When talking about DC and Marvel characters, you have to talk about the universes they inhabit. The DC universe tends to be larger than life, while Marvel is a little more based in reality. "The DC universe saves the day or the world; in the Marvel Universe, the hero tries to survive in the everyday world," states Courtnee Blackman, independent graphic designer and comic book expert. An example of these juxtaposing worlds is Superman, who lives in his fortress of solitude and is a perfect hero who can do no wrong, while Peter Parker, Spider-Man, is a poor, awkward student who works for peanuts at a newspaper.
DC's characters are less flawed than Marvel's. Wonder Woman, first appearing in 1941's Action Comics Issue #8, is an Amazonian beauty, flying in her invisible plane and taking on villains with her lasso of truth. Marvel's Iron Man, aka Tony Stark, is a billionaire and genius, but he's also an alcoholic. Iron Man's real-life problems and afflictions were nonexistent in the DC world until Marvel came on the scene in the early 1960s.
DC was founded in the 1930s, and their all-mighty heroes were perfect for those times. Marvel flourished in the 1960s. Marvel's non-traditional approach and social commentary is seen in the comic series "X-Men." X-Men are mutants who face persecution from family and the general society. The characters and story lines have dealt with racism, diversity, anti-Semitism and religion.
Marvel's comic artwork is groundbreaking. LA Times writer Geoff Boucher stated recently, "Superman and DC Comics instantly seemed like boring old Pat Boone; Marvel felt like The Beatles and the British Invasion."
When it comes to Hollywood and films the past decade, Marvel has had the upper hand. With blockbuster hits like the "X-Men" and the "Spider-Man" trilogies and the "Iron Man" and "Hulk" films, Marvel has dominated sleepy DC. Though with the "Dark Knight" series, DC is finally showing some life.