I don't know if this "no-jokes" thing is true or just a rumor to drum up support for DC, but whatever. The terrible truth is while they excel at making animated movies (for the most part) with the right amount of humor, action, excellent animation (usually) and storyline, they totally suck at making live-action flicks.
I'll admit to loving the Nolan Batman trilogy even though the last entry was a bit overlong and dull in stretches. I'm one of the few who actually liked MOS. And even Green Lantern had its moments, few and far between as they were. But overall, their live-action flicks have sucked precisely because they've taken themselves too seriously.
In contrast, Marvel has fun with it all mainly because their comic book characters were a LOT more flawed than their DC counterparts back in the day (and even now, I guess). They appeared more 'realistic' in comic book form, more relatable in many ways, and that translated to the big screen, by and large. DC's heroes were usually very noble and less flawed and while that worked in the comics, onscreen it came off as two-dimensional and incomplete.
And the screenwriting sucked, too. It ain't the special effects. They were fine. The screenplays have been so amateurish in some flicks that I cringe when listening. Marvel is hip, almost glib, but they know when to have fun and when to get serious. With DC, it's always intense, like Repo Man.
And in their case, that ain't a good thing.
