Marvel is Awesome

As a long time comic book fan I have to make a confession. I hate Marvel fanboys (sometimes referred to as Marvel Zombies). If you’re a fellow comic book fan you know exactly whom I am talking about. Those guys who have only read Marvel books and no other publishers. You try to talk to them about DC or Dark Horse or Image and they say how much they suck and how Marvel is the only publisher to show "super heroes with real problems." This shows a complete ignorance and un-appreciation of the entire art form of comic books.

That being said, Marvel Entertainment is doing an amazing job right now. Nearly all of Marvel’s major characters have been adapted into a film property of some kind. The Avengers, Marvel’s long awaited team film featuring the four heroes that all debuted in their own films in previous years, became one of the highest grossing films of all time. The movie made nearly every film critics’ top ten list and the sequel is already well underway. Even post Avengers 2, which doesn’t come out until 2015, Marvel is already planning its Phase 3 films which could possible include film adaptations of Ant-Man, Dr. Strange, Black Panther and perhaps others. Already in Phase 2 Marvel is taking risks by having Guardians of the Galaxy, a little known Marvel property, being the film that launches the story into Avengers 2.

What is also making Marvel appears so awesome is the complete failure of their main competitor. DC Entertainment, despite the success of Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, has had numerous starts and stops trying to adapt its numerous properties into cinematic adaptations. DC Comics is home to some of the most iconic and classic comic book super heroes. While we have seen a trilogy of Batman films and are eagerly anticipating as Superman film this summer, for Marvel to be outpacing them in the cinematic adaptations is frankly quite disappointing.

What also is impressive about Marvel’s cinematic undertakings is that they for the most part have created a unified cinematic universe. Essentially Marvel has tried to duplicate the world of comics they have created by creating a world in which all their heroes exist simultaneous. Granted some Marvel properties are currently in the possession of other studios but as the options run out on those properties (Marvel has since regained the Daredevil franchise from Fox) slowly all of the Marvel characters will exist in the same cinematic universe just as their four colored counterparts share the same picturesque world.

Initially many people blamed the lack of development of DC properties on DC Comics parent company, Warner Bros. Fans assume that because of the corporate governance, “the suits” as it were, constantly getting in the way, that is why so few DC movies get greenlit and filmed. But just a few years ago Marvel was purchased by equally giant (perhaps even bigger) media company Disney and it has done nothing to slowdown the production of their properties into films. Quite the opposite in fact. It seems Marvel is developing even more properties since being purchased by Disney, giving films to properties like Guardians of the Galaxy (to come out in 2014) and Dr. Strange (slated for 2016), titles that are certainly not recognizable to the non-comic book fan.

Marvel has had some failures in their properties. Daredevil and its spinoff film, Elektra, were both failures. Both Ghost Rider films were critically panned. Even the third Spider-Man movie caused Marvel to have to reboot the franchise. By no means do they seem to have the Midas touch that has been attributed to them with such huge box office success like The Avengers. But the fact of the matter is, you need to try in order to succeed and Marvel is trying. And even with their few failures, the successes have far outpaced them.

DC took a risk with rebooting Batman and then simply seemed to quit. A failed Superman reboot (which technically wasn’t even a reboot since it was a sequel to the storyline in Superman II), a failed Green Lantern adaptation, and that is it. Despite trying to adapt a few lesser-known properties like The Losers and Jonah Hex, DC has mostly ignored many of its comic book properties. At least for cinematic adaptations. DC has made some TV forays (like Arrow which I talk about here) and a glut of animated adaptations, most of which have been excellent entertainment.

While the rivalry between DC and Marvel is fun to discuss, in the end I want both companies to do well. I am a comic book fan. I am not a Marvel fan. I am not a DC fan. I am a comic book fan and thus I want as many cinematic adaptations of the characters from both companies. Hopefully DC will finally get its act together. Marvel already has.