Why do I love DC Comics so much?

I was born in January of 1998. I have yet to live in a single house for more than three years. My dad's a soldier, so we didn't always have the most immediate commodities available to us. I wasn't raised in the most traditional of ways. I wasn't allowed to watch TV for long periods of time, I didn't have a regular allowance, and I didn't have great internet access, even in the early 2000's. I didn't even have any real concept of what a 'comic book' was until I was in the 8th grade. But when you live in areas (like Europe) where American products are limited, you start to appreciate and gravitate what comes from home more and more. Something that I always looked forward to was watching the Justice League animated series on Saturday and Sunday mornings. This was my first exposure to superheroes as I knew them, and my interest in the DC universe only grew from here on.

I followed my love for the Justice League by finding myself reveling in the just-as-good-if-not-better follow-up series, Justice League: Unlimited, and the ever-entertaining Teen Titans TV series. As I grew in my knowledge and love of DC comics, so too did my understanding of the history of these characters. For example, Robin, Beast Boy, Raven, Starfire, and Cyborg are not the original members of the Teen Titans, but rather an adaptation of the 2003 book lineup that was being released concurrently to the television series. But it wasn't where the characters had been that was interesting to me, and it wasn't even necessarily where they were going. These characters were so engaging, they were voice-acted spectacularly, and the animation was superb. The action was fun, the drama was intense, and I was genuinely having a thrill watching these superheroes fight the villains that they did. The writing has to be some of the most spectacular television writing I had ever seen as a kid: even back then, I knew it was better than the other goofy shows that were being debuted concurrently to DC's lineup.

But that alone doesn't attribute my love for DC. In all fairness, were there any Marvel shows that were running during the time period of the early to mid-2000's, I didn't watch them. I had no easy way to access them. So, I was kind of stuck with the DC brand. But that's not something I'm sorry for. Whether it be because I grew up with DC or not, I still prefer them over most of what Marvel does. And before you question any kind of credibility I have, go look at my Marvel Movie reviews I have written on the blog and compare them to the DC movie reviews. I'm not denying the fact that since about 2012, Marvel has been putting out the better product over DC (The Dark Knight trilogy is a discussion obviously removed from this one). But for one reason or another, the Marvel characters don't resonate with me on the same level that the DC characters do. But that can probably be nostalgia's fault. The same works for other well-known IP's: I mean, I like Star Wars as a whole more than I like Star Trek because Star Wars has been with me for such a long time. The same can be said for DC comics over Marvel.

But as I've grown to understand the characters that live in the DC universe better, I appreciate their complexities more and more, especially as a parallel to Marvel. Even now, as I write this editorial, what I'm finding to be the case is that DC comics' characters are often loaded with the responsibility of their grand power, their gifts, that they didn't necessarily seek out on their own. Clark Kent never asked to be given unimaginable power thanks to our yellow sun; Bruce Wayne never asked to be the agent of justice before his parents were murdered; Diana Prince never asked to bear the weight of being Zeus' daughter; and so on and so forth. When one looks at notable Marvel characters, the reasoning for their acts of heroism originate from slightly different ideas, albeit sometimes reaching the same conclusions. Tony Stark changed his business methodology from creating weapons of war to tools for protection; Steve Rodgers enlisted to protect those who couldn't protect themselves; hell, even Peter Parker just hopes to follow in the footsteps of the Avengers and be as great a hero as he can. While origins and motivations can overlap between the tales of these larger-than-life warriors, DC clearly challenges their characters with their realities differently than Marvel. And while Marvel Studios have done a masterful job translating their characters' stories to film, I'm still finding myself fonder of the challenges my DC characters face.

But maybe it's not that alone. Maybe it's the characters themselves. I mean, Superman and Batman are already the most prolific superheroes in the world. Their designs are great, and I always find myself fonder of the art in DC than in other comics. Often times (unless a particular story calls for otherwise), the art is streamlined and sophisticated enough to distance itself from its contemporaries, yet still true to the form of a 'comic book' that it doesn't distance itself too far from the familiar and comfortable tropes of the medium. And when one considers the specific eras of these comic book runs (whether it be the new 52, the silver-age DC, or the post-crisis era), there's a sense of unity within the brand. Artists and authors can certainly deviate to explore their creative interests, but a reader like myself never loses the sense that these different books are so far separated that the Suicide Squad couldn't exist in the same world of the Flash, or that Green Arrow and and Superman are so far separated that a meeting between them would be impossible. And thanks to that familiarity between the books, I feel even more at home when I switch between Aquaman to Green Lanterns to The Flash.

Y'know, as I write this, I find myself more and more flabbergasted as to the exact reason that I favor DC over Marvel, I mean, why should I? Even though I enjoy the DC characters more than the Marvel characters, I've been rewarded by Marvel for being a fan more than by DC. Their comics might not be what I reach for first, but even their recent issues of Black Panter are absolutely superb. Their movies, while varying in quality depending on who you ask, are always enjoyable and coherent. DC hasn't made a crowd-pleaser since The Dark Knight Rises (on the whole) in 2012, just when Marvel was only warming up with The Avengers. Hey, I enjoy Man of Steel, Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Suicide Squad, but I'm not gonna try to convince anybody that they're on the same level of quality and polish that the Marvel films are. And while both comic book companies do this, I get even more hurt when it feels like DC sometimes tries to milk me for all I'm worth: in fact, not a couple hours ago from writing this, I just read that the LEGO Supergirl for the videogame LEGO Dimensions was, at least for the moment, a PlayStation 4 exclusive. Now, that's obviously logistical between LEGO and DC, but either one or the other (or both) offered up that specific character because they knew fans like myself would want such a collectible. Marvel does the same thing, but it stings most when it's a brand you're more connected to.

But with all that said, I'm still in love with the brand. I find the movies enjoyable, I love watching the cartoons, and I'm absolutely thrilled to see the influence these characters have on people. Fans cosplay as Harley Quinn, Batman, the Flash, and others. They're fun, they're unique, and these identities have become owned by the fans as much as by Warner Bros. Pictures. I know that I certainly have an opinion about (almost) each and every single character within the universe. I like to see them portrayed a particular way, I like to see them act in a certain manner, I like my passion to be respected by these creators; because it's because of those who came before them that respected these characters so much, I feel like equal responsibility should be placed upon the creators of today.

DC has all my love, now and forevermore. I want to continue to see the company tell stories of Batman, I want to expand my knowledge of Aquaman, I want to have fun in space with Green Lantern. Right now, I'm genuinely worried for the brand: because of the changing nature of the film industry and the groundbreaking success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I'm aware that these producers and studio executives want to jump on the gravy train and make just as much money. But I want them to do it the right way. People love the MCU not just because they're superhero movies, but because they're good superhero movies. They give their characters challenges to overcome, they allow their characters to grow, they give them spectacular fights to fight, and they make these movies fun. And despite being in the game for quite some time, and having examples of what to do (the MCU, the Dark Knight trilogy) and what to not do (various X-Men, Fantastic Four, and Spider-Man movies) DC has faltered quite significantly.

They're not out of the game yet because they've offered things that the likes of Marvel hasn't yet: the first time Batman and Superman are on-screen together, the first villain team-up movie, the first female-led superhero movie, and the first DC good-guy team-up movie are all in the hole. What becomes of the latter two have yet to be seen. With creative executives like Geoff Johns working hard to keep the characters true to themselves and finding unique stories to tell with them, I have confidence that the movies will entertain me. But in all fairness, I haven't found the DC characters to be untrue to their comic book counterparts just yet (save for Lex Luthor). That being said, the first three films in the series were made before Johns' extensive involvement in the process. Whether he actually helps the films, or proves to be a detriment to their quality, has yet to be seen.

Look, I realize that most of this editorial has been wild rambling and not entirely well-constructed (as some would argue is the whole problem with DC to begin with). But I've seen the good that can come out of DC Entertainment. They did it through the late 70's to the early 80's way before Marvel got their act together. They continued the trend in the animated department from the early 90's to...well. to today, quite honestly. Batman: The Animated Series, Superman: The Animated Series, Justice League: The Animated Series, Young Justice, and more list the fantastic adaptations of these comic book titans. And while fans bicker and argue about opinions on the final product of recent DC efforts, I can't help but feel that the same thing happens behind the scenes with the executives. I only hope that a singular person with a singular vision for this world comes forth and helps to tell well-crafted stories. Will it be Geoff Johns? Will it be someone else?

I love these characters. For every DC movie that is released, you're probably guaranteed to have gotten one ticket from me. But what has enamored me about this world so much is the aesthetic of the characters, their environment, and the stories that encompass it all. Like any great fiction, the best stories from this world help to ask the readers what is the duty of humans, superpowered or not. Do we take the law in our own hands when the law itself is not enough (like Batman), or do we try to work within the system for the slow-but-morally-right solution (like Bruce Wayne)? Characters like Wonder Woman help to inspire girls everywhere that they have power within themselves, power that no social hierarchy can keep them from using. Characters like Green Lantern can inspire young readers to be courageous in times of fear. Hell, even characters like Etrigan the Demon can display how humans can overcome their dark natures (metaphorically for us, literally for him). The DC characters are characters who are often thrust with god-like powers, authority, or responsibility, and tell stories that compliment those kinds of themes. I find the humanizing of gods incredibly intriguing, especially when half of those gods try to be regular people. Clark Kent tries to be the simple farm boy he always was just as much as he tries to be an ideal for hope. Barry Allen tries to be a good son just as much as he tries to be the fastest man alive. This form of escapism is the most beautiful form of storytelling I find myself enjoying: the art, the character development, and the epic tales engross me so much as a consumer that I can't help but fall in love with these characters.

The stories told within DC comics, the characters that they choose to tell stories about, and the fact that I can relate with characters like a half-man/half-machine, or a character like a green space cop, makes me love them even more. This universe has captured my imagination since the age of 7, and I honestly don't see it slowing down anytime soon. So, forgive this total gush session over DC comics, but I couldn't help it: I love DC.