Deadpool Crashes Gotham: Marvel & DC Unleash a Wild Crossover Decades in the Making

By Kyra Greene

The fourth wall is about to be reduced to rubble—and Gotham might not survive it.

In one of the most shocking (and delightfully chaotic) crossovers in modern comics history, Marvel Comics has pulled back the curtain on the final trio of variant covers for DEADPOOL/BATMAN #1—the wildly anticipated one-shot that marks a return to Marvel and DC working together after decades apart. On sale September 17, the one-shot brings the Merc with a Mouth face-to-cowl with Gotham’s most brooding protector.

And the cover art? It’s nothing short of legendary.

Revealed this week are jaw-dropping visuals from J. Scott Campbell, Pepe Larraz, and Esad Ribić. Ribić brings cinematic gravity to the Deadpool/Batman standoff, while Campbell and Larraz light a fire under side skirmishes with their dynamic renditions of Psylocke vs. Huntress and Rogue vs. Poison Ivy—pairings that fans didn’t know they needed but will now never forget.

Written by Zeb Wells and drawn by Greg Capullo, DEADPOOL/BATMAN isn’t just a fan-service slugfest—it’s the first half of a two-part inter-company blitz. Its follow-up, BATMAN/DEADPOOL #1, will be released by DC in November, keeping the crossover energy going strong into the fall.

Beyond the headlining chaos, the one-shot delivers a multiverse buffet of back-up stories, crossing over iconic heroes from both pantheons. Among the all-star matchups:

• Daredevil & Green Arrow, penned by Kevin Smith with art by Adam Kubert
• Jeff the Land Shark & Krypto, from Kelly Thompson and Gurihiru
• Captain America & Wonder Woman, by Chip Zdarsky and Terry Dodson
• Rocket Raccoon & Green Lantern, courtesy of Al Ewing and Dike Ruan
• Old Man Logan & The Dark Knight Returns, brought to life by none other than Frank Miller

The idea is ambitious, messy, and kind of glorious—which is exactly how both universes like it.

In an interview with IGN, writer Zeb Wells hinted at just how mismatched the title duo will be. “Deadpool shows up when Gotham City is in imminent danger. The worst possible time. Batman doesn’t have a lot of patience for Deadpool. And Wade’s take on Batman is… complicated. In the most Deadpool way possible.”

Capullo, who returns to the grim streets of Gotham after a legendary run on Batman, also noted the full-circle nature of the project: “I drew Deadpool when I was on X-Force years ago and, of course, I just did a long run on Batman. That’s pretty amazing to me.”

With tongue firmly planted in cheek (and possibly a Batarang embedded in his suit), Deadpool’s arrival in Gotham promises carnage, comedy, and a collision of comic book cultures that fans will be dissecting for years to come.