November 30 / 17

With the third installment of Thor: Ragnarok and Justice League, Marvel, and DC are busy whipping up superhero films left and right….well, Marvel is. DC is just catching up. You have people who love DC, like Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and then there are those who love Marvel, such as Captain America, Iron Man, Spiderman, and the Hulk. Me? I simply love both Marvel and DC. Yeah, I said it. Why? Well….

Both Have Created Complex Heroes

DC has their god-like superheroes with their fair share of problems. Let’s look at Superman. For at least the past several decades this Kryptonian has become the fixture your typical boy scout hero, with the power to destroy Earth, but he chooses to not to. Even though he’s forbidden to get involved with Earth’s affairs, he chooses to do the opposite. He wants to be the solution instead of the problem. While people embraced him, some have not. Even though he has his adoptive mother, Martha Kent and the love of his life, Lois Lane, he still feels alone. You have to remember this man is an alien from another planet, while just trying to do right in the world. Batman, Bruce Wayne, is just your average regular guy, well, a very wealthy guy I might add, who decides to fight crime in the city of Gotham. We all know how his parents died and who is responsible. I think he hasn’t fully healed from that tragedy in his life. It’s an open wound, almost a reminder of why he does the job anyway. Which reminds me of a scene from Justice League. How much longer can Bruce continue as the Dark Knight? He’s not like Superman or even Wonder Woman. Diana, Princess of Thymescra, knows the ways of the Amazons, but she also had to learn the world of men.

While DC has their complex heroes, Marvel has them also. Stephen Rodgers, the man behind Captain America is a man out of his time. He’s adjusting to a world different from the one he left behind. Like Superman, Rodgers is always up to the challenge to do the right thing. I always think that Rodgers is one of those guys who always have morals and sticks to them. That’s why people respect him. Bruce Banner, whose alter ego is the Hulk, is a man I have sympathy for. Banner, who was exposed to gamma rays during an experiment, becomes the Hulk in emotional distress or sometimes against his will. When you really think about it, the Hulk represents an almost dark psyche persona of Banner.

The thing is these heroes have their share of problems no matter how super or tough they are.

Both Have Crazy Cool Villains

With every protagonist, there is an antagonist. That is the staple of a great comic or graphic novel right? Both Marvel and DC have given us plenty of that. You got the Joker, Catwoman, Lex Luther, Thanos, Ultron, Loki….I can only say that these villains have reasons for what they do, but they are just as complex or more as the heroes.  You know their bad, but you want to root for them, well some of them. Lex Luther, that one foe of Superman…a man with a plan. He hates what Superman stands for yet, he’s intrigued by what makes the Man of Steel who he is. Joker, on the other hand, he’s just plain crazy. The polar opposite of Batman, both were created from tragic events. He’s unpredictable, almost one step ahead of the game and downright dangerous. You really don’t want to mess with him or his main squeeze Harley Quinn. Shes just as crazy as he his, a psychopath really, but she does have a heart, in her own crazy way.

Thor’s adoptive brother, Loki has issues…deep-seated issues, daddy issues. He craves love and attention. Magneto, a survivor of the horrors of Auschwitz and Nazi Germany, is willing to use force to protect mutant kind. Thanos, well he’s just dangerous and threatening. Sometimes you just can’t place a finger on to why these guys are just crazy cool. They just are. You do sympathize as to why they do the most despicable things. There is always a reason to the madness.

The Best of Both

To sum it up, the world of DC and Marvel have created a universe that will continue to new generations of fans. DC fans, Marvel fans, or both. I’ve followed both from a very early age. Wonder Woman has always been my favorite so to see her on the big screen was a great thrill. I’m expecting the same for Captain Marvel.

Marvel has up the ante with the whole Cinematic Universe. Now that Avengers: Infinity War trailer has arrived, the expectations are high! We waited a good long while for this didn’t we? The solo films of Iron Man, Spider-Man, Thor, and Captain America gave us an introduction to the characters. I can’t wait to see Black Panther and let’s hope that Black Widow gets her own solo film. I don’t know how many more films Marvel has planned, but we’ll see how far they can go.

DC has a lot of catching up to do. I was very excited about Justice League. While I thorouly enjoyed the film, I was disappointed that some scenes were left out. If you’ve seen the trailer, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. I wanted to know a little more about the Flash and Cyborg, but I can only hope that a director’s cut will be available when it hits digital and Blu-Ray. Again, DC has some catching up do to. The DC Extended Universe still has some bugs, but I’m positive that we can still see some great storyline and character developments coming soon.

In my opinion, there is no such thing as DC vs Marvel. Nope, there is room for all.

Image source: Euro Palace