Sinister Cinephile: DC vs Marvel: Why it's Bull

It's one of the most intense rivalries in all of geekdom. Which comics do you prefer? Marvel or DC? This isn't anything new, ever since there was such a thing as science fiction or fantasy, there have always been rivalries between fans. Star Wars or Star Trek? Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings? George Orwell or Ray Bradbury? Okay maybe that last one was just me but you get the idea.

The difference is that I've noticed the Marvel/DC is much more intense. It's actually treated like a rivalry. In the case of Wars/Trek, you mostly find that even though someone prefers one, they still respect and see the appeal of the other. In the case of Potter/Rings, you find that most of the time, people are fans of both, but still say they just happen to like one more than the other. So why is DC/Marvel actually seen in this light?

If you look at the comics themselves, you find that there really isn't that much of a difference. Most people think that DC tends to be more dark and gritty while Marvel likes to be lighthearted.

Oh yes, Marvel so lighthearted and kid friendly, with great warm and fuzzy moments like this shot of Wolverine decapitating Red Skull with Captain America's shield.

(I just googled Wolverine: Old Man Logan, and this was on the second row)

And DC, being so dark.

(Third image that showed up on Google)

Okay, so maybe that stance stems more from the movies and shows that these characters produce. Afterall, movies like The Dark Knight and Batman V Superman had a noticeably darker tone than say Guardians of the Galaxy.

For example, here's the poster for Batman v Superman, next to the poster for Guardians of the Galaxy

While they both look like movies with a ton of action, one of them clearly looks like it's going to be more fun.

Except wait, see that's not even fully true because when you think about it, the X-Men movies have been pretty dark too. And those are not so much about defeating a one-off villain, they are more about conflicting ideologies and worldviews. Kind of hard to make a kid sit through that.

And what about the tv shows? This is again where people would assume that DC's shows are more broody and violent while Marvel are more upbeat and optimistic. Oh really?

There's no need for a caption. If you've seen the shows, you know what I'm talking about.

Compare that to DC shows...

I know that Arrow looks kind of intense, but come on, it's on the CW, when have they ever done anything that dark? Even Supernatural has more than its fair share of funny moments.

But going back to the movies, the distinction between them is that DC has charged the wrong man with their expanded universe. That being Zack Snyder. See, while Joss Whedon, James Gunn and many others have had the chance to really take their Marvel properties and really expand on them, letting the characters develop on screen the way that they did on the page, Snyder is less concerned with the story and more concerned with making shots that look cool. He doesn't take into account the purpose of the shot, nor the story behind it, or if it even makes sense, he just sees that it looks cool and moves on.

Take this shot for example. If this were in a comic, you could assume that he was there for like a second or this is him descending on them to rescue them. But in actuality, he just hovers there for like a minute. Hey Supes? You gonna save those people? You're supposed to be faster than a speeding bullet, think you can maybe hit the throttle on this? People are only drowning, I'm just saying. Seriously, f*%$ this movie.

Forgive me, I digress. As far as the films go, DC thinks that if they are going to make an expanded universe, then they have to carbon copy the two movies that really did it right. Problem is, Snyder is not very good at copying.

Dark tone? Let's make it darker than Schindler's List! With no humor or even a smile throughout our entire movie!
(even The Dark Knight and Vendetta had some humor in it)
Weird cast choices that actually work out in the end? Let's do Zuckerberg as Lex Luthor!
(I said that actually worked out in the end. I still want a Bryan Cranston Lex Luthor)
Long run time to develop the story and give a fuller understanding or characters' motivations? Let's make it 3 hours, with a director's cut, and cram as much set up for Justice League as possible!
(Have you even been paying attention?)
Present characters in a new light that still finds a way to stay mostly faithful to the source material? Let's have Batman use so many guns Charlton Heston is going to have to take a cold shower! And let's make the entire Suicide Squad cast look like Hot Topic employees!
(I'm done with you)

Seriously Snyder? Do you even Batman?!

Marvel on the other hand, let's all their movies feel a little different. Captain America 2 and 3 for example feel like political thrillers. Ant Man came off almost like a heist movie. Iron Man 3 felt like something Tom Clancy would write.

Movies aside, the rivalry between Marvel and DC really flabergasts me because with the other rivalries, there is a clear distinction, and knowing what people prefer tells you a little more about them. With Marvel and DC, there really isn't that much distinction between them, they both have their darker moments and they both have there fun times. For every Killing Joke, there is Teen Titans, for every Avengers, there is Deadpool.

And for those that say that Marvel makes better movies than DC, just remember that while for every Dark Knight, there is a Green Lantern, Marvel also has this on its track record.

Do I need to go on?... Yeah, I think I'll go on.

Say what you will about DC's failures, but they never screwed up so bad that they had to reboot the same franchises multiple times and erase whole movies from the continuity. Also, they don't have Howard the Duck.

So truth be told, if you were to ask me if I was a Marvel fan or a DC fan, I would say that I'm both and I'm neither. I like and read comics from both sides, I have eagerly awaited to see movies from both sides, and in terms of the actual comics themselves, I don't really see much of a distinction as to start such an intense battle over. They both have their awesome movies and the both have their Green Lanterns.

Though, if there were a gun to my head and I was forced to pick one, full disclosure, I would pick DC because of

THIS