Of all the heroes in DC Comics, it seems as though Superman is the favorite when it comes to creating inter-company crossovers. He seems to team up with superheroes outside of Earth-0 more than any of his peers. However, that is not the case. In reality, that title goes to Batman.
Since his first pairing with Marvel's Hulk in 1981, the Caped Crusader has teamed with close to three dozen different personalities across many universes. It hasn't simply been with those similar to him in powers and intelligence. He's also joined futuristic police, Wall-Crawlers, and anthropomorphic turtles.
10 PERFECT: Batman/Fortnite Works Thanks To Its Premise
The six-issue Batman/Fortnite: Zero Point series by Christos Gage doesn't seem like a good pairing for the Dark Knight. After all, he normally handles street-level threats. Yet, the concept works in the 2021 comic due to its premise.
A crack opens in the sky above Gotham. Instead of volunteering to investigate, Bats is tossed into it by Deathstroke and loses his memory in the process. Additionally, Batman/Fortnite also contains a series of mysteries. For instance, how can Batman recover his memory, how can he get out of The Loop, and why is G.I. Joe's Snake-Eyes part of everything?
9 NOT: Batman Vs. The Incredible Hulk Makes No Sense
The first two Marvel/DC crossovers featured a pair of similar heroes: Superman and Spider-Man. Additionally, the villains they battle match their respective titles. However, the next meeting -- Batman and the Hulk -- doesn't make any sense.
Bruce Wayne has fought his share of monsters in Gotham. But the pairing in 1981's DC Special Series #27 by Len Wein is way beyond both of their standard adventures. Even the villains that appear in the series are confusing inclusions. Using the Joker makes sense, however, the Shaper of Worlds being the Marvel villain is a touch nonsensical when other villains would have been a much better fit.
8 PERFECT: Batman Works Seamlessly With The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
The pairing of the Caped Crusader and the Heroes in a Half Shell is perfect. Despite the fact the Turtles are anthropomorphic mutants, they have the same beliefs as Batman when it comes to justice.
In fact, it can be said that the quartet of pizza-eating ninjas are more selfless than Batman. There are plenty of examples since their inception where they sacrificed themselves for others and proved their good hearts. The heroes have teamed up four times since 2015 and each time has been a delight.
7 NOT: Batman And The Maxx Don't Fit In The Shadow Of Arkham
The 2018 inter-company crossover between Batman and The Maxx (by Sam Kieth, Alan Moore, and Bill Messner-Loebs) makes sense- if one only reads the synopsis. The basic plot point that marries the two worlds is that a strange hero is experimented on by a doctor at Akraham Asylum. This triggers a merge between Gotham and Maxx's internal psychedelic landscape. It's up to the pair to return things to normal.
However, Gotham is never normal. It's already a mentally strange environment filled with killer clowns and scarecrows that create abject fear among the city's populace. Merging the metropolis into the Outback seems like a tempting invitation.
6 PERFECT: Batman And Judge Dredd Are Two Sides To One Coin
At the end of their first crossover in 1991 (by Josh Wagner and Alan Grant,) the futuristic law enforcement officer admits that Bruce is "a bit of a tough guy." It's an impressive reveal that comes from someone who is even stricter. Several traits unite the pair. Though some stark differences between them make Batman and Judge Dredd an interesting pair.
On one hand, Bats has a limit on the justice he doles out. Yes, he does stop people from hurting the citizens of Gotham - to the best of his abilities. But he is often forgiving and tries to give his more "middle-ground" villains a chance at changing their path. On the other hand, Dredd believes everyone is guilty no matter what.
5 NOT: Batman And Spider-Man Are Totally Different Street Fighters
Superman and Spider-Man operate in a similar vein when it comes to dealing out justice. Though a bit of conflict is expected when pairing up two different heroes when the conflict comes from differing values it can be more stressful than entertaining.
The Dark Knight is a rather dour individual and his way of achieving justice does not match with the way that Peter believes things should be done. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Batman doesn't understand the Web-Slinger's jovial attitude to battle villains. Despite this, the pair teamed up for a trio of awkward adventures.
4 PERFECT: Batman And Punisher Work Because They Keep Tabs On Each Other
It certainly doesn't seem like Batman and Punisher would be a perfect combo. The former utilizes inner strength, technology, and extensive detective skills to solve crimes. The latter shoots people and moves on. Batman has a "no-kill" policy and the Punisher has a "no-survivors" policy.
In a similar way to how Batman and Judge Dredd work as a duo, their overlapping traits and ability to put their few differences aside to work together make them a great team. Alas, Bruce watches Frank as they work together so he's able to curb his more violent tendencies.
3 NOT: Batman And Hellboy Don't Seem Like The Right Match
One of the more frustrating things that occurs in James Robinson's Batman/Hellboy/Starman crossover is that readers never even see a true bonding between Batman and Hellboy. First, Bruce isn't even the main partner of the well-meaning demon. He's just the setup in the first issue of the mini-series.
Second, he disappears to make way for Jack Knight (Starman of the late 20th-early 21st centuries.) It's a sensible decision since his father Ted, the Golden Age Starman, is kidnapped. Batman is a stickler for the rules and Hellboy has a rather "devil-may-care" attitude that the Dark Knight would not be a fan of -- so it's likely for the best that their interactions were brief.
2 PERFECT: Batman And Daredevil Work Due To Their Similarities
There's a great deal of commonality between The Caped Crusader and The Man Without Fear. The fact they're both orphans due to the murder of their respective parents is perhaps the most important example. They are also two of the top street-level heroes of their respective comic book lines.
One could also deem them perfect because of their abilities. Bruce donned his costume to emulate a creature of the night with radar sense. Matt has that capability due to an accident with radiated chemicals. What Batman doesn't hear or see is picked up by Daredevil in a fight.
1 NOT: Batman And Captain America Don't Fight For The Same Things
There are too many misunderstandings in the 1996 Batman & Captain America tale by John Byrne. It seems to go well at first. Taking place in 1945, the two battle Nazi's in Gotham City. However, Captain America misinterprets a conversation between Bruce and Dick. Thus, he believes the socialite is working with the Golden Age Joker.
While this is an overused plot device on its own, it's frustrating for fans because Batman would never be as careless as to misinterpret something so easily straightened out. Truth be told, it's rather odd that Cap didn't try to find the truth before jumping to conclusions either. However, because he was so intent on keeping America safe, Steve Rogers heard what he wanted to. Though they defeated the villains in the end, it still left a bitter taste between the two.