MSU alumnus contributes his artistry to ‘Deadpool/Batman’ crossover

Ryan Stegman was putting the finishing touches on Marvel Comics’ “X-Men: Age of Revelation” finale when he got a call inquiring if he’d like to participate in Marvel and DC Comics’ “Deadpool/Batman” one-shot.

“I knew I was kind of up against it deadline-wise, but there was no way I was gonna let that opportunity pass me by, so I said yes,” Stegman, a 2004 graduate of Michigan State University, said.  

Marvel published “Deadpool/Batman” in September. DC followed up with “Batman/Deadpool” last Wednesday (Nov. 19).

“I’ve been told that it’s been very, very hard for Marvel and DC to get this going from a legal standpoint,” Stegman said. “But everyone got excited and worked together and made it happen, so kudos to all involved.”

This is the first Marvel/DC crossover since 2003’s Justice League of America/Avengers miniseries. Superhero crossovers between the two comic book publishing titans began with 1976’s “Superman vs. the Amazing Spider-Man,” in which the companies’ flagship characters met for the first time.

“A meeting between Batman and Deadpool is comic-world historic Regan Clem, owner of Summit Comics & Games in Lansing, said. A rare crossover between Marvel and DC, it brings together two icons who’ve never officially shared a panel. That alone makes it a comic book event, but the real thrill lies in their wildly contrasting personalities. Batman is the brooding tactician, driven by justice and trauma. Deadpool? He’s chaos incarnate. Wisecracking, unpredictable and gleefully irreverent. Watching the Dark Knight try to navigate Deadpool’s fourth-wall-breaking antics makes it something special story-wise. It’s the ultimate odd couple: One silent as the shadows, the other louder than his own narration.”

Created by Rob Liefeld and Fabian Nicieza, Deadpool debuted in 1991’s “New Mutants” No. 98. Known as the “Merc with a Mouth,” Deadpool is a mentally unstable assassin for hire who breaks the fourth wall and speaks directly to the audience. Deadpool’s popularity is arguably on par with Spider-Man and Wolverine, two of Marvel’s most recognizable characters. Ryan Reynolds portrayed the character in 2009’s “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” and reprised the role in 2016’s “Deadpool,” 2018’s “Deadpool 2” and 2024’s “Deadpool & Wolverine.”

“Deadpool lacks a filter all of us try to have,” Nicieza said. “He thinks things and says things that almost all of us think but are smart enough not to say in public. He’s a voice of anti-authoritarianism and lack of respect for that authority, while at the same time, he’s the ultimate underdog who always picks himself back up. No matter how badly he fails or how badly he’s screwed up in social situations, he’s always willing to try again.”

Nicieza likened Deadpool to “Bugs Bunny meets Frankenstein’s monster.”

“A lot of people gravitate toward Bugs Bunny for his sarcasm and lack of respect; a lot of people gravitate toward Frankenstein’s monster because they sympathize and empathize with his tragedy. Here’s this character that embodies both things at the same time — often at the same moment. That’s why fans like him,” he said.

Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger, Batman debuted in 1939’s “Detective Comics” No. 27. As a child, Bruce Wayne watched his parents’ murder. Using his vast fortune, he trained himself to become the Batman, Gotham City’s Dark Knight. Many actors have portrayed Batman on the big and small screens, including Adam West, Michael Keaton, Kevin Conroy, Val Kilmer, George Clooney, Christian Bale, Ben Affleck and Robert Pattinson.

New York Times best-selling novelist and University of Michigan alumnus Brad Meltzer, who has experience writing Batman in “Identity Crisis” and “Justice League of America,” spoke about the character’s staying power.

“We all love Batman because of the cape, utility belt and all his wonderful toys, but the real reason he’s persisted as an icon comes from his mission,” Meltzer said. “Every day, Batman knows he’s going to lose. He’ll never stop crime in Gotham. He’ll never stop the death of his parents. But he’s going to try again tomorrow and again the night after that. “He’ll fail every day, but he’ll never ever, ever give up. How can you not admire that?”

According to Clem, “Deadpool/Batman” was a top seller.

“It was one of our better sellers of all time,” he said. “With both the first one and this new one, they’ve brought in some of the comic industry greats, like Ryan Stegman, to draw covers, tell the tales and make some great interior art.”

Clem expects “Batman/Deadpool” to be a top seller as well.

“We’re expecting it to be one of the top five books of the year. It’s been a year of a lot of great comics, and this will just keep the ball rolling,” he said. “The fans have loved it, but it’s not just Batman and Deadpool. The books have had great backup stories of other interactions.”

For instance, filmmaker Kevin Smith contributed a story featuring DC’s Green Arrow and Marvel’s Daredevil, two characters he’s written before. There’s also a story featuring Marvel’s Captain America and DC’s Wonder Woman. Fan-favorite writer/artist Frank Miller wrote and illustrated a story starring Batman and Wolverine, two characters on whom he’s left his mark.

Stegman illustrated “Logo,” a cross between Wolverine (who also goes by Logan) and DC’s Lobo, an intergalactic bounty hunter. This is a tribute to Amalgam Comics, a mid-‘90s partnership where DC and Marvel merged their characters into new ones. For example, Batman and Wolverine were merged into Dark Claw, while Superman and Captain America were merged into Super-Soldier.

These characters appeared in a series of 12 one-shots published between the third and fourth issues of “Marvel vs. DC,” a four-part mini-series for which readers voted on the majority of the outcomes between the two publishers’ major characters, such as Superman vs. the Hulk, Captain America vs. Batman and Wolverine vs. Lobo.

“I’m attracted to any story that features Wolverine. And if I were to work at DC, I think Lobo would be at the top of my list alongside Batman. Basically, Wolverine and Lobo are what attracted me to it,” Stegman explained. “I got into comics when I was about 14 or 15. I’m 44 now. Amalgam was all the rage right when I started getting interested in comics, and it has a special place in my heart. I still recall picking up ‘Dark Claw’ off the shelf and thinking it was the coolest thing ever. So, the fact that there hasn’t been any Amalgam since, and I technically got to bring it back, is an honor.”

Stegman also drew a Batman cover.

“It gave me an opportunity to draw Batman professionally for the first time. I have, of course, drawn him for commissions and sketches and stuff, but to be able to do it ‘for real’ was a blast,” he said. “I signed a ton of copies at New York Comic Con. Some books you just know you’ll be signing forever, and this is one of them.”

 

Who is Ryan Stegman?

Growing up in Troy, Ryan Stegman always knew he wanted to draw for a living.

“When I was young, I was really into Disney movies. I wanted to be an animator. My older sister and I just drew all the time,” he said. “It hit me that I could do this for a living. My parents thought I was crazy, but they supported it.”

At Michigan State University, he didn’t earn a bachelor’s degree in art or a similar field. Instead, he got a degree in English.

“While I was at MSU, I was a bit aimless, but for a while I was a studio art major, and I took some life-drawing classes,” he recalled. “I learned a ton from those. In the end, when I did choose a direction, I got an English degree. That’s been extremely useful since I’ve also taken up writing as of late, and there will be a lot more coming from me in that realm going forward. So, all in all, MSU was a very formative experience in my life in multiple ways.”

“Midnight Kiss,” an independent comic that took Stegman nine months to illustrate, got him noticed in the comics industry. He adapted Raymond E. Feist’s best-selling fantasy novel “Magician” for Dabel Brothers Productions, which entered into a partnership with Marvel in 2006.

“All of a sudden, I was working for Marvel. I had Marvel editors,” he said.

Since then, he’s illustrated numerous Spider-Man titles, as well as Wolverine, Fantastic Four, Incredible Hulk, Deadpool, Venom, X-Men, She-Hulk and many more. 

“Spider-Man is part of my DNA,” he said. “I enjoy working from home and not having a boss who works at my house. I get to do what I want when I want and how I want. There’s nobody to yell at me unless I answer the phone. It’s a very free job, very liberating.”

Participating in the “Deadpool/Batman” crossover has been a highlight of his career.

“He’s the ‘Merc with a Mouth,’ the wisecracking jerk we all know, but he also wants to be heroic,” Stegman said. “He wants to be a part of something big. In a lot of ways, he’s like Wolverine: a loose cannon without a lot of people skills, but he still wants to be accepted.”

Keep up with Stegman’s work at www.ryanstegman.tumblr.com.