It’s no secret the comics-crazed Keeper loves DC.
Probably 95 percent of the Fortress is dedicated to the “Original Universe,” and your humble host can easily find himself embroiled in debates about DC characters he previously paid little attention to - i.e. Cassandra Cain.
Yet it wasn’t always this way. Back when the Keeper was first introduced to the world of super-heroics, he was equally devoted to DC’s Marvel-ous competitor.
DC’s heroes and villains were more awe-inspiring - has there ever been a bad guy more terrifying than The Joker? - but there was a certain, funkiness, about Marvel that couldn’t be denied.
The Marvel Universe of yore was a bizarre place, able to balance the standard super-heroics of Iron Man with such surreal creations as the In-Betweener (a cosmic manifestation of “duality”), and Wood-God (essentially The Incredible Hulk mixed with an Ent).
Best of all, Marvel had three of the best characters devised since the Golden Age: Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk and the ever-lovin’, blue-eyed Thing.
Spidey was the favored one, as he truly was “the hero who could be you.” He struggled to pay bills, often found himself a social outcast and - until his glasses broke, anyway - had little luck with the ladies. His powers often complicated - rather than improved - his life, yet Peter always fought the good fight.
Although everyone loves to focus on Peter’s sense of responsibility, there’s another reason our hero stuck it out: Climbing up walls, spinning webs and swinging through downtown Manhattan was cool - facts borne out by the steady stream of one-liners and acrobatic feats Spidey proudly displayed each and every issue.
If Spider-Man mixed free-wheeling fun with Grade A soap opera, the Hulk’s appeal was much more primal. Anyone who had ever been trampled by the world could relate to Bruce Banner.
Sure, he looked meek and harmless on the outside. But if you made Bruce angry… well, you all know how the line goes.
Plus, you just had to like a guy who promised to smash nearly everyone in the Marvel Universe, and then proceeded to do just that. The Hulk wasn’t bragging when he’d call himself “the strongest there is,” the Jolly Green Giant was simply telling the brutal truth.
The equally monstrous Thing was nearly as strong, but possessed appeal beyond his amazing abilities and boyish good looks. He was the hero you’d most want on your side in a bar fight - a guy who’d watch your back while brushing aside thugs like they were little more than annoying insects.
His down-to-earth qualities (ouch) were matched by his valor. It didn’t matter if Ben was totally outclassed by an opponent; he always fought until every bit of strength left his body. And when it came to last-minute comebacks fueled by nothing but determination, the Thing had a better sense of timing and drama than Hulk Hogan.
Plus, like Spider-Man, he was funny.
As the Keeper drifted in and out of comics over the years, he always touched base with childhood favorites in both universes.
Usually, the innovations of one company balanced out the excesses of another. For every Catwoman: Guardian Of Gotham there was an Untold Tales of Spider-Man.
For every Cable, there was a Superman For All Seasons.
But a few years back, things began to change. It wasn’t so much the darkness that prevailed over all super-hero comics, as it was a shift in approach.
Although DC’s pantheon was saddled with overly violent stories and mangled continuity, at least the characters were still heroic.
(Except, maybe, for The Dick Knight…)
Over at Marvel, though, the line between good and evil became so blurred that the distinction no longer seemed to matter. Editor & Chief Joe Quesada, who originally supported innovative series like Grant Morrison’s New X-Men, led the charge for a brand of “realism” that bore a greater resemblance to utter hopelessness.
There were still some “fun” titles, like Dan Slott’s unfortunately canceled Thing, but for the most part heroism in Marvel was exemplified by The New Avengers - characters who stand by helplessly while morally ambiguous antagonists do whatever they want.
Civil War was the last straw. As the Keeper has stated before, Marvel’s insistence on superimposing reality on a genre that inherently is not realistic has sapped the fun and creativity out of the House that Stan, Jack & Steve built.
(Keeper’s note: A compelling argument against Marvel’s current direction can be found here.)
So, for the first time ever, your depressed host no longer includes Marvel books in his weekly reading pile. He is not bitter, for there are always Essentials volumes, graphic novels and back issues out there worth pursuing.
And unlike Quesada himself (who seems to hold contempt for any supporting character who isn’t kewl - R.I.P. Speedball and Foggy Nelson), the Fortress Keeper will not abandon Marvel’s past. Somebody’s got to hold the torch for Mark Gruenwald’s Spider-Woman or Steve Gerber’s Defenders.
But we won’t be picking up any current Marvel product any time soon. Maybe if there’s a regime change…
Now there’s an idea. Let the real Civil War begin!!!
