These days, shared universes are all the rage, as the record-smashing returns from Avengers: Endgame can attest to. Truth be told, company crossovers were a staple between comic book characters (no pun intended) since the forties.
However, what truly sets fanboys hearts' aflutter are inter-company crossovers, where superheroes from different companies can meet, fight, and ultimately, band together against a common enemy before they head back to their respective universes. But are all such crossovers worth reading? In this list, we count down 5 Company Crossovers that Were Worth the Hype (& 5 that Fell Flat).
10 Fell Flat: Batman and Spider-Man: Disordered Minds
On paper, it's a sure-fire hit: Batman, Spider-Man, Carnage, and The Joker. Unfortunately, it wasn't. Although the Marvel/DC one-shot sported stunning art by Mark Bagley and managed to capture the essence of its heroes and villains well, the premise of the story falls flat mid-way and degenerates into an 'I'll-beat-up-your-arch-enemy-if-you-beat-up-mine' battle that ends way too quickly, and unsatisfyingly.
J.M. DeMatteis does well to characterize the brooding Batman as annoyed by Spider-Man's quips and antics, but the injection of elements of each hero's nemesis into the opposite hero's origin stories seemed forced and out-of-place. A crossover with a mountain of potential that was never fully realized, Disordered Minds was a disordered letdown.
9 Worth the Hype: Superman and Spider-Man
This indirect sequel to DC and Marvel's marquee characters' first meeting was superior to the original in several ways. First, it had an outstanding villain in Doctor Doom- a credible threat to both heroes. Second, there were more instances of humor and intricacies of characterization, like Spidey's feelings of inadequacy when comparing himself to Supes and facing Dr. Doom.
But mostly, incorporating cameos from other popular heroes like The Hulk and Wonder Woman led to the first fight between the Man of Steel and the Jade Giant - a barn burner no comics fan should miss!
8 Fell Flat: Batman vs The Incredible Hulk
An obvious mismatch, Batman vs The Incredible Hulk struggled to find ways in which the Dark Knight could mount an offense against his gamma-irradiated foe without the Hulk smashing Bruce Wayne into wonder-jello. Batman diving into the window of a car the Hulk tossed at him from one side and emerging out the other seemed cool enough, but overall, it just seemed like overreaching.
When you factor in a lackluster villain in the Shaper of Worlds (who?) and little involvement from the Hulk's supporting cast (here relegated to one panel) you have more than a slightly convoluted story that even Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez's breathtaking art can't save.
7 Worth the Hype: Darkseid vs Galactus: The Hunger
Plaguing the DC & Marvel Universes with their cosmic-level schemes, Darkseid and Galactus are about as big and as bad as you can get in their respective universes. Teaming up these two characters would spell certain doom for the likes of Superman or the Fantastic Four, but their crossover actually pitted one against the other when the World Devourer chose Apokolips as his next meal.
Although veering towards wordy melodrama at points, some classic villainous interchanges were offered between the two baddies, as well as an epic knock-down, drag-out battle between the Silver Surfer and Orion. Invoking the spirit of Jack Kirby’s 4th World, Darkseid vs Galactus is comic book kitsch at its best.
6 Fell Flat: Star Trek & X-Men: The Next Generation/X-Men
This unlikely pairing occurred across two generations of Enterprise crews, as the X-Men met both Captain Kirk and Picard’s intrepid teams. The two one-shots offered some notable moments, such as Wolverine succumbing to Spock’s Vulcan neck pinch and a scuffle between Colossus and Data, but overall, the melding of the two universes came off as jarring and forced.
No explanation is offered as to how the two continuities seemed to be aware of each other, with mutantcy a known fact to Spock and Shi’ar Empire tech familiar to the Next Generation crew. A strained pairing at best, Star Trek/X-Men needs a suspension of disbelief that even comic book fans might not be capable of.
5 Worth the Hype: DC vs Marvel Universe
It was every fanboy’s dream come true when in the mid-nineties, the two biggest superhero comics publishers of all time came together to produce DC vs Marvel and DC/Marvel: All Access. Pitting their top stars against each other, these two mini-series would answer the eternal question of “who would win in a fight,” Superman or the Hulk? Batman or Captain America? The Flash or Quicksilver?
More hype was created when it was announced that the outcome of specific matches would be determined by the fans themselves, via phone-in voting. Moreover, when the story led to the creation of the Amalgam Universe, the “it” factor made these crossover series the coolest to come down the pipe in a long time.
4 Fell Flat: DC vs Marvel Universe
As good as the DC/Marvel crossover was, it was not without its flaws. Editorial decisions of some match-ups seemed skewed, as evident when pitting Wonder Woman against the X-Men’s Storm, instead of against the similarly magical and mythological-based Thor. Even worse, fan determination of the outcomes of those matches led to highly questionable results, as when Storm beat Wonder Woman by pummelling her with lightning blasts: for someone who’s gone toe-to-toe with Superman, that doesn’t seem a likely outcome.
Worse yet, Wolverine’s defeat of Lobo happened almost entirely off-panel, as if the writers themselves couldn’t figure out how to have the nearly immortal Czarnian get beaten by the Crazed Canuck. So although the series whetted a lot of fanboy appetites, it left a lot of controversies still unanswered to this day.
3 Worth the Hype: Batman vs Predator
The Predator: an inter-galactic trophy hunter trained to kill apex opponents for sport. Batman: an obsessed crimefighter at the peak of his physical and mental faculties. The crossover between these Dark Horse and DC properties resulted in one of the most bloody and entertaining reads of the '90s, in which each character's distinctive qualities were showcased.
With the back alleys of Gotham as the main battleground, The Predator's superior tracking skills, savagery, and weaponry gave Batman's fighting skills, tech gadgets, and guile a serious run for his money, with an outcome that is equal parts shocking and satisfying. With great story pacing by Dave Gibbons and knockout pencils by the Kubert brothers, Batman vs Predator is easily one of the best comic book crossovers ever produced.
2 Fell Flat: Archie Meets The Punisher
The holy grail of unlikely match-ups, Archie Meets the Punisher occurred at a time when both characters were experiencing a sales and popularity slump. This one-shot gave both titles a shot in the arm, gaining notoriety from comic fans and mainstream media for its sheer ridiculousness. The premise? Frank Castle travels to Riverdale to off a noted assassin who just so happens to look exactly like Archie Andrews.
The obvious 'hilarious hijinx' ensue, including Frank having his life saved from a love-struck Miss Grundy. The artistic interplay was the highlight of this team-up experiment, as John Buscema’s hyper-realistic Punisher contrasted Stan Goldberg’s signature cartoonish look of Archie and his town beautifully, but ultimately, it was a novelty that was more about audacity than substance.
1 Worth the Hype: Doomsday Clock
Although both owned by DC, this crossover features two worlds so diametrically opposed it's like comparing apples to hamburgers. The characters of Watchmen, a gritty commentary on the superhero genre and late '80's politics, have infused the current DC Universe with a metahuman geopolitical crisis that threatens to tear their world apart.
Eerily contemporary, this ongoing series also boasts the revelation of how Dr. Manhattan created the New 52 timeline, as well as a one-on-one confrontation with Superman. Masterfully created by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank, Doomsday Clock is destined to be one of the seminal classics of the genre.