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Jim Lee says the Marvel vs. DC rivalry is like baseball: The players change, but fans stay loyal
In comics, just like in baseball, says DC’s Jim Lee, it’s not always about who you’re rooting for. It’s sometimes about who you’re not rooting against
NewsbyGrant DeArmitt, Staff Writer
Published on Thu Sep 10 2026
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Jim Lee knows the Big Two in comic book publishing as very, very few people do. As a young artist, Lee worked with X-Men icon Chris Claremont to create one of the most celebrated Mutant runs of all time. And now, Lee is DC’s own president and CCO. So as you might guess, the artist-turned-exec has a unique perspective on the ongoing competition between the two biggest names in superheroes.
A perspective that he feels is best emulated on the baseball field.
Lee said this himself during his spotlight panel at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con. As is the case with so many Jim Lee panels, the hour-long event featured a fan Q&A portion, during which one attendee asked about the ongoing competition between DC Comics and its Disney-owned rival, Marvel. As you might expect, the DC Comics president began by pointing out how the company was doing from a publishing perspective.
“We’re kicking ass in publishing,” began Lee, “Marie Javins isn’t here – she runs DC with me, and we’ve had the single best year in the history of DC Comics. Obviously there’s the Absolute line – the quickness of it – the compact comics line, DC GO. We’re putting stuff out for middle readers, young adults. Libraries, Dollar Tree, we are putting comics everywhere, in lots of new places.”
But how does Lee feel about the DC vs. Marvel head-to-head? Well, that’s where one of Lee’s favorite sports comes in.
“I find a lot of correlations between baseball and comics,” the Batman: Hush artist said, “Because I’m not rooting for the team; I’m rooting for LA. I’m rooting for the hometown that I lived in. Because the players come and go. Dave Roberts, who’s the manager for the Dodgers, he was a manager for the Padres. He played for the Padres; he played for the Red Sox. So should you not root for him because he was part of the Padres as well? You see that between Marvel and DC, the creators go back and forth.”
That said, the fact that Lee thinks of the rivalry in a different way than perhaps the average comic buyer does does not mean he doesn’t find it useful, even positive.
“It is fun to have a rival,” Lee said, “And I think it is good. People have the rivalry and choose sides; it’s exciting. In all my years of comics, I always perceived DC to be the comics Coke. And you know, people really enjoyed Pepsi these days.”
This guy and his metaphors, am I right? Somebody should really put him in charge of a publishing company…
Marvel vs. DC: The key differences and distinctions between the two superhero and comics titans.
About Comic-Con International: San Diego
Comic-Con is the premier event for all things comics and related popular art, including movies, television, gaming, interactive multimedia, and so much more! Enjoy cosplay galore and take part in unique programming, exclusive previews, and presentations, not to mention the expansive and diverse Exhibit Hall featuring merchandise and displays representing all fandoms.
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Grant DeArmitt: Grant DeArmitt (he/him) likes horror, comics, and the unholy union of the two. In the past, and despite their better judgment, he has written for Nightmare on Film Street and Newsarama. He lives in Brooklyn with his partner, Kingsley, and corgi, Legs.
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