The views expressed in this article belong to the reporter, and do not reflect the views held by Rockbridge County High School, the Prowler Staff, and its members.

The Marvel Universe has assembled into an incredibly impactful franchise in the past decade and has provided some of the most high quality entertainment available in today’s day and age. Furthermore, Marvel’s superiority is made even greater by how it outdoes its number one competitor, Detective Comics (DC), across multiple fronts of the industry including movies, comics, and general public consumption. Everything about Marvel and their content is spectacular and it without question provides the best cumulative superhero experience.

While there is some debate as to what year Marvel began, the year that ushered in the modern Marvel era most people know today began when Stan Lee and Jack Kirby wrote the first Marvel’ comic book “Fantastic Four” in 1961. Since then Marvel has produced countless comics for fans to enjoy and as of recently, comic book sales for Marvel have flourished. According to statistsa.com, during the second quarter of 2021, Marvel’s comics have held top position in the market at a high of 32.2 percent.

I find the allure of Marvel’s comics to be found in the themes they contain and their respective characters. The stories Marvel comics tell are not too dark or edgy and the heroes always win in the end, which makes me, as a reader, feel full of hope by the time I have finished with an issue series.  Another strong aspect is how their characters have such relatable human qualities. For example, when the character of Spider-Man is examined, it is clear he battles with his human side far more than his “super-side.” Seeing Spider-Man struggle with things like paying bills or finding love helps me to empathise and grow alongside him. Much like Spider-Man, there are many other Marvel heroes that are relatable to everyday life, allowing the audience to further make a connection to them.

In addition to the success of their comic books, Marvel’s Cinematic Universe has also been booming. As stated on BusinessInsider.com Marvel has made close to 23 billion dollars across the globe on their movies alone and that number speaks volumes as to public reception of the films, which is impressive given that number is growing. There are now a total of 26 intertwined films within the Marvel Universe which is unique. Unlike other franchises, all the films connect in a very original and thoughtful way that creates a larger overarching story that fans, such as myself, have grown very invested in. 

Now there are those that prefer Marvel’s number one competitor, DC, because they find it to be better at creating comics, movies, and video games, but when you look at statistics that simply isn’t true. DC is only the second highest grossing comic book company in the business behind as listed on statista.com holding roughly 24 percent of the market. As for its movies, it is plain to see that public reception is nowhere near close to that of Marvel. DC’s big movie debut, “Justice League,” was an absolute flop reaching a measly 650 million according to Forbes.com (not to mention they remade it later to try and improve the quality). Collider.com cites Marvel’s big team film debut, “Avengers,” as having made 1.5 billion dollars.  

While statistics can speak to the dominance of Marvel, I can personally attest to how special the company has been in my life. One of my earliest memories is of this one time I was playing Spider-Man in my grandparents living room and I asked my grandfather if he would be Green Goblin so I could fight him. To this day, that has been my only wrestling with grandpa, but it was awesome. I think this is the essence of what makes Marvel so great. It brings positivity into people’s lives that they then get to share with those around them. You don’t get that from other superhero experiences where sometimes there is no happy ending or the themes are dark and heavy. 

Marvel delivers a truly heartfelt and personal experience for consumers and its quality is supported by its sales and popularity. The future for the company includes creating more comic books, movies, video games, and expanding its Disney+ streaming series as evidenced by their public announcement posters on instagram and other social media websites. 

For further reference check out these websites:

https://collider.com/ 

https://www.businessinsider.com/

https://www.statista.com/