Brian Michael Bendis Says DC and Marvel Universes Are 'Completely Different'

CBR

Bendis Says Writing the DC Universe Is 'Completely Different' From Marvel

By Nicole Herviou

Published May 25, 2018

As writer Brian Michael Bendis launches his tenure on Superman and Action Comics, he reflects on the differences between DC and Marvel.

Writer Brian Michael Bendis worked for more than 18 years at Marvel Comics, where he co-created such characters as Miles Morales and Jessica Jones and penned lengthy runs of Ultimate Spider-Man and the Avengers titles. After all of that time, one would expect his big move to DC requires a period of adjustment. But surely the two superhero universes must share similarities, right?

"Not many," he admitted in a lengthy interview with CBR. "I gotta tell you."

"I’m six months deep into it now," continued DC's new Superman writer. "As a co-author, I can tell you, DC the company does everything differently than Marvel does, including pay vouchers, to produce the same, final product. As a craft junkie, I’m obsessed with this. I love it. And there are some things that Marvel did that were a little better, and some things DC does a little better. It’s not a critique or a criticism, it’s just, they do things differently. How they all relate to each other is different. And I’m fascinated by it."

However, Bendis noted the differences aren't restricted to matters of process

"From that, all the way to the energy of the shared universe — working on the Marvel shared universe is completely different than working in the shared universe at DC, and you’ll have to ask me a year from now how, because I can’t even wrap my head around what’s different," he added. "I was thinking, if I was writing the Star Wars universe or the Westworld universe, it would feel as different to me, I guess. The story and the characters demand a different type of different energy and a different type of mindset from me, and that is fascinating."

Bendis made his DC debut with a story in Action Comics #1000, to be followed next week with the launch of the Man of Steel six-issue weekly miniseries, and then in July with runs on Action Comics and Superman.

Bendis is working on a host of Superman stories for DC, including Man of Steel, a six issue weekly miniseries.