Remember me
Superman and Spider-Man are two of the most important superheroes of all time. More so than anyone else, these two set the gold standard for what a superhero is in Marvel and DC. They’ve represented everything the Big Two stand for since their debuts. Superman and Spider-Man are the ultimate examples of people trying to do the right thing simply because they have the opportunity, which makes it their responsibility to be kind. They are the ultimate heroes and have stood as the faces of their respective companies for decades. Now, fifty years after their first meeting, the Man of Tomorrow and the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man are saving the day together again in DC/Marvel: Superman/Spider-Man.
This action-packed comic doesn’t just include the titular twosome, but a whole litany of their side-characters meeting and working together. There’s a whole lot to love in this oversized spectacular, but of course, there can only be one best story of them all. We’re shining a light on the eight incredible stories in this comic by ranking them. Anything that features Spider-Man and Superman is already an automatic win, and, believe me, I think this comic is definitely worth the price of admission, but that’s really up for you to decide as we dive into these awesome stories. Without further ado, spoiler warning, and let’s swing right into this super-issue.
8) Superboy/Spider-Man 2099 — “Beyond the Cobwebs of Tomorrow”
Images Courtesy of DC and Marvel Comics
This story combined two great time-traveling heroes with Miguel O’Hara and Superboy from his Legion of Super-Heroes days. They met up in Neo-Gotham, with beloved Batman-successor Terry McGinnis watching them duke it out over Lex Corp buildings before they all talked it out. Both titular heroes came from apocalyptic futures where the Lex Corp/Alchemex merger spelled a villain-controlled world. The three heroes decided their only lead was Lex Luthor, who vanished into the Source Wall years ago, and set off for space to track him down.
This story is really hindered by the fact that it’s three pages. It sets up a very interesting premise that I would read an ongoing about in a heartbeat, but it spends its entire runtime setting up something that can never happen. It’s not particularly interesting until then, and just when everything ramps up, it’s over. It also has the classic Sean Murphy-ism for Batman and Spider-Man’s dialogue, which makes them feel kind of strange. This story is too big for its own britches in the wrong ways for a three-page adventure, but the art is fantastic for the cyberpunk style.
7) Daily Planet/Daily Bugle — “Bias”
Images Courtesy of DC and Marvel Comics
This story saw the two best-known newspapers in comics go head-to-head as Lois and J. Jonah Jameson debated on TV. They fought over Jonah’s obvious bias against Spider-Man, especially given how obviously heroic he is. Jonah defended himself by saying that he appreciated heroes who fought without concealing their identities behind a mask, such as Superman. Their debate ended with Spider-Man, Clark, and Lois all laughing at how Jonah’s bias blinded him, unaware that Superman was another hero with a secret identity, just like Spider-Man.
This story feels incomplete. The obvious thing we are supposed to take away from this is Jonah’s bias blinding him, which is a funny enough endnote, but it definitely doesn’t make full use of its premise. This isn’t a debate between the Bugle and the Planet, it’s the most bog-standard Jonah-joke there could be. Not getting Lois’s response to Jonah’s argument after spending so long establishing his bias is a definite miss. Altogether, this story didn’t do all that much for me.
6) Lois Lane/Mary Jane — “The World’s Finest”
Image Courtesy of DC and Marvel Comics
It started with Lois and MJ trapped in a bus, dangling over the side of a bridge, with both casually talking about how these situations are a part of their lives. Superman and Spidey fought a Sentinel-428 while the ladies talked about how difficult and rewarding it is to date a superhero. They tracked down the Sentinel’s real target, Gambit, and gave him a deck of cards to take it down. Then, the couples walked off into the sunlight together. This story isn’t bad by any means, but it’s also not great. It’s more of a surface-level discussion than I imagined it would have been. Frankly, it’s a bit of a nothing-burger. It’s good and entertaining, but that’s about it.
5) Jimmy Olsen/Carnage — “Jimmy Con Carnage”
Image Courtesy of DC and Marvel Comics
Jimmy Olsen moved to New York City to prove himself, and naturally, he landed a job at the Daily Bugle. Jonah wanted, what else, but pictures of Spider-Man, and Jimmy raced to get them without heeding any of Peter’s advice. He ran straight into an alley where Carnage was on one of his classic murder-sprees and shouted “Spiderman” without a hyphen. That last part wasn’t his biggest mistake, but it was a crime. Carnage immediately murdered Jimmy, whose Signal Watch was updating. Jonah published Jimmy’s final pic of Carange ripping into him as proof that Spider-Man was a menace and declared Jimmy Olsen the world’s finest photographer.
This story definitely should have been longer, but it’s carried by an incredible narrator. The punchline of Jimmy coming to New York and immediately getting killed goes against every expectation, especially considering how much Jimmy has survived, so it definitely got a laugh out of me. A part of me is sad that was the punchline, as Jimmy somehow beating Carnage would have been hilarious. Still, this story is short, not-so-sweet, and hilarious, so it earns itself a spot at fifth.
4) Pa Kent/Uncle Ben — “The Bridge”
Images Courtesy of DC and Marvel Comics
Superman and Spider-Man discussed how similar or different they are, with Superman saying they’re alike and Spider-Man saying they come from different worlds. While they debated, a flashback story detailed Pa Kent and Uncle Ben’s chance meeting when they were younger. The men met during a horrible storm, where the only bridge out of Smallville flooded. Pa offered the stranded Ben a place to wait it out, but then they heard people crying underneath the bridge. They risked their lives to get them to safety, and in the end, the men became friends, and the heroes agreed they might not be so different.
Pa and Uncle Ben are two of the best father figures in comic book history, and seeing the two of them work together to save people was fantastic. The debate between Spider-Man and Superman was also a highlight, as it showed both of their perspectives and hammered home how important their adoptive fathers were to them. My only gripe is that we didn’t get an incredible life-lesson from two of comics’ wisest old men, but we saw them be good, which is all they ever really needed. This is definitely recommended for any fans of any of the characters.
Image Courtesy of DC and Marvel Comics
If you told me the story where Power Girl went on a blind date with Paul Rabin, comics’ most hated man(bun), would be one of my favorites, I would have called that bluff and lost money. Frank fanangled his way into being a bouncer for a villain-infested restaurant, where Karen was set to meet her date. The entire establishment immediately tried to kill Paul, thinking he was Vandal Savage and wanting that bounty money. Power Girl and the Punisher teamed up to non-lethally save Paul’s life, deciding to have their own date in the process.
This is a great short little story. Power Girl and Punisher actually have great chemistry, and they bounced off each other perfectly. Seeing Paul get dissed is always a plus, and the joke about people mistaking him for Vandal Savage had me busting up. All together, this is a funny, sexy story about a gruff and tough vet and a woman who’s been through more loss than anyone can imagine hitting it off. It definitely makes the best use of its limited page count, which deserves props in and of itself.
2) Superboy-Prime/Spider-Man — “Pages”
Image Courtesy of DC and Marvel Comics
Spider-Man came home to find Superboy-Prime, down to his underwear, cajoling his very-much-normal-cloth black suit into trying to bond with him. Prime thought it was the symbiote and explained to Spidey that he needed help after being trapped in the High Evolutionary’s prison for an entire year. Prime snagged Spidey and literally punched through reality to the Evolutionary’s place, intending to leave Spider-Man there in his place, but came back around to help him. The two agreed to fight the villain together, even if it risked being evolved into goat accountants or the like.
Superboy-Prime continues to shine as the fanboy he is, perfectly bouncing off Spider-Man, who is somehow both out of his depth and perfectly in control. Spidey convinces Prime to be the hero he knows he can be, even if it’s scary, and it’s a legitimately heartfelt moment. My only gripe with this story is that Prime’s turnaround felt a little rushed, but beyond that, it’s a great story with plenty of action, comedy, and heart. Prime is a character who was begging for guidance, and there’s nobody who can give a down-to-Earth heroic speech like Spider-Man.
1) Superman/Spider-Man — “Truth, Justice, and Great Responsibility”
Image Courtesy of DC and Marvel Comics
Of course, the best crossover of them all could only be the main event. Doctor Octopus wanted to prove his unparalleled genius, and found himself in an unlikely partnership with Brainiac to do just that. Peter traveled to Metropolis to investigate Doc Ock stealing Kryptonite, and the titular heroes set off to find the villainous duo. Brainiac planned to offload a mental virus into the minds of everyone on Earth, and in the end, it was Superman against Doc Ock and Spider-Man against Brainiac for the safety of the world. Naturally, the heroes prevailed and soared over the city as the best of friends.
This is a Bronze Age crossover at its finest. The heroes and villains bounce off of each other perfectly, everyone is given a chance to shine, and the ending reminds everyone why we love both of these heroes so much. This crossover has everything from heartfelt moments to classic callbacks that are just as epic as the first time we read them. Of course, it’s only helped by Jorge Jiménez proving that he is one of the best in the business. Every page is dripping with care and style from the writing and art. This entire thing is a celebration of Superman and Spider-Man in the best ways, and it features them at their best. There’s nothing more I could ever ask for from a crossover between these two incredible heroes.
Which crossover story was your favorite? Leave a comment in the comment section below and join the conversation on the ComicBook Forums!