5 Ways DC Comics Is Better Than Marvel, Whether Fans Admit It or Not

DC and Marvel Comics have been competitors for over 85 years and together they have shaped the entire superhero industry. Although they share plenty of similarities, overall, the tones, characters, and storylines of these two universes are very different. The debate over which of these two companies is superior has divided millions of comic book fans for generations. And while the argument ultimately comes down to personal preference, there are some things that DC Comics inarguably does better than Marvel. Whether through its characters, stories, or worldbuilding, DC Comics has many aspects that ensure that it will forever remain at the top of the comic book industry.

It’s no secret to anyone that DC is now absolutely demolishing Marvel in comics sales. These are just some of the factors that have caused DC to experience its current amazing commercial and critical success.

5) Multiverse Stories

Both DC and Marvel have incredible multiverses filled with rich characters. Still, DC narrowly pulls ahead because of a few key factors. Many of DC’s stories set on parallel Earths have forever redefined the genre, including Watchmen, Kingdom Come, Dark Knight Returns, and All-Star Superman. Part of the reason for the success of these stories in comparison to Marvel’s alternate universe tales is that they delve more deeply into what it means to be a hero and have far more fleshed-out worlds. Unlike Marvel, which forgets many of the parallel Earths that it establishes, DC’s alternate universes tend to be continuously revisited, such as Earth-3, Flashpoint, Gotham by Gaslight, and the Absolute Universe. The multiverse also more often plays a critical role in DC’s storylines, including their numerous Crisis events. DC has put great care into making the multiverse feel like a vast and interconnected community, and through more frequent and quality stories, sequels, and crossovers, it has become a more integral part of DC’s identity and impact.

4) Legacy Heroes

DC Comics has been in the superhero genre since the very beginning and has made many iconic superheroes who are nearly a century old. However, a significant difference between how DC and Marvel handle their classic characters is the idea of legacy heroes. This makes sense because DC puts a greater emphasis on sidekicks, who eventually grow up to emulate their mentors. Although Marvel has recently gotten better at this with heroes like Miles Morales and Kamalah Khan, DC’s execution of this concept easily surpasses that of Marvel’s. In fact, many DC legacy heroes, including Supergirl, Barry Allen and Wally West Flash, Hal Jordan Green Lantern, and the expansive Bat-Family, have all reached near, if not greater, popularity than the original heroes who inspired them. This concept of legacy heroes adds a sense of growth within the universe as next-generation characters carry on the mantles of those who came before while still building their own distinct identities. DC Comics has allowed their universe to become a rich tapestry of multi-generational storytelling that both honors the past and paints a bright future.

3) Events

When it comes to events, DC Comics is the definition of quality over quantity. While Marvel certainly has many great events like The Infinity Gauntlet Saga and Secret Wars, recently it has oversaturated its world with six or more events a year with little build-up or payoff. In contrast, DC puts a lot more time and effort into creating events with substantial plots, tie-ins, and impacts on both the characters and the entire multiverse. DC’s numerous Crisis events, along with other big stories like Blackest Night and DC K.O., have a greater sense of scale and importance thanks to the longer lead-ups and space between events. These events oftentimes also help fix any narrative issues that DC is suffering through retcons and reboots. DC Comics’ use of events often works on a brilliant metatextual level that allows writers to explore not just the characters and multiverse, but the very nature of comics and storytelling. Altogether, where many Marvel events have been forgotten and inconsequential, every DC event has consequences and ideas that carry on for decades.

2) Broader Genres

DC Comics may have pioneered the superhero genre, but since then it has diversified far beyond Marvel. You don’t need to look further than DC’s incredible Vertigo, Milestone Media, and Black Label imprints to see how DC is more willing to take risks and give their writers more creative freedom. Stories like Sandman and Preacher pushed the boundaries of darker themes, subject matters, and art styles which could be explored in comics. Superhero stories under Vertigo like the Saga of Swamp Thing, Doom Patrol, and Animal Man had far more experimental and surrealist narratives and characters than anything Marvel has concocted. DC has also explored in more depth wild westerns, noir, war, horror, and other genres. Lastly, DC has a much longer history of having the same characters, like Batman, go through the lenses of many different genres, from campy to grimdark, making the character incredibly malleable and accessible to a far greater demographic. Essentially, by giving writers and artists more freedom, DC has made a place for everyone.

1) Central Themes

Easily the biggest difference between the DC and Marvel Universes is how they portray their heroes and the themes that drive their universes. While Marvel is more focused on showing its characters in their worlds and is more relatable, it can make the overall identity of the universe more disjointed, conflicting, darker, and prone to becoming dated. Meanwhile, all of DC Comics is centered around two basic and timeless concepts: heroism and hope. Many of the heroes of the DC Universe are shining beacons of virtue who represent the best of humanity and what we should all strive towards. There’s this overarching sense of optimism in DC Comics that Marvel sorely lacks. This can be seen in how DC is far more willing to give its characters more balanced lives filled with both tragedy and levity. In contrast, Marvel more consistently enforces wretched status quos plagued by forced drama and misery. For even in the darkest of times in DC, fate always leans towards justice. This also means that DC’s continuity is far more unified and has a much more concise narrative trajectory. Across its many titles and genres, DC’s centralized message of hope inspires people by showing that a better tomorrow is possible.

What do you think? Leave a Comment below and join the conversation in the ComicBook Forum!

7 Watchmen Moments That Changed How Fans Viewed Superhero Stories Forever