Marvel Vs. DC : Websites

Fans of comics or comic book movies are constantly in an argument with over which is better. Marvel or DC? Its a big debate DC has Batman Superman and Green Lantern but Marvel has Spider-Man and the X-Men. Both put out quality stuff so it’s really hard to choose. But I’m about to invoke another debate. Which website is better Marvel or DC?

The biggest debate since Dr. Pepper vs Mr. Pibb

Round 1: How Easy is it to Find

The first thing I notice is that when you Google DC, it comes after DC Shoes so it’s not even the top search, but Marvel takes about half of the first page. So first point goes to Marvel for being easiest to find. Even if it’s only by a small Fraction (Apologies for the lame Matt joke).

Marvel: 1
DC: 0

Round 2: Homepage

Both homepages aren’t bad but I find that DC has a nice simple and clear homepage. Since there isn’t that much on the website you can easily find what you want, and go to it. Marvel is a bit more cluttered, not enough for it to suck but enough that I just enjoy DC’s homepage more. Point for DC.

Marvel: 1

DC:1

Round 3: Locating Solicit Information

Pictured: Convenience

DC is the clear winner in this case. One of the main uses of a comic website is to find what comics are being released soon. DC has their list all on one nice page. You can click on each week and the new releases for that week appear. Its very simple. Marvel recently changed theirs, it was a lot worse than it currently is but this one isn’t as good as DC’s. It lists all the releases for that week clearly but it’s complicated to find the weeks after that. This is especially true if you are on your phone or iPod touch. It makes things a lot harder. So point for DC.

Marvel: 1

DC: 2

Round 4: Video

I looked at all the Marvel videos, and they do have a lot. They have previews of their upcoming movies like Thor and classic looks at their old animated TV shows. They also have a show that takes a look at what’s going on at Marvel and everything related to the brand. When I went to the DC site they had one video up and when I clicked on it my window froze. Sooo I think we all know that the victory goes to Marvel there.

Marvel: 2
DC: 2


Round 5: Message Boards

 The Marvel and DC message boards are both pretty organized. So props to them. But this is a competition so I’m going to have to nitpick now . The color scheme on DC’s site makes the forums seem less cluttered. Also I’ve seen comic writers post on the DC message boards which is awesome. Marvel loses points because they actually make a section dedicated to fan fiction, and in NO way should that be encouraged.

Marvel: 2

DC: 3

Round 6: Extras 

For Extras DC comics has a blog with news and previews on upcoming comics. Icons and Desktop patterns to download, podcasts and checklists for their latest events.

Marvel has games wallpaper podcasts character galleries, creator galleries, and things to download to your phone.

Marvel wins for this one games and creator galleries are much cooler than icons.

Marvel: 3
DC: 3

So that makes 3 for Marvel and 3 for DC. Ahh yes the tie cop out. Both websites are a good representation of what their brand actually, well...represents. Marvel has a more modern feel to it using videos and games to entertain visitors, but DC is simple and easy to navigate. But both really could take a cue from the other. Not like a Doom patrol/X-men cue, that's just ripping each other off. They need to learn from each other to figure out what will work on their website, and what won’t.