[Greenskar]

Wow great thread. I'm sure I'll have a lot more to post and people to quote when i get back to my laptop and am not limited to the functions of a smart phone, but for now I'll keep it simple.

If I were to just compare the big name brands of the DC and Marvel Universe one theme is abundantly clear to me:

DC: these are real superheros that the world (speaking in Comic reality terms) knows and loves. They are accepted as Earth's saviors and protectors for the most part over the years. Sure there have been exceptions where I'm sure public opinion was swayed but you'll be hard pressed to find a hero(s) in the Marvel Universe that can lay an unrivaled claim to an entire city as their sole protector the way Superman, Batman and Green Lantern do with Metropolis, Gotham City and Coast City, respectively. ICONS, indeed.

Marvel: misfits and outcasts with powers struggling to find their place in the world and put their abilities to good use. Marvel is about trying to stay as close to current events in not just pop culture but changes in society in general. People are skeptics by nature and as such no one ever really trusts these guys even if they wear (or in some cases especially if they wear) the American Flag as their costume. Mutants that are seen as abominations, Gods that no one believes in, monsters that destroy more than they protect, kids who should be in school, aliens who shouldn't even be here, substance abusers and the list goes on. These are themes that really resonate with the general public I think in that people tend to be more attracted to those with flaws they can relate to that bring a superhero down. When's the last time, in the interest of making a point about the general public (as I'm well aware DC has had far more engaging ways for their heroes to fall from grace over the years), that any of us were worried we might come in contact with Kryptonite or be limited by the color of fear? Symbolic as those are for actual human issues they aren't as straight forward and gripping as the all too familiar demons of Racism or alcoholism, to name a few that Marvel has exploited in their universe over the decades.