DC vs. Marvel

Ok, this isn't the topic you would think it would be. I'm not about to start bashing one publisher or the other. This post is more about why people pick one over the other. Now a lot of people (myself included) read both. I mostly read Marvel, but have slowly started reading more DC titles.

What pushes a person towards one publisher? Marvel seems to keep their heroes down to earth while DC has their heroes be idols. It seems that people want to read about people that they can relate too, as well as be entertained. Any person who knows me knows I read almost every Spider-Man title and a real fan of the character (I have a Venom tattoo on my back for Christ's sake). The guy is relatable and I have trouble believing in a hero that is almost god like (Superman).

But we have to start somewhere. So what was it? Was it our parents who took us to a comic book store? An older/younger relative gave you a comic book? The way that seems to be the most popular way is the old animated TV shows from the 90's. Between the X-Men, Spider-Man, Superman, and Batman, we had plenty of variety from both Marvel and DC.

But thats not it. What was the defining factor for you?

Highlights from last weeks comics and this weeks comics (5/26/10)

Avengers #1: When I heard there was going to be a new volume of "Avengers," I got pumped. This ongoing was to me like a big blockbuster movie coming out. After I read #1 a few times and got over my excitement about it just coming out, I found it to be an incredible read. Bendis perfectly blends the smaller moments with the big moments while keeping everyones personalities intact. Naturally, sense "Avengers" is going to be the biggest ongoing for Marvel, it's not surprising that John Romita JR. is was the artist. I personally thing that he is one of the best pencilers to have graced a comic book page, he turned out some of his best work. I'm pumped for the second issue.

Brightest Day #2: I'm still getting myself acquainted with the DC Universe, but I'm loving "Brightest Day." I'm still a little worried about how the series will be divvying up each issue to the characters. I found this to be an issue with this week, as Aquaman is barely around. As with Deadman (although he looks to be getting a big increase in time with #3).

For this coming week (5/26/10), I'm really only excited about "Secret Avengers" #1. Ed Brubaker is a great writer for espionage type stories. And Mike Deodato is just a great artist.

Spoiler Nation

As many of you regular comic book readers know, the industry is a self spoiler medium. It's really the only medium that can get away with it. Movies only spoil somewhat, with us knowing we have seen a moment in a trailer that hasn't happened in the movie yet. Books, not at all. Well, unless you like to read the last page. Video games; not at all unless you buy a guide. With comics, it's impossible for us NOT to know what's going to happen three months ahead of time. A great example is the recent end of the big Marvel event "Siege." The brand wide labeling of "The Heroic Age" has been totted for months. Unless you have never seen seen a comic book movie or anything related to the medium, you already knew the heroes were going to win before the event even started. This happened with "Blackest Night" and "Brightest Day" as well.

So why am I writing about this? Well it just surprises me how often people complain amongst the medium that an event or trend didn't really end the event, but just was a means towards an end. Well isn't it always? Did people complain that "Secret Wars" was just for selling toys? Didn't think so. It's the ride that is the most fun in comics. It's really the only thing that we can enjoy in comics. We see know the ending, but we don't know HOW it ends. Enjoy the ride as much as it can. Many complained about the ending to "Siege" because it was a means to an end to make Steve Rogers top cop and throw out the Superhuman Registration Act, and that the ending was very anticlimactic. Did you all really see Loki dying?

In my last post for the semester, I talked about giving books and things a chance in comics. This is a somewhat of a continuation of it, and my next biggest recommendation for comic book readers. Enjoy the ride and embrace the workings of the meidum