Posted in: Batman, Comics, DC Comics, Marvel Comics, X-Men | Tagged: Batman Deadpool, dan mora, grant morrison
Grant Morrison talks Batman/Deadpool with Dan Mora and the choices they made (Spoilers)
Article Summary
Grant Morrison reveals the creative process behind writing Batman/Deadpool with Dan Mora
Batman/Deadpool features fourth wall-breaking callbacks to Animal Man and classic crossovers
The story includes nods to pop culture, internet and Superman/Spider-Man
And the introduction and death of ‘The Writer’ in Suicide Squad #58 from 1991
On their Substack, Grant Morrison has been discussing their decision and the process of taking on Batman/Deadpool, published by DC Comics today and drawn by Morrison’s Klaus co-creator, Dan Mora.
“I turn a lot of stuff down, but when Marie Javins at DC offered me the chance to write Batman/Deadpool, it struck a chord. Deadpool is, of course, notorious for breaking the so-called ‘4th wall’ of the page and addressing readers directly, which immediately gave me the idea to pick up on an ancient dangling plot thread from 35 years ago! Suddenly, I was interested!”
As Bleeding Cool gave you the nod in certain spoilers a little while ago, this is a reprise/homage/swipe from Animal Man #19 from 1989 by Grant Morrison and Chas Truog. In which Buddy Baker, Animal Man, under the influence of peyote, sees the comic book’s reader, breaking the fourth wall and falling out of reality. Morrison continues;
“There were a few rules, which made it even more fun. Batman and Deadpool had to appear obviously. The villain would be from Marvel and there could be a DC guest star. Deadpool vs. Wolverine had done well at the cinema, and people knew the character of Cassandra Nova as the main antagonist in that movie, so she made a perfect choice for the bad guy spot, while Damian Wayne seemed like a no-brainer in the guest slot (both villain and sidekick were created by the current author, which gave the 4th wall elements an extra appealing spin).”
“The lines that stood out as providing the key to the whole relationship occurred when Deadpool was blabbing on and on and getting no real reaction from Batman, finally giving up – only for Batman to say, ‘I fought crime alongside a hyperactive kid for years. My arch-enemy is a murderous disfigured clown. Have you been talking this whole time?’ That sealed the deal for me and I agreed to take the job!”
And they also reflected the approach taken with the original Superman vs. The Amazing Spider-Man crossover from 1976, referenced in the Amalgam Bar wallpaper. “I’d remembered that there a few restrictions on how the characters were presented in that original ground-breaking crossover – the figures of Superman and Spider-Man had to be equal in size on the cover, for instance, and Superman and Spider-Man appear in the same number of panels. They both have the same amount of dialogue. The same goes for Clark Kent and Peter Parker, villains, Luthor and Doctor Octopus, J. Jonah Jameson and Perry White, Lois Lane and Mary Jane etc… As a formal exercise, it seemed like another way to keep things interesting for me and for the reader, so I decided to do something similar – Batman and Deadpool appear on an equal number of pages!.. In my figurative stew pot now bobbed a few intriguing ingredients – Bob Haney, Brave and the Bold, the Deadpool movies, Superman vs. Spider-Man, the 4th wall, the introduction and death of ‘The Writer’ in Suicide Squad #58 from 1991, a pinch of mild satire, imagery inspired by Backrooms and Pool rooms liminal videos, I’d been watching online, along with ‘rubber hose’ animation from the 1920s and ’30s.” Ah yes, The Writer…
And don’t forget the return of Amalgam character Dark Claw… and a reference to a rather infamous YouTube video that might not quite have the family-friendly vibe that Grant was going for…
So a Two Girls One Cup reference was fine for Marvel and DC, but one cover suggestion was not…
DC MARVEL BATMAN DEADPOOL #1(W) Various (A) Various (CA) Dan MoraTHE MOMENT YOU’VE BEEN WAITING FOR! Written by Grant Morrison, Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, Joshua Williamson, Tom Taylor, Mariko Tamaki and G. Willow Wilson Art by Dan Mora, Hayden Sherman, Bruno Redondo, Amanda Conner and Denys Cowan The Dark Knight and the Merc with a Mouth team up for an adventure so mind-bending you’ll think you’re in a dream! Brought to you by legendary creators Grant Morrison and Dan Mora! And be sure not to miss these incredible extra stories: Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, and Joshua Williamson team up with Hayden Sherman for a magical Constantine/Doctor Strange tale! Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo bring you an epic Nightwing/Dick Grayson and Laura Kinney/Wolverine story! Mariko Tamaki and Amanda Conner smash Harley Quinn and the Hulk together! G. Willow Wilson and Denys Cowan tell an electrifying Static and Ms. Marvel yarn! $7.99 11/19/2025
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