• Slugfest

  • Inside the Epic, 50-Year Battle Between Marvel and DC
  • By: Reed Tucker
  • Narrated by: Will Collyer
  • Length: 10 hrs and 43 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (715 ratings)

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Slugfest  By  cover art

Slugfest

By: Reed Tucker
Narrated by: Will Collyer
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Publisher's summary

The first in-depth, behind-the-scenes audiobook treatment of the rivalry between the two comic book giants.

They are the two titans of the comic book industry - the Coke and Pepsi of superheroes - and for more than 50 years, Marvel and DC have been locked in an epic battle for spandex supremacy. At stake is not just sales, but cultural relevancy and the hearts of millions of fans. To many partisans, Marvel is now on top. But for much of the early 20th century, it was DC that was the undisputed leader, having launched the American superhero genre with the 1938 publication of Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel's Superman strip. DC's titles sold millions of copies every year, and its iconic characters were familiar to nearly everyone in America. Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman - DC had them all. And then in 1961, an upstart company came out of nowhere to smack mighty DC in the chops. With the publication of Fantastic Four, number one, Marvel changed the way superheroes stories were done.

Writer-editor Stan Lee, artists Jack Kirby, and the talented Marvel bullpen subsequently unleashed a string of dazzling new creations, including the Avengers, Hulk, Spider-Man, the X-Men, and Iron Man. Marvel's rise forever split fandom into two opposing tribes. Suddenly the most telling question you could ask a superhero lover became "Marvel or DC"?

Slugfest, the first audiobook to chronicle the history of this epic rivalry into a single, in-depth narrative, is the story of the greatest corporate rivalry never told. Complete with interviews with the major names in the industry, Slugfest reveals the arsenal of schemes the two companies have employed in their attempts to outmaneuver the competition, whether it be stealing ideas, poaching employees, planting spies, or launching price wars. The feud has never completely disappeared, and it simmers on a low boil to this day. With DC and Marvel characters becoming global icons worth billions, if anything, the stakes are higher now than ever before.

©2017 Reed Tucker (P)2017 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"Reed Tucker masterfully dissects the REAL issue dividing us as a nation." (Seth Meyers, host of NBC's Late Night with Seth Meyers)

"This is a book for 'Fans.' I consider myself a 'Fan.' I love this book. I guess you could say I am a 'Fan' of this book. If you are not a 'Fan' of 'Things' then this is not a book for you. It is a book for me. GIVE ME BACK MY BOOK!" (Bobby Moynihan, comedian and former Saturday Night Live cast member)

"Slugfest is the ringside commentator for the clash of the comic book titans. A must-read for all comic fans." (Scott Sigler, author of the number-one New York Times best-selling novel Alive)

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What listeners say about Slugfest

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    5 out of 5 stars

Loved it, but...

Really enjoyed this book. It was well researched and the anecdotes really put you there in the historical context. However it was obvious from pretty early on that the writer was very much a marvel fan. At times he came off as objective, but any discerning listener can tell which Company he is more a fan of. Grant Morrison’s book on a similar subject managed far better to give an even evaluation.

I absolutely LOVED the narrator.

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14 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Solid Examination of DC and Marvel's Rivalry

This is a solid examination of the long, often bitter and ultimately impactful rivalry between DC Comics and Marvel. Scholarly in its scope, yet easily accessible, the work upturns many stones to find the roots of enminity and malice between the two companies, borne out by both companies' management teams, and how it has affected the creators in their employ and the readers in their enthrall.

Few in the industry's upper echelons emerge unscathed, and that's important to know and learn.

The scope is wide, encompassing all eras of comics, including the vibrant cinematic and small-screen exploits.

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7 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Very Interesting to an Comic Newb

I imagine like many others, my knowledge of the DC and Marvel characters and their origins (both inside and outside their respective universes) was largely based on the cinematic releases of the last 30 years. This was a very interesting jumping off point as someone curious about the back stories of many other industries and also a bit of an outsider comic book fan.

The book is well paced following a roughly chronological history of each company with brief summaries of the founding of each company and early years up to about 1960. The 1960s are where the "vs" part of the story gains legs and the author does a good job with multiple inside sources recollecting the various back and forth battles the two companies had with one another, as well as the internal woe's eached experienced over the subsequent decades.

The audio presentation was great with the exception of the author trying to do different voices for some of the quoted sources. Does not ruin the experience but I found it mildly annoying.

It has peaked my further interest in the comic book realm and in am now anxiously awaiting a few online comic book purchases!

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5 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Best for earlier stuff

Enjoyed history of the earlier years Thought they did best with the 50s to mid 90s

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

awesome story

I wasn't a comic book person but I work with someone who is and they got me interested in learning the history of the battle between these two companies, this book is perfect for learning that story. The animosity, rivalry, back and forth dominance is so compellingly told. It seems like DC never learned too take a chance but stayed stuck in their old mindset.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Interesting Stuff

Overall this was interesting, not a lot of new info but comments by comic pros made it worthwhile. I agree with other reviewers that have said there a Marvel bias, it is not a huge bias but a bias none the less. I would have given a higher rating for the narration if Mr. Collyer had avoided using accents when reading quotes, his English accent was bad enough but his Australian, well, it was flat out awful. It is too bad because his read otherwise was really good.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

The 'One-up-manship' and the stubbornes.

Pretty much rivalries can be a catalyst for creative excellence or utter revelation that changes and growth have to take place, or else.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

A fun listen

Overall, it's a very enjoyable and bingeable listen, with good narration throughout the audiobook.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Insightful

As a life long comic book fan and still a collector now, I did know quite a bit of this history. However, I did not know many of the behind the scenes interactions and interview snippets presented in this book. Very interesting and a must read for any fan of Marvel and DC.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Slugfest

An interesting and well written insight in the beginning of the comic industry. Background information into the well
Known rivalry between Marvel Comics and DC Comics from the bull pen to the corporate level. A must read for all
Comic fans

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