What is Spider-Man and Batman: Disordered Minds?

Spider-Man and Batman: Disordered Minds is a one-shot comic, which sees Marvel Comics’ iconic wall-crawler join forces with DC Comics’ Dark Knight. Written by J.M. DeMatteis and illustrated by Mark Bagley, Disordered Minds was first published in 1995 as a joint partnership between Marvel and DC and features the Joker and Carnage.

—

What happens in Spider-Man and Batman: Disordered Minds?

Spider-Man arrives at the Ravencroft Institute, where he learns that the mysterious Cassandra Briar wants to perform a procedure on Carnage. The procedure involves implanting a microchip into the villain’s brain, to halt his murderous tendencies.

The procedure goes ahead and Carnage is seemingly made docile. This procedure is then replicated in Gotham City, with Briar performing the same operation on the Joker.

With the chips inserted, both villains become shadows of their former selves and are paraded around Gotham as success stories, proving that Briar’s technology works on even the most depraved criminals. But shortly after Briar goes public, Carnage reveals that he has been faking his ‘cure’ and escapes, taking Joker along with him.

Carnage destroys the microchip that is being used to suppress the Joker’s mind, and with the Clown Prince of Crime regaining his cognitive functions the pair form a partnership. But their bond is short lived when it becomes very clear they favour different approaches to villainy.

With Carnage and Joker coming to blows, Spider-Man and Batman team-up to apprehend their foes. Batman defeats Carnage and Spider-Man takes on Joker.

With both villains disabled, Spider-Man and Batman shake hands. A new partnership is forged between the two heroes.

—

Is Spider-Man and Batman: Disordered Minds worth a read? 

Marvel/DC crossovers can sometimes be a bit hit and miss. The Marvel Universe and the DC Universe have separate continuities and separate vibes, so putting the two together can often feel uneasy. 

One of the positive aspects of Disordered Minds is that it doesn’t feel uneasy – Spider-Man and Batman work well together. Both lead characters share traumatic origins, which shape the heroes they have become and they also share psychotic adversaries.

So all of this puts Disordered Minds in a strong position to be a great story, especially when factoring in the brilliant art of Mark Bagley – a quintessential Spidey artist of the ‘90s. It’s a shame then that this story falls a little short.

The set-up is strong, with all the key components in place, but the story wraps up far too quickly. Putting Spider-Man and Batman in the same tale SHOULD be something epic, but the brief page count simply doesn’t allow for that and the story concludes before it ever gets started. Such a shame.

Ultimately, this isn’t a bad story, but it doesn’t reach its full potential. Expanding Disorderly Minds into a much larger tale would have provided more depth and a greater outcome, so it is fine to read, but nothing to get excited about.

—

Has Disordered Minds been adapted for film?

To date, Disordered Minds has not been adapted for film. Spider-Man and Batman have not appeared together in a movie and it is very unlikely they will.

Spider-Man is a Marvel character, owned by The Walt Disney Company, while Batman is a DC character, owned by Warner Bros. Put simply, Disney and Warner Bros. are two rival studios, that don’t tend to work together that often, so don’t expect these characters to team up anytime soon. 

—

Thank you for taking the time to read this post about Disorderly Minds. Should you want to read more Spider-Man related posts, check out one of the recommended reads below.

Read more: