Editorial: Should DC Bother To Play Catch Up To Marvel?

Like many diehard comic fan-boys I have watched my beloved Marvel find their way into mainstream media over the course of the last five years. In 2008 Marvel kicked off this grand idea of a Cinematic Universe, with the release of the Iron Man movie. Unlike other production studios attempts previously seen, Marvel ensured the movie’s cast actually reflected the characters in the comic books. Simply put, they attempted to stay as close as they could to the source material as possible. Staying close to the source material Marvel Studios actually shift their thinking in how a “superhero movie” was crafted.

The heroes of the Marvel comic book universe are close knit and many of their greatest stories are shared among several of the top tier characters. The same characters that make for excellent movies among the mainstream audience. This is a problem for many studios that have attempted to produce Marvel movies in the past. They are more accustom to producing stand-alone movies, if these movies are successful then we see a squeal. Marvel stories are large stories of relatively unknown characters outside of a few Saturday morning cartoon shows. It takes time to build up these massive stories. For all the parts to come together and work correctly it needs a grand approach with deep pockets.

Marvel, or someone pulling the strings understood that there would be minor paydays from each film as they opened. Each film playing out to a much larger story. Providing the mainstream audience an understanding of the characters is not an easy task, but by using the “cinematic universe” approach the viewer gets two things. One, a back-story that is usually serviceable to the character, the fan of the character and getting the mainstream audience onboard. The second, and most importantly to the studio setting that hook to get people back into the theaters. Ala’ the comic book buyer, we keep coming back book after book, month after month for that “fix”. The mainstream audience is coming back year after year, and now that isn’t even enough, Thor 2 and Captain America 2 open within almost five months of each other. This is a breakneck pace for such a young production house as Marvel Studios.

This brings us to DC Comics, as much as I love these Icons of the comic book world I find their movies incredibly troubling. Superman Man of Steel was enjoyable on a few levels, but what comes next is the tried and true Hollywood approach. Wait to see if it was a success and then move onto a squeal. The rush to move forward into their own cinematic universe approach is flawed. They are making it up as the go along, because if this is the plan it feels very rushed, almost as trying to catch up with Marvel. My daughter showed me a clip of a Superman MOS cartoon, where Superman breaks the neck of Lex Luthor. It is a tongue and check nod to the fundamental problem with DC, they fail to go all in, stay true to the source material.

When I discus comic books and the movies that come from them, I have to acknowledge that, yes there are changes made to fit the movie world closer to the real world. I can live with these changes because at the core Marvel is not leaving the concept of what made these characters into more than just drawings. Here is where DC/WB can take note, write three or four rules to each character and don’t break them. DC Hero’s do not kill, they find another way, and it is that journey that keeps them relatable and understandable. DC heroes are Icons’, they are require villains and problem that simply will not be solved in a two hour time block. Once DC/WB accepts that they can start to approach their universe in movie chapters.

With the newest rumors from the Batman Vs Superman movie including everything from Nightwing to Oracle is this a sign that DC/WB is trying to play catch up to Marvel? Is jumping to a Batman Vs Superman movie a sign of desperation expanding simply because the other guy is doing it? Rumors are rumors I understand that part of the comic book world. Why rush off into a Batman/Superman movie when you could of added a complete collection of Heroes and follow on movies.

DC/WB has a leg up on Marvel that they fail to use, their collection of characters! The big five, Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, Flash and Aquaman are known in some manner by the movie going world. DC/WB could actually work backwards. The large cast of Hero’s facing a major villain early on. Then breaking them down into deeper stories in their own films, it a tease in the other direction. You get the big movie, you show what they can do as a team then move onto stand-alone movies to show why they tick.

A perfect example that no one at WB/DC (notice the change there) has a clue how to put together a Wonder Woman movie. Yet if you show this Amazon warrior who is a Icon in her own right, there with the other top Icons you drive up the “what’s next?” from the audience. Also Wonder Woman allows DC/WB to beat Marvel to the punch with a lead female hero.

WB is stumbling on their need to find a difference from the Marvel cinematic approach. Going in a “Nolan/gritty direction” is not the answer. They are failing to see the brass ring, DC has ICONS, and Marvel has flawed Hero’s. People want to see Icons relate to people and flawed people become heroes. Marvel understands this, DC/WB has yet to grasp this idea and until they do we will see movies that sacrifice what makes that Icon a hero.




GammerDad