Why is DC so dark and edgy compared to Marvel?

Adaptations of Marvel Comics in other media, such as movies, TV shows, and video games, tend to be bright, colorful, and funny, whereas adaptations of DC Comics in other media tend to be dark, edgy, grim, gritty, and gloomy. Consider the tone of the movies: Marvel movies are fun and have lots of funny moments, whereas DC movies these days are grim and have almost no humor. The same goes for video games: Marvel vs Capcom 3 was bright and colorful, whereas Injustice: Gods Among Us was grim and gritty. Why is DC Comics so dark and edgy?

they need to compensate for simply not being as awesome as marvel

Because The Dark Knight was really popular and people only like one style of movie.

Because Batman.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mirage

they need to compensate for simply not being as awesome as marvel

---

get out

It has a lot to do w/ the Batman thing, as Shauna & Ayen have already stated. Batman is probably the biggest property of DC. Yes, he's bigger than Superman.

If Daredevil had been that to Marvel, Marvel might've had a different tone. Alas, their biggest star is the Amazing Spider-Man, which has a much lighter tone. I know Spider-Man wasn't until recently part of the MCU, but I think his influence spreads over everything Marvel does. Cap isn't necessarily a dark character, nor are most of the Avengers.

It's not Batman's fault though. There has been plenty of campy as trout Batman over the years.

It is specifically Nolan's movies that has cast this shadow. :p When I said The Dark Knight, I specifically meant The Dark Knight movie.

The Killing Joke was from the 80's and I don't think the darkness in that is ever going to be surpassed.

At least a couple of their new shows haven't been dark and gritty. The Flash isn't dark and gritty. Supergirl definitely isn't going to be dark and gritty.

Because movie executives don't know what made the Nolan Trilogy good and just take the cosmetic surface aspects of it and expect us to swallow it up.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by blackmage_nuke

Because movie executives don't know what made the Nolan Trilogy good and just take the cosmetic surface aspects of it and expect us to swallow it up.

---

That's probably the best answer

Another part of it is that trying to make their movies like Marvel would be taking on Marvel at their own game. They've perfected the art of the fun blockbuster superhero movie, and have been nailing it for almost a decade now. If DC took Batman and rebooted it to be more like the Animated Series... that would be pretty awesome. But you're also then just going to be in Marvel's shadow picking up their scraps.

Now, you could argue that they're already seen that way (at least in terms of movies) and I would agree, but at least they're trying to do it in their own way. I've always had a problem with video games that try to capitalise on the success of Call of Duty by copying Call of Duty. There's already a game for people who enjoy Call of Duty - it's called Call of Duty. It's the same here - if you want to see a Marvel style film, you'll go see a Marvel film, not somebody who is just copying them.

Probably because DC is inherently more gritty than Marvel is. Go read some comics.

I'm glad that both are the way they are, I like the contrast between the two.

Marvel has the whimsical hero adventure model pretty much down so DC goes for the more serious approach to differentiate itself since, for the last several years, they've been the less successful.

However, their are exceptions, like the Flash TV series which is very lighthearted and the Daredevil Netflix series which is pretty dark compared to recent Marvel media.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Del Murder

Marvel has the whimsical hero adventure model pretty much down so DC goes for the more serious approach to differentiate itself since, for the last several years, they've been the less successful.

However, their are exceptions, like the Flash TV series which is very lighthearted and the Daredevil Netflix series which is pretty dark compared to recent Marvel media.

---

That probably has a lot to do w/ the atmosphere of those franchises. If you did those in reverse, they'd probably not be as good.

Basically, if the character is meant to be dark and gritty or the reverse, embrace it.

If you're trying to make them something they're not because another superhero style was successful, don't be surprised when it blows up in your face.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Del Murder

Marvel has the whimsical hero adventure model pretty much down so DC goes for the more serious approach to differentiate itself since, for the last several years, they've been the less successful.

However, their are exceptions, like the Flash TV series which is very lighthearted and the Daredevil Netflix series which is pretty dark compared to recent Marvel media.

---

I suppose that in all the years that Warner Bros. has owned DC Comics, they've never been able to market them effectively, except for Batman and Superman. Meanwhile, look at what Disney has done with Marvel Comics; they're doing better than ever under Disney's ownership.

And I would like it if DC changed styles to be more of Marvel's fun, action-adventure style, instead of the grim and gritty style they've been doing lately. I hope Warner Bros. can get it right, so that they can make DC bright and colorful again, like they were in the 1980s and 1990s.