It’s finally here: Marvel and DC begin a massive crossover with Deadpool/Batman #1. Don’t let the name fool you, however – while the main story indeed concerns the Merc With a Mouth and the Dark Knight, this book features several inter-publication team-ups, including Daredevil and Green Arrow, Captain America and Wonder Woman, and more. Such a big crossover required more than one reviewer to guide us through all the mayhem, so let Michael Guerrero and Christopher Franey walk you through everything:
Overall impressions of Deadpool/Batman #1
Michael Guerrero: I had so, so many questions about Batman and Deadpool crossing over. Despite my immediate thoughts, like “how is this going to work? Will it even make sense?”, I was pleasantly surprised. Wells wrote a captivating story with fun twists and turns. As a result, I’m glad I took a leap of faith on this crossover, and encourage everyone else to do the same. Batman and Gordon are written as quintessential as they come, which makes the story all the more natural in feel and tone. While I’m unfamiliar with anything Deadpool outside of the movies, I found him much less annoying than I feared he’d be. As a result, their opposing nature made the story enjoyable and a worthwhile read.
Christopher Franey: I’m so impressed with the way this crossover plays out. Deadpool and Batman seemed like a hard sell for me since they don’t have that much in common, yet playing Deadpool against the Joker is such a brilliant move. Having those two crazies play against and with Batman is worth the price tag alone. Zeb Wells does a fantastic job of capturing the voices of the two main characters. A fun moment for me was reading the interaction between Jim Gordon and Deadpool, which is a great shoutout to Wells’ ability to capture character voice perfectly with those two different characters.
Deadpool/Batman #1 story-by-story reviews
Deadpool/Batman
Michael: I absolutely adored the artwork here. Greg Capullo is no stranger to the World’s Greatest Detective (or is he now simply The Greatest Detective since we’re merging Universes? I’ll leave that up to you, dear reader), and this issue fits in perfectly with Capullo’s iconic style. Each panel feels just as detailed as ever, with enough creative paneling to properly merge the typical Batman’s story with a wacky Deadpool one. Seeing his take on the new Batsuit was definitely an added plus, though I wish we had gotten to see his version of the Batmobile. Let’s not be too greedy, I guess. Naturally, this art was only elevated through Tim Townsend’s ink work and Alex Sinclair’s colors. Frankly, the story felt just as complex and realistic as ever, thanks to Townsend’s precise ink work, and just as murky and sharp as necessary as a result of Sinclair’s colors. I think the best example of this is seen early on through those first few opening pages. This is a spectacularly illustrated issue.
Christopher: Greg Capullo, Tim Townsend, and Alex Sinclair do an excellent job on the art, which I want to add to my New 52 Batman collection, as it fits perfectly. The art team nails it by keeping the tone of a Batman story while amping up the humor with the inclusion of Joker and Deadpool. I loved how even the panels don’t keep their regular comic ability, as they seem to be warping a little bit due to the traits of Deadpool. Overall, I came here for the backup stories and the historic new era of DC/Marvel team-ups, but this creative team made me a fan, and their ending is perfect for capturing my attention in the next Deadpool and Batman pairing. I give this fun adventure a solid 8 out of 10, as it captures the fun of comics by telling imaginary stories that ask, “What if?”
Captain America/Wonder Woman
Michael: The first backup story in this crossover is Captain America and Wonder Woman in a story titled The Gun and the Sword. Here, writer Chip Zdarsky and artist Terry Dodson tell a tale set back during World War II, which presupposes that the entire Marvel and DC Universes are familiar with one another. Although I’m as sick as most of Wonder Woman being written only as a warrior, this story misses the mark to me despite its attempt to promote her as a peacemaker. While this story likely aimed to show how Captain America and Wonder Woman inspire the good in others, this story lacks the sufficient length needed for enough depth to make it compelling despite its potential. While I’m sure Chip had good intentions, the means used to tell this story are in very poor taste.
That said, I found Terry Dodson’s artwork and Rachel Dodson’s colors to be splendid. They create a vintage feeling that helps to reinforce the duration of the friendship between Steve and Diana. While the story does a decent job showing how similar Steve and Diana are, as they both value empowering the people rather than playing God, it winds up being delivered through a performative story that misses the mark. While this may be a beautifully illustrated story, the script itself is quite unappealing. (Score: 3/10)
Marvel/DC
Krypto the Superdog/Jeff the Land Shark
Michael: Now it’s time for the story you’ve all been champing at the bit for: Krypto the Superdog and Jeff the Land Shark! Here, writer Kelly Thompson and artist Gurihiru collaborate on a story about DC and Marvel’s two most popular pets. The premise is quite simple: Catch! I really wasn’t sure what to expect with this story and felt it would be somewhat unnecessary as there are so many other characters who could team up for a crossover. I should have known better than to doubt Kelly Thompson. After all, this is the person who wrote two of my most beloved Marvel books (Captain Marvel and Hawkeye: Kate Bishop), so of course this story would rock.
There’s not much to say here regarding its depth, but I think it’s a great example of how different people can wind up having enough in common to become fast friends. And Gurihiru’s soft line work and pastel colors reinforce the gentle nature of this story. Krypto and Jeff aren’t saving the world or fighting Rogues, they’re just trying to have a fun day together! And I think that’s perfectly fine! Given how cute this story is, I think it’s impossible not to walk away enjoying it. (Score: 7/10)
Daredevil/Green Arrow
Michael: This might have been one of the team-ups I was most excited for. Writer Kevin Smith and artist Adam Kubert deliver a crime-fighting extravaganza called The Red and The Green. Kevin Smith is no stranger to either Daredevil or Green Arrow, as he is credited with being one of the more influential modern writers for both characters. Here, the Man Without Fear and Emerald Archer go toe-to-toe with both The League of Shadows and The Hand. Wow. What a fun day to be in New York, huh? While the two don’t know each other yet, they spend a good amount of this issue acquainting themselves with one another. As a result, readers get some overly punny dialogue as the two bond over their personal views.
Adam Kubert is also a classic pick for this story’s art, and he does a great job delivering a nostalgic story ripped right out of the 2000s. I really appreciated how Frank Martin’s vibrant colors added to the nostalgia here. Both characters pop in both appearance (such as Oliver’s uniform) and in color, as both their gadgets and selves feel as vibrant as ever. And without getting into spoilers, the story has a few quintessential moments that both characters are beloved for. As a result, this exciting story is jam-packed with enough swashbuckling for fans of both characters to enjoy. (Score: 9/10)
Marvel/DC
Green Lantern/Rocket Raccoon
Chris: The next pairing is Green Lantern and Rocket Raccoon. This might not be as deep as “Mogo Doesn’t Socialize,” but it will get you to laugh. The story is two pages long, but it will open up your mind’s imagination to what could have been if the Guardians of the Universe and the Guardians of the Galaxy met and sponsored trading members. There is a lot of poking at the Green Lantern mythos through the lens of Rocket having a Lantern ring. I love the fact that the art team chose to draw Rocket as a Lantern with the same fashion sense as Guy Gardner. This story features fun panels from the creative team with the right amount of comic history wrapped in self-mockery. Poor Hal Jordan seems not to be able to escape his fate, no matter what universe he is in, but for the eagle-eyed readers, you’ll know that isn’t the first time Hal Jordan crossed paths with another power jewel collector. (7/10)
Old Man Logan/Batman
Chris: Remember Grumpy Old Men? A Batman from The Dark Knight Returns and Old Man Logan facing off sounds like a good idea. I mean no disrespect towards Frank Miller, and maybe the limited space of two pages made this a tough one to tell, but it’s an easy read that might give you a chuckle. The hard part is telling if it comes from the idea of who would win or just how “macho” each character needs to sound. Altogether, a 6/10.
Logo
Chris: The final backup has readers meeting LOGO! Ryan North and Ryan Stegman sure do know how to tease with this Amalgam. Grizzled art mixed with comical writing makes this two-pager quite a fun time with the right amount of mystery, having all fans wondering, “will Amalgam make a return?”
Between this story with its two name drops of popular Amalgams and the Facsimile Edition of Spider-Boy, there could be enough of a teasing hint that it is happening or proof that both Ryans are cruel.
Either way, I’m surprised to see a new Amalgam character in this millennium; now they need to have Logo vs. Lobo the Duck! Fun note to end this crossover on, and keeping the tease alive for a score of 8/10.
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