Are Batman and Spider-Man friends? Marvel & DC characters’ crossovers explained

Batman and Spider-Man are perhaps the most unlikely of duos, but a pair of team-up stories established the two as friends, albeit barely.

Everyone who grew up with superhero toys imagined all their heroes playing in the same sandbox. Of course, Batman and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles hung out with GI Joe. Why wouldn’t they? 

It’s not that far-fetched, though. While Marvel and DC haven’t crossed over as much lately, there have been a number of high-profile crossovers between the two and other publishers. 

It didn’t used to be that way. Marvel and DC heroes crossed over regularly. Some of them, like Batman and Spider-Man, even crossed paths multiple times, forging unlikely bonds. 

Have Batman and Spider-Man ever been friends? 

While Batman and Spider-Man are unlikely to reference each other today, there was a point in time when they had a friendly relationship. So, yes, you could say Batman and Spider-Man are friends. 

The two first begrudgingly teamed up in 1995’s Spider-Man and Batman, a one-shot in which the two must contend with Carnage and The Joker. Though the two start off at odds in the grand tradition of superhero crossovers, the story ends with them coming to an understanding and shaking hands. 

A 1997 sequel, Batman and Spider-Man, followed up on this while retaining the continuity of the previous adventure. Batman and Spider-Man saw the heroes up against the League of Assassins in a quest to save the Kingpin’s wife, Vanessa. 

Batman is initially cold to Spider-Man, but they quickly dispense with that when Spidey insists their reunion should start with a handshake. 

It may seem random, but 1995 and 1997 were rife with crossovers between Marvel and DC. The two companies enjoyed a friendly rivalry fueled by the success of Marvel vs DC (or DC vs Marvel, depending on which issue you bought). 

Even before then, though, crossovers weren’t uncommon. In fact, Spider-Man was part of the first company crossover ever, teaming up with Superman against Lex Luthor and Doctor Octopus in 1976’s Superman vs. The Amazing Spider-Man. 

Beyond that, there were other fun crossovers, like a character who seems to be Barry Allen in an issue of Quasar following Crisis of Infinite Earths or any of the many instances of Clark Kent hanging out in the background of a panel. For a long while, it was generally assumed that the two company’s worlds co-existed but were never mentioned unless a crossover was actually happening. 

These days, the lines are a little more defined, with Marvel and DC not having a proper crossover since 2004’s JLA/Avengers. However, with a massive reprint of the DC Versus Marvel event on the way, it may only be a matter of time before the two paths cross again. 

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