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Within the space of just two months, two films pitching iconic superheroes against each other have hit cinemas: Batman v Superman and Captain America: Civil War.
From the title, the plot of DC's brawler seems relatively simple; the Dark Knight will fight The Man of Steel. Marvel's film, meanwhile, is a little more complicated in comparison; a civil war between a dozen superheroes, each one with mixed feelings on where they stand. Funnily enough, both are very similar in many aspects.
So, who did it better? Without making this a Marvel vs DC piece, let's dissect who did the superhero brawler better, Marvel or DC? **Warning: Major spoilers for both films below. You have been warned**
Motivation for fighting
Let's quickly look at why our heroes are fighting. In Batman v Superman, it was Bruce Wayne's fear that Superman was too powerful, able to flatten cities with his laser eyes. The collateral damage from Man of Steel had almost wiped out Metropolis; it's not hard to see how Superman is a risk to earth.
Meanwhile, Superman's reasoning for fighting Batman is because his mother's life is in danger thanks to Lex Luthor. Clark Kent briefly attempts to explain the situation to Wayne, but gives up quickly, resorting to heavy punches. Frankly, Superman's reason for fighting Batman isn't really that compelling, especially when you consider how - if Batman could save her - why couldn't Superman?
Collateral damage is front and centre in Civil War as well, with Iron Man and Steve Rodgers fighting over wanting to be governed and not wanting to be governed. While it made sense in many respects, seeing Captain America avidly follow his own rules, the superhero comes across as rather obnoxious. With his history at Shield (secretly Hydra), it makes more sense, but personally #TeamIronMan was for me. (But that was the Russo brothers strategy: divide the audience, create discussion.)
Who did it better? With Superman's motivation for wanting to kill Batman a little sloppy, this round goes to Civil War.
Why did it work better? Because we were invested more in the characters motivations. We've seen Iron Man without a governing body (leading to the creation of Ultron) and we've seen Captain America struggle with...