DC finally getting to reprint the SUPERMAN VS. MUHAMMAD ALI hardcover this week (and in a sleek hardcover, no less) got me thinking about crossovers. I’ve always been endlessly-intrigued by them for much the same reason as I’m always interested in alternate realities stories - - they're a refreshing reminder of the limitless possibilities of comics, even when things can get all-too-often truncated by self-imposed rules.
I’ve already explicated my picks for my favorite company crossovers, but now we’ll throw a handy prefix into the discussion and talk about inter-company crossovers. That is, the ones that really are a break from business-as-usual. Contracts and rights and such make these a little rarer so, when they do pop, they're usually pretty special to begin with.
Without further preamble, here are some of my all-time favorites... == TEASER ==
Doubly-notable as a team-up, this is also only time (to my knowledge) that comics legends Frank Miller and Walt Simonson have worked together. It coincided with the release of some insanely-hard Genesis/SNES video games and it just happens to feature two of my favorite movie characters. The creative team knows precisely what tone to give it - - they don't take anything too seriously, but still make this one feverish, frenetic, adrenaline-fueled ride. Very much comics' equivalent of rock song (featuring a guest guitarist!) Sadly, it’s out of print, though.
DC VS. MARVEL & AMALGAM COMICS
Given how both companies have evolved in the ensuing years, I don't think we're ever going to see another "friendly competition" effort like this. The mini-series itself was notable for letting the battles' outcomes be decided by fans' votes, leading to decisive victories instead of pussyfooting draws. The Amalgam books still capture my imagination as much today as they did in '96. I've read thousands and comics and I can think of few that were as unabashedly enjoyable and creatively exciting as these were. SPIDER-BOY, SUPER-SOLDIER & JLX were stand-outs.Anyway, this is just a quick list of some of my favorites (with Amalgam being heads-and-tails at the top.) There are dozens and dozens more of these crossovers, so let me hear which ones have earned the favor of you Comic Vine maniacs.
And I should give a special nod to the wickedly-cynical ending to SPAWN vs. BATMAN. There aren't too many crossovers that end with as much punch as a razor-sharp baterang to the face.
Tom Pinchuk’s the writer of HYBRID BASTARDS! & UNIMAGINABLE . Order them on Amazon here & here. Follow him on Twitter: @tompinchuk
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