The characters and storylines of the Marvel universe are more entertaining.

The argument

Marvel knows how to draw in its audience with its bright tone and effective use of humor. This element of their presentation is why their comics, and particularly their movies, have seen such success. They know how to entertain both the average viewer as well as the hardcore fan. Fan-favorite Spider-Man, with his youthful exuberance and humorous persona, is known in both the comics and the movies for his lighthearted heroism and humorous exploits. As a teenage student by day and vigilante by night, the hero's dangerous crime-fighting life clashes with his more mundane, but almost no less critical, responsibilities of Peter Parker - like family, school, and his job - making for some very entertaining interactions. And while fighting crime, Spider-Man often takes time to taunt and mock his opponents in humorous ways, before truly making a fool out of them by webbing them up and leaving them to the police. Another fan-favorite takes levity to its utmost extreme, that character being Deadpool. Deadpool is known for his vicious mockery of friend and foe alike, and making a joke out of even the most grim situation. His almost immortal nature allows him to make intensely gory humor into yet another bit. And his tendency to break the fourth wall is a time-honored comic tradition that, while certainly amusing, keeps a fan grounded without breaking immersion too much. DC's reputation of grimdark stories can turn a prospective fan off. It's a much better method to draw someone in with grounded, relatable humor and levity, before getting them hooked on the story.

Premises

Counter-arguments

DC has plenty of lighthearted stories as well. Just look at the Teen Titans comics and animated series, and also Teen Titans Go!. Like Spider-Man, they show young heroes balancing teenage life with superhero work. Or look at the Harley Quinn animated series, which portrays a humorous, satirical take on the heroes and villains of Gotham. But aside from that, levity isn't always a good thing. If you focus too much on entertainment value, you lose out on exploring a deeper storyline with a meaningful plot and themes. Summer blockbusters are a fun watch, but they're ultimately meaningless. The Marvel movies have been criticized for generic plots, overdone comedy, and shallow action.

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P1] The premise builds the preference into the standard. Whether humour and levity beat sombre storytelling is a matter of taste, and stating it as a general truth about what draws audiences assumes the conclusion rather than arguing for it. [Rejecting P2] Spider-Man and Deadpool are well chosen but unrepresentative. The same catalogue contains a great deal that plays it straight, so the examples show the comic tone exists rather than that it characterises the universe. [Rejecting P3] The characterisation of the rival is selective. Teen Titans in comics and animation, and the Harley Quinn series, are squarely comic in register, so the grimdark contrast holds for a particular run of films rather than for the universe being compared. [Rejecting C] Even if every premise held, entertainment value is one criterion among several. Thematic ambition and formal risk are the grounds the opposing case rests on, and 'better universe' cannot be settled by selecting the single measure on which one side does well.