For Comic Book Aficionados: Who Does Live Action TV better, Marvel or DC?

[AthenaAwakened]

Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Marvel's Agent Carter

Both these shows are already on and DareDevil the Man Without Fear is coming to Netflix in the spring.

Over on FOX, you have Gotham and on the CW you have Arrow and The Flash and on NBC there is Constantine

I have watched or am currently watching all these shows and each brings something to the table I like, but I find myself asking which ones do I like more and why?
So I thought I would ask you guys that question and see what you think.

 

[marc]

Currently I find Gotham, Arrow, and Flash to be great shows. Constantine is ok. I like S.H.I.E.L.D.. The first season was good, but a little limited because it had to hold back for the Captain America tie in. It is getting better, but not on the level of most of the DC ones yet. Only saw the Agent Carter short last year, and it was great. Got the first episode recorded, might watch it tonight.

So overall DC is doing better currently. They made the Penguin scary!

 

[AthenaAwakened]

Currently I find Gotham, Arrow, and Flash to be great shows. Constantine is ok. I like S.H.I.E.L.D.. The first season was good, but a little limited because it had to hold back for the Captain America tie in. It is getting better, but not on the level of most of the DC ones yet. Only saw the Agent Carter short last year, and it was great. Got the first episode recorded, might watch it tonight.

So overall DC is doing better currently. They made the Penguin scary!

See I get where you're coming from. I like the movie tie ins that Marvel is doing. My favorite has to The Flash, especially with Firestorm on there, because it's right now the most comic-y.

Gotham is a graphic novel, straight up and not for the young. kids are gonna watch it and some of them may even get it, but that is a grown up show.

Couldn't get into Constantine, probably because I had not read the comic.

Arrow has gotten better since they ditched all those boring "Remember when this happened" stories. I hated hearing those stories. It is TV PEOPLE, You don't talk, you SHOW.

The Daredevil movie makes me scared of the TV show, but it kinda almost has to be better

Like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. although not feeling their chose of characters to kill off.
Watched both episode of Agent Carter Love the period, post war-pre Elvis. Loving the show and all those haters out there who are complaining that she is surrounded by men, 1) no, she has female friends and at the end of episode 2, she moves into a hotel for women. 2) IT IS 1946 PEOPLE!! and she is a spy. unless Marta Hari is going to be resurrected, in a 1946 spy workplace, gonna be guys. LOTS of guys. GET OVER IT.

 

[Unbeatable]

I've pretty much quit watching all of these shows(except Agent Carter, which I never saw in the first place). But while I was watching, I definitely liked Gotham and Constantine more. They were the only shows I could actually respect. Flash, Arrow, and S.H.I.E.L.D. didn't take themselves seriously enough for my taste.

 

[Jayjay]

DC/WB is winning so far. Not only do they have twice the shows on air, they seem a bit more mature, while still playing with fantastical superhero tropes. Marvel/Disney is playing it safe it seems. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is so fucking boring this season, that I'm afraid it'll be cancelled if they don't pick up the pace. Agents Carter seems like an interesting concept, though the first episode was a bit underwhelming.

I'm definitely looking forward to the upcoming Netflix shows.

 

[AthenaAwakened]

DC/WB is winning so far. Not only do they have twice the shows on air, they seem a bit more mature, while still playing with fantastical superhero tropes. Marvel/Disney is playing it safe it seems. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is so fucking boring this season, that I'm afraid it'll be cancelled if they don't pick up the pace. Agents Carter seems like an interesting concept, though the first episode was a bit underwhelming.

I'm definitely looking forward to the upcoming Netflix shows.

I am giving Agent Carter the benefit of the doubt. I can see how they are laying a ground work with these first two episodes and if they can hit me with a killer season ender, all will be forgiven.

 

[KeepTalking]

So far I think the DC shows are doing it better, if only because they are actually concentrating on the super-heroes we know, rather than their supporting characters. The exception being Gotham on the DC side, where the focus is on Jim Gordon, and the villains.

That said, I like both Agents of SHIELD, despite the slow start of season 1, and Agent Carter. Because of the limited mini-series run of Agent Carter, I think they have been able to put together a more consistent and compelling story line. They don't have the time for a slow build like in Agents of SHIELD, and this keeps them from straying too far from the central narrative. I was, however, hoping to see more of the Howling Commandos.

As a comic book geek, I know there are big things, and more major reveals coming for Agents of SHIELD, you also have to expect the slow build from any Joss Whedon series. With the now obvious Inhumans tie-in, there is no doubt that they will be parceling these reveals out very slowly over the next few seasons, since the Inhumans movie is not slated for release until November 2018. Since the show was not placed on FOX, there is actually a good chance that it will survive that long.

From a pure "how well does it match the comics" angle, Flash is probably the best in the bunch, and it is currently my favorite. Some may not like the villain of the week flavor, but that is very much comic book inspired. You get arcs running through several issues (episodes), but for the impulse buyers of the comics who may pick up a single issue mid-run, you almost have to give them something that they feel was wrapped up in the book they bought. Yes, there are plenty of titles these days that buck that trend (I'm looking at you, Batman Eternal, and you are a fucking weekly comic that has totally sucked me in with your never ending story arc), but by and large, that is the way comics are done.

I have high hopes for the upcoming Netflix shows, they will have the same benefit and challenge as Agent Carter, given their intended limited run series formats, though I think they are planning 15 episodes each, rather than the 7 episodes we are getting from Agent Carter. Netflix has also produced some excellent series, so I feel they are in good hands.

 

[Davka]

Marvel, hands-down. They had better characters in the first place, and they're staying truer to the original than DC.

Gotham is the standout exception, but it's not actually based on a DC comic. It's a prequel world.

Flash is just as cheesy plot-wise as the comic was, and the dialogue is trite and hackneyed. ("Trite and hackneyed," perhaps the most self-referential phrase in the English language!) I guess that makes it "true to the original," but let's face it, the original was poorly-written drek. Sure, I loved it when I was 7, but then I grew up and learned the difference between a cool concept and the excellent rendition of a cool concept in the comics. Arrow pisses me off to no end - compare the doofus on the TV show with this guy:

The original green Arrow/Green lantern comic was so edgy it made Nixon's enemies list and got shut down. This paltry excuse for a show doesn't even have the cojones to call itself Green Arrow, going instead for just "arrow" in hopes of deflecting the ire of comix fans.

S.H.I.E.L.D. is funny and clever, like the comic. Ditto for Agent Carter. Marvel has always been classier and more clever than DC, first in comix, then in the movies, and now on TV. Suck it, DC!

 

[AthenaAwakened]

About the Flash

What can I say?

LOVING IT!!!

I have been a Flash fan from short pants days. Always thought DC could do more with him when I was growing up, and it is good to see them doing something now.

Now I am just waiting on Gorilla Grodd. He will make my day.

 

[Underseer]

I have a soft spot for Agents of SHIELD, but that is probably because I was a Marvel fan as a little boy, and the Marvel show is chock full of Easter eggs for Marvel fanboys.

I do also enjoy Arrow/Flash, but mostly because they so thoroughly subvert the original source material.

 

[Underseer]

About the Flash

What can I say?

LOVING IT!!!

I have been a Flash fan from short pants days. Always thought DC could do more with him when I was growing up, and it is good to see them doing something now.

Now I am just waiting on Gorilla Grodd. He will make my day.

I was a Marvel fanboy as a kid, and I'm not really into DC stuff, but what I always loved about the various incarnations of the Flash is that he's... well... perky and kind of dorky. There's no other way to put it. For all that the TV show subverts about the Flash mythology, they did preserve that one essential element of the character.

I also enjoy the relative absurdity of the fact that Flash is a professional forensic scientist while Batman is an amateur forensic scientist, but if any DC superheroes need forensic analysis, they always go to Batman before Flash, and they are probably right to do so.

 

[Underseer]

Marvel, hands-down. They had better characters in the first place, and they're staying truer to the original than DC.

Gotham is the standout exception, but it's not actually based on a DC comic. It's a prequel world.

Flash is just as cheesy plot-wise as the comic was, and the dialogue is trite and hackneyed. ("Trite and hackneyed," perhaps the most self-referential phrase in the English language!) I guess that makes it "true to the original," but let's face it, the original was poorly-written drek. Sure, I loved it when I was 7, but then I grew up and learned the difference between a cool concept and the excellent rendition of a cool concept in the comics. Arrow pisses me off to no end - compare the doofus on the TV show with this guy:

The original green Arrow/Green lantern comic was so edgy it made Nixon's enemies list and got shut down. This paltry excuse for a show doesn't even have the cojones to call itself Green Arrow, going instead for just "arrow" in hopes of deflecting the ire of comix fans.

S.H.I.E.L.D. is funny and clever, like the comic. Ditto for Agent Carter. Marvel has always been classier and more clever than DC, first in comix, then in the movies, and now on TV. Suck it, DC!

Hey, I actually like Arrow. Yeah, they've turned the character on its head and subverted a lot of essential elements of the character, but at least he is still a silver spoon boy who really cares about what happens to poor people. All that stuff about making him hard core instead of swash-buckling was actually kind of cool.

 

[AthenaAwakened]

About the Flash

What can I say?

LOVING IT!!!

I have been a Flash fan from short pants days. Always thought DC could do more with him when I was growing up, and it is good to see them doing something now.

Now I am just waiting on Gorilla Grodd. He will make my day.

I was a Marvel fanboy as a kid, and I'm not really into DC stuff, but what I always loved about the various incarnations of the Flash is that he's... well... perky and kind of dorky. There's no other way to put it. For all that the TV show subverts about the Flash mythology, they did preserve that one essential element of the character.

I also enjoy the relative absurdity of the fact that Flash is a professional forensic scientist while Batman is an amateur forensic scientist, but if any DC superheroes need forensic analysis, they always go to Batman before Flash, and they are probably right to do so.

Barry's dorkiness is what makes him adorable. But he is good scientist and some of the things he has come up with in the comics over the years have down right inspired. DC has always played the character cheap but I have always loved him. Every superhero doesn't have to be a walking breathing copy of the DSM IV *cough*Batman*cough*

 

[AthenaAwakened]

Marvel, hands-down. They had better characters in the first place, and they're staying truer to the original than DC.

Gotham is the standout exception, but it's not actually based on a DC comic. It's a prequel world.

Flash is just as cheesy plot-wise as the comic was, and the dialogue is trite and hackneyed. ("Trite and hackneyed," perhaps the most self-referential phrase in the English language!) I guess that makes it "true to the original," but let's face it, the original was poorly-written drek. Sure, I loved it when I was 7, but then I grew up and learned the difference between a cool concept and the excellent rendition of a cool concept in the comics. Arrow pisses me off to no end - compare the doofus on the TV show with this guy:

The original green Arrow/Green lantern comic was so edgy it made Nixon's enemies list and got shut down. This paltry excuse for a show doesn't even have the cojones to call itself Green Arrow, going instead for just "arrow" in hopes of deflecting the ire of comix fans.

S.H.I.E.L.D. is funny and clever, like the comic. Ditto for Agent Carter. Marvel has always been classier and more clever than DC, first in comix, then in the movies, and now on TV. Suck it, DC!

Hey, I actually like Arrow. Yeah, they've turned the character on its head and subverted a lot of essential elements of the character, but at least he is still a silver spoon boy who really cares about what happens to poor people. All that stuff about making him hard core instead of swash-buckling was actually kind of cool.

The darkening of Arrow, I don't have a problem with. But they do seem scare to let him out into the city he is suppose to be protecting. He protects to the poor and downtrodden, but you don't see him actually talking to them. They need to work on that.

ALSO, on a personal note, I need to see more shirtless Diggle. I know he makes Oliver look like 13 because he is so much bigger, but I don't care. I want more shirtless Diggle please. thank you.

 

[marc]

The Constantine movie was good, but I'm just not getting into the TV series.

 

[Tom Sawyer]

I don't like the Flash TV show at all.

Firstly, Ming the Merciless hasn't shown up once, even though he's supposed to be the main protagonist. Also, Flash doesn't fly on a rocket ship and just runs around quickly like some kind of Speedy Gonzales rip-off.

Try and honour the fucking source material, people!

 

[Underseer]

I was a Marvel fanboy as a kid, and I'm not really into DC stuff, but what I always loved about the various incarnations of the Flash is that he's... well... perky and kind of dorky. There's no other way to put it. For all that the TV show subverts about the Flash mythology, they did preserve that one essential element of the character.

I also enjoy the relative absurdity of the fact that Flash is a professional forensic scientist while Batman is an amateur forensic scientist, but if any DC superheroes need forensic analysis, they always go to Batman before Flash, and they are probably right to do so.

Barry's dorkiness is what makes him adorable. But he is good scientist and some of the things he has come up with in the comics over the years have down right inspired. DC has always played the character cheap but I have always loved him. Every superhero doesn't have to be a walking breathing copy of the DSM IV *cough*Batman*cough*

I always liked Barry's dorkiness. It's charming, especially when contrasted against the more dour personalities of the other key superheroes in the DC universe. Batman + Flash = hilarity.

I also got a big kick out of one of the Justice League cartoons that portrayed Question as a libertarian conspiracy-obsessed nutjob.

 

[Underseer]

Hey, I actually like Arrow. Yeah, they've turned the character on its head and subverted a lot of essential elements of the character, but at least he is still a silver spoon boy who really cares about what happens to poor people. All that stuff about making him hard core instead of swash-buckling was actually kind of cool.

The darkening of Arrow, I don't have a problem with. But they do seem scare to let him out into the city he is suppose to be protecting. He protects to the poor and downtrodden, but you don't see him actually talking to them. They need to work on that.

ALSO, on a personal note, I need to see more shirtless Diggle. I know he makes Oliver look like 13 because he is so much bigger, but I don't care. I want more shirtless Diggle please. thank you.

My big fanboy moment was getting pissed off any time he dated someone other than Canary. The right Canary. You know what I mean! *pout*

Also, when is Canary getting her superpowers? Stop teasing us already!

The fun thing about Canary is that she has a superpower, but prefers to punch people like a badass normal because she's terrified of accidentally killing someone. As dark as Arrow is, I expect Canary to accidentally kill someone to show us why Canary is so reticent to use her superpower.

Lastly, does anyone else think little sister is going to turn out to be Artemis? Or someone else?

 

[AthenaAwakened]

The darkening of Arrow, I don't have a problem with. But they do seem scare to let him out into the city he is suppose to be protecting. He protects to the poor and downtrodden, but you don't see him actually talking to them. They need to work on that.

ALSO, on a personal note, I need to see more shirtless Diggle. I know he makes Oliver look like 13 because he is so much bigger, but I don't care. I want more shirtless Diggle please. thank you.

My big fanboy moment was getting pissed off any time he dated someone other than Canary. The right Canary. You know what I mean! *pout*

Also, when is Canary getting her superpowers? Stop teasing us already!

The fun thing about Canary is that she has a superpower, but prefers to punch people like a badass normal because she's terrified of accidentally killing someone. As dark as Arrow is, I expect Canary to accidentally kill someone to show us why Canary is so reticent to use her superpower.

Lastly, does anyone else think little sister is going to turn out to be Artemis? Or someone else?

I have had the Artemis conversation, but I hope not. Personally I'm not in love with Thea. She is in her third season of annoying me, and quite frankly I don't need a fourth.

 

[Mumbles]

Hm. Good question.

I never watched Constantine, so there's that. And Gotham's clearly a prequel, although Penguin is...good.

Personally, I think...DC has it better than Marvel as far as tv shows go. That's not to say I don't like Agents of SHIELD, or Agent Carter (Peggy Carter's the illest!). But I find Gotham to be very interesting. Arrow and Flash are both enjoyable nonsense.

Regardless, I'm really loving this tv season. And yeah, I'm also waiting for Gorilla Grodd to show up. This should be fun!