The Original Difference Between Marvel and DC Comics
Marvel and DC Comics have always had a different vibe from each other. That difference changed over time but there was a very marked difference at the beginning. By this beginning, I’m referring to the 60s and 70s and even into the 80s.
When a new villain was introduced in a Marvel comic, they became a character dropped into the Marvel universe in general. A villain that appears in Iron Man might then appear in Iron Man and then in Fantastic Four and so on. There was an emphasis on a shared universe.
For DC, characters were more closely tied to the series they were introduced in. So Superman, Batman, Flash, and Green Lantern, all had their rogues galleries. It was possible for the Weather Wizard (a Flash villain) to fight Batman (which did happen), but that was the exception and not the rule.
Although I was always more of a DC fan, back in the 70s and 80s I always kind of wished for some Marvel dynamic, some more shared universe. It did happen sometimes but not often.
Of course, things are different. DC Comics have been Marvelized. Any villain can appear in any series and face any hero. Is this good or bad? That is up to individual taste.
This is an interesting conversation in this age of Marvel and DC cinematic universes. The importance of shared universes is growing. We see it in Star Wars, Star Trek, and even the Monsterverse.
For that media, it can become more about world building than story telling. I have seen that with the recent Marvel shows. We will wait and see if that happens with the new DC Universe.
