Crossovers we'd like to see, part 1

Spotlight
Crossovers we'd like to see, part 1
By Geoff Hoppe
February 11, 2007 - 23:15

Hahahahhaha. Fun. Now that my misleading headline has got you in and reading, I'd like to announce a fun new feature here at the Comic Book Bin. It's been a favorite game of nerds since time immemorial to debate over how characters from different universes might interact. In that spirit, the often horrible entity that is the crossover comic was created. Here at the Comic Book Bin, we take an interest in such phenomena, and provide for your perusal our version of what we think might be some fine crossover stories.

How can you NOT pair this guy with the Joker?

Joker/Bullseye:
There have already been two Daredevil/Batman crossovers. One was good, the other was lamentable. The first featured Two-Face and Mr. Hyde as villains, and the second had Kingpin and Scarecrow. It’s high time Bullseye and the Joker encountered each other. They’re variations on a similar theme: both mad, and one with a slightly more violent sense of humor (Bullseye). There’s also the ways you could play with Bullseye’s superior physical abilities vs. the Joker’s strategic genius. They complement each other perfectly. Plus, who doesn't want to see Batman face off against Bullseye? It's a bloody, violent match made in heaven. And I've always wanted to see the Joker take a billy club to the face.

(Was) DC's best new character in about fifty years.

Daredevil/Batgirl (Cassandra Cain):
These two beg to be combined. Each is an expertly trained martial artist, and each possesses a form of heightened perception. Matt Murdock has his radar-sense, and Cassandra Cain has the ability to read body language and predict her opponent’s moves. The obligatory fight-between-heroes-before-they-team-up would be purely luscious. I’m assuming they would team up because I still regard Cassandra Cain as one of the good guys. I refuse to recognize DC’s decision to transform the most interesting new character in years into another half-assed, half-baked hero-gone-bad. It didn’t work for Hal Jordan, people. Get it right this time.

Like Marv, with zombies.

The Goon vs. Marv (of Sin City fame):
The only problem here is that they’d probably get along so well, it’d be a full issue where the two hang out and down brews. Nonetheless, I’d love to see a knockdown, dragout brawl between these Dark Horse heavyweights. Ending with a handshake over a few drinks, of course.

Yes, he did play the priest in the Sin City movie.

Frank Miller vs. Alan Moore:
You’ve got to wonder what screws are loose in the heads of these men. Miller once writes stories so violent Quentin Tarantino would blush, and Moore…well…wrote a hardcore, incestuous erotica story that features Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, Alice of Wonderland fame, and Wendy Darling from Peter Pan. Um…yeah. Both men are extremely skilled writers as well as storytellers, and both are obsessed with the darker side of man’s nature. They also share a cynical outlook about superheroes in general.

In my opinion, Moore’s technical skill as a writer surpasses Miller’s, but Miller is better at keeping his politics out of the storytelling process. Creativity shouldn’t be marred by polemics. Too bad no one told Mr. Moore this.

There’s also the issue of whether Moore allows the penciler any creative freedom. He writes famously lengthy panel descriptions—so lengthy and detailed, in fact, that some critics wonder if the penciler is any more than a technician in Moore’s work. Miller, on the other hand, draws and writes. Miller’s products thus reflect a more comprehensive vision—they’re not just novels with too many illustrations, like most of Moore’s stuff. They’re comic books, for all that wonderful, unpretentious phrase implies.

Big Red would be an interesting partner to Big Blue.

Hellboy/Superman:
The supernatural is possibly Superman’s only weakness. He’s always at risk from magic, which could make a teamup between him and Hellboy a fascinating little jaunt. Plus, you have to ask yourself: could Superman beat Hellboy? Being a devil, HB is basically impervious to physical destruction. Would heat vision have any impact on him? How about ice breath? When you've been chewed and swallowed by a giant demon iron maiden, even Kryptonian strength becomes a non-item. His main threat is assuming the crown of the underworld. There's also the fun one could have pairing the mad science of Lex Luthor with the Nazi experiments of Elsa, Kroenen and company.

Well, it’s been fun kiddies. Tune in next time when another fabulous Comic Book Bin writer will fill you in on what crossovers he or she’d like to see—same Bin time, same Bin channel ;)