Two of the biggest names in comic books back in the 1990s were, of course, Batman and Image Comics' Spawn, with both of them embodying the era's grim, gritty and street-level scope. Unbeknownst to some, however, the two heroes actually had not one but two crossover comic book events, with one of them combining the talents of Frank Miller and Todd McFarlane.
Spawn/Batman united the two guardians of the night in a grisly adventure concerning New York's homeless, but the somewhat forgotten story has yet to be adapted. With Batman constantly ubiquitous and Spawn finally experiencing a resurgence in popularity, now might be the best time to consider making such a film. Here's what Spawn/Batman was about, and why it should be adapted in some form.
What Is Spawn/Batman About?
The story of Spawn/Batman, which was a one-shot crossover story from Frank Miller and Todd McFarlane released in 1994, had Batman investigating mysterious robots that were powered by decapitated homeless people. The over-the-top attempt at a topical storyline sends Batman to New York, where he quickly comes to blows with the undead Spawn. After a series of altercations, the two creatures of the night put their differences aside to look into the disappearances of the homeless, with Spawn, in particular, having a special relationship with the homeless population of New York.
The culprit is revealed to be Dr. Margaret Love, a seeming philanthropist whose charity organization is a cover for her using the homeless' bodies to power her robots. Batman and Spawn defeat Love and her plans, though the two would part on less than benevolent terms. The story is marketed as a "companion piece" to Frank Miller's iconic The Dark Knight Returns, and Batman himself especially comes off in the same confrontational, belittling and callous way that Miller tends to write him.
The story was very much of its time, with words like "punk" being more than common throughout. Perhaps due to this somewhat dated nature, the story has been relatively neglected in spite of featuring two major heroes. And the best way to remedy this and finally put some respect on the title's name would be to adapt it to another medium, such as a movie.
Why Spawn/Batman Should Be Adapted
The '90s as a whole was rife with intercompany crossovers, but sadly, many of these were somewhat overlooked in the grand scheme of things and definitely were not adapted. Spawn/Batman could break that mold just due to the circumstances concerning both properties. For one, the crossover actually made sense to some degree, as despite Spawn's immense power, he, at least in those days, dealt with mainly street-level issues. This made him fit right in with the more grounded world of the Dark Knight, who typically had to contend with scaly crocodile-esque men at worst.
Their mutual tones also make the crossover work, as did the fact that McFarlane had worked on both properties, while Spawn himself was definitely inspired by the grim Batman tales of Frank Miller. A movie adaptation would be able to cash in on these similar tones and scopes, making a movie where neither character feels out of place.
An animated movie would probably be for the best (for now at least), and Batman, for better or worse, gets numerous animated movies more than any other DC character. These animated movies have included an adaptation of his crossover with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, so having another such animated movie co-starring a non-DC character wouldn't be out of the question. This popularity would help the movie sell, as well as bolster the already rebounding prominence of Spawn as a character and intellectual property.
An animated film costarring Batman, especially a popular one, could also help to hype up the long-awaited and supposedly still coming Spawn movie reboot. This should be enough to have it produced in either animated form or live-action, but it will take work from the powers that be to see it come to fruition.