Short Box: Marvel/DC: Deadpool/Batman
Marvel / DC: Deadpool / Batman
#1S
Terry Dodson Variant
(Go here to see the other cover variants I picked up)
| Release: | Sep 17, 2025 |
| Cover: | Nov 2025 |
Creators
| Writer | Kevin Smith, Kelly Thompson, Al Ewing, Zeb Wells, Ryan North, Chip Zdarsky, Frank Miller |
| Artist | Adam Kubert, Greg Capullo, Frank Miller, Gurihiru, Dike Ruan |
| Cover Artist | Terry Dodson |
| Cover Inker | Rachel Dodson |
| Penciller | Greg Capullo |
| Inker | Terry Dodson, Tim Townsend |
| Colorist | Moreno DiNisio, Alex Sinclair |
| Letterer | Clayton Cowles, Joe Caramagna, Inker Penciller |
| Editor | Mark Basso |
| Editor in Chief | C.B. Cebulski |
The first Marvel/DC crossover since JLA/Avengers is officially in the books and it, uhh, it certainly exists.
This initial offering from Marvel featuring a main event teaming up Deadpool and Batman will be followed up in November with DC’s offering of a book featuring a main event teaming up Batman and Deadpool.
While this pairing was brought to us by Zeb Wells and Greg Capullo, the next one will be from Grant Morrison and Dan Mora, whom I know many people would prefer to see reuniting on a new Klaus story.
I’m not really familiar with Wells, so I can’t say anything about how this story stacks up against his other work, but overall…it’s fine. There is some amusing commentary from a universe-hopping Deadpool who’s working with the Joker, and some decent Batmanning from Batman.
And it was kind of fun seeing that Deadpool’s healing factor wasn’t entirely up to the task – at least initially – of fending off the effects of Joker venom.
Like I said, it’s fine. Which I have to admit is kind of disappointing after waiting so long for a new crossover, but honestly, it’s par for the course. While there are some real standouts, most of the crossovers that preceded this one were middling at best, which is what made the standouts, well, stand out.
The main event in this book was not the only event, as several other shorter crossover stories are included, and one in particular led to a lot of discourse before the book’s release thanks to some panels that were leaked online.
Unlike the main story, that story, a Captain America/Wonder Woman crossover from Chip Zdarsky and Terry and Rachel Dodson, is set in a shared Marvel/DC Universe.
It’s told from Cap’s perspective as a dying message to Wonder Woman in which he looks back on their history as friends and colleagues, focusing in particular on their first meeting…when she talked Cap down from executing Hitler.
Given that it’s Marvel canon that Hitler was burned alive by the original Human Torch and the general state of things, a lot of people were bothered by this, viewing it as mischaracterizing Cap and Wonder Woman and failing to meet the sentiment of the moment.
For my part…ehh. It didn’t strike me as particularly out of line for either character, but I think telling the story at all was a bit tone-deaf, though I get what it was going for.
Anyway, it looked great, Hitler still dies, and I did like the general idea that Cap and Wonder Woman both looked at each other as inspirations who each constantly pushed the other to do better.
I also enjoyed some of the shots of different events from each universe happening in a shared setting. It was fun seeing Storm in the background of the Crisis on Infinite Earths, and Wonder Woman and Superman being present as Cap came out of the ice.
Given that I’m a heartless monster who is largely unmoved by cute animal stories, the Krypto/Jeff the Land Shark story didn’t do much for me, though I am a fan of both writer Kelly Thompson and artist Gurihiru.
As for the rest…
Daredevil/Green Arrow gave Kevin Smith a chance to revisit characters he’s famously – or infamously, depending on your perspective – worked on for both companies.
The Rocket Raccoon/Green Lantern story had a fun ending.
The Old Man Logan/Batman the Dark Knight Returns story from Frank Miller story is something that is included in the book.
And the book closes with the introduction of a new Amalgam character named Logo.
It’s a mixed bag overall, and I can’t really bring myself to feel too much excitement – or outrage – about any of it.
We’ll see if the next round can generate more enthusiasm.
Born and raised in the sparsely populated Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Jon Maki developed an enduring love for comics at an early age.
