DC and Marvel’s Crossover Finally Revealed the Writer Born to Write Deadpool

Well, I had a feeling, but now I’m positive about which writer could take Deadpool to the next level. For Marvel and DC Comics’ first crossover in years, the Big Two decided to shine a light on a couple of the biggest and most profitable comic icons. The Dark Knight and the Merc with a Mouth met in not one, but two crossover specials, one put out by Marvel, and the other released by DC Comics. And yes, both featured plenty of deadly antics and fourth-wall breaking from Wade Wilson.

For Marvel/DC: Deadpool/Batman, the House of Ideas tapped Zeb Wells, who wrote a high-energy, action-packed tale about Wade Wilson crossing paths with Bruce Wayne. And for the recently released DC/Marvel: Batman/Deadpool, DC hired Grant Morrison, who gave fans a hilarious and meta meeting of the minds. Both writers brought their best to their respective crossover, and each of them had their good qualities. But if you ask me, one serves as an amazing example of who needs to be the next person to pen Marvel Comics’ manic mercenary.

Batman/Deadpool Proves It: We Need a Grant Morrison Deadpool Series

No offense to Zeb Wells, but Grant Morrison demonstrated just how well they can do with a character like Deadpool. After a brief set-up, DC/Marvel: Batman/Deadpool #1 by Morrison and Dan Mora really kicks off with Deadpool fighting rubberhose cartoon ninjas and making hilarious references to comic book history. True to form, Deadpool speaks directly with his readers while smashing the fourth wall to bits (including one panel that pays tribute to the iconic “I can see you” panel from Animal Man).

Read Next

Deadpool Might Be Marvel’s Most Honest Character (Here’s Why)

Deadpool and Batman have been trapped in a mental landscape created by Cassandra Nova, who is searching for an object called the Quantum Keyboard. The two navigate the strange labyrinth, looking for clues. Or at least, Batman is. Deadpool is cracking jokes and making deep-cut jabs at comic book history. The ninjas mentioned earlier attack and Batman allows himself to be killed to confirm they’re in a fabricated reality. Well, losing Batman is no good to Deadpool, who throws Batman’s body in a Lazarus Pit, only for Bruce to rise as Dark Claw (because Morrison would include an Amalgam reference).

Thankfully, the two manage to break the hold Nova has on them, and they find the Quantum Keyboard and its owner, the Writer (Grant Morrison’s avatar to you, Animal Man fans). Nova attacks the Writer to take control of the Quantum Keyboard, only for her to realize that it’s the Writer who’s in control of this story. The Writer fuses Batman and Deadpool into one hero (Deadbat, naturally), and the amalgamation effortlessly takes out the villain. The story ends with Deadpool taking Nova’s head to the TVA, and Wade expresses how much damn fun he had with this team-up.

Grant Morrison’s Still Got It, and We Need to See Them on Deadpool ASAP

As someone who’s read a lot of Grant Morrison over the years, I knew I was going to love this book. But I was only thinking about how they had written Batman and how they could handle such a big story like this. What I really didn’t expect was how well they’d write Deadpool. I mean, I can’t say I’m surprised because an impulsive vigilante who regularly talks with his audience seems right up Morrison’s alley. But they really impressed me with how engaging and downright funny they made Deadpool here.

Try as I might, I’ve never really been able to get into Deadpool. I watched the movies, sure, but every time I’ve gone for the comics, nothing’s ever really hit exactly. For me, Deadpool is a hard character to balance. People expect comedy, meta-aware commentary, pathos, and just the right amount of annoying personal foibles. It’s a lot to ask of any writer. But I think Morrison managed to capture all these elements here, and I could honestly see them taking the character very far in an ongoing series.

Admittedly, a Morrison-led Deadpool series is probably a pipe dream. While I was happy to hear that writing this crossover renewed Morrison’s love of superhero comics, chances are slim, if not outright nonexistent, that Marvel will contract them for Deadpool. But I still think they’d do a great job. Morrison made writing Wade Wilson look easy, and I have a feeling they could do a lot more with him if they had the chance. It might not ever happen, but Morrison would absolutely crush a Deadpool comic if given the chance.

Would you want to see Grant Morrison on Deadpool? Let us know in the comments or on the ComicBook Forum!