In the debate of Superman, comic enthusiast and best-selling author George R. R. Martin shared his opinion on which superhero reigns supreme, offering a grim justification for his choice. Martin’s preference being grounded in dark reasoning shouldn’t come as a surprise, especially considering he is the reigning grimdark king himself.

George R. R. Martin is best known for his grimdark epic fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire, which was adapted into the massively popular HBO television series Game of Thrones and has since spawned spin-offs such as the ongoing House of the Dragon.

In addition to being one of the greatest novelists of this generation, Martin has also tried his hand at comics, contributing to titles such as Heroes for Hope: Starring the X-Men (1985), and is widely known as an enthusiastic comic book fan. It’s no surprise, then, that he has a ionate opinion on Marvel and DC’s respective golden boys, Spider-Man and Superman, with Martin claiming that Spider-Man is the better character of the two.

The Grim Reason George R.R. Martin Thinks Spider-Man Is Better Than Superman

Martin Praises Marvel’s Willingness to Let Spider-Man Truly Suffer

During a convention appearance at the Chicago Humanities Film Festival in 2019, where Martin discussed his own critically acclaimed works, he was asked about his love for comics. He itted to initially being a huge Superman fan, having read hundreds of comics. However, his loyalties eventually shifted to Spider-Man following the web-slinger’s debut. Peter Parker’s narrative quickly became his preference, as he viewed Superman’s stories as rarely deviating from the status quo or taking risks, ultimately becoming cyclical. In contrast, he found Spider-Man’s narratives to be more progressive, often carrying much more severe and long-lasting consequences.

He cited the example of The Amazing Spider-Man #121 (1973) by Gerry Conway, Gil Kane, John Romita Sr., and Tony Mortellaro, saying, “He took up [a relationship] with Gwen Stacy. Well, she died. That was traumatic, but she actually died, you know. I mean, DC never killed Lois Lane or even Jimmy Olsen.” Martin's grounding of Spider-Man’s superiority in this reasoning may be a bit dark, but he makes an exceptionally valid point. Marvel has comparatively allowed the web-slinger to grow and endure more lasting consequences than Superman, particularly when it comes to his relationships with other characters.

DC’s Refusal to Break Superman’s Status Quo Weakens His Stories

DC Won’t Kill Lois Lane (And That’s the Problem)

It’s honestly not surprising that Martin’s main justification for why Spider-Man is the superior character is rooted in Peter Parker arguably suffering more than Clark Kent in the comics. Even putting aside the somewhat dark nature of this reasoning, Martin makes a valid point. While DC briefly allowed the Earth-2 version of Lois Lane to be killed off in 2012 and had the Joker trick Superman into killing Lois and their unborn child in the Injustice: Gods Among Us series, these events pale in comparison to Gwen Stacy’s death. Crucially, those deaths have had little to no impact on mainstream continuity.

Instead, DC has often relied on alternate timelines and Elseworlds stories to explore angst and shock value, rather than fully committing to Lois’s death in the main continuity. Currently, Lois is happily married to Superman and even experiencing what it’s like to be a superpowered hero herself. This reluctance highlights how resistant DC is to changing the status quo when it comes to Superman. In contrast, Spider-Man offers fans a far more dynamic narrative, one that brings severe and lasting consequences for the main character, making the comic reading experience far more satisfying for readers like Martin.

Why DC Needs to Kill Off Lois Lane

Superman Deserves His Own Gwen Stacy Moment

Martin has essentially praised Marvel for committing to the deaths of Peter Parker’s loved ones and expressed a somewhat matter-of-fact disappointment with DC for not doing the same with Lois or Jimmy Olsen. This naturally raises the question of whether it’s long past time for DC to truly shake up the status quo by killing off Lois, or, at the very least, taking a less risky but still notable step by killing off Superman’s best pal. Either move would undoubtedly disrupt the status quo. However, it shouldn’t be done simply for the sake of shock value. If DC ever decides to give Superman his own Spider-Man/Gwen Stacy moment, it should be handled with care and set up for maximum emotional impact.

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  Superman

  The icon who launched the entire world of superheroes, the last son of Krypton escaped his dying world to crash land on Earth and be raised as Clark Kent. The world knows him better as Superman, the Man of Steel, the leader of the Justice League, and the most well-known hero in the DC Comics Universe. Blessed with the powers of a demigod, Kal-El of Krypton fights enemies both small and cosmic in his endless pursuit of truth, justice, and a better tomorrow.
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  Spider-Man

  Spider-Man is the name given to several individuals who have employed a spider-moniker throughout Marvel Comics. Typically gaining their powers through a bite from a radioactive spider, the different Spider-Man heroes employ super-strength, agility, and intellect while utilizing webbing to swing and tangle up their foes. The most notable of these Spider-Men is Peter Parker, who remains one of the most popular superheroes throughout the world.
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  George R.R. Martin

  Discover the latest news and filmography for George R.R. Martin, known for Game of Thrones and Nightflyers.