Summary
The comic book industry has been home to countless crossover events over the last 50+ years. While Batman and Wolverine have both had major run-ins with the Predator,Marvel’s Punisher has teamed up with Archie, and the Avengers have faced off againstthe Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. There’s been no shortage of excellent, bizarre, and genuinely confusing comic book crossovers over the last few decades, but only a few have managed to stand the test of time, and they tend to be the crossovers between the two big guns.
Marvel and DC have crossed over many times in comic history, from the Teen Titans meeting the X-Men in the early 1980s, to Batman joining forces with Daredevil in the 2000s, to the Amalgam series of comics that sawMarveland DC characters get fused together to produce heroes like the Wolverine-Batman mash-up Dark Claw. But while all of these comics have their dedicated fans, few Marvel/DC crossovers are quite so iconic and straight-to-the-point as 1996’sDC Vs. Marvel, a miniseries that’s about to receive a re-release, and could potentially be the first step toward a Marvel/DC crossover game.
It’s The Perfect Time for a DC Vs. Marvel Game
DC Vs. Marvel Is Finally Getting a Re-Release
Originally running from February to May1996,DC Vs. Marvelwas a short but sweet crossover miniseries that delivered exactly what it said on the tin. Over the course of just four issues,DC Vs. Marvelpits some of each universe’s most iconic heroes against one another in a bizarre, universe-breaking premise that sees two omnipresent beings challenging each other to a fight using their universe’s characters.
A total of 11 main battles occur across the four issues, with the outcome of some fights being determined by the readers of the time. Though no characters die in their respective battles, there are some pretty brutal moments, such as Thor forcing Captain Marvel (Shazam) to return to his child form, and stopping him from returning to full-power by intercepting the bolt of lightning that turns him into a hero. Atthe end ofDC Vs. Marvel, the two omnipresent beings are forced to reach a compromise where both universes are fused into one another, resulting in the Amalgam series of comics mentioned up top.
Just a few weeks ago, it was announced thatDC Vs. Marvelwould finally be returning to store shelves after decades of being quite rare to find. Being released as an omnibus simply titledDC Versus Marvel Omnibus(with a second omni coming for the Amalgam series), this collection will not only bringDC Vs. Marvelback to store shelves, but also bring back a number of classic crossover comics from years before, such as the aforementionedTeen Titans/X-Men series, andDarkseid vs. Galactus: The Hunger, among many others. This omnibus, along with theDC/Marvel: The Amalgam Age Omnibus, will release on July 30, 2025.
NetherRealm Could Be The Perfect Studio for a DC Vs. Marvel Game
WithDC Vs. Marvelfinally returning to shelves, it might be the perfect time for a long-awaited video game crossover between the two comic book giants, and a fighting game helmed by NetherRealm could be the perfect option. Toward the end of last year, in the lead up toMortal Kombat 1’s release, NetherRealm’s Ed Boon stated that he’d love to work ona DC Vs. Marvel game, and that he knows it’s what fans want to see from the studio. While it might be difficult to get Marvel and DC to come together for a fighting game, it isn’t impossible, with Marvel having already worked with Capcom plenty in the past, and NetherRealm having already worked on several DC games, while also being owned by Warner Bros. itself.
Marvel
Marvel is a brand associated with a wide array of popular superhero comics, movies, television shows, and merchandise. The company owns the rights to popular characters like The Avengers, Spider-Man, Black Panther, Deadpool, and many more.
