Marvel Needs to Step Up Its Cartoon Game: Where to Start

DC Comics is considered the undisputed champion of animation when it comes to adapting their comic books. From movies to animated series and cartoons, there is no competition when it comes to quality content. Which is strange when you think about Marvel’s run of great cartoons in the past. The ’90s were filled with amazing cartoons. As a kid, you couldn’t wait for that Saturday to come and hit you with an onslaught of superheroes and their greatest adventures.  I’m talking Spider-Man, X-Men, Hulk, Iron Man. This was a decade where both Marvel and DC were in their bag, churning out one great show after another. However, in the early 2000s, Marvel’s animated ventures started to slow down. Meanwhile, DC continued to consistently create classic cartoons that rank as some of the best. There were still a few diamonds in the ruff, but soon Marvel’s focus on animated cartoons just wasn’t what it used to be. What happened? Well, a lot, and it has to do with the success they found elsewhere. Where Did Marvel Lose Its Way? Saying Marvel lost its way can seem pretty harsh but in my opinion, it’s kind of true. Comic books and cartoons go hand in hand. It’s the closest medium that can visually and narratively replicate the stories we see on the panels. Animation also gives creators the chance to experiment creatively with art and storytelling in a way that we only see in comics. On the other hand, you could see that live-action movies had more of an impact on the type of content that …