Eye on Comics
  • About/Submissions

Versus

  • Editorials

I managed to get out and see Captain America: Civil War in its second weekend of release, and as expected, it was quite entertaining. However, my Facebook feed was filled through the previous week with raves from the many comic-book enthusiasts and pros I follow on social media. Along with it was a fair bit of some familiar criticisms (even up to vitriol) — not for Civil War, but for Batman Vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice. The new Marvel movie isn’t nearly as polarizing as the DC/Warner Bros. foray into the super-hero genre earlier this year. I don’t understand why so many had such harsh words for the film (especially those who hadn’t seen it), but the comparisons between the DC flick and the Marvel movie were unavoidable.

Allow me to offer mine, sans spoilers (to the best of my ability).

Comparing BvS and Civil War is natural, and not just because of how closely together they clustered in theatres. It’s because there are some clear parallels to be drawn. Both movies are built on the premise of familiar, colorful heroes doing battle (before dealing with the real threat).

The new Cap ciné is well crafted. It juggles a much larger cast of characters and does so well, achieving a nice balance between multiple plotlines, two key character introductions and so much more. The pacing is solid, and the main fight scene is an absolute blast. That being said, it’s not going to go down as Marvel’s best movie or even among its best. Where it goes awry is in its ending, in that, it lacks an ending. Like so many Marvel movies before it, Civil War seems to be about setting up the next step, about building the larger universe rather than focusing on the core mission of telling one main, compelling story.

Dawn of Justice, on the other hand, had its own flaws, not the least of which was an effort to build the larger DC Cinematic Universe at an accelerated pace, a clear attempt to play catchup with Marvel’s brand. That corporate imperative came as no surprise, though it was occasionally intrusive. Furthermore, some supporting characters who seemed like they should have been more important seemed at times like little more than props, so it didn’t have the same balance when it came to character-driven moments for all of the players.

That being said, like Civil War, BvS did an excellent job of introducing two key characters (albeit familiar ones, an aged Batman and Wonder Woman). Both flicks also had a central theme that linked the disparate plot elements together. Civil War‘s was vengeance (though it was far from subtle), whereas BvS struck me as the linked story of three men all haunted by the ghosts of dead parents and that drives them in radically different ways.

The most common criticism I heard of BvS (and Warner Bros. take on the super-hero genre in general in recent years) was that it was too dark, not just visually, but in terms of content. That gripe was almost always accompanied by praise for Marvel for making its super-heroes fun. And it’s true. There’s been a darker edge to the DC flicks and characters — I would describe it was more mature and reflective — while there’s no denying that Marvel movies are chock fun of fun and even funny moments.

But now that Civil War has played out for all to see (should they so choose), I’m befuddled by the continuation of that dark-versus-light argument. The reason for my confusion is that the tables have turned. DC’s movies are on the road to hope, while cynicism is beginning to blanket Marvel’s cinematic universe.

The ultimate plot driving BvS was pacing a path to partnership. Civil War was about divisions and dissolution. By the end of Dawn of Justice, Batman and Superman have emerged from the darkness and find common purpose in each other’s existence, philosophies and abilities. That movie literally and figuratively ended on a brighter note. Civil War achieves the opposite, taking the supposedly “lighter” and brighter heroes to a darker place. Again, literally and figuratively.

Both are entertaining movies. And while I clearly enjoyed BvS more, I completely understand why others favor Civil War. What confounds me so is that many have taken an either-or approach to the two films, unable to enjoy both in different ways, for what they are.

Follow Eye on Comics on Twitter.

May 15, 2016 Don MacPherson

Post navigation

Casualties of War → ← I Miss the Reigns Down in Africa

4 thoughts on “Versus”

  1. brad says:
    May 18, 2016 at 8:55 pm

    The whole BvS movie “hinged” first on Superman and Batman NOT having any relationship and in Batman having a hate on for some reason, Superman not telling Batman that hey Luther has my mom we need to save her. And then the whole movie is saved by their mothers having the same first name… really think about it that sums up the movie, oh except the fact that wonder Woman is now a master spy like Black Widow and then puts on her costume to show up in the fight. Really thats the movie in a nut shell. It bombed with me and my kids and my boys is a huge Batfan.

  2. Matthew Halteman says:
    May 23, 2016 at 4:47 pm

    “And then the whole movie is saved by their mothers having the same first name…”

    This is my biggest pet peeve with criticism of this movie. Bruce didn’t stop himself from killing Clark because their mothers have the same name. That is a willful misunderstanding of what happened in that scene. Hearing the familiar name simply gave Bruce pause, caused him to hesitate. It’s everything that happened afterwards that stopped the fight. It’s really frustrating how blind people are being about that scene.

  3. Matthew Halteman says:
    May 23, 2016 at 4:51 pm

    “Batman having a hate on for some reason”

    Were you getting popcorn during the scene when Wayne’s building was destroyed by the Kryptonians’ fight and he saved the little girl whose mother was killed? And the fact that this was a Batman who had been through great personal loss and whose worldview was very much informed by that loss? I know this wasn’t the cookie-cutter Marvel characterization and plot progression we’ve gotten used to, it made you work a little harder, but it’s still not that complicated. All you have to do is pay attention.

  4. Matthew Halteman says:
    May 23, 2016 at 4:53 pm

    “Superman not telling Batman that hey Luther has my mom we need to save her”

    Um, he tried. A couple times. Batman would not listen and forced the fight. You really need to watch it again and pay closer attention this time.

Comments are closed.

Recent posts

  • The End of the World As He Knows It
  • Burnt-out Ends of Smoky Days
  • They Do Need Those Stinkin’ Badges
  • Future Tense
  • Teed Off
  • Scar Issue
  • Of Gods and Monsters
  • Genre Splicing
  • A Mouthful of Dollars
  • Striking the Wrong Chord

Categories

Archives

Categories

  • Announcements
  • Editorials
  • Features
  • Original Comic Art
  • Reviews – Action Lab
  • Reviews – AfterShock
  • Reviews – AiT/PlanetLar
  • Reviews – Archie
  • Reviews – Black Mask
  • Reviews – Boom! Studios
  • Reviews – Dark Horse
  • Reviews – DC
  • Reviews – DC/Vertigo
  • Reviews – DC/Wildstorm
  • Reviews – Devil's Due
  • Reviews – Drawn & Quarterly
  • Reviews – Dynamite
  • Reviews – Fantagraphics
  • Reviews – IDW
  • Reviews – Image
  • Reviews – Indy/Small Press
  • Reviews – Legendary
  • Reviews – Lion Forge
  • Reviews – Marvel
  • Reviews – Miscellaneous
  • Reviews – NBM
  • Reviews – Oni Press
  • Reviews – Other Media
  • Reviews – Quick Critiques
  • Reviews – Radical
  • Reviews – Slave Labor
  • Reviews – Titan
  • Reviews – Tokyopop
  • Reviews – Valiant
  • Reviews – Zenescope
  • Reviews- Humanoids
  • The New 52 Review Project

Search

Recent Posts

  • The End of the World As He Knows It
  • Burnt-out Ends of Smoky Days
  • They Do Need Those Stinkin’ Badges
  • Future Tense
  • Teed Off

Recent Comments

  • Marcelo Soares on Coming Clean
  • Perry on Scoop
  • R Phillips on “Fixed… With Tape”
  • Leslie on Avengers… Disassemble Those Guys
  • Perry Beider on 2018 Glass Eye Awards – Creators
April 2021
S M T W T F S
« Mar    
 123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
252627282930  

Archives

  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • January 2021
  • November 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • April 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010
  • November 2010
  • October 2010
  • September 2010
  • March 2010
  • February 2010
  • January 2010
  • December 2009
  • November 2009
  • October 2009
  • September 2009
  • August 2009
  • July 2009
  • June 2009
  • May 2009
  • April 2009
  • March 2009
  • February 2009
  • January 2009
  • December 2008
  • November 2008
  • October 2008
  • September 2008
  • August 2008
  • July 2008
  • June 2008
  • May 2008
  • April 2008
  • March 2008
  • February 2008
  • January 2008
  • December 2007
  • November 2007
  • October 2007
  • September 2007
  • August 2007
  • July 2007
  • June 2007
  • May 2007
  • April 2007
  • March 2007
  • February 2007
  • January 2007
  • December 2006
  • November 2006
  • October 2006
  • September 2006
Powered by WordPress | theme cats456