DC Comics and Marvel Comics are the two biggest comic book companies in the United States, and every now and then, they crossover. The biggest crossover between them is the 2003-2004 4-issue miniseries event JLA/Avengers, which pits the greatest superhero teams of each universe (the Justice League of America from the DC Universe, and the Avengers from the Marvel Universe) first against each other, then against a common threat... if they can get along, that is.

In my point of view, DC Comics is the more "fantasy-like" of the two, in that it is more "idealistic," and sees what could be, and what should be.

Marvel Comics, on the other hand, is the more "realistic" of the two, in that it is more pragmatic; it sees what is. It takes place in a fictional world that is based on the real world, and is very conscious of current events.

DC and Marvel tend to criticize each other on these facts, based on their own styles of stories, and this criticism is played on for tension in the JLA/Avengers crossover of 2003-2004, in which the teams don't get along because of their opinions of each other's respective worlds. In particular, Superman is disgusted at the Marvel Universe for the harsh conditions in that world (monsters running rampant, brutal tyrants, and anti-mutant prejudice). Conversely, when Captain America visits the DC Universe, he gets an impression that the native heroes are fascists who demand that ordinary citizens worship them. Keep in mind that neither of the two are themselves in this crossover, and both acknowledge this in the fourth and final issue of the crossover, though it is the Avengers who are more at fault, since they should do more than crime-fighting in order to truly help their world.

Do you enjoy DC/Marvel intercompany crossovers, and out of the two companies, which do you like better: DC or Marvel? In my opinion, though I like both, I have to say that I like DC slightly better, since the Justice League stands for other positive morals in addition to justice, such as empathy and decency. What's your opinion?