Spider-Man and Batman #1

[cyberghostface]

 

Comments

[donnblake]

It seems like these crossovers always involve the Joker. It makes sense- he is *the* iconic Batman villain, after all, and I enjoy his murderous joie de vivre on show here- but it'd be neat seeing Spider-man deal with some of Batman's rogues who are bit less Complete Monstery/ Mr. Freeze would fit in pretty well in Spidey's own series, for example.

[dcbanacek]

There was a second crossover that dealt with an alliance between the Kingpin and Ra's al Ghul. I liked that one more than this one.

[lbd_nytetrayn]

It's probably more in service of how the villains relate than the heroes. At least, in this case.

[donnblake]

Oh, sure, I wouldn't match Mr. Freeze up with Carnage, but Spidey's got plenty of his own Tragic Science Buds to bring to the table.

[cyberghostface]

Doc Ock and Freeze could be fun.

It’s a real shame Marvel and DC a kibosh on crossovers, there’s a lot of potential with Spidey and Batman.

[beyondthefringe]

Batman: "Get out of my city."
Spider-Man: "I'm pretty much an expert on dealing with Carnage. You could really benefit from my knowledge."
Batman: "..."

[tcampbell1000]

Yeah, DeMatteis frequently presents Batman as so much of a control freak that it actively handicaps him. At least this time he presents it as reasonable concern instead of making Spider-Man feel like a tourist for occasionally making a joke, but his argument is pretty specious.

"Your city may be as lousy with supervillains as mine (MINE, MY city) but Gotham has its own UNIQUE dangers. The buildings sweat teflon acid when you try to swing from them. There are spider hawks on the telephone wires. The general public is driven to murderous rage by the color red, like they're cartoon bulls. The falafel is JUST TERRIBLE."

[zachbeacon]

Spidey: Who's that?

Bats: Killer Croc, one of my most dangerous foes.

Spidey: Oh, your city has Lizard-Men? MY city has Lizard-Men too! Can he climb walls, regenerate limbs, and control reptiles?

*Long pause*

Bats: Actually he's a man with a skin condition.

*Long pause*

Bats: He's been known to throw rocks at people.

Spidey: Y'know, it's okay to ask for help.

[zachbeacon]

Now I'm just thinking of the time Otto tried to cure cancer. Yeah, Ock and Freeze would either love each other because of their similarities or hate each other because of their similarities.

[icon_uk]

[agharta75]

"I may be a mass murdering lunatic, but I'm a mass murdering lunatic _with style_!"

[beyondthefringe]

Gotta love how every time Joker meets a Marvel villain (Carnage, Red Skull) he still manages to come off as the more reasonable. It's like, at least he's not a -Nazi-...

[agharta75]

The Joker has _standards_!

[zachbeacon]

Joker never passes up the opportunity to manipulate a fan, does he? Can't help but think about Punchline here.

Meanwhile Batman's whole "get out of MY city" thing seems pretty counterproductive when the guy offering to help is stronger than you, faster than you, and knows the new bad guy better than you.

[tcampbell1000]

"Gotham has its own unique dangers, you precious little sunflower! Our actually reasonable police force and responsible newspaper editors would EAT YOU ALIVE! If I let you stay and help me, it'd be as bad as dressing an eight-year-old boy in your bright colors and using him for target practice!"

[zachbeacon]

"Look, I'm only trying to protect you" ...he said to the precog that can throw cars.

[scorntx]

That's 90s Batman alright.
"I-idiot, I don't need your help! I don't need anyone's help! (Besides, you might get hurt. You idiot.)"

Alfred never managed to exactly impart the idea of sharing with him, did he?

But that is also pure Spidey, right there.
"Stay out of this. I don't need your help."
"I'm gonna help anyway!"

[icon_uk]

As always, you think Batman would be used to this kind of behaviour from Nightwing... and Batgirl... and Robin (literally ANY Robin... though I think Tim would be a good match) and... well, you get the idea.

Now Spider-Man and Nightwing could be entertainnig together, especially if they're driving Bruce nuts...

Spider-Man - "Is your Dad always like this?"

Nightwing - "Oh, he's not my dad... Okay, he's SORT of my Dad. Just like that short guy with the claws back the tower with the big A on it is yours, right?"

Spider-Man - "Logan? He is NOT my dad.... Okay, he's SORT of my Dad. Well, he scowls at me a lot and berates me but does try to stop me getting myself killed."

Nightwing - "Like I said... your Dad"

Batman - "I can hear you, you know"

Nightwing - "Your point?"

[scorntx]

Starting to wonder if Batsy's "My city! MINE! MINE MINE MINE!" attitude is precisely because the the Bat-family don't do exactly as he says all the time...

[zachbeacon]

I still think it would be hilarious if he pulled that "my city" shit when Alan Scott was in earshot.

[mazway_75]

There was a story of early Batman meeting a retired Alan Scott who shows him how tricky it can be handling Gotham. Also making the great point "you see this ring? I can wipe every crook in this city out in an eyeblink. I can change their minds to be law-abiding citizens. I can seal this entire city from the world. I don't because that's crossing a line. Don't lecture me on what it takes to defend this town."

[deathcrist2000]

Spider-Man: "Honestly, he's more like a drunk uncle who tries way too hard to be everyone's friend."

Nightwing: "The guy who dresses in an American flag?"

Spider-Man: "Steve? I wish he was my dad, but he has an anxiety with being a parent that I absolutely respect."

Nightwing: "Ok, what about that guy who throws money around like he's made of it?"

Spider-Man: "...I'm not on speaking terms with... TONY."

Nightwing: "Why?"

Batman: "I have a list."

Nightwing: "I know, Bruuuuuuuooo?"

[Spider-Man already knows who Batman is.]

Spider-Man: "GASP! You're Bruno!"

[Batman rubs his eyelids.]

[zenfrodo]

I would not only read a Nightwing/Spidey crossover in a heartbeat -- especially if it was Miles Morales -- but I'd find a way to clone myself just so I could agitate outside both Marvel & DC HQs for the animated movie.

I mean, Miles is the Marvel Multiverse Spidey, so a crossover with him & the DC 'verse makes perfect sense. It'd even give Hollywood a legit excuse for their usual @#$& love triangle shite with SpiderGwen, since Nightwing's the reigning DC lady's man.

...omg, imagine a LEGO Batman xover with SpiderMiles & the Michael Cera Robin...

[icon_uk]

I mean, my default DC/Marvel crossover is Nightwing and Nightcrawler (to the extent I've been collecting commissiosn fo them for years) because they'd be so much fun, but I can definitely support a Dick and Miles team up!

[zenfrodo]

With Miles being canonically in middle school (as of the movie, anyway), your usual style of teamup that I see in those pics might be a bit problematic. 😝

LEGO does hold some rights to the Marvel 'verse, since they've been putting out animated Netflix shorts with the Avengers & SpiderPeter for the last few years. Given the sheer number of unrelated 'verses colliding in the LEGO movies, I'll be surprised if such a xover hasn't occurred to Lord/Miller already.

Miles: What. A. DAD....
Batman: I'm right HERE.

[mazway_75]

Always baffled me that a guy who helped create hysterical comedy on JLI like J.M., when given the chance to write the wittiest character in Marvel, could only make Spidey more like...well, Batman in doom and gloom. Just a rough time for the character then.

[zachbeacon]

JLI was a team effort. When left to his own devices you tend to get sad comics about childhood trauma from JMD.

I love his Spider-Man runs (especially the two Spectacular runs) but I can't help but feel he would have been a better fit for Batman ... even though Going Sane is the only solo Batman story by him that springs to mind. A lot of fans see the "I am the Spider" era as a low point in Peter's life but a story about Bruce losing himself to the mask is just another Wednesday.

[dragontail]

May I just say I'm living for everyone's Bruce/Peter/Dick interactions here? Many thanks :)

[lonewolf23k]

My one disappointment with this Crossover was always that Spidey didn't heckle Joker into submission, or at least drive him to anger by pointing out he's not funny.

Joker: You just don't appreciate true Humor!

Spidey: Excuse me? Do you know who you're talking to here? I'm Spider-Man! The Master of the Quip! I'm hilarious! But you? You're not funny.

Joker: Now listen he~

Spidey: I'M NOT DONE! You think you're funny, but you're the criminal equivalent of a Youtube Troll who thinks screaming at a kid constitutes a "Prank"! Not only are your puns so much of a stretch they make Mr Fantastic, Elongated Man and Plastic-Man wince, but your reliance on hackneyed prop comedy makes you come off as a skinnier version of CARROT-TOP!

Joker: Okay now that's uncalled for. I may be a deranged homicidal maniac, but I've got standards.

[icon_uk]

And somewhere in the multiverse, Terry McGinnis applauds for a reason he can't quite explain.

Joker: No yellow cape, no pixie boots, but he's as annoying as a Robin... Is this one your leftover kids?

Batman (tucking adoption papers back into his utility belt: Nope, not one of mine.... (whisper)yet!(/whisper)

[bradygirl_12]

Bat-dickery at its finest!

[palgrave_goldenrod]

There was a Doctor Who crossover fic with the DC Universe (can't remember the name offhand) which put a different and, I think, more interesting spin on Batman getting territorial over Gotham, which suggested that the problem wasn't Batman thinking he needed to solve all of Gotham's problems himself, but one of effectiveness. The problem, essentially, wasn't so much that the superpowered heroes came to help out, it was that they eventually left again, and after they'd swanned off having solved the latest problem no problem with their fancy superpowers, his job was made ten times harder by an emboldened criminal class breathing a sigh of relief that they now only had to deal with a gymnast with some fancy ninja fighting techniques, some gadgets and a keen detective mind rather than a superpowered god.

[zenfrodo]

What the HELL is up with Spidey's anatomy in that last page?

That ain't foreshortenening. That's "omg, Joker shattered Spidey's spine & regrew him as a twisted porn centerfold..."