[A little but not a lot OT] Marvel vs DC

[Mindcrime]

Who's the "Marvel Comics" of d20 Publishing and who's the "DC Comics" of d20 Publishing (in terms of characters, storylines, "universe", etc.)?

Just sitting here at work, pretending to be busy and actually working on a Necromancer Games project and that thought just popped into my head.

Chris

 

[Alzrius]

The way I would set it up:

Sword & Sorcery Studios, with their Scarred Lands campaign setting, is the Marvel of d20 publishing.

Mongoose, with their Slaine campaign, is the DC of d20 publishing.

That's how I see it anyway.

 

[Desdichado]

Depends on what you mean by Marvel vs. DC. Which company has been around the longest, has the most name recognition for their characters (Superman, Batman) or which actually has the best sales?

 

[megamania]

Much depends on what criteria you are using.

Scarred Lands seems like Marvel the most due to the dark tones and general pessimistic attitude.

Forgotten Realms is DC. Super powerful and not as "dark"

 

[Mercule]

Depends on what you mean by "Marvel" and "DC".

FWIW, I can see the correlation between FR and DC. I don't read the DC comics because there are too many flippin' aliens (yes, there is some hypocrisy, there). I don't play FR for lots of different reasons, but partially because it seems like the gods and other ubers are constantly mucking about.

 

[Bard Lucian]

Angst vs. Optimism

I'm not familiar with Slaine, so I can't speak to that, but I would agree with those who say that Scarred Lands=Marvel and Forgotten Realms=DC.

The reason is that, when I think Marvel, the first word that comes into my mind is Angst. I think Scarred Lands has the Angst pegged. Realms doesn't have as much introspection and psychological torment. Characters know good and evil/right and wrong, don't much worry about ambiguities, and kick the rumps of the bad guys fairly handily (A Thousand Orcs, anyone?).

The Bard

 

[megamania]

Now to test further...who would be Top Cow and Dark Horse?

Dark Horse.....White Wolf Studios in general? Many licences involved (Star Wars, Aliens, Predator and Robocop)

Top Cow....not sure but I'm leaning towards product very a set campaign world- Mal Havoc Press. Take stuff and give it a sexy fast paced spin (Witch blade, Darkness)

 

[Dr Midnight]

I'm with Alzrius...

S&S has all the COOOL SKULLS that the teen demographic could want. Care to find a beast known as the KillBloodDeathBlood? It's probably in a CC. That's Marvel. "Want it, kids? HERE IT IS! Ooooh, look at Wolverine! Ooooh!"

Mongoose - substance coupled with poor graphic design. All those DC red, green, and yellow costumes... but if you dig in a bit, you'll find terrific stories.

I'd like to temper the above with the naked fact that I own maybe two S&S books I've barely read, and NO Mongoose books. So. Yes. I'm talking out my OGL.

 

[megamania]

Elminister = Superman
Drittz=Batman
any of the seven sisters= Wonder Woman

hmmm.....don't know Scarred lands well enough to find direct hero/character matches....

anyone...?

 

[Teflon Billy]

I read Marvel Comics and use them for inspiration for my RPG's

The same cannot be said for DC.

I guess they are the same as SL and FR