling me that more people know who Daredevil is than Green Lantern, I would say you may have a point, but stick to apples and apples, please.
Agreed, but I used that comparison based on the popularity of the titles. Sounds like Green Lantern is one of the most popular and best selling DC titles right now, but general public knowledge of them is minimal.

I am fairly new to comics so I'm definately no expert, but I can relate my noob familiarity of the two companies. I bought my first comic at age 46, so my knowledge of comic characters was solely based on movies, primetime TV, and video games. Almost all of the top Marvel titles I had at least heard of. X-Men, Spiderman, Hulk, Captain America, Daredevil, Thor, Fantastic 4, Avengers, Punisher. I'd at least heard of them through the other forms of mainstream media. They've had movies or some sort of exposure other than comics.

When it comes to DC, all I'd ever heard of was Superman, Batman, Flash and Wonder Woman. I knew nothing about Green Lantern, Justice Society, Justice League, and Teen Titans. Martian Manhunter? Green Arrow? All new to me. Why? Most of the DC universe has little or no mainstream exposure. When I look at that "best current DC titles" thread there's a lot of titles I know nothing about. Brave and the Bold, Blue Beetle, Checkmate, Birds of Prey, Booster Gold? Never heard of them. It's been fun to discover and explore these mystery DC titles.

Highly subjective as to what can be considered better, but familiarity and popularity sure makes a difference. I'd say Marvel has done a much better job at character development and getting their characters public exposure. Marvel is better at marketing their product, and ultimately that adds up to better sales. When it comes to a business point of view, sales is all the companies want to be "better" at.

Then there's those who think that better sales doesn't mean quality. I agree. If you're basing quality on critical acclaim and awards then none of the superhero stuff gets a lot of praise. It's mostly non-superhero and indie titles that win most of the awards. Definately my preference, and based on that criteria I would consider DC better than Marvel because of the Vertigo titles, but when it comes to superhero stuff, I'd have to say Marvel is better.
All highly subjective of course.

[CBNERD]

I was a die-hard marvel only reader till about 4 years ago but since reading some TPB's ive gotten into DC more.

But i only really like superman, batman and green lanter. I cannot stand wonder woman or the flash...or hawkeye or martian manhunter or anyone else from the DCU. It feels like the dcu is powered by mainly bats and supes which is a little frustrating to me. where as in marvel i love practicaly all the characters..

says Geoff Johns for a reason. The TPB for Blood will Run (the Flash) is coming out. Try that one. You think you don't like the Flash. Any of the Waid TPBs of the Flash are really good too. Try Terminal Velocity. BoosterGold (also Geoff Johns) has been really entertaining but you kind of need to know your DC history to appreciate it. Brave and the Bold with Mark Waid has been consistently one of my favorites especially since it touches on so many different characters. If you want something on the darker side read the Black Adam series that just finished up. You just need to find the right stuff. But that can be said for any comic or publisher.

[CBNERD]

Like most of the replies here I get both DC and Marvel some Image as well. I had to choose for financial reasons. Both of the Publishers entered epic events and it was too pricey to follow both companies. I went DC.

The only Marvel comics I get are the ones I don't need to read any other title to stay on top of what is going on. Like Immortal Iron Fist it has mentioned the Civil War but I don't feel like I have to know anything about it. I also get the Ultimate Spiderman which doesn't really tie into any of the other Ultimate titles.

[Tahko Tetsujin]

To me the argument is like asking, "Do you like chocolate cake or angel food cake?"

I just want some cake.

[Laughing Mask]

well lately dc has had most of my attention.

[earl]

I was a pretty voracious comic book reader from the late 70s through the 80s. I read a little bit of everything and quit pretty much cold turkey around 1990 until a couple of years ago.

Other than the Batman titles, when I was getting started I loved Marvel books. Marvel had it going on until much of the talent that was making them great jumped ship to DC around the mid 80s. DC was also more on the upkeep of bringing in the British writers, which also helped. That being said, I think many of the best comics were from the indies like Comico, First, Eclipse, etc. Quite a few of the artists that got started on those imprints also ended up doing work at DC (John Ostrander, Matt Wagner, Chuck Dixon, Tim Truman, etc.).

I started up on comics by things that were not superhero books like 100 Bullets, Preacher, Transmetropolitan and some other things. The first superhero books I got back into was getting caught up on some of the bigger Batman trade paperbacks and then those Marvel DVDs of complete runs.

From those DVDs, I have to say the newer stuff didn't really catch me except the first half of Planet Hulk, which I thought was pretty good. Marvel's current setup seemed really too integrated and too many of the characters that I followed when I was a kid were pretty screwed up (Avengers, Spider-man, Captain America, Iron Man). There are also so many X-titles, other than just starting to read some trades, I don't know where to start. Marvel also seems to charge a bit more for a bit less on all of their trade paperbacks, which kind of bugs me. I still have ended up checking out a couple of their books like Ennis' run on Punisher MAX and I like the first Iron Fist trade paperback. Those titles are not burdened by the constant running tie-in mania, which helps.

I'm sure some of the Marvel stuff is pretty good, as I really like Ed Brubaker's run with the Batman, but I cannot quite pull the trigger to check it out. I'd have gotten caught up with the Hulk, but they only put out Planet Hulk as a hardcover and I had already read the first half of the storyline and then they did a big huge tie-in after he got back.

DC on the other hand built in a pretty good starting point on their books with the One Year Later stuff. I still have not read Infinite Crisis, 52 or Countdown, but to be honest, it doesn't seem like a prerequisite to keep up on many of the current titles.

[Valen]

A year or two ago, I would say the two were on even footing. Lately though, the constant focus on Crisis and Countdown and completely turned me off to DC book. When I say completely, I cut my DC pull down from 15 or so books a month to 0 books a month. I am just burnt out on mega crossovers and don't have the time or the money to invest in this. I will hopefully be back when it has finished.

[Valen]

I should add that I mean regular DCU books. I still pick up some Vertigo and Wildstorm stuff like Scalped and Ex Machina though.

[Diablito]

i think DC is slightly worse than Marvel because it is much harder to get into. I tried to get into DC, but the whole Countdown is not making it easier.

[Pixie_Solanas]

i think DC is slightly worse than Marvel because it is much harder to get into. I tried to get into DC, but the whole Countdown is not making it easier.

Trust me, I avoid Countdown like the plague, but I still pull in DC titles on my pull list that have largely nothing to do with Countdown (i.e. Batman, Detective, Gotham Underground, Catwoman, Birds of Prey, Checkmate). Don't let the Countdown nonsense turn you off DC completely.

[botch]

It would be interesting to see how the demographic actually does break down. I suppose it depends on the specific title. I think Marvel has more titles that are specifically aimed at a younger crowd, ie teen characters, issues, etc.

I'm an old fart that just recently started reading comics so I sampled a lot of stuff trying to figure out what to concentrate on. There isn't a lot of DC superhero stuff that appeals to me. I'll eventually get into some Batman but I definately prefer to stick with some of the Marvel superhero stuff for now. Where DC wins is their mature titles. I really like several of the Vertigo titles, whereas I haven't seen a lot of the MAX titles that look good.

It's hard to label one company as "more mature" than the other. It really depends on the specific title.

Punisher Max is the most consistently great comic of the Decade and better than anything by Vertigo.

[botch]

I used to be rabidly pro-Marvel (I think my distaste for Superman and all things Teen Titan helped), but i'm noticing more and more Marvel books being kicked off my pull list (megacrossover crap is tiring me out)

Ha. DC is the company that people always point the finger at with megacrossover crap. This makes no sense.

[gwor]

It is unfortunate that both companies are relying heavily on cross-overs to generate sales. History is repeating itself yet again, although I doubt there'll be a similar market crash as the last time.

I hope that both find a way to tell cool stories in each title that doesn't hinge on another book or company-wide event. It may sound dumb, but a book with a good story and well-crafted art, no matter the character, should be all that's necessary for a successful book.

[Slaughter]

For those that want to keep away from Countdown-related things, just buy Green Lantern and Green Lantern Corps, both Superman comics and both Batman comics, alongside Black Adam's miniseries (if you read 52) and Justice Society.

[Ilash]

For those that want to keep away from Countdown-related things, just buy Green Lantern and Green Lantern Corps, both Superman comics and both Batman comics, alongside Black Adam's miniseries (if you read 52) and Justice Society.

And Blue Beetle, Booster Gold and especially Brave and the Bold. It's a good thing that most of DC's titles aren't that actively affected by Countdown or else things would get really problematic.

[snarkbunny]

Also Shadowpact. I haven't notice too much Countdown in the Birds of Prey as well.

[Pixie_Solanas]

Ha. DC is the company that people always point the finger at with megacrossover crap. This makes no sense.

Sorry, both are guilty of the same b.s.

But i'm using non-crossover DC titles to pick up the slack for the crossover Marvel titles i've dropped like a rock.
And to be fully honest, if I never read about Civil War or Messiah Complex again, i'll be a happy pappy.

[Will.S]

And to be fully honest, if I never read about Civil War or Messiah Complex again, i'll be a happy pappy.
What didn't you like about Messiah Complex?

I thought it was creatively well done and as structurally solid as Sinestro Corps War.

[LtMarvel]

I'd say DC is better simply because DC is far more diverse. Some for kids some for us and some that are serious art. My DC pull list has kiddie books like Tiny Titans, super-hero stuff like Booster Gold and Justice Society of America, great stuff like Y: The Last Man and Fables.

[Gozwald73]

Comics: DC
Movies: Marvel
Merchandise: Marvel (but DC is finally getting better at this)

my personal preference: DC

I like the DC characters better

[chaplainandrews]

I think that in building a new collection--you need to start with a character that you like and build from there. Writers come and go. Artist do the same. But, the character remains. Find a character that you like from either universe and stick with that one and then branch off.

[rZi]

I personaly think Marvel is better, but thats because i was raised on nothing but marvel.

Ive grown to like DC over the past 6-8 years and outside of supes or batman and occasionaly green lantern i don't like anything. The cosmic scale really puts me off DC

[Superboy Sr]

IMHO,Marvel writes their female characters great while DC does multiverses better which is ironic, because Marvel needs a Birds of Prey type book and DC needs an ongoing Exiles type book.

[baconbutterburger]

It depends on what you want to read I think... They both spew out mostly trash though. I read more DC though, when I first got into comics I was mostly reading Marvel, just because it's so much more friendly. But slowly I caught up on my batman tpbs and then jumped into the books current continuity from there I diversified my literature.

With concepts like Infinite Crisis, 52, Detective comics(one shots), the All star line, Sinestro Corps., Death of Superman, Knightfall, the Multiverse, and the embrass of it's golden/silver/bronze age properties (ie JSA), the DC universe just offers more.

Marvel has it's own special qualities though. For the most part the marvel universe uses its vast gallery of heroes more effectively than DC when it comes to events. It doesn't always end up revolving around the biggest hero. The comics all have a more modern feel.
The crossovers are more misses than hits though....

Vertigo FTW. ( I know it got random at the end there, but I gotta head out)

[David Walton]

I think Marvel generally puts out a better comic product. Generally speaking, I get the sense with DC that I care about their characters so long as I'm not reading about them. You know, I pick up an occasional Action Comics and it just doesn't seem to fit my vision of what a monumental property like Superman should do for me. Same with Batman. With Marvel on the other hand, I can even get into the characters whose concepts don't seem as attractive in theory because of the execution.

DC's got the edge in animation because of the Timmverse, which is leaps and bounds above anything Marvel's done in that field.

Marvel's put the smackdown on DC movies since X-Men. "Batman Begins" was excellent, but given "Superman Returns", an anomaly.

Now I was raised as a Marvel fan, so I'm not unbiased by any means. But I traded most of my Marvel consumption for DC during the 90s when I thought some exciting things were going on...Knightfall, Death of Superman, Emerald Twilight, Return of Barry Allen and the Speedforce sagas. And I stuck around because I felt DC kept the level of quality for quite some time even after these events.

I hope "Final Crisis" elevates DC, because I'm a comics fan above all else and I want the entire medium to do well.

[Suzanne]

I definately read more DC than Marvel, but that isn't to say Marvel's no good (I got the Ultimates hardcover for Christmas and enjoyed it, and I'm reading some Runaways collections). I think Peter's earlier chocolate/vanilla analogy is the best way to describe them.

[stealthwise]

Marvel's Brubaker titles > DC

DC's Vertigo books > Marvel

[Descartes_Lives]

I'm currently reading more of DC than Marvel, but that's more because of a few titles rather than any megacrossover issues I have. (I thought "Civil War" was fine, but "The Initiative" is way too much.)

I love Runaways, but I haven't gotten anything since we readers discovered Gert's parents in turn of the century America, and the delays I hear about are really discouraging. I also read New Avengers, but I hated what happened with Jessica Jones in the most recent annual.

Whereas I'm happy with what's happening in my DC titles. I love the fact that Animal Man and Adam Strange star in Countdown to Adventure, because I think they're two great characters who haven't been used a lot. Green Arrow post-OYL hasn't, in my opinion, declined into Winick's repetitive writing...yet. And of course Booster Gold is consistently one of the better books out there. DC also has Eisner's Spirit, which are mostly one-shot issues which don't tie into the DCU.

I'm a character-focused reader, and I care about the characters more than whoever is writing or drawing them at the moment. (I pay attention to who's doing what, but it takes a backseat.) I hated OMD and I do hate BND. Marvel also let Ant-Man end after twelve issues.

So right now it's DC for me, even though I began with Marvel.

Des.

[Chiroptera]

*cheers for Des*

Horray, I'm nto the only one that doesn't give aflying rats behind about the rest of their universe as long as my favorite characters are happy! :D

[nuclearman]

I will still say Marvel. Growing up I was always marvel but on my current pull list I have more DC titles and am currently getting more excited over the DC titles and enjoying the minor player DC characters ... Mister Miracle, Booster Gold, Captain Marvel, Firestorm, Dr Fate ...

[HotRod_Tim]

For me, my early days as a collector saw me pick up mad Marvel books, especially from the X-universe, then when I started re-collecting, the only stories that really grabbed me were DC books like Batman, Justice Society, Green Lantern, Catwoman, and Action Comics. It seems like the tables have turned in my perspective. DC is where it's at in my eyes.