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DC Versus Marvel Comics Paperback – 1 Sept. 1996

by DC Comics (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 113 ratings
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The Battle readers have asked for and dreamed about, wished for and speculated upon, demanded but never expected, finally happens within these pages. DC Versus Marvel, the four issue blockbuster miniseries is now collected into this trade paperback. Heroes and villains cross over from each dimension into the other and celestial beings begin a strange and deadly cosmic chess game to determine which universe is more powerful. Graphic novel format. Available in September.
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  1. Print length
    192 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    DC Comics
  4. Publication date
    1 Sept. 1996
  5. Grade level
    7 - 9
  6. Reading age
    13 - 16 years
  7. Dimensions
    16.89 x 0.97 x 25.83 cm
  8. ISBN-10
    1563892944
  9. ISBN-13
    978-1563892943
  10. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ DC Comics; 1st edition (1 Sept. 1996)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 192 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1563892944
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1563892943
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 13 - 16 years
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 16.89 x 0.97 x 25.83 cm
  • Customer reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 113 ratings

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
113 global ratings

Top reviews from United Kingdom

Alex White
5.0 out of 5 stars Exquisite
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 26 July 2019
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Brilliant graphic novel, one of my favourites to read
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Mr. R. S. Hutton Mckee
5.0 out of 5 stars Kapow good guy vs good guy
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 23 March 2012
Marvel VS DC with a brief visit to amalgum (a combination between the two) this is a tale most of us never thought we see. Of course thing are going too end well or is it? It all depends on your point of view. I guess the Amalgum universe was not meant to last but it was fun to visit.
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G.E.L.R.
5.0 out of 5 stars one of the greats
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 13 January 2004
This novel has to be one of the greatest showdowns of comic history, every one who has waited for a battle between marvel and dc get ready for a showdown of epic proportion.
the graphic content is amazing with all your favourite superheros in it. I recomend this novel to any fan of comics even if not a marvel or dc fan, it is easy to pick up and read and is a very enjoyable story line.
7 people found this helpful
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Erin Britton
4.0 out of 5 stars DC vs Marvel
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 14 October 2013
The competition between DC and Marvel Comics, the two behemoths of the comic book industry, is legendary. While DC and Marvel Comics are different both stylistically and in the approach that they take to continuity in their respective universes, both companies are famous and much-loved due to the enduring popularity of their superheroes and their impact on popular culture as well as comics. Of course, all superheroes have strengths and weaknesses and readers have often pondered on whose stable of heroes is the best and, perhaps more importantly, which heroes would win if DC and Marvel were ever to go to war. The comic book crossover miniseries collected together here as DC versus Marvel Comics attempts to provide a final, definitive answer to both of these questions.

Two eons old cosmic brothers who personify the DC and Marvel universes become aware of each otherfs existence and challenge each other to a series of duels involving each universefs respective superheroes. The universe whose heroes suffer the greatest number of defeats will cease to exist. As the battles rage, the boundaries between the two universes begin to break down and so the brothers attempt to remedy the situation by creating the Amalgam universe which is occupied by merged versions of many of the most famous heroes. With the superheroes preoccupied fighting each other, an inter-dimensional character known as Access is left to try and restore both universes to their normal state.

To further whet your appetite, the epic DC versus Marvel Comics showdowns take the form of:
Superman versus The Hulk
Captain America versus Batman
Aquaman versus The Sub-Mariner
Storm versus Wonder Woman
Superboy versus Spider-Man
Wolverine versus Lobo
Flash versus Quicksilver
Silver Surfer versus Green Lantern
Captain Marvel versus Thor
Elektra versus Batwoman
Robin versus Jubilee

With a line-up like that, DC versus Marvel Comics certainly has the makings of an intense muscle-bound, supercharged battle royale like no other. In some ways the titanic tussles were exactly what comics fans had been dreaming of for years (in fact, the outcomes of five of the battles were decided by fan votes) but in other ways they were rather disappointing. While watching Batman pound on Captain America and Wolverine trading insults with Lobo was very entertaining, the battles themselves were mostly brief with a lot of the action happening off page. This was no doubt due to practical considerations such as the story having to be contained within a miniseries as well as the fairly large number of heroes who had to be dealt with, but it was still anticlimactic and something of a let-down. Each battle had to be concluded within roughly three pages so there was only very limited interaction between characters whose meetings should have been spectacular. Although Robin and Jubilee did find time for a quick snog before their bout, the other heroes barely managed to exchange a few words. Although dialogue between the heroes was limited, there were a fair few sappy internal monologues bemoaning the folly of having to fight someone who, in other circumstances, would have been an ideal ally. Such sentiments do certainly have merit but the heroes seemed too introspective and analytical for a storyline which ultimately demands that they bash each otherfs brains in to avoid the total destruction of their universes. Ultimately, the miniseries format was perhaps too small for such a sprawling concept.

Having said all that, DC versus Marvel Comics is still a fun read based on a great concept and backed up with great artwork. The storyline isnft particularly deep but it is one that most fans have been waiting for since childhood. It is a real treat to witness all of these timeless heroes appear in one action packed, albeit too brief, story. The idea of the Amalgam universe and the merged heroes who live there was great and really deserved more attention being paid to it. While not especially memorable, DC versus Marvel Comics is an enjoyable read and one that fans of both comic universes will certainly want to get their hands on.
One person found this helpful
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Julie Simpson
3.0 out of 5 stars not worth the money
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 28 May 2015
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Can't give a true review as its a Christmas gift for my son who is marvel daft & he's a 34 year old squaddie, but I don't think it's worth £73, as its only a paper back book
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Gavin S. Crosby
4.0 out of 5 stars Bang for the buck
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 January 2009
What do you want and expect from this book? All I wanted was dream match ups, huge fights and lots of that was awesome. This book delivers that. OK so the story is weak and the outcomes designed so that neither marvel or DC can have the bragging rights but come on, do you want this book for story or for fights? Seeing Superman fight the Hulk and Batman take on Cap Am was just brilliant as well as the many other fights. Theres no point dwelling over the story or the writing coz its all about the action. This book did exactly what I wanted it to do. If had an incredible story (which i wasnt expecting) then it would have got the extra star
One person found this helpful
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Kurt A. Johnson
4.0 out of 5 stars A very good mega-crossover graphic novel
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 19 July 2004
The wall between two realities is breaking down, and people are finding themselves pulled across into a different reality - a place with different cities and towns, and different heroes and villains. Facing a war of all against all, the keepers of the two realities have decreed that the super-powered beings of their realities must fight it out, the winner take all! And so the battles begin - Thor vs. Captain Marvel, Namor vs. Aquaman, Flash vs. Quicksilver, Robin vs. Jubilee, Green Lantern vs. the Silver Surfer, Catwoman vs. Elektra, and so much more. Who will win, and what will the resulting reality look like? Read this book and find out!
OK, where do I start? First of all, this is a lot of story to pack into such a small book, I could easily write one that was as thick as the New York City phonebook! What this means is that each interaction between super-beings is bound to be short, which many will find disappointing. Secondly, as neither DC nor Marvel is going to sign on to a project where their superheroes come off looking second-best, you do realize that somebody somewhere is going to pull a rabbit out of their hat.
But, that said, my ten-year-old son and I both found this to be a fun and highly enjoyable read. Admittedly, when one of our favorite superheroes got defeated by a rival, we objected. But, overall we thought that they did a good job of producing a very good mega-crossover graphic novel. My son and I both highly recommend this book to you!
3 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Melody Sterner
5.0 out of 5 stars Looked brand new!
Reviewed in Canada on 28 December 2022
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This was a Christmas gift for my daughter's dad. He had mentioned a while back that his late brother had introduced him to this, but he didn't have the money to buy it, so I kept it in my wish list to make sure to remember to get it for him at some point. It ended up being for Christmas, and he was incredibly moved and happy. It looks great, honestly looks brand spankin new!
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Timothy P. Young
5.0 out of 5 stars Two Goliaths Get It Right
Reviewed in the United States on 19 June 2009
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When unfamiliar superheroes meet each other, it often goes something like this:

A: I don't know you, and my city is being destroyed! I will attack you!
B: Wait, wait, it's not me! And who are you?
A: I'm Superhero A, and this is my city!
B: Well, I'm Superhero B, and my bad guy is working with your bad guy!
A: Oh, well, that's different then. Let's team up and go get the bad guys!

And off they go, saving the day.

Now, I'm not complaining. As cliched as it is, many a good tale has been built upon the misunderstanding-turned-partnership foundation. However, when you're pitting entire comic universes against each other to answer the question 'Who'd take who in a fight?', you can't very well take the aforementioned approach without tedium setting in fairly quickly.

When DC and Marvel decided to team up for the miniseries contained in this volume, they realized they couldn't do it the old way. So instead, they give their characters a good reason to fight. As the universes start bleeding into each other, heroes, villains, and ordinary citizens find themselves transported into another reality--several DC characters wind up in the Marvel Universe, and vice versa. There's a science-fiction/metaphysical background story that explains why all this is going on, but in essence, each set of heroes (Superman v. Hulk, Wonder Woman v. Storm, and so on) has to fight for their own universe.

So, rather than building on the misunderstanding turned team-up formula, we're given heroes reluctantly taking each other on, which adds depth and excellent character moments, bringing nuance to an idea that could have just been a grudge match.

The writing is strong, with an excellent framing story, solid characterizations, and just enough exposition to keep the reader involved without getting bored.

The art is also of a high caliber, although some of the excesses of the 90s are on display here and there--check out the hyperstylized X-Men group shot on page 19. But such moments don't detract from the story, they just remind us of the time it was written.

While it's highly enjoyable for a fan (even a casual one) of either universe, I wouldn't recommend this for a new reader. Knowing at least some of the particulars of each universe (beyond knowing the heroes/villain who've appeared in movies) is really helpful when reading this book. For old fans and current fans alike, this is a fun dive into a world where comic book reality gets warped into something unlike any other crossover event that had come before.

Enjoy.
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David Jackson
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in Canada on 3 January 2016
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Not the greatest story, but I bought this more for the nostalgia...so I'm happy
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Maniac Joe
5.0 out of 5 stars What a find!
Reviewed in the United States on 29 September 2010
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Truth is, I accidentally purchased this along with The Amalgam Age of Comics (DC) and Return to Amalgam Age of Comics (DC).

For you who don't know, "Amalgam" was a joint DC-Marvel project where Marvel and DC characters were actually half and half versions of themselves (Wolverine and Batman were fused into "Dark Claw", Flash and Ghost Rider into "Speed Demon", Storm and Wonder Woman into "Amazon", Elektra and Catwoman, Green Lantern and Iron Man, etc.), making for some really amazing blended characters that you'd only see in that one short run of comics. 24 comics were made in the series, half published by DC, half by Marvel. Unfortunately, only the DC collections are still in print. (Though from what I've seen the DC titles were done far better. It felt like Marvel was slacking a bit on the deal.)

Anyway, I was somewhat disappointed that I had ordered DC Versus Marvel instead of the Amalgam Age (Marvel)... Until I read it. It actually leads directly into the Amalgam stories AND resolves them. On its own it absolutely shines. There are amazing battles between some closely matched characters and wonderfully inspired moments (Spidey and Superman working on a news story together, an emergency comes up and both have a simultaneous thought bubble, and I paraphrase: "I gotta ditch this guy and get into costume"). This actually introduced me to Lobo, who I'd heard of but always assumed was a subpar Wolvie ripoff. Wolvie ripoff? - Maybe. Subpar? - Not a chance. I think I know what my next comics purchase will be.

Read it, eat it up. It's worth every cent and every minute.
14 people found this helpful
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Tyler S.
5.0 out of 5 stars The Biggest Smash-Up of the Century!
Reviewed in the United States on 9 June 2008
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D.C. versus Marvel is like a mindless action film with explosions. You don't need too much depth for it to have great quality. This graphic novel is just amazing great fun. I was really shocked to see what the writers came up with and the big twist threw me backwards.....sideways! I don't want to spoil things for future readers, but you will be wanting to read the continuation.

I thought the series was just going to have one on one brawls with no plot throughout the whole story, but Marz, David, and Jurgens REALLY pushed their imagination to the limit. They are great writers and I was very very impressed. I hope Hollywood never tries to adapt this story to film because it really could never work. This is a story that will always stay famous to fans on ink and paper. Prepare for an amazing trip with this comic series. No one could have predicted the outcome.
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