While there are certainly many fans out there who firmly believe that you must side with one or the other when it comes to Marvel and DC, I’m of the variety that enjoys material produced by both and adore their respective pantheons of characters.
So, if you also count yourself among that ilk, then you may fondly recall such legendary crossover tales as JLA/Avengers or The Uncanny X-Men and The New Teen Titans – or maybe even the cult favorite that was Amalgam Comics. Odds are there are probably at least a few Dark Claw lovers reading this.
Anyway, it stands to reason that a great deal of readers yearn to see this legacy of crossovers continue at some point, but right now, that seems highly doubtful. With both companies expanding beyond the realm of comics by venturing into other forms of media such as movies, TV and video games, it’s undeniable that they each have a lot on their respective plates.
When speaking to Screen Rant at San Diego Comic-Con, DC co-publisher Dan DiDio touched on the supposed “rivalry”:
“It’s not that we’re mortal enemies – it is competition, if you want the truth. It has to be. As we say, ‘the more we compete, the better off you are.’ It means that we’re trying harder to make our books better so you come to our books rather than Marvel books. That’s what the competition is all about. Between the two companies, we still are the industry leaders. There’s a lot of companies out there, a lot of great books being created. But we really have to lead by example.”
The same could be applied to the movies. Again, it doesn’t have to be one or the other. It’s perfectly okay to like Captain America: Civil War and Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. I do.
Getting back to the idea of comic book crossovers specifically, DiDio sounds like he’s in no rush to get started on yet another:
“Honestly, I looked at Marvel/DC crossovers as the last resort… Because at that point the industry was in bad shape. Each company felt that they couldn’t support themselves, they had to work together to create a product that created enough energy and interest for the fan base at the time. I would rather put that creative energy just in our characters rather than working on a story with Marvel characters.
“And the shame of it, honestly, is there were certain things created in that mix-up, that mash-up, that were quite exciting but can never be revisited again without the cooperation between the two companies. At the end of the day, all that does is homogenize us. Marvel has a very distinctive point of view, DC has a very distinctive point of view, and I think we should be playing to our own strengths [rather] than worrying about playing to someone else. And I think, hopefully, all you guys win because of that.”
With all that having been said, feel free to let us know if you have a preference between DC or Marvel – or if you love both – in the comments section. Furthermore, if another crossover ever does materialize, what would you like to see?
