Legion World Forums LEGION COMPANION Dr. Gym'll's Cultural Rarities "Person on the street" DC vs. Marvel!

Let's try a thingie here...

Go up to a non-comics fan and rattle off a list of DC characters. Then rattle off a list of Marvel characters. See which company's characters is better known (i.e., the non-comics fan had at least heard of them).

I just tried this. DC won.

Characters I rattled off:

DC: Superman, Batman, Robin, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Justice League, Teen Titans, Flash, Green Lantern (all known). Isis (not known).

MARVEL: X-Men, Fantasic 4, Spider-Man, The Hulk, Ghost Rider, Daredevil, Elektra (all known). Iron Man, Avengers, Punisher (not known).

As far as relevant info re: known characters, more was known about the DC characters.

known X-MEN characters: Wolverine, Storm.

Try this with a patient acquaintence and see what they know!

I did this several years ago, before the Fantastic Four movies were released.

KNOWN

Marvel: Captain America, Hulk, X-men, Wolverine, Black Panther (not sure I believe them)

DC

Superman, Supergirl, Superboy, Batman, Robin, Joker, Penguin, Catwoman, Batgirl, Green Arrow, Flash, Aquaman, Justice League, Teen Titans, Shazam, Wonder Woman, Karate Kid (not sure they meant the comic one, but they volunteered it)

NOT KNOWN

Justice Society, LSH, Black Canary, Hawkman, Atom, Two-Face

Marvel: Thor, Fantastic Four (one person thought the FF were a singing group-- like the Supremes), Avengers (confused with British TV show), Iron Man

It's also fun to bring up these names with someone who read comics as a little kid, but stopped around puberty.

Some of their accounts of stories they 'remember' can be pretty entertaining.

I do this regularly when talking about new comic book day. What surprises me most is the cross-pollination of the big two. Seems everyone thinks Spider-Man is part of the Superfriends, and that Superman is Marvel's biggest hero.

DC has the distinct advantage of having three iconic characters who have been published constantly (except for when the characters have been rebooted) since the Golden Age, all of whom have had successful TV series and two of whom have had successful film franchises. They also have quite possibly the best-known super-hero themed cartoon series ever, The Super Friends.

Marvel has done well with movies in the last several years, but prior to that the 1960s Ralph Bakshi Spider-Man series and the 1970s Hulk series with Bill Bixby would probably be the best-known.
Add to that only Captain American and, to a lesser extent, the Sub-Mariner, are the only well-known characters they have from the Golden Age.

Having said that, as I pointed out elsewhere, whenever I mention Green Lantern to a non-comics-reading friend, the almost always think I mean Green Hornet. And, of course, mention the JSA or the Legion and people just look at you funny.

I was especially surprised that this non-comics person knew that Green Lantern had "the ring". Maybe he had happened across an episode of Justice League at some point?

Was also surprised he hadn't heard of Marvel's the Punisher, as there's been, what, 2 movies (although maybe not big successful ones).

I threw Isis into the mix because a) She recently had a major turn in a best-selling comic and b) she had her own live-action series in the 70s. But she was a no-go for this person.

Oh, and my person also confused The Avengers with the old TV show!

Another one I used to get sometimes, though not recently, is when I mention the Flash, people often thought I was referring to Flash Gordon. Flash Gordon is not so familiar to many people these days, so I haven't had that one in a while.

I prefer Flesh Gordon personally

Joey is a cheeky little monkey

I've tried this before with guys at work all around my age. 31. DC won but not by as much as I thought.

My cousin and his friends on the other hand (age 24) don't know squat about DC. I think it all started for Marvel with the Marvel vs. Capcom.

I am guessing in 5 years Marvel might catch up.

Great point - b/t that and Maximum Carnage years ago, Marvel has two of the better video games in comic book history. In fact, I can't think of a video game by DC that can compete with Marvel's, or introduces so many characters.

(I'm not much of a gamer myself, but my brothers are big time into them).

Hmmm... I would guess now that Iron Man would no longer fall into the "NOT KNOWN" camp for anyone....

I think a person on the street would definately say Marvel. Marvel has had like ten write-ups in the Wall Street Journal in the past three months. Marvel Studios is the most profitable studio in movies these days besides Pixar. Think about that for a second. They're like the Colbert Report of movies right now.

And you know what--they are better right now, quality wise. For the first time in about, well, fifteen years, I think that. Not that DC doesn't have some great books, they do, but Marvel just happens to have more right now. Vertigo, of course, isn't really DC (thank gawd).