by DarthEd
I'm a hard-core DC Comics fan and always have been. I barely buy any Marvel comics in comparison. Superman is my all-time favorite superhero. I own just about every Superman, Batman, Justice League, Legion of Super-Heroes, Teen Titans, Sandman, and Swamp Thing comic published in the past 30+ years. That said, I also own both the DC Comics Deck-Building Game (DCDBG) and Legendary, and Legendary is the better designed game by far, in my opinion. It's not even close. Sorry, DC fans, but I'll explain why I feel that way. I consider a well-designed game to be one that integrates the theme of the game with its gameplay mechanisms that results in the player experiencing the theme of the game and having fun. If you are playing a game in which you are a firefighter, then a well-designed game will make you feel like you are fighting fires and rescuing people and having fun.DCDBG just falls short when it comes to integrating the theme with the gameplay. This is Tom Vasel's main criticism, and I strongly disagree with the notion that his critique has much (if anything) to do with Vasel simply preferring Marvel over DC. First, there's the whole Aquaman using the Batmobile and Batman having heat vision or super-speed, which are Tom Vasel's main complaints. You can get creative and figure out some wacky narrative to explain how that might happen in a comic book if you like, but you shouldn't have to do that. Second, there's putting defeated super-villains in your deck and then playing them later can possibly hurt the other players/heroes. Thematically, it feels like you are teaming up with these super-villains, which just doesn't seem very heroic. Third, the game is fully competitive. The DC superheroes I know and love would work together to defeat the super-villains. I'm actually really excited for the DCDBG cooperative expansion that was recently announced because that would eliminate one of my main complaints about the game.
About the only thematic aspects that DCDBG gets right (besides the artwork, which I love) are that Batman is interested in equipment, Superman is interested in superpowers, etc. But because the game is so competitive, the game forces you to deny your opponent(s) as much as play to your own character's strengths. The Batman player should not allow the Superman player to get "Man of Steel", and the Superman player should not allow the Batman player to get the "Bat-Cave" location. Things like that.
All of this amounts to the common complaint that DCDBG has poor thematic integration. The primary reason for this is because Cryptozoic took their generic deck-building system (the Cerberus Engine) and, just like the Fellowship of the Ring Deck-Building Game, slapped the DC Comics theme on top of it with almost no alterations to the gameplay. Fortunately, they seem to have realized that was a mistake and are trying to do better with integrating the theme into the gameplay in their newer games and expansions. The Two Towers Deck-Building Game is a little more thematic, and it looks like the DC Comics expansions coming out this year show some improvement there, too.
Legendary's theme is much better integrated in comparison. First, the game is semi-cooperative. Everyone either loses or wins together. The points are just to see who wins more, and some players don't even count up the points. Second, the superpowers and abilities of the heroes are very well translated into card play mechanisms in interesting and thematic ways. The Hulk goes on a rampage and can take out powerful villains by himself, but he causes collateral damage in the process. Wolverine heals wounds and attacks really fast. Spider-Man rescues bystanders. Etc. Third, the cards combo with each other in more interesting and consistent ways than you see in DCDBG. Deciding what order to play your hand in order to maximize your attack or recruiting on your turn leads to many and more interesting gameplay decisions than I ever experience when I play DCDBG. Finally, there's just a huge amount of replay value. There are a number of schemes that the masterminds are trying to pull off, and each scheme plays differently and very thematically. It's like having a bunch of different games in the same box. The number of combinations of masterminds and schemes and heroes is staggering, especially when you add in the expansions.
None of the above is to say there's no fun to be had from playing DCDBG or no value in having it in your collection. (I'm keeping my copy and am looking forward to future expansions.) And I can certainly understand why some people might prefer DCDBG because of it's competitive gameplay or other reasons. But, in closing, I would say don't let your love for DC Comics cloud your judgment when it comes to DCDBG.