Opinion piece: Why Marvel and DC are the kings of the comic world by Reva Patil

 Opinion piece: Why Marvel and DC are the kings of the comic world

When discussing superheroes and comics, it is generally

assumed that your favorites would be part of either DC’s universe, or

Marvel’s. It’s no surprise; both franchises have made countless iconic

supers and villains. But, which one is better? It’s an age old question,

really, and most people have been exposed to both. DC’s stars Batman,

Superman, and Wonder Woman are household names. Captain

America, Iron Man, and Spider-Man have transcended comics and make

even bigger names in Hollywood with the astronomical success of the

MCU. Let’s dive into the strengths of both companies and why they are

the leaders of the comic industry.

Now, most non-superhero/comic fans would say Marvel is their

favorite. Why? Because of the success of the Marvel Cinematic

Universe, or MCU. This universe is run by the Hollywood producers with

comics as reference material. The MCU has made billions from the

Avengers specifically, along with individual movie series, the three

Spider-Men, for example. The success of the MCU elevated Marvel

content to a mainstream selection. Fans of the actors flocked to the

theaters to see their role as a super along with other famous actors as

superheroes. This brought in a dedicated fanbase for the MCU and

contributed immensely to the spread of new Marvel fans. Fans continue

to watch the MCU for the iconic actors and characters as well as good

stories (for the most part… but that’s a discussion for another article).

DC, however, did not get the Hollywood fame that Marvel did. The

disappointment from the Snyderverse was enough to make most

mainstream movie fans dislike DC (and frankly, the Snyderverse is the

worst way to be introduced to DC). While the popularity of the

Arrowverse helped DC’s live-action media a little bit, the success of

MCU shows and movies outdid most of DC’s projects in Hollywood.

Marvel also has long-running animated shows that draw fans in. I, for

one, watched the Iron Man and Spider-Man animated series and loved

them as a kid. Spider-Man also became a hit game series which brought

gamers to Marvel. The Marvel scene is heavily drawn by the MCU and

other movies like Spider-Verse (a personal favorite) and Guardians of

the Galaxy. 

Detective Comics… Comics? We still don’t know why DC Comics

has two “comics”. But what we do know is that the DC Trinity is probably

the biggest trio you will ever know. Batman, Superman, and Wonder

Woman are the poster children of superheroes as a topic and bring

home what it means to be a superhero. The Justice League, the main

superhero team of DC, consists of so many well known superheroes like

the Flash, Green Lantern (whose identity is always changing, it seems),

Green Arrow, Aquaman, etc. It being the main superhero team, while

Marvel has the Avengers, X-Men, Fantastic Four, the Guardians, and

many other teams, brings all the attention through those main members.

This allows DC to expand heavily on each member. DC also has more

projects in other media channels than Marvel does. DC has a DCAMU,

or DC Animated Movie Universe, which most fans (including me) have

an affinity for, if not the comics. DC also has more projects in animation

such as the animes for Batman and the Suicide Squad, which bring

anime fans into DC lore. For the success of the MCU, DC has Batman.

Batman is DC’s ultimate money-maker due to his story and overall vibe;

A dark, brooding vigilante without any superpowers is cool to everyone.

Batman’s persona has made almost the entire population a fan, even if

they have not once watched or read about him. Batman’s Robins (yes,

there are multiple) also develop DC’s legacy characters with shows like

Teen Titans and Young Justice. Overall, DC’s success comes from their

expansion of their main team in the form of animated stories. 

This was a lot of comparison and information, and I am by no

means telling you which company is better. That is for you to explore and

find what suits your taste. Whether it be bats or spiders, superheroes are

such a big component of pop culture and DC and Marvel dominate it for

good reason. Both universes have their strengths and weaknesses, but

they both appeal to people beyond comic nerds and that is the real

reason for their success. But, that does not mean there aren’t great

comics from other companies!