Amongst comic fans, the Marvel/DC debate is always a hot topic. Marvel fans and DC fans consistently say that their franchise is the best, but everyone has their own ideas of what the best of something is.

For now, lets talk about movies. Marvel movies are known for their action packed scenes whereas DC movies are known for their gritty, tough feel. Both feature a wide variety of super heroes and are constantly expanding on their cinematic universes.

It’s safe to say that Marvel makes more money than DC when it comes to releasing their films. Marvel’s The Avengers made $207,438,708 on their opening weekend, whereas DC’s The Dark Knight Rises only made $160,887,295. Both these movies came out within two months of each other.

Marvel is better at advertising their products and superheroes, however, and have a diverse cast of characters. This isn’t saying that DC doesn’t, but that Marvel has more publicity than DC.

The question is – what makes a superhero movie good?

The quality of a superhero movie varies. Batman and Superman are some of the best known superheroes in the world. They’re cool and unique, as Superman’s powers continuously vary and Batman has the appeal of an orphan billionaire that decided to make his city a safer place.

Marvel on the other hand has a few well known characters, like the Hulk, Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor. Back in August of 2014, Marvel released Guardians of the Galaxy, a film about heroes that were different than any others and were not very well known. However, after opening weekend, everyone heard about how witty and fun the movie was, and everyone flooded the theaters to see it.

But how is this different from Man of Steel and The Dark Knight trilogy?

Marvel tends to take the sillier, more “family-friendly” approach. DC likes the gritty, dark storylines that people can still enjoy, but might not necessarily be considered a family movie. Both appeal to nearly all ages and genders, however.

Whichever movies are better is, in truth, just opinion. Everyone has a preference and whatever you think of a movie is your truth. Yes, DC may not have had the best movies, but Marvel also has some bad ones. No matter what, both entertainment companies make incredible movies that everyone loves.