The first transgender superhero on television, Dreamer, appeared for the first time in the DCU making an extraordinary entrance to Superman's impenetrable fortress in Superman Son of Kal El #13. Nia Nal is not the first DC transgender superhero to make history, and as hardcore fans already know, Kate Godwin (aka Coagula) was one of the first transgender women to ever appear in a comic book.
In its LGBTQ+ inclusion and representation, DC has proven many times to be ahead of Marvel. And this, among other factors, has convinced many superhero fans that DC is better. However, according to Redditors, there are other things worthy of mention that make DC the best company between the two.
DC Created The First Superheroes
Redditor adalberh commented, "DC created the first 'superhero'- Superman. DC created the first female superhero - Wonder Woman." Although, according to Guinness World Records, the first superhero was "The Phantom," who was created in 1936 and was subsequently followed by Superman (1938) and Batman (1939).
The first superhero woman, however, was Fantomah (1940), which belonged to Nedor Comics, but Wonder Woman made her debut the next year, and Marvel took a long time before including a female superhero in their comics. Therefore, even if they weren't actually the first superheroes, their iconic heroes did premiere before those at Marvel. It is also worthy of admiration that DC included a groundbreaking female protagonist in the early 40s.
DC Has Better Comics Than Marvel
User ArashiRyu13 pointed out, "Marvel is great at making movies, while DC is great at making comics. You only get 1-2 Marvel movies a year, while you get great comics every month," and many fans who follow both companies are most likely to agree.
The MCU might have the upper hand in some cinematic aspects, but when it comes to comic book quality, many fans vote that DC is still the best one there is. Most importantly, attention to art and design is praised by comic connoisseurs, who also admire the consistent quality of their literature. Of course, at the end of the day, taste is taste, and both publishing powerhouses have legions of fans (plenty of which enjoy both brands).
DC Has Better Female Characters Than Marvel
Redditor rxmnants recognized how DC has many endearing and compelling female superheroes and villains that Marvel seems to lack. She pointed out, "Women read comics, too," and shared how, when it comes to female characters, she feels "like DC has a better variety for that."
DC has many strong female superheroes like Wonder Woman and introduced the third female superhero of all time, Supergirl, in 1959. For many, DC has more important and recognizable female superhero leads and also the best all-female team, Birds of Prey.
DC Has Better Villains Than Marvel
Redditor myangelofthenight simply mentioned "villains" as the reason that they prefer DC, and many others agreed. Antagonists in DC are more memorable, rich, and iconic. Consequently, in contrast to Marvel's bad guys, characters like the Joker and Harley Quinn have their own shows and movies and are also remembered as the most intelligent villains in DC.
User stefonio made a very interesting observation on the topic and added, "a good handful of Marvel villains are just the hero, but bad [...] there's a lot of mirrored pairs. DC isn't immune, but its flagship cast is a lot more diverse with Batman/Joker, Superman/Doomsday, Wonder Woman/Cheetah," which may be the reason why DC villains are so special.
DC Has Better Sidekicks Than Marvel
StannisTheHero mentioned, "DC has a stronger emphasis on legacy characters and sidekicks, which are both concepts that I really enjoy," which is definitely true. Marvel has sidekicks, but they do not come close to DC's most important and valuable characters that help the main superhero, and far fewer have gone on to eventually take their mentor's mantle.
Batman alone has many memorable sidekicks, which include several Robins, Cassandra Cain, James Gordon, and Oracle, to name a few. DC has embraced the fact that most of the time, superheroes can't do everything on their own, and they usually need someone to be by their side; and they have succeeded in the creation of incredible helpers.
DC Heroes Are Something To Aspire To
It is commonly pointed out that Marvel's superheroes are more relatable than DC's, and for the same reason, they are better. However, there are readers that want to read comics about superheroes because they want to escape reality and not be reminded of it. When heroes are something to aspire to, like DC's characters, they are more interesting and intriguing.
Redditor BobbySaccaro explained it better and said, "I actually mildly prefer the aspirational nature of DC vs. the "reality" of Marvel." This is, again, a matter of taste, but there's no denying that DC generally focuses on larger, more powerful characters and events. While some readers that prefer Marvel find the lack of relatability dull, DC fans can't get enough of the larger-than-life content.
DC's Animated Universe Is Top-Tier
Garanseho spoke for many when he stated DC was best because of its "Animated properties" and mentioned, "Yes, Spectacular Spider-Man, Avengers: EMH, and Wolverine & The X-Men were fantastic, but you can’t beat the DCAU (BTAS, STAS, JL, JLU)."
The best DC animated movies and series prove how much cinematic value and production there is in the company's animated universe, which is richer and more prolific than Marvel's. As the Redditor pointed out, there are great animated productions of Marvel; however, considering quantity and quality, DC has defectivity wins the round.
DC Deals With Darker Themes
Redditor Eatfacemetal said, "I would say I like how dark DC can be," and Matthemus added, "I wouldn't say that Marvel is for kids, not by a long shot, but DC certainly has published some much darker stuff," which has definitely been appreciated by adult audiences.
Any of Joker's best quotes from his first movie can prove the very grim tone DC's stories can take and how their priority, unlike many Marvel pieces, is not always to deliver a family-friendly and light-hearted comic, movie, or series. For some, this has made DC's craft more interesting and appealing.
DC Avoids Politics
User ZaMaddog98 pointed out, "I prefer the way DC is doing comics as opposed to Marvel. Marvel comics have felt more political, and it feels I can't pick up a Marvel comic without having politics thrown in my face," which is one of the thing that seems to bother at least a portion of readers.
Marvel's Vision quote that says, "What is grief, if not love persevering," has become a meme in some circles, which instead reads, "What is Marvel, if not military propaganda?" This example is largely an exaggeration, and it's also up to taste. Some readers rightfully enjoy their comics being more detached from politics, and other readers rightfully enjoy comics commenting on social issues.
DC Has More Legacy Heroes
For Aquilaassasino, the reason DC is better is their "Legacy characters, without a doubt. There can be one mantle with several fan-favorite characters inhabiting that role. Marvel tries, but DC's always been the best at it," and many agreed.
Nobody knows how to pass down their superhero identities than DC. The comics have given plenty of wonderful characters that followed the steps of their superhero predecessor in compelling series of events, and although Marvel has tried it a few times with characters like Captain America, it hasn't been as successful.