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Question: What’s your preference – Marvel or DC?

If you don’t have an answer, you might need to go away now because I can’t consider you a true superhero fan. But just in case you do actually love superheroes but need to be educated on the difference, I’ll help you.

Pick a column of superheroes.

Superman Spider-Man Batman Ironman Wonder Woman Hulk Green Lantern Thor The Flash Captain America

If you picked Column A, you’re a fan of all things DC Comics. If you picked Column B, congratulations! You have excellent taste and you picked Marvel Comics! (Can you tell that I’m a Marvel girl?)

Whether you’re DC or Marvel or (gasp) you swing both ways, you’ll find an amazing array of superhero selections on Netflix streaming from movies to TV shows to cartoons for all ages. Let me make it easy for you and list some of the best of the best.

For all you DC Comics fans

Animated

Justice League Rated TV-Y7, this is great for younger kids (7 years and older) where they’ll be introduced to the entire Justice League team including Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, The Flash, and more. Justice League Unlimited Also rated TV-Y7, this show is recommended for the 7 and up crowd. New villains, same superheroes. Young Justice Rated TV-PG, this animated tale of teenage superhero sidekicks like Robin and Aqualad is geared towards a slightly older crowd (think 10+).

Live Action

Batman Rated PG-13, you most likely remember the excitement of the first Batman movie with Michael Keaton as Batman and Jack Nicholson as an expertly cast Joker. Made in 1989, it was the highest grossing film of the year. And as with many Tim Burton films, it might be worth a second look. Batman and Robin Also rated PG-13, this 1997 film changed it up with George Clooney as Batman (at least it wasn’t Val Kilmer). While it wasn’t highly rated, you can’t miss Arnold Schwarzenegger as the perfect Mr. Freeze.

For all the Marvel fans

Animated

The Super Hero Squad Show Want to introduce your little ones to superheroes without frightening them to pieces? This is a great starter show for younger kids. It’s still suggested for kids 7 and up because there’s nothing warm and cuddly about superheroes. LEGO Marvel Superheroes: Maximum Overload This isn’t a series but rather a single episode of LEGO superheroes. It’s a great tie-in to their products and video games but usually the LEGO stories are pretty well done. Also recommended for ages 7 and up. The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes If you’re child is dying to know every Marvel superhero or you’re busy wondering how your child knows every backstory, this show will help both of you. This two season series tells the evolution of how the Avengers came to be. Recommended for ages 7 and up. Marvel Avengers Assemble Another animated series about The Avengers but according to one 8 year old in my house, it doesn’t hold the same level of quality as the previous show. Ages 7 and up. Avengers Confidential: Black Widow & Punisher This PG-13 animated movie is intended for an older crowd and possibly, more specifically, the anime crowd. This movie is considered Japanese animation and may not suit the tastes of those used to the more classic animated series. Marvel’s Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. Now in its third season, Hulk teams up with A-Bomb, Scarr, She Hulk and Red Hulk among others to, of course, battle plentiful villains, including Galactus. Suitable for ages 7 and up. Marvel’s Iron Man and Hulk: Heroes United This is another animated film that teams the Hulk and Iron Man up against a foe that only they can defeat. Rated PG. Marvel’s Iron Man and Captain America: Heroes United Similar to the previous film, this time Iron Man teams up with Captain America to defeat Red Skull. Rated PG. Ultimate Spider-Man It doesn’t get much better than Spider-Man and the reviews agree that this is one of the best animated superhero series out there. I’d have to compare it against my all-time favorite, Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, before I can sign off on that. Suggested for ages 7 and up. Wolverine and the X-Men While this show got mediocre ratings in this house, the other Netflix ratings give this high marks as staying true to the characters. One season is available and is rated TV-Y7. Thor & Loki: Blood Brothers Just because it’s animated doesn’t mean it’s for kids. In fact, this series is rated TV-MA and intended for viewers over the age of 17. It’s called dark and imaginative with a unique style of animation.

Live Action

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

With two seasons on Netflix, this is a great series to watch as a family. Although it’s intended for ages 13 and up, fans of The Avengers movie will appreciate the crossover of Agent Phil Coulson from the big screen to the silver screen. Daredevil Daredevil is original Netflix show that was originally conceived as a movie. It shows in the cinematography but make sure you put the kids to bed before turning this one on. It’s intended for mature audiences only. The Incredible Hulk I’ve got to be honest. This show gave me nightmares as a kid. But it’s totally worth watching again if only for the nostalgia factor. The first episode also clearly shows the origin story of the Hulk which some kids may like. And they can laugh at the cheesy special effects. Recommended for ages 8 and up. Marvel and ESPN Films present 1 of 1: Genesis And now for something completely different… this documentary explores the connect between elite athletes and superheroes. I’m gonna have to see it to believe it. Rated PG.

Coming Soon

Jessica Jones Following in the footsteps of Netflix Original Daredevil, Netflix plans to premiere this show on November 20th. A lesser known superheroine, the show is based on Jessica’s post-superhero life as a private investigator.

All of these Netflix originals are still in the works but if you’re like me and these aren’t household names, here’s a quick overview.

Luke Cage is a street-fighting ex-con battling crime on the streets of New York City.

Iron Fist follows superhero and martial arts master, Danny Rand.

The Defenders is banking on the success of these Netflix originals as it brings together Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist fighting together as a team.

What’s missing?

As long as we’re talking superheroes, I’d love to see Netflix resurrect my favorite 80s cartoons, Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends. Or let’s see the original Superman movie or even Superman 2 (after that, it just goes downhill). But really, I’d love to see some of the more modern classic movies like Ironman, The Fantastic Four, X-Men, or even Guardians of the Galaxy.

Hey, a superhero fangirl can dream, can’t she?

This post was written as part of my role on the Netflix Stream Team. Topics, selections, and all opinions are my own.