# DC Comics or Marvel Comics?



## JustThisGuy (Mar 24, 2012)

Comic nerd rivalry is coming back in a big way in the comics, due to events in the books for both publishers, as well as tv and movies. Even games, I'd say. But based solely on the comic books themselves, not being swayed by any other medium's adaptations of the comics, which do you prefer?


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## estse (Nov 18, 2003)

It's depends on the time of the month.


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## JustThisGuy (Mar 24, 2012)

estse said:


> It's depends on the time of the month.


This confuses me. I'd understand if you said that it depended on the week, because a comic you like from DC is more cool a comic from Marvel that comes out that one week, and vice versa. :blank


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## Aribeth (Jan 14, 2012)

Well let's see: I hate Batman. I hate Superman. I hate everyone from Justice League. And most of the characters that appear in all of these.

While I've always liked X-Men and Spider-Man. And most of the characters that appear in them.
So Marvel for sure!


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## mezzoforte (May 16, 2010)

No option for both? :cry


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## BlueDay (May 6, 2014)

If we're counting their Vertigo line of books, I'd say DC. Sandman and Preacher are two of the best things I've read period, among all forms of writing.


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## estse (Nov 18, 2003)

JustThisGuy said:


> This confuses me. I'd understand if you said that it depended on the week, because a comic you like from DC is more cool a comic from Marvel that comes out that one week, and vice versa. :blank


I guess this is what I meant. Don't recall the posting of "time of month." Maybe I failed on being humorous.



BlueDay said:


> If we're counting their Vertigo line of books, I'd say DC. Sandman and Preacher are two of the best things I've read period, among all forms of writing.


Vertigo rocks. Brilliant literature, presented through the comics medium. Nothing makes me happier (except maybe some Humano translations.)

DC has/had Animal Man, Swamp Thing, Batwoman, Constantine.

Marvel has Miracleman (reprints), Moon Knight, Guardians of the Galaxy. GofG has become too big a franchise, though.

If I had to cut a superhero line out I'd currently chose DC. Marvel of of December 2014 is overall presenting better superhero books.

Overall, DC is the better publisher because of their Vertigo line.


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## CWe (Mar 7, 2010)

I'll feel up on DC


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## Darktower776 (Aug 16, 2013)

Except for Walking Dead TPB's, I stopped reading any new comics a couple of years ago. As a kid it was always Marvel for me. Then I stopped reading comics in middle and high school. A few years after I graduated I got back into comics and went with mostly DC then a mixture of both.

I guess I'd have to go with Marvel right now if I had to pick. DC's New 52 kind of turned me off to a lot of their titles.


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## MobiusX (Nov 14, 2008)

Dragonball Z is better than marvel and dc combined, the problem is that the marvel and dc characters are very 1 dimensional, one can stretch, one can run fast, another one is fire, another ice, another one is strong, another one jumps high, another one throws green slime, etc... its mostly to do with power for them, dbz is about powers and fighting skills, I cant imagine magneto punching and kicking, yet he's considered one of the best in marvel, try to fight in 100 times earth's gravity like Vegeta trains in, or try to teleport to another planet like Goku does, Dbz has it all. Frieza would kill marvel and dc characters and he's considered one of the weakest in Dbz. The military couldn't do anything to Cell. They are known for destroying planets.


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## Scrub-Zero (Feb 9, 2004)

I only know a handful of characters from both side. The most popular ones i guess. Comic books never interested me. I just watch the cartoons, movies or play their video games when they're good enough.


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## JustThisGuy (Mar 24, 2012)

estse said:


> Vertigo rocks. Brilliant literature, presented through the comics medium. Nothing makes me happier (except maybe some Humano translations.)
> 
> DC has/had Animal Man, Swamp Thing, Batwoman, Constantine.
> 
> ...





BlueDay said:


> If we're counting their Vertigo line of books, I'd say DC. Sandman and Preacher are two of the best things I've read period, among all forms of writing.


Vertigo was my also my clincher. I mean, there were DC characters in Vertigo, like Gaiman's Sandman reinterpretation, Jonah Hex, Doom Patrol, Shade the Changing Man, Kid Eternity, Animal Man, Swamp Thing, Contantine, and Books of Magic, just to name of few. A lot of magic-based characters peeked their heads into Vertigo (DC underbelly, so to speak) like Phantom Stranger and Zatanna.

And that's leaving out all the self-contained literary gems, like Y the Last Man, Preacher, Transmetropolitan, etc.

Marvel tried a Vertigo a couple of times. Epic Comics imprint (cancelled), Marvel MAX (still going, but it's just an excuse for some blood), Supreme imprint and Icon imprint is kind of the same, but very few titles.

So, yeah, I went with DC. Not solely b/c of Vertigo, but it helped. Wildstorm imprint didn't hurt, nor did the short lived ABC imprint. But JSA into JLA. The legacy of characters. The Flash, Green Lanterns, Starman/girl, Hawkman/woman/girl, Sandman, etc. Great stuff. There event books seem more...well, eventful, imo. Marvel's had some goodies here and there, but not the full term of epic for me. The first Secret Wars was to sell toys. Civil War could've been better. House of M was alright, at least the main title, WWHulk was surprisingly good to me (for the most part, but not what they did with the ramifications of the title, like a whole bunch of Hulks running around *eyeroll*). Secret Invasion... That's when I dropped Marvel. I still read outskirt characters here and there, like Ghost Rider and Silver Surfer, because I love those character, and I still back issue, but from 2010 to now, I have not been caring. Secret Invasion, something they'd been building up like crazy for a very long time, turned out to be an 8 issues ($4 a pop, with side-miniseries) advertisement for Dark Reign and Dark Avengers and all that stupid b.s. And from what I've peeked at, it looked just like early to mid 90s Marvel again. Everyone's "darker" or there's more prominence in anti-heroes. They just copied themselves.

And that's the thing about Marvel and its success. It has copied DC over and over throughout the years. Doom Patrol = X-Men, Legion of Super-Heroes = Guardians of the Galaxy (original incarnation), Challengers of the Unknown = Fantastic Four, Superman = Gladiator, Hyperion, Centurion & The Sentry. It's a joke.



Darktower776 said:


> Except for Walking Dead TPB's, I stopped reading any new comics a couple of years ago. As a kid it was always Marvel for me. Then I stopped reading comics in middle and high school. A few years after I graduated I got back into comics and went with mostly DC then a mixture of both.
> 
> I guess I'd have to go with Marvel right now if I had to pick. DC's New 52 kind of turned me off to a lot of their titles.





MobiusX said:


> Dragonball Z is better than marvel and dc combined, the problem is that the marvel and dc characters are very 1 dimensional, one can stretch, one can run fast, another one is fire, another ice, another one is strong, another one jumps high, another one throws green slime, etc... its mostly to do with power for them, dbz is about powers and fighting skills, I cant imagine magneto punching and kicking, yet he's considered one of the best in marvel, try to fight in 100 times earth's gravity like Vegeta trains in, or try to teleport to another planet like Goku does, Dbz has it all. Frieza would kill marvel and dc characters and he's considered one of the weakest in Dbz. The military couldn't do anything to Cell. They are known for destroying planets.


 Akira Toriyama was heavily influenced by the Superman mythos of DC with DBZ. Just saiyan.  Goku/Kakarot was Superman/Kal-El, Gohan (half-human, half-saiyan) was Conner Kent/Superboy (half-human, half-kryptoniain), Piccolo was Martian Manhunter, Vegeta was Zod, Nappa was Non, Raditz *chortle* was Ursa, Frieza was Darkseid, Cell was Amazo & Brianiac, in that he was skilled with all the abilities of all the fighters around him and adapted quickly.

Here's a "Death Battle" between the two. You won't like. It is the most debated over result in the history of ScrewAttack's series. Skipe to 17:00.




 I honestly think just SSJ Goku could be modern Superman. Silver Age Superman? Hrm...that may take an SSJ4, but still. Goku'd win, imo.



Scrub-Zero said:


> I only know a handful of characters from both side. The most popular ones i guess. Comic books never interested me. I just watch the cartoons, movies or play their video games when they're good enough.


That's fine. Out of the mediums of entertainment that represented the comic's publishers, which is your fave? Marvel or DC?


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## Scrub-Zero (Feb 9, 2004)

JustThisGuy said:


> That's fine. Out of the mediums of entertainment that represented the comic's publishers, which is your fave? Marvel or DC?


For video games, Marvel.
DC for Cartoons.

I don't have a preference for the movies since they're about the same.

There's a few movie i like though

Spiderman(2002) 
Batman(1989) 
Hellboy 1&2
The Crow/City of Angel 
Unbreakable 
Blade 1&2

The newest X-men was kind of good too.


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## JustThisGuy (Mar 24, 2012)

Scrub-Zero said:


> For video games, Marvel.
> DC for Cartoons.
> 
> I don't have a preference for the movies since they're about the same.
> ...


 I liked all those movies. Don't think I like Burton's Batman as much as a lot of people, but there was fun to be had. Spider-Man 2 was better than the first to me, but it was great. Blade 1 & 2, hell yes. Trinity kind of lost its way, though it had some great parts. The Crow and its sequel, City of Angels were the only good. You're right on that one. And it's awesome to see some appreciation for Hellboy. Guillermo de Toro did an excellent job bringing that character from page to script to screen. Unbreakable isn't technically a comic book movie, but is a supehero homage, without a doubt. Shyamalan's last good movie, imo.

And I'm not too sure I agree with you about the video games. Marvel has a larger quantity, but if you were to equate percentage of games with one another, they're both equally crap, good and great games from both of them. My opinion, of course.


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## Darktower776 (Aug 16, 2013)

For movies I have to definitely give it to Marvel. Most of the DC movies, with the exception of Nolan's Batman trilogy, were very mediocre at best. Marvel's plan from the beginning just paid off so well with all the solo movies building to the eventual Avengers movie and beyond.


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## Hank Scorpio (Oct 28, 2008)

I hate how they're always rewriting and rebooting superheros. So the question becomes which of the fifty versions of them?


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## slyfox (Nov 18, 2007)

Overall I like Marvell better. As some others have mentioned Preacher and Sandman are great. Only read a couple volumes of Sandman but really liked what I read.


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## JustThisGuy (Mar 24, 2012)

Darktower776 said:


> For movies I have to definitely give it to Marvel. Most of the DC movies, with the exception of Nolan's Batman trilogy, were very mediocre at best. Marvel's plan from the beginning just paid off so well with all the solo movies building to the eventual Avengers movie and beyond.


 I don't disagree. But you may be just thinking superhero flicks, and maybe not all of them. For instance adaptations of Vertigo comics, like Watchmen, From Hell, and V for Vendetta were pretty awesome.

But yea, the sheer quantity of Marvel flicks out there. Though it's fifty-fifty on the quality on some of them. Like, imo, 25% are ok/boredom killers, 25% good/fun, 25% great/epic, and 25% are just complete crap. My opinion, of course.

But yea, DC is way, way behind in the superhero department. Nolan's trilogy was great. Superman Returns was crap. Man of Steel has potential for the future, but it was just ok/boredom killer...close to good fun, though. Not big on Superman, though, so there's that factor.


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## MobiusX (Nov 14, 2008)

JustThisGuy said:


> Vertigo was my also my clincher. I mean, there were DC characters in Vertigo, like Gaiman's Sandman reinterpretation, Jonah Hex, Doom Patrol, Shade the Changing Man, Kid Eternity, Animal Man, Swamp Thing, Contantine, and Books of Magic, just to name of few. A lot of magic-based characters peeked their heads into Vertigo (DC underbelly, so to speak) like Phantom Stranger and Zatanna.
> 
> And that's leaving out all the self-contained literary gems, like Y the Last Man, Preacher, Transmetropolitan, etc.
> 
> ...


superman sucks, he has a lame weakness that even batman can defeat him with, goku super saiyan 4 isn't even the strongest, there is gogeta and super saiyan God which is the best of all of them, the only comparison that makes sense is goku and superman, the other ones don't


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## Gusthebus (May 22, 2012)

Marvel for me all the way except for one DC character, and that is Batman...


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## JustThisGuy (Mar 24, 2012)

MobiusX said:


> superman sucks, he has a lame weakness that even batman can defeat him with, goku super saiyan 4 isn't even the strongest, there is gogeta and super saiyan God which is the best of all of them, the only comparison that makes sense is goku and superman, the other ones don't


Well, you gotta remember, the Saiyans had a lame weakness, too. Their tails. Then you have to take into account all the benefits that just make them ridiculously powerful, like the zenkai boost and the help of the senzu beans. Heck, the Dragon Balls.

But yeah, I'm not trying to start a nerd flame war here, but Superman is very, very powerful. And I'm not even talking Silver Aged, where he was moving planets, time-traveling with his speed, and all that craziness.

He's also kind of learned to yield the effects of the kryptonite's radiation, just like the Saiyans trained themseleve to not have their tails be a vulnerability, though all the main Saiyans of the series did all end up losing their tails.

But yeah, again, modern Superman is incredibly powerful. And this isn't coming from a fan. I really don't care for him for that much because he's too powerful and boring. But yea, it may take an SSJ2 or Kami-Piccolo to take him on.

SSJ4 Gogeta would annihilate Silver Aged Superman, let alone a character like Superman-Prime. Let alone modern aged, nerfed Superman.

I will say that I need to see Battle of the Gods. I can't vouch for Super Saiyan God Goku's form, though I've seen debates that it's no SSJ4, let alone SSJ4 Gogeta. There's a sequel coming out, about Frieza's resurrection and becoming a God of Destruction. Think it's called Fakkatsu No F (Resurrection of Frieza). Could be fun.


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## peyandkeele (Dec 5, 2013)

Goku would beat superman nuff said LOL


But id have to say i like dc comics better. the only new stuff from marvel that capture my interest was orginal sin and guardians of the galaxy. But the new 52 story arc is right up my alley. My favorite so far has been forever evil, but i do have to say that multiversity sucked


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## JustThisGuy (Mar 24, 2012)

peyandkeele said:


> Goku would beat superman nuff said LOL
> 
> But id have to say i like dc comics better. the only new stuff from marvel that capture my interest was orginal sin and guardians of the galaxy. But the new 52 story arc is right up my alley. My favorite so far has been forever evil, but i do have to say that multiversity sucked


 Does Multiversity suck? I felt like I was really missing out on that one. I find Grant Morrison 50/50 with his hit and miss when it comes to pre-established characters/titles. When it's his own, original stuff, he hardly every misses. My opinion.

But yeah, Marvel's so convoluted right now, whereas DC is full of "jumping on" points for books. Just pick one up and in a story arc, you'll be caught up to what's been happening well before in the stories of that title. Suicide Squad and Batgirl are a must. I'm intrigued on their new take on Lobo, so we'll see on that one. Batwoman is a aquired taste (you have to like supernatural Kolchak-esque stories to enjoy it). And Animal Man was a good run. Swamp Thing and Constantine, while nerfed for general audiences to read, are telling good stories. Same with Justice League Dark. Flash I'm enjoying because I love Flash, but I want more out of it. Not sure what it is, but something.

And of course DC's Vertigo imprint's Fables and Unwritten are must-reads, comic book fan or no.

Marvel... Guardians of the Galaxy honestly does look fun. Like they've kicked it up a notch with a solid writer/artist team since the movie's success. I'm getting Silver Surfer which is fun as Hell. And Ghost Rider, which is kind of letting me down on the 'fun as Hell' schtick.

But yea, I'd say DC and Marvel combined are only half of what I get at my comic shop. I get a lot of Dark Horse (Hellboy/BPRD + related titles to that universe, as well as Baltimore.) And Image. Oh, man, Image. Invincible has to be the greatest superhero book out right now. But its the only one I'm getting from the Image-verse, so to speak. As the universe that contains Spawn, Invincible, Savage Dragon, Freak Force and all that. I'm getting a lot of self-contained series that they're boomin' with, critically, and with sails. The Walking Dead is a given. Vaughn's Saga, Black Science, Sex and The Bounce by Joe Casey (Though they're ending or have ended, they're companion titles with one another, like Irredeemable and Incorruptible), Sex Criminals by Matt Fraction. Alex + Ada is great (Anything by the Luna Bros. Ultra, Girls, The Sword, Whispers and now this title are all incredible).

Just though I'd share some non-Marvel and non-DC stuff that are really worth reading. And, with the exception of Sex & The Bounce, non-superhero stuff out there that are incredible must-reads for comic fans and, if you're trying to get a book reader to read a comic, non-comic fans. It's not all superheroes and Archie. "Comic" book just stuck as a nickname way back when, when they were solely for kids and consider funny books. Just sayin'.

Everyone have a good day, and support a small business. Which, trust me, if you're in a comic/hobby shop, it's a small business, save super metropolitan areas.


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## JustThisGuy (Mar 24, 2012)

"I loved this thread" bump.


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## Darktower776 (Aug 16, 2013)

I saw my old posts in this thread and I'm about the same now. I've only kept up with the TWD TPB's. This guy I work with has piqued my interest in a few titles but I've only been able to find them in hard back so far so I'm going to wait until I can buy the TPB. One of the was Superior Iron Man which is only in TPB form in England for some reason right now.

I haven't kept up with Marvel and especially DC's current stuff though. 

What is everyone else reading that they enjoy from either company?


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## nubly (Nov 2, 2006)

I miss 1970-mid 1990s Marvel. Those have the best stories.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## JustThisGuy (Mar 24, 2012)

Darktower776 said:


> I saw my old posts in this thread and I'm about the same now. I've only kept up with the TWD TPB's. This guy I work with has piqued my interest in a few titles but I've only been able to find them in hard back so far so I'm going to wait until I can buy the TPB. One of the was Superior Iron Man which is only in TPB form in England for some reason right now.
> 
> I haven't kept up with Marvel and especially DC's current stuff though.
> 
> What is everyone else reading that they enjoy from either company?


Currently?

Can I suggest Chew from Image Comics? It's a weird little title about a man that tastes the past of each thing he eats or licks. It's an insanely zany story that's worth reading. So original.

Also, Sex Criminals. Sex freezes time for a couple, so with that frozen time, they rob places. Good stuff. Also from Image.

Superhero stuff: Invincible. Possibly my favorite superhero book right now. It's an amalgamation of DC and Marvel pastiches mixing into the Image-verse, though Invincible and gang stick to the slice of the pie. Hardly any Savage Dragon or Spawn, you know? It's really that good. Same guy who does Walking Dead. Kirkman is a juggernaut of a writer.

Marvel: Dan Slott's Silver Surfer. It's a fun ride. (Haven't been reading much from Marvel. That title is it right now, since Ghost Rider and Squirrel Girl ended.)

DC: Harley Quinn, New Suicide Squad (The original New 52 series is being collected. Simply titled Suicide Squad), and The Flash. You'd might enjoy Justice League if you've read Forever Evil event. It plays a heavy part in it. Like why Lex Luthor is part of the team.

I'm reading a good few other things from the big two and Image, but just highlighting. Especially highlighting things that don't get tangled in a web of read-this-to-read-this-to-read-this, like Marvel is doing the heck out of right now.



Halfsleeper said:


> Aside from Batman (I'm still not a huge fan though) I've never really cared for anything comic book related.


Just goes to show that even non-comic fans love themselves some Batman. Heh.



nubly said:


> I miss 1970-mid 1990s Marvel. Those have the best stories.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Mine is a little more narrow, but it was also the time I was growing up. Started reading early 90s, maybe a wee earlier. But the stuff I got my hands on and enjoyed thoroughly was mid-80s to mid-90s. Dark Age of comics with anti-heroes, grittier storytelling coming out of the woodwork, and an avalanche of titles left and right. What a time.


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## Darktower776 (Aug 16, 2013)

JustThisGuy said:


> Currently?
> 
> Can I suggest Chew from Image Comics? It's a weird little title about a man that tastes the past of each thing he eats or licks. It's an insanely zany story that's worth reading. So original.
> 
> ...


Thanks for all the suggestions. Chew sounds interesting as well as Sex Criminals. I have the first several TPB's of Invincible and I agree it is great stuff. Kirkman is the man.

I'll probably check out some of the DC titles when they are in TPB form. I honestly just don't have the time or initiative to go up to the comic store every other week like I used to. These days I'll usually see or look up a storyline that sounds interesting, read up on it a little bit to see if I think I'd enjoy it, and then buy one or two TPB's online for relatively cheap.

Suicide Squad does look pretty good.


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## JustThisGuy (Mar 24, 2012)

Darktower776 said:


> Thanks for all the suggestions. Chew sounds interesting as well as Sex Criminals. I have the first several TPB's of Invincible and I agree it is great stuff. Kirkman is the man.
> 
> I'll probably check out some of the DC titles when they are in TPB form. I honestly just don't have the time or initiative to go up to the comic store every other week like I used to. These days I'll usually see or look up a storyline that sounds interesting, read up on it a little bit to see if I think I'd enjoy it, and then buy one or two TPB's online for relatively cheap.
> 
> Suicide Squad does look pretty good.


Understandable. It sometimes is less costly. Some comics will go up in price because they're an issue 1, they're eventful or have a first appearance of something. But sometimes it's the other way around. MyComicShop.com save me a bunch on prices. That how I've been doing Fables and the spinoffs. And Chew.

As a matter of fact, I've lowered my comic pull list because of it. Just have patience and you'll get the story all at once and for cheap. May lower my pull list even more. Unsure.


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## Jesuszilla (May 26, 2013)

Where's the I like both option because I honestly don't have a preference. Black Panther, Spider-Man, Captain Marvel, Daredevil and the X-Men are favorites of mine from Marvel. And Superman, Nigjtwing, pre-New 52 JSA and Secret Sox are some of my all time favorite DC comics.


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## xxDark Horse (May 13, 2015)

Marvel has made better movies so I will go with Marvel. 

I really like Captain America, he's my favorite.


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## quewezance (Sep 9, 2013)

I like both.


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