[dropcap]S[/dropcap]ince the golden age of comic books, there has been a fierce debate raging about which is better: DC or Marvel. I believe that Marvel outshines its competition.
First of all, the superheroes from DC, are practically god-like figures, each without flaws and made to perfection. With nearly no weaknesses, the heroes and villains both dominate.
“DC is on a larger scale, and I think their powers are much stronger. DC likes to dramatize things, making it more theatrical,” Junior Kevin Tang said. “As opposed to Marvel, which is more grounded, I feel that it is more believable as compared to DC.”
In fact, Superman is a prime example of DC’s outrageous roster of characters. Sure, superheroes are supposed to win at the end of any battle, but his descriptions are off the charts. With nearly no weaknesses, he can’t be killed. Granted that kryptonite is Superman’s main weakness, his so-called Achilles’ heel is incapable of killing him but it only weakens him. And guess what? Even Superman can’t kill himself. This results in a less suspenseful storyline because readers know the superheroes will overcome all obstacles with ease.
Let’s look at Marvel, with famous heroes such as Spiderman, Iron Man and Captain America. These superheroes are flawed in one way or another, not some perfect deity who overcomes all obstacles with ease.
For instance, Spiderman, a quiet student who faces challenges such as bullying, receives his powers from a spider bite. When he loses his will to fight, he quickly begins to lose his supernatural powers.
The Hulk is another great example, this superhero experiences internal conflicts and struggles with anger, which makes the character become more dynamic.
The character development throughout the story makes it more interesting, but this also results in a suspenseful adventure. Moreover, the audience can identify themselves with the characters before the protagonist receives the supernatural powers and therefore feels greater exuberance when he gains superpowers and overcomes this enemy.
Marvel’s characters are more readily accepted and likable because they have flaws. Unlike DC’s overpowered, god-like figures, Marvel appeals to more developed, characters, rather than just giving some guy a name, a cool catchphrase and invincibility.
Now, when it comes to blockbuster films, Marvel also outperforms DC. Although the Batman movies have been very popular, including the most recent Batman Trilogy directed by Christopher Nolan, Marvel has done an outstanding job on bringing back each of the superheroes on the big screen, and later, putting them together in one film, “The Avengers.”
With each movie reaping millions of dollars, I feel that Marvel not only outshines DC, but is also more successful in terms of marketing strategies and tactics to increase profits. As the public yearns for new action-packed movies to be released in the near future, I feel that it would take a catastrophic disaster to wipe out Marvel.
TCHS School Newspaper