Thor: The Dark World has already garnered a few hundred million dollars at the box office, so it doesn't need any help from me. It's also at the multiplex, which I usually ignore in favour of watching movies if the much higher quality venue of the Mayfair (of course!).

I do love this run of Marvel movies though. And, I used Visa points to go see it, so my conscious is clear and none of my money went to support the man (and yes...I pay my credit card bills on time, so my money isn't going to that The Man either).

Marvel is just getting everything right. They are producing big, fun, action packed motion pictures that almost everyone seems to enjoy, that most critics seem pretty kind too, and that are making boat-loads of profit. Along the way and against all odds, they've built up a crossing-over universe akin to their comic book roots. Non of this should have worked to this degree, but success keeps coming their way. The simple key to their good turn is that everyone involved actually cares. I listened to a podcast with head honcho Kevin Feige, and it was clearly evident that he's not just in this for the money. He wants these to be the highest quality nerd entertainment...and it's working.

DC has had some financial success with their movies too, but they have all left me unimpressed as of the last few years. Green Lantern was a giant let-down, but I wasn't even all impressed with Chris Nolan's Bat stuff. It was all just so dreary and heavy and filled with death. On top of that there were gaping plot holes and nonsensical character twists and turns. And don't get me started on Man of Steel. I can't imagine a single lil kid watching that movie and then running home to play with Superman action figures or read a stack of Superman comics.

On the other hand, now-a-days I see nothing but kids with Marvel backpacks and lunch boxes being toted around by kids. Halloween had way more Avengers walking around then Bat or Super-kids. Marvel has me wanting more at every post credit sequence tease. DC movies make me wish that they had different creators behind the scenes getting their product up onto the silver screen.

Marvel got it right again with Thor: The Dark World...and I am looking very much forward to Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Guardians of the Galaxy, Ant-Man, and Avengers: Age of Ultron. The next Superman / Batman movie...meh. And a world where I was neutral to the thought of a Superman / Batman movie is a world I never thought could possibly exist.