Epic battles have been fought in the comic universe since 1934, first appearing during the middle of the Great Depression. Battles were fought to take over the world or to save it. Humans and aliens with superhuman powers have been defending humanity from dangerous invaders and catastrophic events for decades. Some of the heroes keep their identities secret to protect themselves and their loved ones, while others make it known to the whole world exactly who they are. Nonetheless, their different timelines share the same goal: justice and protection.

Throughout my life, the superhero universe has been at a constant tug of war to pull in viewers. You have your classic heroes: Batman, Superman, Iron Man, Captain America, Captain Marvel, Green Arrow, Spiderman and others. Then, your villains: Lex Luthor, Joker, Catwoman, Loki, Doctor Doom, Ra’s al Ghul, Green Goblin and others. All the characters above are from one of two companies, Marvel Comics and DC Comics. But is it just the selection of heroes each company has that makes one or the other more popular?

The answer is simple. While DC’s characters have good potential, the company doesn’t carry out the details as well as they should. As well as the fact that their company name stands for Detective Comics Comics. The lighting is dark and the humor doesn’t have any depth, and if by a slim chance the jokes are considered funny by anyone, they are corny and transparent (Holy bad puns, Batman! Am I right?). Not to mention the fact that the acting is more than below subpar. Even in the recent 2016 movie, “Suicide Squad,” the premise was really intriguing, but the actual movie was just alright.

According to http://www.therichest.com/, Marvel movie characters are bringing in more money than DC cahracters. Movies based on the Marvel characters bring in 45 percent more revenue than DC. There have also been more movies that have been made based on Marvel characters as well. Further proving my point that Marvel is better than DC.

To the Batcave! DC hadn’t really begun to head into its darker stages until the 1989 “Batman” starring Michael Keaton. This rubber and latex-filled film was the beginning of the darker DC that we see today. Yes, Batman was part of the League of Shadows, but the films he’s in shouldn’t require me to blast my brightness and distort the screen just so I can see the details.

Marvel on the other hand is more advanced all around. The plots, scripts and characters are more complex, and therefore more enjoyable. Not only is the production well pulled off, but the characters are actually relatable. Plus, the lighting is warm and creates a brighter tone.

DC’s movies seem to be one layer, directly having the villains target their corresponding heroes. For example, Lex Luthor wants to prove that “power can be innocent” is a lie by directly targeting Superman, and the Joker wants to create havoc and keep Batman around to mess with. At least Catwoman, still being a thief, is an animal rights activist who uses her persona to investigate and thwart companies violating animal rights. Most of the Marvel’s villains want to take over the world, or overthrow another country or something that has nothing to do with the superheroes, who ultimately end up foiling the villain’s plans for the sake of humanity.

Another way that Marvel has stepped up their game compared to DC is their special effects. While Christian Bale’s bat suit was rad, he couldn’t rotate his head and he required about eight tubes of eyeliner, characters like Iron Man however, gives a pretty full range of mobility as well as looking super cool. Thanks, green screens. Also the fight scenes in and around buildings. Marvels “Avengers” was crazy good with buildings falling over and the streets in chaos. DC seems to have most of the damage happen on a smaller scale, like in one building opposed to the entire city.

Personally, I would’ve liked to see DC stay in the 1960’s timeframe. The tv series and movies were more comical than dramatic, proving a more enjoyable experience. By keeping the tone light and funny, DC gave themselves plenty of room for the cheap sets, poor acting and plot holes.