Awoken; Thoughts on Marvel vs DC

Lost somewhere deep in space, a cruiser orbits a local Internet server cluster. Though seemingly inert,  inside, long-gestating processes reach completion, triggering subroutines. A long-dormant computer system comes online. Hibernation monitors begin thawing procedures. A green LED on the lid of a plasteel coffin begins blinking steadily, and inside two blue eyes open. A cursor begins flying across the screen. The Voyages of Yano Solong have begun again.

I had originally planned to write my first new entry on a different topic, but I didn't, because procrastination. Anyway, a friend and I were recently comparing the various superhero films on offer these days, and he asked me, "Does DC tend to be darker than Marvel?" This was my considered response, and I think it's a pretty good one, so I'm publishing. 

EDIT: ok, this is really really long. TL;dr: if you didn't read superhero comics as a kid, you're better off reading basically anything else, and watching as few of those movies as you can get away with. I have gobs of non-superhero comics to recommend as well as fiction and non-fiction books. 

NOW. Ahem:

DC and Marvel both have alternating darker and more cheesy comics and periods. Think of it like Coke and Pepsi. Each does have an overriding identity, but both are going to try and have a diverse line of choices and also copy whatever else they see competitors doing. 

In general, DC's superhero comics are waaaay cheesier, because they have been around for way longer. Their two biggest heroes, Superman and Batman, also happen to be two of the first superheroes period, and definitely the first two still starring in major books. Those characters, and the justice league and associated stories, etc, have been rebooted many many times, first when the golden changed to the silver age, and then many more times after that. Except the old versions of the characters stuck around too, and spent many adventures with the new versions, in stories which showed the heroes of various "alternate earths" having fun together. So when flash of earth-1 and earth-2 are hanging out, or fighting the evil superman of earth-5 or whatever it's pretty geeky for anyone who isn't insanely familiar with the history of the characters. Similarly, because of the craze for kid sidekicks like Robin back in the day, every DC character has a kids version of the character, also usually rebooted multiple times, as well as female sidekicks, dogs dressed in costume, and on and on. 

Marvel had been around in various forms for a while, but when Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and the other guys really started creating their universe it was the 60s, and they were really seen as a breath of fresh air. Hippies read Marvel comics, not DC. They were more realistic, psychedelic, dealt with social issues, etc. By the time I was a kid in the late 80s, it was accepted knowledge among the comics readers I fell in with that it was only cool to read Marvel comics. DC was for babies and old people. 

When the Batman movie came out, it really seemed separate from the comics world. Part of that was just the cultural attitude that comics weren't really that cool, but as an adult I also think that DC comics lend themselves to being rebooted endless times. The stories are more mythical, everyone kind of knows them even if you don't really read comics, and I think there isn't a problem when the story is told differently. Like the awful Catwoman movie withHalle Berry--when it came out I was shocked that her story was completely different from the one played by Michelle Pfeiffer, and then I found out that the version in that movie isn't necessarily from the comics either. 

With the Marvel stuff, even though they have done some limited reboots, the main reboot is the Ultimate universe, which didn't replace the original marvel verse but is a more intense version. The Cinematic Universe is basically the same thing. Unfortunately this model requires the films to all be kind of same-y. The formula that was a revolution back in the day, demanding a consistently higher bar be set in terms of characters, story, setting, etc than had been seen before, now has created a culture of the mediocre, a same-ness. Personally, because it's nostalgic for me, I like the CU, especially the Avengers. I haven't seen guardians yet but it sounds similarly fun, although I'm not familiar with those characters. But in order to enjoy it I have to enter a somewhat corporate headspace. 

Unfortunately, because Marvel is so successful, it looks like DC is trying to copy them. I loved the Dark Knight trilogy from Nolan, but it seems like there won't be any continuity between that and the new DC CU. I wasn't a huge fan of Man of Steel, it was definitely pretty, but the end seriously pissed me off. If that's the tone they're taking I'm not sure I'll be along for the ride. Obviously I'll be there for Bat v Sup.