In Dragon Ball, Goku and Vegeta are two of the most overpowered fighters of all time, while in DC Comics, Batman and Superman are two iconic heroes that always seem to pull off a win. And now, in dueling pieces of brand new fan art, Goku and Vegeta have gotten the upper hand on The Dark Knight and Man of Steel and are now taking their victory laps.
Posted on Instagram by @artbyjp, a quick scroll through artist J.P. Perez’s page shows an account full of art depicting characters from popular anime series, video games, comics, movies, and more. Two pieces from a six-part DBZ x DC set, Goku, Vegeta, Batman, and Superman, are only a handful of the characters J.P. Perez has illustrated, with the pairing of these specific heroes being some of the best.
Kicking things off with the Goku x Superman piece, J.P. Perez draws Goku in Super Saiyan form, complete with crackling lightning shooting off his body in every direction. In his hands, tattered and torn, are the remains of Superman’s cape, the body of which it’s usually attached to nowhere to be seen, immediately telling fans that Big Blue most likely didn’t make it out of this scuffle conscious or possibly even alive.
Depicting the aftermath of the battle between Vegeta and Batman, this next art piece adds something interesting to the mix as not only is Vegeta already a Super Saiyan, but it’s the overpowered version of him who has succumbed to the dark influences of the villain Babidi, made apparent by the Majin symbol etched across his forehead. Holding Batman’s cowl in his hand as he looks down at it in triumph, Vegeta taking down Batman and unmasking him is a double burn to the Caped Crusader that he won’t soon forget.
Drawn by J.P. Perez in ink and Copic markers, these two illustrations have a style landing somewhere between anime art and comic book stylings, subtly adding a fun element to the already unique comic/anime character mash-ups. And with J.P. Perez officially calling the fight between Z-Fighters and DC superheroes for the Saiyans, fans can debate exactly how Goku and Vegeta pulled a fast one on Batman and Superman because regardless of the outcome, it sure didn’t come easy.
Unfortunately for fans, a true Dragon Ball x DC Comics mash-up may never happen, so J.P. Perez’s awesome art will have to do. Goku and Vegeta may have beaten Batman and Superman this time around, but leave it to these two Justice Leaguers to come back stronger than ever for round two!
