The Infinite Battle: Marvel Comics vs DC Comics

Marvel and DC are known as two kings of comic books, which have millions of fans all around the world. Some people like both of them and enjoy reading about Spider-man, Hulk, X-men (Marvel), as well as about Superman, Batman, and The League of Justice (DC-comics), while others are faithful admirers of only one of these great comic kingdoms. The argues about which one is better are never to be stopped, and both of these two companies are constantly trying to prove that they deserve to become undeniable leaders in the comic industry. In this article we will tell about the infinite comics battle of Marvel vs DC, their main differences, characters, and achievements.

MARVEL VS DC. the origins of rivalry

Both companies were established at around the same time – in 1930s. The first and most popular character, however, was created by DC – Superman was the one who became an archetype of a superhero. Other characters that were presented later, like Batman, are popular until the present day. Marvel also created characters like Human Torch and Vision, who appear in modern Marvel movies. However, the actual competition between these two companies began later in 1960s when DC successfully revived superheroes like Flash, Green Lantern, and other members of Justice League from 1950s. Marvel followed this trend and created The Fantastic Four, which became the first Marvel’s superhero team. Other characters of this period also gained popularity, and The Amazing Spiderman became a huge success. In this era the differences became more obvious, which initiated Marvel vs DC fans’ rivalry, as Marvel developed some unique features such as concentrating on characters’ inner world, psychological and adulthood issues, which was appreciated by the fans, while DC became darker and more serious.

MARVEL VS DC in pop culture. Movies and video games

In the Marvel vs DC movie battle the rivalry has been huge in the recent years. Beginning with the year 2000, Marvel succeeded in turning the comics into popular franchises, e.g. X-men movie series or Spider-man. Later there appeared Thor movies, The Avengers, Iron-man, Guardians of the Galaxy, and others – Marvel has built a whole cinematic universe around all most popular heroes and continues to do that: the full Marvel movie release calendar is there till 2020. Some of these movies were a huge success (e.g. the first Iron-man movie), some of them were somewhat criticized, but still they are always box-office hits.

When we talk about the role of DC in this Marvel vs DC movie battle, The Dark Knight by Christopher Nolan immediately comes to mind. Before this movie, there were several films about Batman, but until this day The Dark Knight is considered the masterpiece, which is able to overshadow the fun and bright Marvel movies with its darkness, for which fans love DC so much. However, it appeared that The Dark Knight isn’t enough to beat the growing Marvel Universe. That is why recently DC has been trying to catch up with them by releasing Man of Steel, Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice, The Suicide Squad; it is also planning to present Wonder Woman and The Justice League movies. DC movies also are box office hits, but now they are much more attacked on by fans and critics than Marvel movies.

In Marvel vs DC game confrontation both companies are rather balanced: they’ve been releasing games since 1980s and until now. The main difference, though, is that DC games are focused primarily on Batman and Superman, while Marvel games are more diverse, featuring more characters from the Marvel Universe. So, Marvel vs DC game battle is still on the go, and dates of new games of 2017 on PS4 and X-Box One are to be announced.

DC AND MARVEL Characters

In the history of comic rivalry there was an actual battle of DC and Marvel characters, which took place in a Marvel/DC crossover in 1996. In both Universes there are characters which have similar superpowers and they are inevitably compared to each other. In the Marvel/DC crossover there were 11 combats in total, and here we will look at the battles of the most popular DC and Marvel characters.

Superman (DC) – the first most famous superhero from planet Krypton, who is able to fly, has great physical power and heat vision. He fought and won over Hulk (Marvel) – the green monster who is a result of a nuclear explosion and an alter ego of the scientist Bruce Banner, who turns into Hulk whenever he is angry and becomes extremely strong.

Batman (DC) – a billionaire who has no superpowers, but fights the crime in Gotham using his scientific knowledge and detective skills. Captain America (Marvel), whom he fought, is a patriot who gained his physical power after the scientific experiment. He dreamt to fight in the army during the WWII and eventually he became a symbol of America. Batman won this battle.

MARVEL VS DC. Who would win?

The most discussed question that bothers millions of fans all around the world is Marvel vs DC: who would win? In terms of media business, Marvel is closer to being a leader in the comic industry at the moment, because it has build up a cinematic universe that is mostly highly appreciated both by critics and viewers. On the other hand, DC nowadays is trying much harder to become a decent opponent to Marvel, announcing many new movies with great cast and high budgets. So the ultimate battle is still on the go, and the answer to the question Marvel vs DC: who would win may be quite surprising in the future.