- Written by: Zeb Wells
- Art by: Greg Capullo, Tim Townsend
- Colors by: Alex Sinclair
- Letters by: VC’s Clayton Cowles
- Cover art by: Greg Capullo, Tim Townsend, Alex Sinclair (cover A)
- Cover price: $6.99
- Release date: September 17, 2025
Marvel/DC: Deadpool/Batman #1, by Marvel on 9/17/25, teams the Merc with a Mouth with the Dark Knight to track down the Joker before the perennial Batman villain can unleash a mega Joker Venom bomb.
First Impressions
I won’t say I fell asleep reading through the main story by Zeb Wells, but there were several points of mind-wandering and momentary dozing. It’s amazing that in the Year of our Lord 2025, comic book writers at the Big 2 still think that a superhero comic should focus on squarely on talking, talking, and more talking.
The Dead Of Knight
The story begins with Bruce Wayne puzzling through recent thefts that point to the Joker assembling enough Joker Venom to take out a small country. Suddenly, Deadpool crashes through the Wayne Mansion window, looking for billionaires who might be willing to fork over cash in exchange for the elimination of corporate rivals. Deadpool, however, is simply killing time until he can find his current, hired-gun target – Batman.
When the Bat-Signal shines in the Gotham sky, Deadpool rushes to the source, giving Wayne a chance to suit up. At the GCPD, Commissioner Gordon explains he’s received an ultimatum from the Joker to find him before the Joker Venom bomb goes off. Deadpool offers to help, creating a team-up.
However, the turn tables when Deadpool gases Batman in the Batmobile. When Batman wakes up, he learns Deadpool was enlisted from an alternate universe by Joker (thanks to a spell from Klarion the Witch Boy) to capture Batman with someone who was just as crazy as himself. The issue ends with Batman using persuasive language to get Deadpool and Joker to turn on each other.
If it wasn’t for some of the best Greg Capullo art you could imagine, this issue crossover event would be a bore fest. Truly, the entire story is a series of events that happen out of the blue (Why did Deadpool just happen to barge into Wayne Manor?) and lots and lots and lots of talking. There’s almost no action in this story, or barely a wow moment to be found. Capullo’s art is wasted on a lackluster, boring script.
Backups
The Gun & The Sword (Writer: Chip Zdarsky, Art: The Dodsons)
Witness a montage of moments throughout the years, from the first meeting between Wonder Woman and Captain America when Cap had the opportunity to kill Hitler, to the distant future. Throughout multiple eras, the two bolstered each other through their mutual admiration for Justice.
Chip Zdarsky’s short story is not so much a story as it is a collage of intersections between Captain America and Wonder Woman. If you’re looking for an opportunity to feel good about both characters, this is it. Sadly, the pulling of the heartstrings is muted by some uncharacteristically uneven art (bordering on sloppy) by the Dodsons.
Catch (Writer: Kelly Thompson, Art: Gurihiru)
Krypto and Jeff play with a volleyball in the snowy desolation near the Fortress of Solitude. And that’s it.
I honestly don’t know why anyone thinks Jeff is popular. If you feel the same, this wordless short won’t change your mind.
The Red and The Green (Writer: Kevin Smith, Art: Adam Kubert)
Green Arrow and Daredevil team up to take down a squad of Hand Ninjas in service to Count Vertigo. Their first meeting gives the red and green heroes a chance to show off their skills and become fast friends.
Kevin Smith’s action-fueled romp is exactly the type of tale you should expect from a crossover anthology. Elevated by the Adama Kubert’s art, this is the best short in the book.
Rocket Raccoon Has a Green Lantern Ring Now (Writer: Al Ewing, Art: Dike Ruan)
The Guardians of OA and the guardians of the Galaxy agree to form an alliance, solidified through an “exchange program.” In that exchange, Hal Jordan loans Rocket Raccoon his power ring. Hilarity ensues.
This is fine. Hal and Rocket switching places has a lot of potential, but the lack of page space doesn’t give the concept time to breathe. Still, there are humorous moments, and Dike Ruan’s art is perfect.
Showdown (Writer: Frank Miller, Art: Frank Miller)
Batman and Wolverine fight in an alley in Gotham City. That’s it.
Oh, Frank Miller. It’s time to hang it up. The writing is just as disjointed and clumsy as the art. Not good.
Enter: Logo! (Writer: Ryan North, Art: Ryan Stegman)
Logo, an amalgam of Lobo and Wolverine, quickly dispatches an amalgam or variant of Ultron on a lonely asteroid outpost. That’s it.
Stegman’s art is great, and the concept of an amalgam character could be interesting. However, as with most Ryan North offerings, there’s nothing memorable here except the novelty of the moment.
Positives
The value of this issue is in its novelty of teaming up Marvel and DC characters to do fun things. “It exists” is the best you could say.
Negatives
Most of the shorts are either forgettable or outright stink. Kevin Smith’s pairing of Daredevil and Green Arrow matches the homework assignment, but the rest are just page filler.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
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Final Thoughts
Marvel/DC: Deadpool/Batman #1 is a disappointing miss. When you team up the most popular characters from both publishers, you should rightly expect action, adventure, and excitement on top of the novelty. Instead, you get half-baked concepts and half-finished art. It’s clear, at least on the Marvel side of this venture, the maximum cover price was matched with minimal creative effort.
5/10
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