DC’s long-awaited Batman and Deadpool crossover has arrived, and “wild” doesn’t even begin to cover it. The Dark Knight has survived some bizarre team-ups over the years, but merging with Marvel’s Merc with a Mouth to become DEADBAT is the most chaotic twist he’s ever faced.
Grant Morrison and Dan Mora’s DC / Marvel: Batman / Deadpool #1 (2025) hit comic shelves this morning, and calling it the highlight of this week’s releases would be an understatement. Fans not only saw the return of the combined form of Wolverine and Batman from Marvel and DC’s short-lived Amalgam Universe, but were also gifted with the unexpected mash-up of the Dark Knight and the Merc with a Mouth.
This new form comes courtesy of Grant Morrison, not just breaking the fourth wall but shattering it, as they wrote themselves into the narrative, giving way to one of the most ambitious and epic character creations yet.
Grant Morrison Shatters the Fourth Wall, Giving Birth to DEADBAT
Main Cover by Dan Mora for DC / Marvel: Batman / Deadpool #1 (2025)
Batman / Deadpool #1 sees the Dark Knight and the Merc with a Mouth face off against Cassandra Nova, the evil psychic twin sister and “shadow self” of Charles Xavier. After some hilarious and epic fourth-wall breaks, Nova targets writer Grant Morrison, who has written themselves into the narrative. However, despite her immense power, Nova is no match against Morrison’s meta-level influence.
With his all-powerful laptop, Morrison changes the tide of the battle in the favor of the heroes when he says to Cassandra, “D’you want to see what happens when I run out of ideas? You broke the Bat! You peed on the ‘Pool… Now face the music.” Proceeded by the 1966 Batman TV series theme song, a new hero bursts onto the page: Deadbat!
This hero fusion of Batman and Deadpool then decapitates Cassandra Nova, with her head placed in a lantern-like contraption. After the deed is done, Batman and Deadpool return to their normal forms, each going their separate ways and heading back to their respective universes.
Deadbat Is a Cosplayer’s Dream Come True
Cover B Dan Mora Wraparound Variant for DC / Marvel: Batman / Deadpool #1 (2025)
Obviously, the coolest part of Deadbat's debut is the character design, which combines the best of Batman and Deadpool. For the most part, the Batsuit remains the same, except for featuring Deadpool’s red-and-black color-scheme and color placement. Hence, fans essentially get a Deadpool-themed Batsuit that feels both instantly recognizable and completely fresh at the same time.
Deadbat’s weapon of choice also turns out to be a singular katana, leaning more into Wade’s preferred weapons. This ends up being one of the coolest character designs imaginable, combining two of the most iconic heroes in pop culture. That said, there will probably be plenty of fans scrambling to make that Batman x Deadpool costume their next cosplay project.
DC / Marvel: Batman / Deadpool #1 is available now from DC Comics!
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- Alias
- Wade Wilson
- Created By
- Fabian Nicieza, Rob Liefeld
- POWERS
- Healing factor, regeneration, superhuman strength and agility,
- Franchise
- Marvel
- Birthday
- November 22
- Height
- 6'2”
The merc with the mouth first appeared in an issue of New Mutants in 1990, and since then has gone on to get his own series and a massive cult following. With his incredible powers of healing and regeneration, Deadpool was initially depicted as an X-Men villain but went on to become an anti-hero. After getting his own movie series starting in 2016, the third Deadpool movie finally brings the wisecracking, fourth-wall-breaking character into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
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- Alias
- Bruce Wayne
- FIRST APP
- Detective Comics #27 (1939)
- Created By
- Bob Kane, Bill Finger
- Franchise
- D.C.
- Race
- Human
- First Appearance
- Detective Comics
One of DC's most iconic heroes, Batman is the vigilante superhero persona of billionaire Bruce Wayne. Forged by tragedy with the death of his parents, Bruce dedicated his life to becoming the world's leading martial artist, detective, and tactician. Recruiting an entire family of allies and sidekicks, Bruce wages war on evil as the dark knight of his hometown, Gotham City.