The most brutal feud of the 1990s is about to be reignited as Batman and Spawn are going to collide once again in a new crossover as revealed by DC Comics during San Diego Comic-Con 2022. The duo will reunite in Batman/Spawn #1, a 48-page one-shot due out December 13.
The new book marks the first reunion of the two iconic characters since 1994’s Batman/Spawn: War Devil, which DC will be reprinting for release on November 15. At the time, Spawn was one of the best-selling characters around, and creator Todd McFarlane contracted all-star writers to pen issues, including a collaboration with Frank Miller that further evolved into an intercompany crossover, a one-shot titled Spawn/Batman. As expected, the two heroes clash first, and then cooperate to bring down the villains. But the promise of ‘extreme’ action between the two titans delivered then (Batman “burying the hatchet” with a Batarang to Spawn’s face), meaning expectations are high for Batman/Spawn #1 this December.
The “Jim Lee & Friends” panel at San Diego Comic-Con saw many exciting reveals and announcements, including the new Batman/Spawn crossover, which will be written by Todd McFarlane, with art by Greg Capullo. Besides being Spawn’s creator, McFarlane is also very familiar with Batman. In the 1980s, he worked on Detective Comics, where he illustrated the popular Batman: Year Two storyline. Capullo, on the other hand, is the perfect conjunction between the two characters. He was one of the most prolific and influential Spawn artists of the 1990s, responsible for creating much of the character’s iconic look, and then moved on to become one of the longest-running resident artists on Batman. This truly looks like a match made in Heaven, or, considering Spawn is involved, in Hell.
It will be very interesting to see if this new crossover will openly acknowledge the previous encounter between the two characters. In theory, that meeting was canon, as Al Simmons showed up in Spawn #21 with the scar caused by Batman stitched up with a dirty shoelace. However, Frank Miller would later state the story was more aligned with his violent Batman from the Dark Knight Returns, which makes sense, considering that the “mainstream” Dark Knight would not go as far as scarring a fellow vigilante who just helped him save the world. Considering that McFarlane himself is involved, it will be very hard to not see at least a passing reference to the infamous Batarang scene.
The two characters work really well together. Both have a connection to the dark side, and both try to keep it under control. However, Spawn has a much more flexible moral code compared to Batman, and has no problems with killing. After almost 30 years, will the dynamic between the two have changed to reflect both characters’ evolution over the same time?
Fans will get their answers when Batman/Spawn #1 delivers the crossover rematch this December.
