Marvel and DC, like any good comic-book rivals, have been driven to unlikely team-ups. But for decades, that history of universe-bending crossover moments has existed only under comic book shop display cases and in the annals of wikis. That changes this summer, with the release of two epic collections rounding up the the rare encounters between Superman and Spider-Man, Batman and Captain America, the Teen Titans and the X-Men, as well as the even more twisted “Amalgam Age” stories, which melded Marvel and DC characters into singular heroes.
DC Versus Marvel Omnibus and DC/Marvel: The Amalgam Age Omnibus, jointly announced by the two publishers on Tuesday, will round up stories from greats like Dennis O’Neil, George Pérez, Dan Jurgens, Chris Claremont, Walter Simonson, J.M. DeMatteis, Mark Bagley, Gerry Conway, John Romita Jr. , and many more that brought the worlds of Marvel and DC together in non-canon adventures to make fan dreams come true.
DC Versus Marvel Omnibus collects stories ranging from 1976 to the 2000s. The list includes Batman/Captain America #1, Batman/Daredevil #1, Batman/Punisher: Lake of Fire #1, Batman/Spider-Man #1, Daredevil/Batman #1, DC Special Series #27, Darkseid vs. Galactus: The Hunger #1, Green Lantern/Silver Surfer: Unholy Alliances #1, Incredible Hulk vs. Superman #1, Marvel and DC Present Featuring the Uncanny X-Men and the New Teen Titans #1, Marvel Treasury Edition #28, Punisher/Batman: Deadly Knights #1, Silver Surfer/Superman #1, Spider-Man and Batman #1, Superman vs. the Amazing Spider-Man #1, and Superman/Fantastic Four #1.
Images: Marvel Comics/DC Comics
The Amalgam Age Omnibus is an even wilder proposition for fans of DC and Marvel who may be in the dark on this 1990s experiment. The mash-ups include everything from Dark Claw (Batman and Wolverine), Super Soldier (Superman and Captain America), and Iron Lantern (Iron Man and Green Lantern) to — perhaps the greatest idea in all of comics history — Lobo the Duck (Lobo and Howard the Duck). The book will contain DC Versus Marvel #1-4, DC/Marvel: All Access #1-4, Unlimited Access #1-4, Bat-Thing #1, Bruce Wayne: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. #1, Bullets and Bracelets #1, Challengers of the Fantastic #1, Doctor Strangefate #1, Iron Lantern #1, Legends of the Dark Claw #1, Lobo the Duck #1, Speed Demon #1, Spider-Boy #1, Super Soldier #1, Thorion of the New Asgods #1, X-Patrol #1.
Back in the doldrums of COVID-19 pandemic isolation, comics creators and fans from around the globe came together to spend a day on social media wondering aloud at the possibilities of what a modern version of the Marvel/DC crossover or mash-up could hold. It was… pure joy. While DC Versus Marvel Omnibus and DC/Marvel: The Amalgam Age Omnibus aren’t quite the dream, the idea that Marvel and DC are willing to put these books back in print is an acknowledgement that collaboration is possible. And if the next waves of DC and Marvel movies fail, hey, maybe we’ll finally get the proposed Superman vs. Spider-Man movie.
DC Versus Marvel Omnibus and DC/Marvel: The Amalgam Age Omnibus both publish on Aug. 6, 2024, with exclusive covers only found in comic book shops.
