Torn between DC and Marvel

While i might not have read a lot of the comics from either company, i have watched many of the TV shows and movies based on them and, i have to say, at this point, i'm a bit torn between them.

On one hand, as far as i can remember/tell, DC has always been where my true fanboy loyalties lie. But in recent days, my mind has been having issues in processing turmoils of some of the DC characters. Some fans regard the turmoil that is shown as good story-telling, but for me, they just leave a bad taste in my mouth, especially when their used in plots that i could have gotten into if not for them (e.g. JL episodes: "The Secret Society" and "Starcrossed"). However, if it's not the character turmoil that bothers me, it's the memory of the general corny-ness that DC comics has become synonymous with due to shows like "The Superfriends". This factor causes me to imagine characters from the DC universe doing and/or saying something that makes look stupid/childish/naive/etc, and it's kind of unsettling, especially if it goes against the character's basic personality.

On the other hand, Marvel has shown me many plots and characters that i can get into. But like DC, there's the corny-ness factor and the Character turmoil factor. The former isn't as pronounced as it is for DC, i'll admit, but the latter is even more of an issue with Marvel than it is for DC. A lot of the things that Marvel's characters go through really leave a bad taste in my mind, and characters like J. Jonah Jameson, Senator Kelly and (occasionally) S.H.I.E.L.D. only make that problem worse.

I had to get this out, any thoughts?

What are you asking? I don't see why it has to be between Marvel and DC. Just pick what interests you.

edited 2nd Jan '14 11:47:32 AM by supergod

I'd say that the best option is to forget all about "loyalty" to any universe, and just focus on the things you like about both without letting the "bad" stuff (meaning, what you don't like) color your perception.

Personally, I follow certain writers rather than corporations or their properties. I find that to be a much more reliable way of reading quality stuff.

x4 So, by 'turmoil', you mean you don't like angst? Or for characters to be put it in conflicting situations? (Both of which can lead to good character development and drama if done well, by the way. ...Or can alternatively lead to Wangst...)

edited 2nd Jan '14 6:24:44 AM by kkhohoho

I think srebak means Stuffed in the Fridge, Diabolus ex Machina, Nominal Hero Failure Hero and the Sliding Scale of Idealism Versus Cynicism

on one end and at the other

Camp, Fight Unscene, Harmless Villain, Invincible Hero, Sugar Bowl And That's Terrible

How both portrayals of super heroes tend to be horrible yet both seemingly existing simultaneously in the Marvel and DC settings with no signs of being dropped in favor of more balanced stories. (The happy stuff for kids wearing towels around their necks being DC with the occasional death/rape/brainwashing for shock value, the stuff for the depressed conspiracy theorist who lives in your sister's basement for Marvel, with some goofy holdovers like Slapstick and Squirrel Girl their to occasionally remind you when the setting was not always trying to be edgy, if only because those characters never will be bought as such.

Anyway, I was always more of a Marvel fan, but I am also more of a Marvel hater (and it seems to be more so hate nowadays). I guess it is because there were always Marvel characters I liked but the setting itself can be very intrusive. Then there are a lot of writers I really cannot stand who have just so happened to write for Marvel. Then there are the fandom we used to refer to as mindless marvel zombies before they actually made a Marvel zombies series).

I guess you could say I see more to like in Marvel but I also see more to dislike in it, so I am neutral. Plus, the longer I look the more Marvel seems to become like DC anyway. They have had no hard resets like Flash of Two Worlds, Crisis On Infinite Earths or New Fifty Two but they have had a more Superman ripoffs than I care to remember (Sentry, Virtue/Tiller, Hyperion) a superboy ripoff (Gladiator), Batmans ripoffs (Nighthawk, Moonknight, Nighthrasher), a Wonder Woman ripoff (Power Princess), have pretty much turned the Avengers into their version of the Justice League and even went beyond the standard DC stuff to take a shot at the endless (the friendless).

edited 2nd Jan '14 12:17:36 PM by IndirectActiveTransport

I think the answer is pretty clear. You should sell your soul to Marvel, buy all of their comics, and donate your firstborn child to the Shrine of Bendis read some of the comics they both have, see what really calls out to you. You don't need to choose a brand to be loyal to. Some people are fond of a specific writer, or specific characters. Some people just read whatever looks good. Those of us who have brand loyalties - I happen to be a devout Marvel fan - obtained those loyalties through experience reading the comics, drifting into those loyalties rather than declaring one right off the bat.

edited 2nd Jan '14 3:01:21 PM by TobiasDrake

Whichever has the best sellers in terms of storylines with best writers and artist is where your loyalties should be. My heart and soul lies with Marvel all the way. I only read anything from the New 52 D Ccomics because their Superman comics is barely able to reach the line of decent. I loathe the shit out of everything else done by them.

Edit : Nevermind.

edited 6th Jan '14 4:10:19 AM by purplefishman

I've gotten on a huge Marvel kick lately. Part of that is that Marvel Now ended up being a lot stronger than New 52 (the high-concept story arcs of Now are a lot more interesting than the reboots of New 52, for the most part) - but part of it is also that Marvel is so much better with trade paperback collections.

DC has basically stopped publishing anything that isn't New 52 in trade form. There are a few exceptions - Johns Green Lantern and Morrison Batman are still in print, and there are some Giffen & Levitz Legion trades coming out soon - but Marvel is systematically publishing every old volume or cult favorite or popular run they have ever put out. Being able to buy an Epic Collection to finally read old Avengers stories that have never been out in trade paperback, or to collect a complete run of Stern's Avengers or Gillen's Kid Loki stuff or the Immortal Iron Fist series - that gives me a lot more choices than DC is giving me right now. (Keep in mind, all of those things listed are upcoming or current releases for this year.)

If DC were to put out, say, a John Rogers Blue Beetle paperback that included the whole 25-issue run (in the same manner as Marvel's Epics, or the aforementioned Iron Fist volume), or a Mark Waid Flash series, I would be exceedingly interested. But, as I've mentioned before in other topics: DC's strategy is that if people like their old stories, they should make modern takes on those stories; Marvel's strategy is that if people like their old stories, then clearly those old stories were good, and people will buy them if they are readily available.

edited 6th Jan '14 9:17:37 AM by TheEvilDrBolty

If I had to choose between Marvel and DC, I would choose Marvel because I find that they do a much better job with comics and films than DC does. Their animated track record...is debatable, though.

With DC, I prefer their TV shows over their comics. Every show DC has made (with the exception of Teen Titans GO!, which I hate, and the Superfriends, which I never saw) has managed to put a smile on my face for how good they are. Whether the show is geared for kids (Teen Titans, The Batman) or for comic book fans (the DCAU)

This thread has been dead for two months, why did you necro'd it?

Marvel is just all around better than Batman Incorpera-I mean DC.

I started out being mostly a Marvel reader, but from the mid to late 90s to about 2006 (even if I wasn't actively reading a lot of comics then), I definitely think DC had a lot of great stuff, but they lost a lot of their best writers since then, and only managed to keep a few, although they had managed to get a few more good writers recently like Scott Snyder and Jeff Lemire. Up until the new-52 reboot, I was mostly a DC fan. Overall, I don't lean towards one or the other now.

I like both but I lean towards liking DC more.

Personally, I don't have a loyalty to either company since I just read comic books that interest me the most. Like everyone else suggested, I would probably just read whatever comic book catches your interest and take it from there.

I like both and don't really have specific loyalty or anything like that. But I do have a preference for DC comics, mainly because I like their characters more. Maybe just because they're more iconic or what, but I just find Superman (and Superboy) and Batman (and Batwoman/Nightwing), the Flash, GL, etc.to be more interesting. I do still like Marcel comics a lot.

I like Marvel's movies far more than D Cs movies though. Marvel movies tend to have a better balance of comic book style and realism. DC movies, especially lately, try to hard to be realistic with Bane that doesn't even have powers and Ra's al Ghul doesn't resurrect. Or they go too far in the other direction to be completely ridiculous.

I like both, but I'm more of a DC fan at the end of the day. Usually I stick to following writers instead of characters so I always know what I'm getting into, DC or Marvel.

I don't see why anyone should feel a need to be torn between them.

Personally, I may have a preference for Marvel over DC when it comes down to it, but that doesn't stop me from buying Sinestro, Tiny Titans, and Batman 66 at the same time I'm buying Superior Foes of Spider-Man, Moon Knight, and Rocket Raccoon.

And these days I think I buy as much stuff from IDW as I do from either of the Big Two.

You don't have to like one. My personal favorite is neither, it's IDW Publishing

edited 11th Aug '14 2:29:44 PM by SilentlyHonest

There's no rule saying you can't like both. Or neither. No need to vote a straight ticket. The worst thing you can do, though, is pigeon-hole anybody.

Haven't we had this "Marvel Cynicism/ DC Shmaltz thread before?

edited 12th Aug '14 4:55:18 PM by Robbery

And I keep having to stand the inverse of that in the threads about it's Movies.

edited 13th Aug '14 8:09:00 AM by SaintDeltora