New York Comic Con is an annual festival for fans of nerd and geek media. At its epicenter are the two giants of the comic book world: DC and Marvel. This year, both companies showed up to promote their brands, but one came prepared for the future while the other simply talked about the past.
Marvel has undertaken numerous changes in the past year. As CEO Axel Alonso said several times this weekend, Thor is a woman, Captain America is black, and a nonhuman, Rocket Raccoon, is arguably the most popular superhero in the world. Things are changing at Marvel.
But at DC, the company seems content to stay on its current track.
To be fair, DC is on the rise. Having fallen years behind Marvel in movie production, DC can now look to a long list of release dates dedicated exclusively to its superhero properties. Superman and Batman will return to the big screen and will be joined by Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern, Cyborg, Shazam, Aquaman, and the Suicide Squad. DC’s heroes also have live-action television series on three broadcast networks with all of them drawing strong ratings and showing infinite potential.
It’s a bit understandable that DC would use this convention to take a bit of a victory lap. After all, the company seems to be taking over broadcast television. The Constantine premiere was well-received, and simply acknowledging Arrow, The Flash, or Gotham caused rapturous applause. But the company’s focus on Gotham specifically seemed to represent a microcosm of the company’s overall philosophy: focus on Batman.
The complete reliance on the Dark Knight may actually be the company’s biggest problem. As an avid, noted fan of the Caped Crusader, I was certainly happy to enjoy the Batman 75th Anniversary panel — a long look back at the hero’s storied career with a star-studded guest list. But when attending the DC Essentials Panel, I at least expected to hear more about the company’s other plans — whether they be about the Justice League, Teen Titans, or anyone else — and less about my favorite hero.
In Marvel’s equivalent panels, Alonso and chief creative officer Joe Quesada announced several new comic titles, including Gamora, centered on the Guardians of the Galaxy character; a new Ant-Man, featuring Scott Lang; and Star Wars titles, such as Kanan, following the early adventures of the new Star Wars Rebels character. Marvel also announced a new creative team for Hawkeye, Jeff Lemire and Ramon Perez, and a new version of the classic comic book crossover Secret Wars. In addition, Marvel screened an episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., announced a new Guardians of the Galaxy cartoon, introduced the cast of Daredevil, and hosted a panel on the future of Marvel Comics following the death of Wolverine.
When asked why the company would kill off such a popular character, the answer, somewhat tongue-in-cheek, was, “So you would stop complaining that he’s overexposed.”
Perhaps DC should learn that lesson — though killing off either Batman or Wolverine is a ridiculous idea. The Dark Knight is an incredible character; the star power of his panel and the sheer number of people in the conference room proved that. But the emphasis on the Bat is hurting DC’s other franchises. During the DC Essentials panel, the company discussed Gotham, Batman issue #35, Batgirl, Batman Earth One, and its new comics, including Gotham Academy and Arkham Manor. No other franchise was given any time during a panel that promised to discuss the essential news about DC’s future.
On the flip side, Marvel’s entire panel focused on change. The biggest change? The Marvel women’s movement. Last year, a new Ms. Marvel was introduced, and she quickly became a sensation. The new hero, Kamala Khan, is a Pakistani Muslim girl from New Jersey who gains super powers. According to Alonso, she is the spiritual heir to Peter Parker as the most relatable superhero in their lineup. Gamora will be getting her own series, as will Angela, an Asgardian spy. They will be joining the new female Thor. In addition, Marvel will introduce its first young adult novel, starring Black Widow, soon.
An entire panel was dedicated to the women working at Marvel, who inspired a great deal of the young ladies in the room to fight for their dreams of working in the comic book industry. The room was enamored by the strong, intelligent women on stage and even managed to start a worldwide Twitter trend: #WomenofMarvel.
That’s not to say that Marvel is perfect, however. Though they were more accessible and progressive, the company has also proven to be set in its ways. Earth-shattering events and the death and inevitable rebirth of major characters have become regular occurrences in the Marvel world. Wolverine’s demise will lead to a spike in comic book sales, but as soon as they dip again, Logan will inevitably be revived. Fantastic Four’s comics will cease production, but only until they can feel “new” again. Cataclysmic events like Secret Wars are being pushed as the biggest in the company’s history, but it takes its name from a comic book event written in the 1980s. The Marvel world has seen so many resurrections, alien invasions, and time-altering battles that there is no longer any sense of scale to the company’s story lines.
But despite the criticism, the future of both companies looks bright. DC’s animated movies have hit an incredible stride, and their next release, Justice League: Throne of Atlantis, promises to be another strong work. Arrow has proven to be a remarkably strong show, and its good will has been passed on to The Flash, which saw impressive numbers in its debut. Critics are also excited for both Gotham and Constantine. In the comics world, Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s run with Batman has consistently spawned the highest-selling comic book in the country, and its stories going forward offer intriguing potential.
Marvel is on top of the world and can afford to take some bigger risks. The stage has been set for a major shakeup in the Marvel comic book continuity with Secret Wars and the recently announced relaunch of the Civil War. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is doing well, but Netflix’s Daredevil promises to be a game changer. In the comics, Hawkeye is an award-winning piece of work, Ms. Marvel has showcased the company as a beacon of progressive characters, and the new Star Wars line is a guaranteed hit under Marvel creative, especially with Lucasfilm’s promise of a larger canon moving forward.
It has been said for some time now that nerd culture has taken over popular culture, but it was never more evident than at this weekend’s NYCC, which was even larger than this year’s San Diego International Comic Con. It’s an exciting time to be a fan of superheroes, comic books, and action-adventure, even if the Big Two’s quirks may sometimes be frustrating.