This week: Worlds collide once again as the Dark Knight and the Merc with the Mouse square off in Batman/Deadpool #1!
Note: The following review may contain spoilers. If you want a quick, spoiler-free buy/pass recommendation for the comic in question, check out the final verdict at the bottom of the article.
Batman/Deadpool #1
Screenplay: Grant Morrison. James Tynion IV, Joshua Williamson, Scott Snyder. Tom Taylor. Mariko Tamaki; and G. Willow Wilson
Artist: Dan Mora; Hayden Sherman. Bruno Redondo. Amanda Connor. Dennis Cowan & Klaus Jansson
Colorist: Alejandro Sanchez. Mike Spicer. Adriano Lucas. Tamra Bonvillain. with Francesco Segarra
Written by: Todd Klein;Todd Klein;Frank Cvetkovich. Wes Abbott. Dave Sharp. and steve one’s
Cover artist: Dan Mora
On page 6 of the main story of DC’s Batman/Deadpool #1, Deadpool counts the walls surrounding him. A third wall appears behind him, inscribed with eight words that must have come from some kind of editorial memo regarding corporate crossovers. “The plot doesn’t have to be the best possible.”
That’s a fair note. Crossover manga between publishers is generally widely seen as a cash cow for the companies involved, and is a surefire way to make money. The crossover film between Marvel’s Deadpool and Batman, released in September of this year, has reached its third printing, no matter what anyone thinks about it. The main appeal of such crossovers lies less in the story itself and more in the opportunity to see usually separate IPs intermingle. Worlds collide. Or, in the case of this manga, you’ll have a one-shot match on a space dating app.
All these crossovers are given an inherently meta aspect by the reader’s awareness of the fact that the properties involved are owned by separate entities and do not interact under normal circumstances. So who better to tackle the latest work than an author with a notable track record of metatextual works? Grant Morrison’s first DC Comics feature featured Animal Man discovering the truth of his existence as a comic book character and eventually meeting Morrison. Characters like She-Hulk, Harley Quinn, and Gwenpool have broken the fourth wall so regularly over the years that what was novel at the time now seems like old hat. Even Spider-Man met and fought a wall-crawler a few months ago in the Marvel Unlimited series finale, The Astonishing Spider-Man, with series writer Scott Aukerman.
Director Morrison turned the meta up to 11 with Batman/Deadpool #1, taking full advantage of the latter’s character’s self-awareness with a story that gleefully riffed on its predecessor and its sequel. Batman and Deadpool find themselves trapped in a surreal nightmare and, after a necessary battle, must work together to escape. This is a very simple story, and while the plot doesn’t need to be the best possible, the execution is near perfect. Director Morrison knocks the dialogue out of the park, from Deadpool’s hyperactivity to Batman’s deadpan straightness. Morrison flawlessly weaves in characters and concepts from both DC and Marvel’s past works, including an obscure artifact from 1991’s Suicide Squad, which Morrison didn’t write, that is key to the entire story. What might come across as self-congratulatory and insular instead feels fresh and relatable, with Morrison using what readers already know about Batman and Deadpool as a gateway to other, more outlandish concepts on display here.
This story is visually brought to life by Dan Mora and Alejandro Sanchez, and letters by Todd Klein complete the package. Mora is one of the most dynamic superhero artists working in comics today, and it’s great to have him in this book. He leans brilliantly into the surreal elements of the story’s main sequences, including over-the-top action and wild, hallucinatory settings. With every turn of the page, Mora reveals multiple mind-blowing reveals, including one that’s sure to make longtime DC/Marvel crossover fans chuckle. Sanchez has been coloring Mora’s line drawings for some time, and his colors beautifully accentuate the visuals and enhance the very elevated tone of the story. Once again, Klein’s lettering talents are on full display, with many of the characters’ stylized dialogue adding visual flair to their characterization, and at least one new logo design is absolutely perfect. Each of these creators brings all their A-game to this story, and it’s a joy to read.
This level of quality isn’t limited to the main feature, each of the quartet of back-up stories shines just as well. Hayden Sherman and Mike Spicer’s artwork is the star of The Meeting of John Constantine and Doctor Strange, written by James Tynion IV, Joshua Williamson, and Scott Snyder, with Sherman’s signature fluid line art and wild page layouts, and Spicer’s expressive color palette giving the entire story a dreamy, otherworldly feel. In Mariko Tamaki and Amanda Conner’s story, Harley Quinn and the Hulk get into some fun trouble, and G. Willow Wilson and Dennis Cowan team up to bring together their signature Ms. Marvel and Static. But the one that stands out among these four backup stories is the Nightwing/Wolverine team-up of Tom Taylor, Bruno Redondo, and Adriano Lucas. In addition to being a fun and visually beautiful adventure, Taylor delves into what inspires both characters, comparing and contrasting and revealing the two traditional heroes. This is an eight-page story that packs a big emotional punch.
Batman/Deadpool #1 didn’t have to be the best, it definitely would have made money either way, but it consistently delivered, offering the main attraction of good superhero spectacle and some small character-driven stories. It’s a great story package that highlights what’s unique and fun about the two worlds it appears in, and will definitely be remembered as one of the best intercompany crossover comics of all time.
Final verdict: Buy.
round up
The latest foray into the Fourth World concludes this week with The New Gods #12. Lamb V and Evan Cagle join guest artist Phil Hester in this issue’s opening sequence, delivering a powerful and satisfying finale that establishes the New Gods’ new status quo and confirms their importance to the larger DC Universe. This series is a great read and I hope the promise of a new god’s return brings V and Cagle as well. In this week’s Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #45, Mark Waid and Adrian Gutierrez bring together the Caped Crusader and the Man of Steel’s worst enemies as Lex Luthor and the Joker join forces against their foes. It’s the beginning of a new arc, so there’s a lot of setup, but the interactions between Luthor and Joker are really fun, and the cliffhanger is pretty solid. Even Hawkman’s presence couldn’t defeat it. Superman Unlimited #7 establishes Jon Kent’s new status in Smallville, an unexpected yet entirely natural fit. Jeremy Adams wrote the script based on a plot by Dan Slott, and Adams’ style fits perfectly with the tone of the series established by Slott. The art by Lukas Meyer and Marcelo Maiolo is strong, with clean lines and clear storytelling. Although the cover sets it up as a horror story, it ends up being a mystery, and the ending is a fun nod to the classic Superman story.
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