So, the title of the article might suggest that I'm here to start a war amongst fanboys. That's actually not what this article is about. Let's celebrate DC Comics and showcase why the brand and its characters have won the hearts of people young and old, from any walk of life, across the entire globe. Also, some of these memes will be poking fun at both DC and Marvel. If that offends you than I don't know why you clicked on this article in the first place. Time to celebrate how awesome Batman is, how inspiring Superman can be, and how fantastic many parts of the DC Universe are. Many people complain that Batman is overrated or Superman is too powerful. Both of these characters have had talented writers create some special and awe-inspiring narratives that will leave you contemplating all that you knew. Here's to all of the pieces of DC entertainment that truly do justice to their comic counterparts and placing themselves in a league of their own. The DCEU has had its issues but that doesn't mean there aren't parts that shine. Here's to everything we have yet to see from DC when it comes to movies, comics, video games, animated features, and so much more. Let's now get to 25 hilarious means that showcase just how awesome DC is. Be warned, there are tons of potential spoilers so don't get mad at me because you chose to read this past my warning.
24 Batman's Batman
This DC praising article is going to start like any should, with Batman of course. Batman is one of the most popular superheroes on the planet. He's an amazing detective with access to virtually limitless wealth and given enough time and preparation is almost unbeatable. His cast of villains is considered the best rogue's gallery in superhero comics period.
The biggest gripe people have with Batman is that he's simply a rich man in an expensive tech suit.
He's not just a rich dude in a suit, he's way more talented than that. Bruce Wayne has one of the highest intellects in the DC universe and showcases a ton of martial arts skills. I could go into all the different version of Batman and explain why each of them is so interesting, but that could be an article all its own. Here's to assuming Batman is already 10 steps ahead of you.
23 Let Green Arrow Shine! He's Great!
At this point, the DC extended universe is a very polarizing subject for many fans. The movies tend to have some redeeming parts, but as a whole, it doesn't seem like they're knocking out of the park in terms of fan and critical perception. Do you know where DC is doing a fantastic job? In the television avenue. For better or worse people really enjoy the CW shows from DC. The Flash, Supergirl, and Arrow have all seen multiple season renewals and have found a solid audience base. Ever since people heard about the Justice League movie being in development fans have wanted to see the TV superheroes make their way over to the big screen. Fans across the world started petitions hoping to see Arrow make a cameo. Sadly, that didn't happen and we're still waiting to see if the Green Arrow exists in the current DCEU.
22 Batman's Versatility & Code
Now I know Batman has used guns at some points but let's talk about the purest form of his comic book character. Batman is a hero whose primary goal is to strike fear into the hearts of criminals. It would be easy to eliminate them entirely with the type of tech Bruce Wayne has at his disposal. That's not what he feels is morally right and he feels that it's not his job to decide someone's life.
Batman's relationship with his nemesis Joker hinges on the fact that Batman doesn't end people's lives.
It seems that the story arcs that involve Batman's creativity and hand-to-hand expertise are the ones that properly pace themselves and lend to a more intimate narrative. It's exactly what makes their dynamic so entertaining. How do you ever expect to stop a criminal like the Joker if you can't bring yourself to eliminate them?
21 You'll Poke Your Eye Out, Oliver!
We've briefly covered how successful the TV universe has been for DC. People have fallen in love with those actor's portrayals of some of DC's more known heroes. Oliver Queen, aka Green Arrow, is one of these characters. Stephen Amell has portrayed Queen for 6 seasons now and fans really appreciated what he's brought to the table. In many ways, he was the catalyst that paved the road for both Supergirl and The Flash. Fans love Amell so much that they've started numerous petitions and created tons of hashtags in support of DC allowing him to appear in the DCEU. They feel that he is, in fact, Green Arrow and has the acting chops to transition over to film. Little is known as to whether or not this will ever happen, but props to Stephen Amell for taking his role as Oliver Queen as serious as he has.
20 DC Comics Come To Life
Us nerds have seen our interests and hobbies grow into the biggest entertainment mediums and properties the world has ever seen. Over the last 20 years, comic book movies and video games have exponentially grown and we're currently in the thick of it. As a die-hard comic fan, you often catch things in the films that the more casual moviegoers either ignore or just don't understand.
One of the best feelings is seeing a classic comic panel that's clear as day in your mind being recreated in a movie.
This is something DC has done well at certain moments, and when they land they're incredible. The most recent example of this happens during the post credits of the Justice League. I'll refrain from explaining what it is exactly, but for nerdier comic fans it was a truly beautiful moment.
19 Batman Dares You
If you clicked on this article in hopes of only seeing Batman once or twice I have some bad news for you. He's a tremendously popular character and is the focus of so many hilarious DC memes across the internet. It's always great to see fans make light of the sole reason Bruce Wayne took on the mantle of the Batman. A lot of kids tend to grow up in something other than a nuclear family. More often than not kids are raised by a single parent and that can be a tough reality. Kids relate to and come to love Batman because they understand that his loss made him stronger and developed him into the man he became. It's a great message to show kids that even if bad things happen in your life you can do something about it.
18 Batman, Where's Your Neck!?!
Though Batman vs. Superman had a lot of issues, people seemed to like the beefier batsuit that Ben Affleck wore throughout. There was a favorable amount of people that felt it didn't feel like the Batman they wanted and often criticized his stockier build. Whether you liked it or not it's great to see DC willing to showcase a different version of Batman.
For a character as iconic and known as he is it would have been more than acceptable to go with the more cookie-cutter look.
With the recent news about Ben Affleck bowing out of the role sooner rather than later, we could be seeing a sleeker look fans are more fond of. Many people feel that we'll never see the return of the grey suit but hopefully, we can get a nod to the yellow utility belt.
17 Barry, The Timeline!!!
The Flash is an interesting character for the simple fact that he can alter history and create ripples in time that have lasting effects. Many of the iconic Flash series, as well as the TV show, explore this concept and it often ends with Barry creating more bad than good. Grant Gustin is a perfect Barry Allen in many peoples eyes and just like Stephen Amell, he's been lobbied for portraying Barry in the long-turmoiled Flash movie. Marvel has characters that can alter reality and bend the very fabric of the universe but rarely do we see time manipulated via speedsters. A well done Flash movie could possibly catapult the character into the same popularity as the Holy Trinity. Here's hoping we see some amazing scenes involving the speed force and all of the issues around Flash using it.
16 You Don't Like DC? Get Out!
We currently live in a time where optically it feels like Marvel is leaps and bounds ahead of DC. Unfortunately, this is solely based on the movie franchises since they appeal to a more general audience and thus are the primary resource for their belief.
The biggest complaints from those who are anti-DC often revolve around Superman being too overpowered and Batman being overrated.
The Superman issue can easily be solved by handing them some of the numerous interesting Superman story arcs and showcasing how good he can be as a centralized character. Thanks, Richard Donner. The Batman issue makes even less sense considering Iron Man and Batman are partially from the same cloth but Batman has the greatest cast of villains in comic book history.
15 You Had To Say It, Didn't You?
Suicide Squad is a movie I can talk about for hours and hours for better or mostly worse. It's not a particularly good movie, but it did have some great performances by Will Smith and Margot Robbie. Seeing Will Smith play a villain in a superhero movie was pretty interesting. Many people assumed that when he entered the world of DC or Marvel he would take on the role of a prominent superhero. It turns out he really wanted to see what playing a villain would feel like. It's hard to prove as to whether or not his self-reverential line was supposed to be ironic or not, but one can assume it was. It's an easy joke that's often made at the expense of the comic series and people anticipated seeing it in the film adaptation at some point.
14 Superman = Hope
I've lightly touched on it earlier in the article but Superman is equally one of the most beloved and most hated superheroes on the planet. Many people feel as though he is an overpowered trump card that removes all interest or worries in any instance of peril. A lot of this belief is rooted in the Richard Donner Superman movie that showcased insane powers that truly did ruin Superman for an entire generation. The reason Superman is so interesting is that he's also Clark Kent.
He may have godly powers but he's truly just a normal human at heart.
His struggle with his personal duality and guilt and resentment for doing things he may not have the right to do eat away at him. The truly humanizing and gripping stories are the ones that should be showcased in the next film about Superman.
13 Green Arrow Means Go
This meme isn't really a good joke as much as it is a clever correlation. Green Arrow is a member of the Justice League and is most certainly in the top 15 in terms of most known DC superheroes. The television show on the CW has only grown the audience for the smart-mouthed shooter. Red Arrow is the sidekick to Oliver Queen and can be seen in Young Justice. Many times when people discuss the best sidekicks in comics they tend to forget about the Red Arrow. Most people shoot straight for Robin as well as the Wasp, but it's a real bummer Roy Harper isn't often in that same conversation. He tends to be a great folly to Oliver Queen and has a lot of great characteristics that make him a fantastic. That is of course if he still wants to be a sidekick.
12 The Voices
Previously we discussed that despite its many flaws Suicide Squad had some redeeming moments. Margot Robbie seemed to be front and center at many of the best and worst moments of the films, but many fans thought that she nailed the characterization of Harley Quinn.
It's a shame that they initially made her out to feel so dependent on Joker's every whim.
There have been reports of a Gotham City Sirens movie with Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn as the main draw and here's hoping it happens. A trio of females leading a superhero film and showcasing that Harley Quinn is more than just Joker's love interest would do wonders for DC, the superhero genre, and Harley Quinn as a character in the DCEU. Bravo to Margot Robbie for one of the best scenes in the trailer as well as the movie.
11 Batman + Catwoman
We've covered why Batman is great and how his insane amount of popularity is warranted given what he brings to the table for DC. Let's now talk about his on again off again relationship with Catwoman. Selina Kyle is Batman's greatest love interest and a sore spot for him over the years. Recently comic fans were treated to a proposal from Bruce Wayne to Selina Kyle so it seems that DC wasn't afraid to have these two take the next step in their relationship. Catwoman as a standalone character is a cool concept for a thief and the play on the often used term cat burglar is a brilliant idea they had during concept. Her relationship with Bruce was unlike many other romantic storylines we came across in comics and their complicated relationship has grown to be a staple throughout Batman's legacy.
10 Harley & Deadshot Evolved
The senior year vs. freshman year meme is often used to show great changes in characters, actors, places, etc. It has been a staple meme on the internet and often sees itself re-purposed for numerous events. In Suicide Squad it was interesting to see the types of looks they went for with each character. Harley Quinn's look for the movie garnered a huge following and led to amazing merch sales centered around her iconic look in the film. Deadshot's look in the movie isn't as over the top, but it surprisingly comic accurate for the most part and Will Smith pulls it off to no one's surprise. Seeing actors lose themselves and transform into the characters they play will always be amazing. Shoutout to the hair, makeup, and costuming crews who rarely get the credit they deserve on these superhero films.
9 Wonder Woman Is Iconic
In 2017, Wonder Woman released to stellar reviews and a cadence of cheers for what it did in Hollywood and the superhero movie genre in general. DC should be applauded for giving a female hero the spotlight and doing such a fantastic job in casting Gal Gadot.
Luckily, unlike Marvel, they had a celebrated and uber-popular female hero that they could showcase to the world.
We'll soon be seeing the like of Captain Marvel and supposedly Black Widow roll out the red carpet on their own solo movie from Marvel, but DC managed to do it first and deliver a solid film. Wonder Woman is a symbol of hope for young girls around the world to grow up believing they can be strong and independent. The movie ushered in a new generation of Wonder Woman fans and that's simply beautiful.
8 The Flash Gets Meta
When a meta moment is captured on set you often see it meme'd and sent out to the masses. Grant Gustin on the set of The Flash reading a Flash comic is pretty meta if you ask me. The same type of joke was captured during the filming of Doctor Strange when Benedict Cumberbatch was spotted in a comic shop purchasing a Doctor Strange comic. It seems that with Ezra Miller taking on the role of Barry Allen in the DCEU we'll only be able to experience Gustin's phenomenal job as Barry in the television show. Fans are still hoping that there can be some type of cameo when Ezra Miller's Barry Allen enters the speed force in the movie. It would be a great way to pay homage to Grant Gustin's portrayal and to a general movie goer it wouldn't affect the plot or understanding in any real way.
7 Says Marvel > DC (Only Knows MCU)
Fanboys fighting over multi-million dollar companies have always seemed very awkward. Loyalty is an understood concept but most of the time it seems that the arguments are emotional and not rooted in any real logic. You don't have to wait very long in a superhero movie line to hear someone say that Marvel is way better than DC. This base of thinking is often rooted in their perception of the live-action movies and thus seems highly accurate to them.
Though Marvel's MCU is league's ahead of the DCEU in every measurable way, it doesn't mean DC is failing.
In many different avenues, it seems that DC is crushing Marvel. Over the years we've seen DC dominate in video games, animated movies, and gain a slight edge in their overall comic offerings. Come on, man.
6 Harleen Quinzel
Harley Quinn is such a staple of the Batman franchise that many younger and newer fans aren't aware that she is a creation spawned from the renowned animated series. It's strange to see a character created for a children's cartoon take off the way Harley Quinn did. This just goes to show how quickly people fall in love with interesting characters.
Thankfully over the years, we've seen Harley morph from a love interest of Joker to a more well-rounded character with goals and aspirations of her own
She's a very troubled and complex individual who, much like the Joker, is unpredictable and the spectacle of their existence is enough to lure in audiences. Margot Robbie is a great actress and was an absolute knockout of a casting by the team behind Suicide Squad. Now, the writing on the other hand...
5 Aquaman Is Awesome!
We've already discussed how Richard Donner's Superman ruined the character for an entire generation of kids. It made the character otherworldly and invincible which made him absolutely uninteresting. Let's now talk about how Family Guy and the like ruined Aquaman for everyone. It's often joked that Aquaman talks to fish and that his powers are useless. People tend to forget that he commands the entire ocean. Very few creatures that don't exist in the water have a fighting chance battling in it. For general audiences, it seems that the DCEU take on the character has won over many nonbelievers. Rumors suggest that the Aquaman movie is receiving great reviews from early screenings and might go a step further in reestablishing Aquaman has the force he has always been. Have you played Injustice 2? The man's a monster.