5 Comics to Read Before Batman/Deadpool: Grant Morrison’s Definitive Guide

With Grant Morrison and Dan Mora’s Batman/Deadpool on the horizon (releasing November 19, 2025), comic fans are abuzz with anticipation. This isn't just any superhero crossover—this is a synthesis of creative genius and multiversal ambition, helmed by one of comics’ most inventive writers. At DRKHEROZ, we break down the five absolutely essential comics that informed, inspired, and foreshadow the union of DC's Dark Knight and Marvel's Merc with a Mouth. For serious fans, creators, and scholars, these recommendations offer the context and nuance required to truly appreciate what's coming.

1. Deadpool/Batman (2025): The First Collision

Deadpool/Batman (2025) — Zeb Wells & Greg Capullo

Before the “official” Batman/Deadpool crossover, Marvel tackled the premise with Zeb Wells and Greg Capullo. This volume puts Deadpool in direct collision with Gotham’s mythos, as the Joker hires Wade Wilson to assassinate Batman. Its tongue-in-cheek deconstruction of both universes—and, crucially, its foreshadowing of deeper, fourth-wall antics—set the tone for Morrison’s upcoming work.

Why This Deadpool/Batman Dynamic Matters for Morrison

This establishes the precedent for a DC/Marvel Deadpool-Batman dynamic and provides narrative and thematic building blocks Morrison is certain to remix and elevate in his own definitive guide to the meta-narrative.

2. Animal Man #19–25 (1989): Grant Morrison’s Meta-Fiction Masterpiece

Animal Man #19–25 (1989) — Grant Morrison & Chas Truog

A masterclass in metafiction, this run saw Buddy Baker (Animal Man) confront the very nature of reality—and his own creator. With reality-altering sequences, fourth-wall breaks, and a uniquely Morrison sense of cosmic existentialism, these issues paved the way for all genre-bending superhero explorations that followed.

Foreshadowing: Animal Man’s Influence on Batman/Deadpool’s Reality

Morrison’s direct self-insertion and philosophical subtext in Animal Man deeply inform the complex, layered realities he brings to Batman/Deadpool. Expect these same motifs to surface: character/creator dialogue, reality as narrative, and more.

3. Suicide Squad #58 (1991): The Introduction of 'The Writer'

Suicide Squad #58 (1991) — John Ostrander, Kim Yale, Geof Isherwood

Here Morrison’s influence radiates into other corners of the DCU. This issue introduces The Writer—a fourth-wall-aware author-hero clearly modeled on Morrison’s Animal Man persona. His fate (devoured by his own fiction) is a pointed commentary on authorial control and character agency.

The Writer: Commentary on Authorial Control and Agency

Batman/Deadpool is all but guaranteed to leverage or subvert the idea of “The Writer”—with Morrison scripting, expect smart, referential storytelling that interrogates who REALLY tells a story, a key theme in all authoritative comic scholarship.

4. New X-Men: E is for Extinction & Cassandra Nova’s Multiverse Link

New X-Men #114–126: E is for Extinction — Morrison, Quitely, Van Sciver, Kordey

Cassandra Nova, one of Morrison’s most iconic villains, debuted here. She’s not only Xavier’s twin but a cosmic “mummudrai,” responsible for devastation like the Genoshan genocide. Notably, she’s now part of the cinematic universe, hinted to connect to Deadpool & Wolverine onscreen.

New X-Men's Existentialism: Blending X-Universe with DC's Dark Knight

Morrison’s return to Nova’s interpretive mythos in Batman/Deadpool will likely pay homage to, or evolve, these meta-mutant concepts—blending X-universe existentialism with DC’s dark mythos, creating a rich multiverse tapestry.

5. DC/Marvel Amalgam (1996): The Dark Claw Precedent

DC/Marvel Amalgam (1996)

The “Amalgam” universe mashed up DC and Marvel heroes, birthing legends like Dark Claw (Batman fused with Wolverine). Morrison’s story is likely to feature or reference this icon—a nod to fans and a signal that anything is possible in a crossover of this scale.

Amalgam and Dark Claw: Meta-Context for the Batman/Deadpool Crossover Scale

The existence of Amalgam, and especially Dark Claw, is meta-context for any team-up or reality-melding story. Don’t be surprised if Morrison directly shouts out or subverts this history, reinforcing the scale of this essential new book.

🌟 Expert Analysis: Why These Comics Set the Stage for Batman/Deadpool

• Metafiction & Fourth Wall: Each recommendation explores layered realities—a Morrison hallmark—guaranteeing Batman/Deadpool won’t be ordinary heroics but a literary, self-reflexive event.

• Continuity & Multiverse: These issues offer direct connective tissue for readers seeking insight into upcoming plotlines, character motivations, and thematic throughlines for the new Morrison/Mora series.

• Creative Authorship: Morrison often blurs the creator/creation boundary. Readers acquainted with The Writer or Animal Man will appreciate the meta-narrative games in Batman/Deadpool.

Save this page as a comprehensive guide on Batman/Deadpool prep. DRKHEROZ delivers not just a checklist—but the critical context for understanding Morrison’s genius and what’s coming on November 19, 2025.