6. THE DARK KNIGHT vs. THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN
What’s really weird about “Disordered Minds” is that it unfolds with the assumption that Batman and Spider-Man live in the same universe and are well aware of each other’s respective status as vigilante heroes. Batman even directly references “the ‘Maximum Carnage’ affair”, leading Spidey to retort, “You certainly do your homework, don’t you?”
“Under the light of the Gotham moon, a friendship is born,” the ending narration reads, “and even if these men never meet again, it is a friendship that will survive and thrive as long as the legends of Spider-Man and the Batman endure.”
As it turns out, they DID meet again. DeMatteis scripted a followup two years later called “New Age Dawning,” featuring the heroes up against the Kingpin and Ra’s al Ghul. In that one, Batman calls out Spidey’s constant jokes and tells him, “What we do isn’t amusing.”
As we go further into the Dark Knight’s crossover escapades, fans might beg to differ.
