It still feels surreal to say that Marvel and DC are crossing over again. After a near-century of being seen as the titans of the superhero world, and occasionally poking fun at each other in the process, the two are partnering on a string of new comics.
The first of these new collaborations is a pair of one-shot issues teaming up their various characters, led by a meeting between Marvel’s Deadpool and DC’s Batman. Marvel’s side of the equation, Deadpool/Batman #1, arrived in stores earlier this fall, and has now been joined by DC’s Batman/Deadpool #1 this week. And that side of the story brought back a DC character (who kind of defies explanation) in a pretty perfect way.
***Spoilers for Batman/Deadpool #1 below!***
The issue’s main story, “The Cosmic Kiss Caper!”, is written by Grant Morrison with art by Dan Mora, colors by Alejandro Sanchez, and lettering by Todd Klein. It is, to an extent, a crossover story in the way that only Morrison could write it. In between a meet-cute between Marvel and DC’s universe-protecting beings, Eternity and Kismet, the issue sees Batman and Deadpool thrown into a reality-warping ordeal.
Batman’s side of things starts out relatively grounded: he is investigating a lead tied to Victor Gover / Sportsmaster, whose fiancee was killed by people trying to get information from him.
Fourth walls are broken, genres are bent, and Cassandra Nova begins to wreak havok. And eventually, the story leads Batman and Deadpool face-to-face with an unexpected figure: The Writer, a villain who can rewrite reality with their cosmic keyboard. As it turns out, Sportsmaster’s knowledge had to do with that keyboard, which was presumed lost when The Writer died during a Suicide Squad mission decades ago.
With this MacGuffin at their fingertips, the three of them are able to get the upper hand on Cassandra, and Batman and Deadpool part ways. After a brief exchange between The Writer, Batman, and Damian Wayne / Robin, Batman convinces The Writer to use the typewriter to bring Sportsmaster’s fiancee back from the dead.
Who is The Writer?
For newer comic fans (or at least, those not well-versed in the weirdness of DC’s early 1990s), this appearance of The Writer might have given them pause. So, here’s what you need to know: The Writer was created by Morrison and Chaz Truog in 1990’s Animal Man #25, and is actually a fictionalized version of Morrison themselves. Morrison and Truog’s Animal Man run culminated with Buddy Baker / Animal Man meeting The Writer face-to-face, confronting them over having killed off his family, and having a very philosophical exchange about the nature of life and fiction. Ultimately, The Writer was convinced to bring back Buddy’s family before disappearing into the void.
A little over a year later, during the “War of the Gods” storyline, The Writer was brought back as a member of The Suicide Squad. Their time on the team did not last long, however, and they succumbed to writer’s block (and death) soon after.
Going into Batman/Deadpool #1, I knew that whatever Morrison had planned for both characters would be wild. They also teased The Writer’s potential return during a recent Reddit AMA, writing that they were “very happy” about that on-panel death “as it gave me a plot thread for Batman/Deadpool.” But I was not prepared for just how bizarre and beautiful it would be.
And honestly, “The Cosmic Kiss Caper!” sets it up beautifully, down to Deadpool’s fourth-wall break perfectly mirroring Buddy’s from Animal Man decades ago. The moment between The Writer and Damian, a character who Morrison co-created with Andy Kubert in the 2000s, is the icing on the proverbial cake. It makes me all the more glad that Batman/Deadpool #1 exists, and that we’re continuing to challenge and push the boundaries of these beloved characters.
(featured image: DC / Marvel Comics)
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