Well, it was 6 days ago when I said that things were going to be  back to normal at the office. I was wrong.

But, hey, I’ve finally found some time to finally add to the next installment of the best fandom bracket. Kingdom Hearts just barely screeched by with the win against Final Fantasy, taking 56% of the vote. Looks like Kingdom Hearts will make it to the semi-finals.

Now we’re on to, easily, the most difficult decision in the bracket thus far: The Lord of the Rings vs Marvel. If you need a refresher on the rules, feel free to check out the first post. With that said, let’s get into it. Man, this is gonna hurt to try to play devils advocate against either of these greats.

Opening Argument: The Lord of the Rings

What can be said about the Lord of the Rings that hasn’t already been said? It’s epic. Of course, Marvel is as well. How do we rightly compare the two? Well, I think are many areas where The Lord of the Rings and Marvel are relatively comparable. Video games would be an example of that. But there are also several where LotR beats Marvel easily. Let’s take a look at a couple.

As the first example, we have to talk about the iconic nature of the music in LotR. Seriously, think for a moment. Imagine the iconic score. You can hear the music of the plains of Middle-Earth. You can visualize Saruman’s devastation of the edges of Fangorn. I would even argue that LotR has the most iconic score of any film series. The most that Marvel has is maybe Spider-Man’s theme from the Raimi trilogy or the main Avengers theme. Good? Yes. Anything close to what LotR offers? Not even kinda.

As a second example, think of the dramatic quality of the films. Sure, the Marvel films are nice romps, but how could anything compare to the grand themes, stellar acting, and practical effects of the LotR trilogy? There’s a reason it has so many awards. They are films of depth. Marvel dabbles in depth here or there, but they certainly don’t compare to the intense nature of Frodo’s and Aragorn’s respective journeys- the psychological nature of Frodo’s fight against the darkness, the classic hero’s journey of Aragorn.

But before I get ahead of myself with too much, let’s see what, if anything, Marvel has to offer.

Opening Argument: Marvel

You know, I’ll give one to LotR. It has some of the greatest music ever. Is it as much of a blow-out as the previous argument would imply? Of course not. On top of the Avengers theme and Spider-Man’s theme, we’ve got some other great hits. Check out The Winter Soldier’s theme. Think about the mix of rock and orchestra found in Iron Man. Marvel hangs in there.

But more than that, let’s just mention how much more entertaining Marvel is. They built a universe from over twenty movies. That crushes the three (or six) that you find from Tolkien. Marvel movies are much more fun. Lord of the Rings is often a bore to some people. Marvel, on the other hand, garners to all.  Grown adults find huge depth in the character arcs of Tony Stark and Steve Rogers, yet children find excitement from Iron Man and Captain America. The films are simply more entertaining.

On another note, Marvel is far more than just its movies or TV shows. There are comics and other books that show decades and decades of adventures for the most beloved heroes of our time. Sure, LotR has fantastic books to draw from, but it can’t compare to the huge depth of continuity that Marvel draws from and the great artists that have contributed. It is from those comics that we learn of Peter Parker’s great power and his great responsibility.

Admit it, Marvel is more fun and there’s more sources of said fun. LotR just can’t beat it.

Rebuttal: The Lord of the Rings

Now wait a moment here. The novels of LotR are works of art that aren’t to be so quickly tossed aside. Tolkien created a world with languages, thousands of years of history, and a great deal of lore. It’s a perfectly cohesive world that, somehow, was perfectly adapted to film, despite its depth.

Take that work of art and put it against the Marvel comics. Sure, there are some great runs on there, but there are also terrible, terrible decisions. For those that are comic savvy, do you remember when the writers decide to have Peter Parker’s marriage to MJ taken away as a part of a deal with Mephisto (basically the devil)? Yeah, things like that happen.

Lord of the Rings, however, is consistent quality. It’s a mainstay in nerd culture after all these years because of how innovative it was. The fantasy genre would not be the same without LotR. Take, for example, Dungeons and Dragons. That game has so much to thank LotR for. LotR is the epitome of the fantasy genre. Marvel is just one of many in the super hero genre.

Rebuttal: Marvel

One of many? Ha. Remember when I said that Marvel contains the most beloved heroes of our time? I meant it. Marvel has done the unthinkable. They have become so iconic that they have started to eclipse Batman and Superman. Captain America and Iron Man used to be B-list Marvel characters. Nowadays, their versus movie can completely crush Batman V. Superman, which featured the first time Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman met on screen. Seriously, Marvel is a cut above. They’ve done it right and have kept the fans coming back for a decade.

What happened when LotR wanted to try to stretch further than just one trilogy? They came out with the Hobbit trilogy, which met with mixed opinions. Marvel, on the other hand, keeps getting better. The Captain America trilogy is comparable to the original LotR trilogy, and that doesn’t even include any of the Avengers films.

And let’s challenge an early assumption. LotR does not compete with Marvel in terms of video games. Sure, LotR has a few gems, such as The Battle For Middle-Earth series, but they also have many mediocre games. Marvel has all of the fantastic Spider-Man games, the Ultimate Alliance and X-Men Legends series, Marvel VS Capcom, and a host of great mobile games. Marvel actually takes this category much easier than you might expect. Also, it goes without saying, but Marvel crushes LotR in the toys and board games department.

Closing Argument: The Lord of the Rings

I’m sure that many of you have already made up your minds. One of the fandoms hits your heart more. But for others, this is the most difficult decision ever. For those in the second category, remember memorizing all the lines from the original trilogy. Think of those iconic moments, such as the Balrog. Think about how much this fandom has meant to you through the years.

At the end of the day, LotR has a concentration of quality that nobody can beat, even the giant known as Marvel. LotR is a unique cultural landmark that will forever influence fantasy. Its imitators couldn’t hold us the genre. LotR will always been the definitive version. It’s precious. Vote The Lord of the Rings.

 

Closing Argument: Marvel

You know, Marvel hasn’t always been this giant that everyone speaks of. At one point, they were selling off their film rights to stay afloat. Spider-Man and the X-Men carried the brand name for awhile, but everything changed with 2008’s Iron Man. Marvel as a whole became culturally relevant. And it wasn’t just with flashing lights. It was with consistent quality. Film after film, they worked their way into our hearts, getting us to love a talking raccoon and a tree with an odd speech pattern.

For those who are on the fence, remember the rush of excitement that came by as Iron Man learned to fly. Remember the team coming together in the Avengers. Remember how much Winter Soldier blew your socks off. Remember all the intensity of Infinity War. Those are just a few of the memories that merit Marvel being the best, even better than the great LotR. They’re a collection of heroes much bigger than anything that popular culture has brought us. And they’ll defeat LotR the one way that they can- together. Vote Marvel.

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