Batman/Deadpool #1

Batman/Deadpool #1

Originally released in 2025

Written by Grant Morrison et al.

Art by Dan Mora et al.

As it turns out, the higher subscription tier for DC Universe Infinite was less expensive than I expected (only a $6 dollar difference), so I'm covering the other half of the recent Batman and Deadpool crossover sooner than I thought. Rather than Reverse Flash bringing Deadpool to the DC universe, this crossover is explained as being the result of the physical embodiment of two universes hooking up at a nightclub.

The story starts in the middle of things before going into a brief flashback that shows how we got to this point. Naturally, Deadpool can't resist referencing Grant Morrison's infamous fourth wall breaking Animal Man run, and there are shout-outs to other fourth wall breakers from Marvel and DC, including She-Hulk, Ambush Bug, Zatanna, and Gwenpool.

Batman and Deadpool are trapped in what looks like an escape room that was designed by the Court of Owls, though it quickly becomes more chaotic than that. I haven't read much of Grant Morrison's run on Batman, so I might have missed some references; I'll have to read that some time.

It doesn't take Batman long to figure out the truth about this situation and get out of it.  Batman's definitely the headliner here, getting most of the focus and having the emotional beats of the story revolve around him, as he's on the trail of whoever killed the fiancee of minor villain Sportsmaster.

As it turns out, there's an ongoing hunt for a specific artifact, which can rewrite reality itself.  Its owner supposedly died on a mission with the Suicide Squad, but reports of their death were greatly exaggerated. (Which is good, because they're the only one who can get the artifact to work) This mysterious figure has been manipulating the events of the story, even changing and connecting entire universes to reach this point. They are the architect of Sportsmaster's misery, the... I can't drag this out; it's Grant Morrison. (I suspected that this might happen when it was announced that Grant Morrison was doing a Batman and Deadpool crossover)

Mention is made of a Batman from Earth-7642; I'm not sure if this is a reference to Grant Morrison's Batman run, a previous crossover with Marvel and DC, or something else. Damian Wayne also makes an appearance, which leads to a funny little gag when he shows up as Batman and Grant are talking.

This story was pretty meta-fictional, a little confusing at times, but entertaining and memorable, which is what I expected going into it. Naturally, there are plenty of other side stories, as many creators couldn't resist the opportunity to have Marvel and DC characters cross over. (I know I couldn't resist that if I had the chance, not that I ever will in an official sense) The universes getting tangled together has other effects, such as Marvel and DC's Hells merging, so John Constantine needs to make a house call.

They make for a fun duo, with Strange's dramatic nature contrasting well with Constantine being a blue collar con artist. The art here is stellar, especially when Constantine "borrows" the Eye of Agamotto to try and fix the problem, as it creates a kaleidoscope effect showing other mystical meetings.

Nightwing and Wolverine (Laura Kinney) teaming up feels more natural than you'd expect, likely because Tom Taylor wrote for both characters.  Gabby is a fun addition as always.  It briefly touches on the concept of legacy at the end, and how the two feel almost overshadowed by their fathers, but it's mostly a good time with plenty of banter.

The last two stories feel a little rushed, though that's understandable as they're crammed into 3-4 pages. Harley and Hulk feels a little random as a duo, though as they're both wildcards for their respective universes, it leads to a lot of chaos. Still, this one feels the most "fillery", for the lack of a better word? There's not much of a link between these two, whether it's them being similar or polar opposites.

The crossover between Static and Ms. Marvel was too short for my liking, and I wish it would have been longer.  They both see a giant monster attacking, they go to stop it, there's some back-and-forth that's kind of flirty, and then they stop it. I did find out that Ms. Marvel got her mutant powers from the MCU, though thankfully they work with her Inhuman powers rather than replacing them. (They seem to act as armour)

I've found out that there's going to be a Superman and Spider-Man crossover this April, celebrating the 50th anniversary of their first crossover.  I am so glad that Marvel and DC are working together like this, and that this isn't just a one-off thing. I'd love to see a full mini-series so the stories can get time to become fleshed out, but I'll take whatever I can get.