Let’s be real for a moment, seeing Doctor Strange and John Constantine in the same panel is a complete mind trip. It’s the kind of crossover fans have argued about online for years, but the Batman/Deadpool crossover actually made it happen. And it didn’t just throw them together for a generic fight scene, but instead sat them down to hash out their differences. It’s fascinating because when you see them side-by-side, you realize that even though they both “do magic,” they are operating on completely different magical wavelengths. Essentially, Marvel treats magic like a high-stakes science project, while DC (especially Constantine’s corner of it) treats it like a straight-up horror movie. Warning: This article contains minor spoilers for DC/Marvel: Batman/Deadpool #1.
Marvel Magic: “Cosmic Lights and Doodads“
Constantine honestly sums up the Marvel vibe perfectly in just one line when he roasts Strange’s world for being full of “cosmic lights and doodads.” He’s not wrong. Ever since his creation, Doctor Strange has been the “Wizard of Wonder”, as Constantine aptly put it. He lives in a cool New York mansion, throws up fancy hand signs, and travels to trippy, colorful dimensions to keep the Marvel universe tidy.
In Batman/Deadpool #1, you see Doctor Strange trying to impress Constantine with his ‘Window of the Worlds.’ He’s acting all noble and high-and-mighty (which makes sense, considering he is the Sorcerer Supreme), but to a guy like Constantine, the Marvel Universe looks too clean. It’s shiny. It feels like everything has a rule and a place; it’s magic from the top down—orderly, powerful, and usually pretty bright. Basically, to John, it looks like magic that went to private school, which is completely detached from the nasty reality he deals with every day.
DC Magic: The Filthy Corners of the World
But as soon as we get into the DC side of magic, things get a lot messier. Constantine shuts down Strange’s “Wizard of Wonder” speech pretty hard by reminding him, “You don’t know the filthy corners of the world where I learned my trade.” That right there is the biggest difference between the two publishers.
Constantine doesn’t hang out in a Sanctum; he hangs out in the gutter. In his world, magic isn’t about sparkly shields; it’s about cost. He literally calls himself a “piece of **** scraped off the sidewalk,” which tells you everything you need to know about him. DC magic, especially with characters like Swamp Thing, Constantine, Phantom Stranger, and The Spectre, is rooted in the dirt and grit. It smells like sulfur and earth and cigarettes. It’s not just about saving the galaxy from big cosmic aliens but about fixing the nasty, gritty mistakes people make in the dark. It feels dangerous and raw in a way that “cosmic lights” just don’t.
The Real Reason for the Grit
But looking at their universes isn’t enough; you have to look at their timelines. Doctor Strange was forged in the ’60s by Steve Ditko’s specific aesthetic: clean lines, trippy visuals, and sci-fi logic. He is a product of the Silver Age, where magic was colorful, grand, and safe.
Constantine, on the other hand, is an ’80s animal. He was born from that gritty ‘British Invasion’ and the rise of mature-readers-friendly Vertigo titles. Writers like Alan Moore didn’t just write magic; they stripped the spandex off it, swapping capes for rumpled trench coats and existential dread.
That’s why, when Constantine makes fun of Strange’s world, it cuts deeper than simple trash talk. He represents the exact moment where wizards stopped being high-and-mighty superheroes and started being blue-collar conmen who are just hustling demons to pay the rent.
DC/Marvel: United by the Horror
Even with all the trash talk, the coolest part of this issue has to be when they realize they aren’t actually that different. It cuts both ways, too. Doctor Strange eventually drops the ego and admits that even though his world looks shiny to an outsider, there’s plenty of darkness rotting underneath it. But surprisingly, Constantine drops the act, too. For a guy who usually pretends to have every angle covered, he actually swallows his pride and admits he’s “in a bit over his head” and needs Strange’s help. It’s a rare moment where both sorcerers stop posturing and just acknowledge that, regardless of the universe, the job is too big to handle alone.
When you see Ghost Rider, Swamp Thing, Neron, and Mephisto going at it in the background, it really drives the point home: both universes are filled with the same types of monsters. Marvel just wraps its horror up in superhero costumes, while DC lets it sit there and fester. By the end of their chat, they kind of reached a middle ground. Whether you’re the Sorcerer Supreme or a trench-coat-wearing conman, the job is ultimately the same: someone has to be willing to get their hands dirty to fix the things that go bump in the night.
Of course, watching two sorcerers argue is fun, but is the rest of the book actually worth your money? We break down the art, the story, and the Deadpool-level chaos in our full verdict. Check out our complete review of DC/Marvel: Batman/Deadpool #1.
