PROS:
1. The universe has a legitimate "grand mythology" sense. Even after umpteen reboots to their universe, their characters never seem to feel like they've lost any of their majesty after nearly 70+ years of existence for some of them.
2. Speaking of reboots... When they DO arrive, the changes... while sometimes softballed... are taken into account. It rarely feels like an element is left unchanged.
3. I'd go so far as to say the DC universe holds the most iconic characters in the world. Anywhere in the globe, you can sport a Superman "S" shield, a Batman design, or even the twin "W's" of Wonder Woman, and people will know just who you're repping on your clothing.
4. I'd also say that DC has certainly jumped the mass-media gun a LOT earlier than Marvel. Radio, television, films, probably video games... DC knew that its bread had to be buttered in other arenas.
CONS:
1. Like with all mythology, sometimes our "gods" can be outright jerks. Sometimes that long-lasting DC mythology can create either very forgettable runs, or... sour grapes on my end... downright insulting and irritating runs. I'm looking at you, New 52...
2. Speaking of reboots, DC can sometimes come off like the irritated video gamer, when it comes to their universe. If they aren't seeing the benefit of the current run... BAM! Time for another reboot event! The first "Crisis"? Okay, that was a very special event. "Zero Hour"? A bit underwhelming, but still entertaining. "Infinite Crisis"? Eh... not as special as the first "Crisis", but it's what got me back into the universe. "Final Crisis"? Er... What? "Flashpoint"? Hello to the reason why I stopped regular purchases of DC books.
3. Iconography can only go so far if their characters remain true to themselves. And characters can either have the highs of highs... or the lowest of lows. Can you still feel my glare, New 52?
4. The media presence I mentioned? I'd say it's becoming a bit more varied, but for the longest time, DC may as well have called their media wing "Batman Productions... and some other guys". They tend to try picking out their most successful element, and run it ragged. In a way, while I'm sure I'll still enjoy "Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice" when it arrives, there's still a niggling sensation that I would have rather received an actual "Superman" sequel before throwing Batman into the mix... because everyone's all about Batman...
Now time to journey with me to the "real world". ... Or at least as real as it gets for the Mighty Marvel Universe!
1. What initially made Marvel stand separate from the pack was how their heroes felt like average people in their daily lives. Peter Parker struggles to make ends meet. Bruce Banner has anger issues. Tony Stark... um... is really rich. Isn't that TERRIBLE?!? But again, they face the same problems we, as readers, can identify with.
2. ... And when problems flare up, the Marvel characters did something truly revolutionary before DC did: have their characters square off. Try having Batman and Green Lantern square off in the 60's. Would never have happened. But Iron Man and Captain America duking it out? Happened in the very first appearance of Steve Rogers back into the Silver Age of comics. Without Marvel, we would've never had the concept of tensions erupting between characters, giving us readers a fun debate issue over which character could beat which character.
3. Marvel... even with their current "Now" program... has not undergone a hard reboot. I would even say that "Heroes Reborn" didn't count, because aside from selected titles, the Marvel universe kept on chugging along, dealing with the loss of such characters. So while such a long past could be seen as intimidating, you do have the sense that the universe has been constantly evolving since it's launch, with nary a hard reset.
4. Has taken the multimedia banner DC initiated, and ran with it. Marvel Studios, alone, has given us many cinematic treats. Hell, if it wasn't for the success of their in-house studio, I highly doubt I would have lived to see an actual "Avengers" film. Ditto for "Guardians of the Galaxy"! They're not afraid to expand their film universe to characters that aren't exactly the marquee characters, and it has paid off for their profits, and for us fans.
CONS:
1. Sometimes having characters that face the same problems as we do can become rather... tiring to read. Case in point: one of my all-time faves Spider-Man has not been read much by me, because I already have a difficult enough time making my own ends meet. I want to read something to ESCAPE that reality, not always put myself in the shoes of a character that faces the same issues I do. Plus, a brief mention of the Marvel Mutants: enough with the self-misery. Get over it. The world may fear and hate you, but enough with the friggin' navel gazing.
2. Marvel hero fights have become as predictable as having to take a whiz. New member on the Avengers? Guess they have to fight someone. New hero introduced? Well, why not have them battle it out with Wolverine? You may not always get along with people you interact with on a daily basis, but let's be honest: if you engaged in the regular fisticuffs that Marvel heroes seem to do, you would never be able to hold down a job, you'd probably not have any friends or loving relationships, and may not even be certifiable to own a pet.
3. No hard reboots sometimes means excessive baggage if you don't do your research. I may have squealed with glee upon seeing obscure characters show up after being long dormant, but for a company nearly 60 years of modern-age existence, you can risk alienating new readers. Gee... This sounds awfully a lot like the situation that caused the first DC "Crisis".
4. Marvel's media empire is not always limited to their own efforts... and that can mean questionable quality. I'll still stand up for the first two Raimi "Spider-Man" films, and at least "X-Men 2, First Class, and Days of Future Past", but for every one of those we have, we also have to shuck through "Fantastic Four" films, lackluster "Wolverine" productions, and why the hell they even exist "Ghost Rider" features. And not everything Marvel Studios produces can turn into gold. People have told me "Agents of SHIELD" DID get better after the first few episodes, but those will-draining experiences did essentially kill off my interest in the show. Period.
So where does this leave your writer? I'd say... since I grew up more around the DC Universe, I think that's slightly where I side with my reading preferences. BUT having said that, I certainly do not ignore Marvel's output, and try to read a little bit of column A mixed with column B. As with anything in life, everything in moderation. If you REALLY loved donuts, for example, and ate them every single day, excluding other food items due to your favoritism, you'd end up an immensely unhealthy person. (But donuts every other day... That's a different story that I could almost support.) So read and enjoy the products of both companies! You can enjoy the fruits of one over the other, but don't feel like you should excise one over the other, because you may miss out on an additional slice of comic book joy!
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