First Impressions
After the disappointment that was the Marvel version of the Batman/Deadpool team-up, Grant Morrison and Dan Mora take the ball and run with it. The story isn’t perfect by any means (via Grant Morrison leaning heavily on Grant Morrison’s weirdness), but this issue will hold your attention.
Plot Analysis
The Cosmic Kiss Caper (Main Story)
Deadpool and Batman find themselves on a mind-bending adventure of 4th-wall-breaking proportions when they encounter each other in a topsy-turvy maze of half-remembered settings and deadly traps. We learn their pairing is a result of two universes temporarily mingling, allowing Cassandra Nova the chance to find the Cosmic Keyboard that will allow her to rewrite reality.
Ultimately, through the use of Lazarus Pits and the brief appearances of Victor Gover, Damian Wayne, and the Amalgam Universe’s Dark Claw (???), all is made well by a mysterious figure in the shadows who controls the Cosmic Keyboard, a figure who looks a lot like Grant Morrison.
It’s trippy and weird, regularly confusing, but never boring. As a point of full disclosure, I’m not a huge Grant Morrison fan because I find his wild swings into existential weirdness trip up the stories he tells. However, in this case, the existential weirdness works in the story’s favor by creating the setting for Deadpool and Batman to occupy the same space without explaining how.
Furthermore, Morrison’s penchant for absurdity is monumentally elevated by Dan Mora’s artwork. If not for Mora’s ability to infuse life into even the most mundane moments, Morrison’s script might be in trouble. Compared to the other side of this two-part publisher crossover, this issue is head and shoulders above the borefest produced by Marvel. It’s not fantastic, but it’s certainly better.
A Magician Walks Into A Universe (Jamese Tynion IV, Joshua Williamson, Scott Snyder, Hayden Sherman)
Constantine pays a visit to the Sanctum Sanctorum when the realms of Mephisto and Neron inadvertently clash. John snarkily explains the situation while secretly staging a theft of the Eye of Agamatto to set things right, not realizing the feat needs two sorcerers instead of one. While the sorcerers spar (verbally and magically), we see how other dark figures from both universes (e.g., Ghost Rider versus Swamp Thing) handle their unexpected meeting.
Light on explanatory details but long on personality, this tale of woe is an amusing trip for anyone interested in seeing what it would be like for John Constantine and Doctor Strange were to butt heads.
On a related (but not exactly) note, this short story is the most approachable and visually appealing presentation I’ve seen from Hayden Sherman in recent memory. It’s becoming clear that Sherman’s work on Absolute Wonder Woman is hindered by Jordie Bellaire’s coloring, and not solely by Sherman’s indie pencil style.
Sticks & Snikts (Tom Taylor, Bruno Redondo)
X-23 and Nightwing cross paths to find a missing girl taken into the Gotham sewers. The young girl happens to be Gabby Kinney, and the thing that took her happens to be Killer Croc. The Nepo Duo rescue Gabby and stop Croc with a minimum amount of fuss, leading to a night of bonding and good feelings.
Well, Tom Taylor hasn’t lost his habit of portraying everyone as the bestest ever, but it suits this paper-thin plot well enough to portray X-23 and Nightwing as kindred souls who live in the shadows of their more famous “fathers”. We never learn why Croc took Gabby or why she made no effort to escape, but in Tom Taylor’s world, feeling good typically trumps plot. If you’re a fan of his Nightwing run, you’ll like this short.
Harley & Hulk’s Amazin’ Saturday (Mariko Tamaki, Amanda Conner)
Harley enjoys a Saturday in the park when she encounters the Hulk chasing down a robot. She decides to tag along until the chase ends at a toxic chemical plant, leading to toxically morphed hot dogs, an improvised version of the Fastball Special, and an abundance of corny quips.
If you’re a fan of the Harley you laugh at, rather than the Harley you laugh with, Mariko Tamaki has you covered. There’s no explanation given as to why Hulk is in Harley’s world or why he was chasing a robot, but no reason is needed if all you want is low-brow, slapstick fun.
New Friends In Old Places (G. Willow Wilson, Denys Cowan, Klaus Janson)
Ms. Marvel and Static are “enjoying” dinner at home with their respective families when the reports of a Kaiju-sized sewer monster come in. The two speed off to answer the call, running into each other for the first time at the scene of the monster’s attack. After a brief clash of wills, the two heroes decide to work together to take the monster down.
This short by G. Willow Wilson is a light and airy vignette that highlights how Statis and Ms. Marvel live similar lives with similar goals and similar troubles. Of all the shorts presented in this anthology, Static and MS. Marvel feel closest to a copacetic pairing.
Positives
Let’s not bury the lede. Yes, DC’s version of a cross-publisher collaboration is far superior to Marvel’s take on bringing DC characters into the world outside your window. Across the board, the pairings are more natural, the art is largely better, and it reads as if the creators were putting in the effort to make the ultra-rare team-ups worth your time.
Negatives
The lacking element from the Marvel version of this anthology rears its ugly head here – the distinct lack of setup, conclusion, and satisfaction in most of the stories. It would have served this anthology to create a throughline as connective tissue to establish the crossover so that the heroes could interact with their Marvel counterparts with some sense of cohesion. As it is, the short stories read as little more than semi-rushed vignettes.
The Scorecard
Art Quality (Execution & Synergy): [3/4]
Value (Originality & Entertainment): [1.5/2]
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