Slugfest

The Monday Night Wars of Comics. This book details the history of DC comics and Marvel while simultaneously explaining a rivalry that has spanned decades. The author gives detailed information on defections and editors of writers and artists from the companies with quotes detailing how the defection was perceived. There is a lot of insight provided from such respected members of the comic book industry as John Byrne, Ron Marz and Ann Nocenti. Tucker details a lot of great gossip that only those that closely follow the industry would have hear of.
One of the more interesting parts of the book is details of each companies struggles through the years and how close each company came to licensing their characters to the other. My only criticisms of the book are the quote bubbles in each chapter of the version I read. These quotes are typically unrelated to the chapter and distracting. I also understand why there is an entire chapter devoted to the companies rivalry in film and the superheroes movie boom, but this section doesn’t not feel like it has as much passion behind it and caused the book to drag slight for me as a result. I would have preferred to see a few pages devoted to the subject and instead been provided with more information on how Marvel and Dc have responded to the demand of the trade paperback/omnibus genre and digital comics. The book feels very timely, making references to Guardians of the Galaxy 2 and Deadpool 2, however, Marvel Unlimited is not mentioned.
I give this book my highest recommendation. Anyone who likes comics will enjoy the detail and organization put into this book. I would also recommend this book to those that enjoy business rivalries in general. Those that enjoy reading about Pixar vs. DreamWorks, the NFL vs. the USFL, WWF vs WCW etc. will enjoy the successes, failures, acquisitions and petty feuds detailed extensively in the book.

Once upon a time, Reed Tucker reminds us in Slugfest: Inside the Epic, 50-year battle Between Marvel and DC, comic book fans might come to blows over the great dividing question of their time: Are you Marvel or DC? This may seem a strange debate for those who are now living through what could easily be called the Age of Marvel, as their ubiquitous heroes dominate our screens both large or small. It’s nearly impossible after all to go to the theater or turn on a network/cable/streaming TV channel and not come across some Marvel character flying, tromping, or speeding across the screen. Nor was Marvel-DC much of a debate in my own youth, as I grew up reading comics in the late 60s/early 70s, when upstart Marvel had beaten the staid DC almost to its knees. I didn’t know anybody who read DC on a regular basis, and though we might occasionally dabble in a Justice League here or a Green Lantern there out of short-lived curiosity, our assemblage of random DC comics wouldn’t have outnumbered even our collection of Classics Illustrated, let alone Marvel. The times, and fortunes, may be a-changin’ once again, though, now that DC has shown signs of television life with a successful series of small-screen shows, and is revving up its heroes for a big screen assault on the Marvel entertainment fortress. Which makes this a good time to take a closer look at how these two behemoths got to this point. And I’d be hard pressed to offer up a better examination of that strangely twisting journey than Tucker’s Slugfest.

True, a good part of what Tucker offers up is probably familiar to comic book fans who have read other books on comics or the companies’ own histories, but Slugfest’s sharp focus on the relationship between the two (as opposed to a more generalized history of the form or business), as well as Tucker’s skill at plucking out the wonderfully quirky little twists in the story or those humanizing details with regards to the figures involved makes this an easy book to recommend even for those who know some of the background.

Tucker informs us in his introduction that he has “no dog in the Marvel vs. DC fight. I don’t read comics from either these days,” though he does confess he prefers the Marvel movies (he’s far from alone in that judgement, which is pretty much consensus opinion). His general thesis throughout is that DC corporate persona often hindered its attempts to take on the less conservative, more nimble Marvel, a point he supports with a myriad of examples and quotes.

The book opens with a general discussion and a history of both comics, running from the introduction of Superman and his quick-to-follow imitators to DC’s dominance with Wonder Woman, The Flash and others, to a dip in sales then the Silver Age rejuvenation, followed by Marvel’s explosive and transformative creativity under Stan Lee and Jack Kirby as they introduced in short order The Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, The Hulk, and the rest. Tucker does a good job of concisely explaining just how revolutionary these stories were in terms of characterization (troubled, realistic), setting (a shared universe), and visuals (dramatic, dynamic). As he says, “Marvel’s art was a double espresso, DC’s was like a pleasant green tea” (Tucker regularly shows a deft hand at the biting analogy/phrasing).

As noted, much of this kind of history will be familiar to fans, even if it’s all handled smoothly and entertainingly. And the same holds true when we shift into the boom years of the comics speculation bubble, the plunge afterward, and the rebirth via film. Where the book shines though is when Tucker dives into the details.

Some of those have to do with the nitty gritty business details. Somehow Tucker manages to make even the nuts and bolts of return sales, pay scales, sales data, real estate value, and distribution interesting. More fascinating though are the inside-the-building details on the competition, such as the way the jacket-and-tie corporate editors over at DC could never wrap their heads around just why that upstart down the street was winning, even when their own writers were trying to tell them via meetings and memos. These first-hand accounts are wonderful, especially as so many of the people worked at both (some forced to do so under pen names so as not to get fired by their main employer).

Tucker also highlights some intriguing “what-ifs” and coincidences (or not). Such as the similar characters Man-Thing and Swamp-Thing (both swamp monsters). Or how both Marvel and DC had a story of a super-hero group led by a “wheel-chair bound genius . . . gathering a team of misfits to fight crime.” One of course went on to become one of the most successful comics of all time (The X-Men). The other disappeared into history only to be brought back to life here. Just as fun are the ways each company tried to poach the others’ talent (DC even snuck Stan Lee away for a time), tried to employ spies to find out what the other was working on, or, via some mischievous writers, snuck in visual/textual references to the other’s superheroes in their own stories (as opposed to the official crossover events that eventually occurred and then were halted in a more hostile period).

Employing an ear for good stories, effective use of plentiful quotes and first-person accounts, a willingness to bore down into the details, concise and smooth prose with a flair for funny or acrid phrasing, Tucker has taken a subject that might have been a bit stale and breathed new life and new substance into it. Highly recommended.

I received an advanced copy of Slugfest: Inside the Epic, 50-year Battle Between Marvel and DC from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I got into the comics world later than most. Being not yet thirty, I’ve missed quite a lot of history and anecdotes about the battles between Marvel and DC (though I’ve heard a lot of talk about it). Being able to read the entire history between the two companies, from their beginnings to now was fantastic. Despite the fact heavy nature of the book, I found myself devouring this book in just a few sittings.
I’ve always wondered about why the companies had such different approaches to the same business, why they had such a different feel, and why the fans could never seem to agree (depending on whom you ask, you’re only allowed to like either Marvel or DC). Where did the animosity come from? I think we can all agree that it goes far beyond normal competition between companies. This is something different, something much more expansive. Reed Tucker’s novel provided many answers for my questions, and then some.
Along with some colorful anecdotes, Tucker tells us the story of how Marvel and DC began butting heads, and how time only made matters worse. Along with covering the battles between the two companies, he also tells us of their individual struggles, and their fights against other threats. On the whole I think Tucker did a pretty decent job of trying to stay impartial (though I have a theory about which “side” he roots for), attempting to stick to the facts and statements of others more than anything.
Some of the facts and quotes quite literally made me laugh out loud, a pleasant surprise to say the least. So if you’re looking at this book and thinking it’ll be fact heavy to the point of being dull, please let me assure you that isn’t the case. I tried highlighting (on my kindle, don’t worry) all the points that made me smile or laugh, but by the end I gave up trying to keep track of it.
Upon finishing Slugfest I actually found myself a little sad – I wanted to be able to keep reading it. Unfortunately that was not to be – since the novel had caught up with the time, and sadly Tucker can’t see into the future. Perhaps someday Tucker will write a sequel to tell us more about what happens from now until then? I find myself exceptionally curious about his opinion on the state of affairs going forward.

Tucker provides an interesting, journalistically styled, history of the two companies using personal accounts and research, and the result offers insight into when and how the "battle" between the two began, continued, and continues still through numerous mediums (aside from just print). I often felt it difficult to put this book down and would recommend it to anyone that has ever had an interest in Marvel or DC titles.

Thank you, NetGalley and Da Capo Press for the ebook ARC of this work.

DC was around 5 years old when Marvel was founded I the late 1930s and few if anyone could predict how these 2 companies would one day shape the world. The war between DC and Marvel is well documented not only between the companies but its fan base for decades. The recent moves by Marvel to take over the movie and tv show industry has only heated it up by bringing in a whole new level of interest from a group that can’t recite lines, characters and plot lines from the comics. If you were ever curious to learn about the companies, the rivalry that has captured the attention of millions and the creative force that has impacted fans across the globe then this is the book you want to read.

Reed Tucker provides tons of details with great quotes from editors, artists and writers who talk about their time with the comic legends and how it affected their lives. We get an inside perspective from respected names in the industry that at times feels like we could be in the pub listening to some juicy gossip over a pint thanks to the way Tucker writes with ease and familiarity.

They copied one another, stole from each other, pushed each other to hit new creative heights, and reflect the culture/events around them to create stories and characters to help society deal with the world. Through their successes and failures they extended the life of comics from being something only for young kids to being an interest even adults wanted to share. Tucker showcased all this through business and historical lessons that were easy to follow to the point you could see this book being used in a classroom.

It hasn’t all been massive success as we learn about the struggles they faced to the point they nearly decided to ‘share’ intellectual property which would have given every fan their dream – too bad money overrules fan dreams. He did touch upon how the rivalry has moved to film and included tidbits on some of the newer additions.

If you’re a fan or even just a bit curious you should check this out because Tucker did an excellent job in research, writing and presentation. It was often difficult to put down as he has this way of making these two giants seem more like complex, intriguing characters in an all-out battle rather than companies carving out their space on an economic landscape.

We reviewed this book on the following podcast: http://www.krayzcomix.solitairerose.com/?p=1200

Whether you're a fan of the tv shows, the movies or the comic books themselves, you know about the decades-long rivalry between Marvel and DC. Yes, they are obviously competitors in the same market, but it's always been a little bit more than that. The products they sell may be the same on a basic level, but there's always been a "mine is better than yours" attitude between the companies and the fans of their work. And for the fans who, like me, love finding out about behind the scenes details, there's a great new book on the history of these two comic book giants.

Slugfest: Inside the Epic, 50-year Battle Between Marvel and DC is an incredibly well researched in-depth look at not only the rivalry between the companies, but the inner workings of the companies themselves and the differing attitudes of the people running them. It looks at the beginnings of each company and shows how different things really were when each began and how DC didn't consider Marvel much of a threat when the "upstart" first opened. But what a difference a few years would make!

The book gets really detailed about some of the artist and writer swapping that has happened over the years. And there are some really good stories about some of the truly bitter feelings that have arisen between various editors and creators through the decades. Anyone who has paid attention to the industry and has heard rumors about how certain individuals have treated others (some of these are pretty classic tales) will want to give Slugfest a read for the real scoop. And the author has done a good job of being fair in his representation of the parties and conflicts, not leaning to one side or the other.

There is a lot to cover in the history of DC and Marvel, and Slugfest provides a great narrative. Though there is an emphasis on the business side – with hirings, firings, idea stealing, price fixing – there is plenty of insight to some of the personal relationships between executives and creators. And though there's a lot to take in with the research, it's presented in a coherent manner that makes it an enjoyable read. This is a great book for any comic book fan who wants to know what's really behind the Marvel vs. DC arguments.

Slugfest is a decent recap of the age old question DC or Marvel (I say DC, hubby says Marvel). Anyone honest would answer with a follow up question of what media and what years. The answers of who is winning has changed over the years. Slugfest reminds you of their biggest wins and losses both.

From artists switching teams, to sales, to copycatting, it’s all here. I do feel like this is a book for comic fans. If you’re just into reading random non-fiction and think a battle between two pop culture companies is interesting, you could still enjoy this book. I would probably read books on the individual companies first as I do feel it helps to know some of the names and history of the companies before delving into the battles between to the two.