Marvel vs. DC: The Unwinnable Debate
I heard it said recently on DC Women Kicking Ass and Galactic Suburbia that Marvel does not have an equivalent to Wonder Woman. After much careful thought, I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s true. There is no Marvel equivalent to Wonder Woman. Because Marvel and DC are not the same.
Who is the Marvel equivalent to Superman? You’ll find that there isn’t one. Nor is there an equivalent to Batman, Robin, Catwoman, Starfire, Batgirl, Harley Quinn, Joker…. You get the idea. The universes are not the same, and so it makes no sense to compare them.
DC is all about the big, all-powerful superhero (such as Superman and Wonder Woman). DC is about solo heroes with arch foes and sidekicks (Batman, Green Lantern). DC is about heroes passing the mantle to the next in line (Batman, Batgirl, Green Lantern).
Marvel is different. Marvel is about the damaged superhero (Spiderman, Wolverine, Rogue). Marvel is about big teams (X-Men, Avengers, Brotherhood of Mutants). Marvel is about big crossover events (Civil War, SpiderIsland).
All of this is to rehash the point I made before: Marvel and DC are not the same.
If we want to ask about the Marvel equivalent to Wonder Woman, why not reverse it? Who is the DC equivalent of Jean Grey? Who is the DC equivalent of Emma Frost? Who is the DC equivalent of Kitty Pryde? Who is the DC equivalent of Storm?
I didn’t realise until I started writing this just how much that statement bothered me, because it sets up a dynamic that you cannot hope to win. Both DC and Marvel have their problems, both DC and Marvel have their good. But they are not the same.
