Deadpool/Batman Issue 1 (2025) Review - A Two-Decade Crossover That's Fun But Doesn't Quite Land the Punch

Deadpool/Batman Issue 1 Review

Twenty years is a long time to wait for a crossover, and I’ll admit my expectations were probably unfairly high walking into this one. Marvel and DC hadn’t put their characters in the same book since JLA/Avengers, so Deadpool/Batman #1 had a lot riding on it before a single page was drawn.

What Happens (Spoilers Ahead)

The setup is simple and doesn’t waste time explaining how Wade Wilson ends up in Gotham — he’s just there, on a job, with an assignment to take down Batman. What got me right away is how straight the book plays Gotham itself. Deadpool bounces off Bruce Wayne first, then follows the Bat-Signal up to the roof of GCPD, where he starts getting under Commissioner Gordon’s skin almost immediately. When Batman shows up, the two clash, and Batman manages to restrain him before the real hook of the issue gets revealed: the Joker has six hours before he releases Joker Venom across the city, and he’s the one who hired Deadpool in the first place.

That’s the twist that reframes the whole issue — Deadpool wasn’t hired to fight Batman for its own sake, he was Joker’s tool, and once that’s out in the open, Batman and Deadpool form an uneasy, reluctant alliance to track the Joker down before the deadline runs out. It’s a solid structural hook, and honestly the strongest plot beat in the main story. The friction between Deadpool’s non-stop chatter and Batman’s clipped, all-business demeanor is where the issue tries hardest to earn its “crossover of a lifetime” billing.

Where the book stretches beyond the main story is in its backups, and personally, I think that’s where the real value is. Captain America and Wonder Woman get a quieter, more sincere team-up. Green Arrow and Daredevil pair off in a story that plays to both characters’ cynicism about the hero business. There’s a genuinely charming bit pairing Jeff the Land Shark with Krypto that’s just pure, simple fun, and Rocket Raccoon stepping into a Hard Traveling Heroes-style story with Green Lantern is a clever enough premise that I wished it had more room to breathe. The issue closes out by introducing a new Marvel/DC amalgamation character, though it’s a fairly thin note to end an anthology this stacked with talent on.

Characters, Art, and Writing

Zeb Wells writes Deadpool’s voice competently, and he clearly understands the “fish out of water in Gotham” premise on a structural level — Deadpool’s fourth-wall gags land better when they’re bouncing off a world that refuses to acknowledge them. Where I think the writing stumbles is in leaning too hard on meta humor that explains its own jokes; there’s a moment where Deadpool jokes about all the jokes he could be making but isn’t, and it undercuts itself by being exactly the kind of joke it’s pretending to avoid.

Greg Capullo’s art is the clear high point of the main story. His Gotham has that gritty, dynamic energy that made his New 52 Batman run so recognizable, and he draws the action beats with real weight — this doesn’t feel like a lighthearted parody art style slapped onto a serious character. Tim Townsend’s inks and Alex Sinclair’s colors keep that tone consistent even when Deadpool’s antics are pulling against it. Across the backups, Terry Dodson’s work on Captain America and Wonder Woman has a warmth to it that suits that story’s tone, and Dike Ruan’s linework on the Rocket Raccoon/Green Lantern segment has a scrappy energy that fits.

Personal Verdict

Deadpool/Batman #1 is an enjoyable read, but I don’t think it’s the landmark event its two-decade wait promised. The main story leans on a fairly standard Joker-plot chassis, and the humor occasionally works against itself by over-explaining the joke. The real reason to pick this up is the backup lineup — smaller, tighter stories that get more mileage out of odd-couple pairings than the headline act does. If you’re going in expecting a generational crossover, temper that; if you’re going in for a fun, well-drawn curiosity with a few genuine highlights, it delivers.

Our rating: 6.5/10

For the full lineup of creators and covers, Marvel’s own Deadpool/Batman series page has the details.