Smack Talk! DC vs. Marvel

I was planning on reviewing Young X-men and I promise I'll do that soon. However, at the moment I feel the need to square off against members of Merry Marvel Marching Society. Over at Pulp Secret I've gotten guff for feeling that DC does superior cross over work and reacting to Brian Micheal Bendis's interview in the aforementioned link, please read and watch the vid first. 

First of all as far as Bendis and the interview go, it really pisses me off. I like Bendis's writing, I've enjoyed almost every issue of New Avengers and I enjoy the way he treats Luke Cage. On the other hand, every time I see him speak publicly he comes across to me like the most pompous self righteous ass. Claiming that he doesn't do retcons is ridiculous. Secret Invasion looks like a pure retcon machine. Hank Pym as a skrull seems like the perfect avenue to shed his wife beating past and give him a chance to be heroic once again. Secret Invasion feels to me like the spider clone saga on a massive scale. Which although it discredits years of continuity, I think that is something comic book companies have to do, but why can't marvel do it like DC in the form of directly reshaping reality and time so that past stories aren't tainted. (Side note: I've never seen the new BSG but i've been reading all over the blogosphere that the plot is ripped from BSG. Is that true?)

As far as my claim of this Secret Invasion marketing being all BS. Marvel is not only prone to hyperbole, which bothers me, it's the fact that I think they believe it. I'm not alone either. Also I am reminded of issue 2 of Civil War Spider Man unmasks and Joe Q goes out publicly and said this is the direction were taking the character we're not going to undo it. How did that turn out?

On the point of DC doing superior cross overs. I'd say marvel has been jumping from one event to the next. The only events that seemed logical to being back to back was Civil War and World War Hulk. House of M came out of the blue, same as Secret Invasion(although I hope Bendis does a good job explaining why the New Avengers has been building to this). There events call for all of the heroes in the Marvel U which means that every book needs a crossover, or maybe affected  by the result of the event. Which was the case for New X-men which lost it's happy fun teen angst filled high school drama after house of M. To be replaced with mourning students, and apocalyptic extinction melodrama. DC on the other hand has had Identity, Infinite and Final Crisis. Identity was pretty self contained but it changed the dynamics of the Universe for a short time but was wrapped up with Infinite Crisis in a satisfactory way, uniting the heroes that had divided. 52 was totally self contained. So there wasn't crossover fever. It also allowed the new DCU to find it's place and setup a status quo. Countdown despite it's poor quality didn't interrupt the status quo for any of the major players.It seemed, to instead of push stories outwards onto other books, pulled stories into it's main theme. With Karate Kid and the lightning saga, to the death of Bart Allen, etc. Both 52 and Countdown gave the spotlight primarily to secondary characters. Allowing them to shine and find a new voice for these new times. What i find most comforting about DC universe cross overs is that although worlds change and planets collide, characters never get the short end of the stick(except for Max Lord). 

So Bombardem am I just a DC punk on Dan Didio's jock? Or someone that has thought this crap through?

Merry Marvelite or Citizen of the DC Nation?

When I first entered the world of comic books, I never thought that I would have an alleigance for one company more than another. As time progressed though, I noticed a shift in my pull list. My affiliation became quite clear. I'm a DC guy. Don't get me wrong I read Marvel. I love Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and Gambit. However when it comes to overall universe DC wins. Why DC? 

1. Escapism. DC recently is more escapist. In the Marvel Universe, I have to worry about politics. The moral and ethical implications of the superhuman registration act. Over at the Distiguished Competition my biggest worry is whether an alien invasion of power ring toting facists is going to conquer the universe and kill Hal Jordan.  
2. No more 90's. I was not buying comics in the 90's, but I feel I've read enough about it to realize thats prabably a great thing.  Marvel to me feels like it's still bogged down in the montony of 90's comics. There are dark character turns for wholesome characters(Speedball to Penance), shock value comics with no real weight or consequences(Spider-man unmasking and resetting his history thus negating his unmasking), and prime time character's dieing(death of Captain America).  
3. Hope and optimism. DC is a more optimistic place it's heroes aren't making deals with the devil(Spider-man), or encroaching on civil liberties(Iron-man). They are trying to write past wrongs(Hal Jordan, Green Arrow, and Batman), inspire(Superman), and they are all usually trying to save the world or worlds from regular pure evil bad guys.  
4. Locales. Marvel takes place in New York and other real locales (Latveria, and the Negative Zone not with standing.) DC is mostly set in fictional locations. Due to the fictionality of Star City, Gotham, and Metropolis, each of these fictitious cities can be what ever the creator wants them to be. Gotham's architecture can be art deco, or gothic. What ever best serves the stories tone and mood. 
5.  New reader friendly. DC is more new reader friendly at least at this moment. Due to recent crisis and approaching final crisis things are in a state of reboot. Character's and teams are becoming established and forming(JSA, JLA, Infinity Inc, Booster Gold, and Blue Beetle), they are producing plenty of one and done books(Jonah Hex, JLU, and JSA Classified), and they are producing several specials that have reprints of classic character defining stories that tie into and explain some of the characters and cancepts prominently featured in there crossovers(Countdown Special Jimmy Olsen, Countdown Special Flash, etc.). 
6. Continuity. DC is less bogged down in their own continuity due to there willingness to shed it when it gets too complicated (Crisis on Infintite Earths).  Also, a big plus to DC's shedding of continuity is that it is done formally, as oppose to Marvel which simply forgets a story takes place due to fan response.
7. Better Management. I like Didio more than Quesada. Didio has really made me feel like a part of the DC nation, with his columns at the end of DC books making announcements and touring his offices. While Quesada simply imposes his will and Tony Stark's over Marvel. Making what ever changes he wants no matter how out of character they are.
8. I just like DC more. It's really hard to explain an inclination why is my favorite color blue or my favorite number two. It's just the way I'm wired.

DC is not without faults. I wish that DC and Marvel would settle down with the crossovers and let their Universe's breath and develop a status quo for a while. I don't need to read a world shattering, character changing crossover every summer(just a JLA/JSA one). 

Where do you stand Merry Marvelite or citizen of the DC Nation?

Arch Villainy the dead art

A hero is only as good as his villains. False. 

A villain is only as good as the hero he hates. True.

Spider-man, and Batman have with out a doubt best super villians in all of comics.

 

I'd put a close second the Flash(i know some people don't like the Flash's rogues but i do they are unique and they al have a style and sense of community like no other in comics.)

        

, and in third Superman. 

Why do these villains stand out? It's because a villain is defined and best highlighted by how much he hates the hero. There aren't really that many choice super villains who belong to one character. Less so in the Marvel universe. 

The MU is very connected so good villains make their rounds from hero to hero.  Most of the b-list villains like Boomerang, Absorbing-man, Jack-O-Lantern,  Radioactive man, the U-Foes, etc. have their first appearances with certain heroes but end up fighting someone else and someone else and end up getting beaten up by every hero in the marvel universe. The reason these villaIns never find a worthy arch-nemesis is basically cause they're not really well defined characters who have yet to meet the writer that would make them gold. Now why do Spidey and Bats have all the choice villains, one could say they are better characters to play off of(which they are), and they're both mortal so anyone with any type of power can be a threat(which is important). But why the really have the best foes is simply because they have long publication histories and have tried more villains than any one else. 

Which brings me back to last post Why does Spiderman need this new villain Mr. Negative? 

Would Mr. Negative as a character not be better served if he were put up against a hero with a not so long and established list of hated enemies. Some one like Iron Fist, Ms. Marvel, or Luke Cage?

 The same can be said in the DC universe though I feel DC is really actively trying to remedy this as shown on Judd Winick's run on Green Arrow where he tried giving the emerald archer some rivals like Brick, Constantine Drakon, Merlyn, Natas, Onamotapeia, and Deathstroke. Why the lobby for a more diversified form of villainy? To be honest i love b-listers heroes and villains alike and I'd like to see them get a little love in the form of hate. 

Heroes that need villains?

1. Wonder Woman 
2. Iron Fist (Brubaker and Fraction seem to be remedying this so hopefully they keep up the goodwork.)
3. Booster Gold(also a work in progress)
4. Ms. Marvel
5. Luke Cage 
6. Vixen
7. Zatanna

Any other heroes in need of some villainy?