After Marvel and DC collided and collaborated on Deadpool/Batman, fans were fed the first crossover from the Big Two in years. That was a Marvel Comics-produced first try, and now DC Comics has the chance to blow us away in an all-new way with Batman/Deadpool. Similarly titled, but with a showstopping creative team involved, this is a highly entertaining meta-friendly one-shot that can’t be missed.
Kicking off the collab of the decade is Grant Morrison and Dan Mora for a main story that’s so packed it’s the kind of story you keep thinking has to end on the next page, and yet it continues.
The story juggles a few elements, with a story within a story fun thrown in for good measure. It opens with Destiny and Kismet having a bit of a romance (a clever nod to JLA/Avengers), which explains how the Marvel and DC Universes collide. Once you reach the end of the issue, it’s clear how these two gods pulled it off, and it’s a tongue-in-cheek moment only Morrison has the gall to pull off. We then cut to Batman on a mission, which leads him to Greece, where he is about to get a clue, but the gods begin to make out, and then we smash-cut to Deadpool holding Batman’s body. Trippy.
From there, Deadpool takes a major focus, and Morrison writes him very well. He’s kooky, zany, and all the weird you like in a modern Deadpool. Once Batman is on his feet, the two trade barbs, and it’s generally a fun time. Also, Morrison makes a clear point as to why Deadpool doesn’t annoy him, which is a surprise given the direction most go in with Deadpool’s constant yapping.
Fans of Morrison will adore the meta story that’s in play, along with a key character they co-created. I’ll say no more, but it leads to an Amalgam Universe tie-in and a certain writerly integration into the story. This really is a comic only Morrison could have written.
Meanwhile, Dan Mora draws the heck out of this issue. From cool rain effects to explosions, there’s so much to love in the art. The violence is turned up nicely, with blood bursting from characters and the like. The scenes with the gods are also well done, with a heavy cosmic vibe thanks to the surrounding space scenes. Fact is, Mora pushes the limit of panels per page, making this main story feel like there’s way more on the page than we deserve.
Most of the variant covers for this one-shot.
Credit: DC Comics
Also in this issue are four additional tales. They feature Hellblazer and Doctor Strange, Nightwing and Wolverine, Harley Quinn and Hulk, and Static and Ms. Marvel. The second half of the book is devoted to these tales, though some are too short to make for a satisfying experience.
Satisfying is definitely the case with the first story by Joshua Williamson, James Tynion IV, and Scott Snyder, with art by Hayden Sherman. John Constantine is at Doctor Strange’s door looking for something, and the two have a war of words, so to speak. Meanwhile, Swamp Thing and Ghost Rider fight, and the whole combined universe thing is a real problem.
The writing team does a good job plucking out the differences of these two magic-wielding heroes, and by the end, it’s clear they respect each other, but they probably don’t like each other. Does John like anybody, though?
The art by Sherman is great, with their customary creative layouts wowing readers on most pages. The level of detail is good, and while Ghost Rider fighting Swamp Thing is limited, it packs a visual punch.
Next up is “Sticks & Snikts” by Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo. This tale reads like the creative team truly loves these characters. Taylor uses captions to capture the differences and similarities of these two heroes, and he succeeds in making a case for how they are not too different. They have fathers with very tall legacies to live up to, after all.
The art by Redondo is sharp, with great character acting throughout. Nightwing’s charm is a major highlight, and it’s great to see this creative team back on the hero.
Mariko Tamaki and Amanda Conner take over next with a Hulk and Harley story. It’s about as silly and low-stakes as you’d expect from a project Conner is involved in, and that’s a compliment. Comedic and light, it’s a fun adventure with tons of great cartooning from Conner. This tale might just make you riot until DC Comics gives her Harley again.
Closing out this one-shot is “New Friends in Old Places” by G. Willow Wilson and Denys Cowan. It’s great to see Wilson back on Ms. Marvel, and Cowan’s iconic style is unmistakable. It’s only a five-page story, however, and it doesn’t get to do much by the time it ends. It’s a team-up tale, and Wilson nails their younger hero personas.
Batman/Deadpool #1 is a deliriously fun, meta-soaked celebration of comics themselves — a collision of worlds that’s as wild and ambitious as fans could hope for. Morrison and Mora craft a story bursting with energy and imagination, while the backups make it a full-blown event worthy of “collab of the decade.”
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