Superman/Spider-Man Writer Calls Out Lawyers for ‘Dumb F–king Notes’ During Comic Reviews

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Readers were thrilled to hear that Matt Fraction and another creator would be collaborating on comics again. Fraction also shared some of the feedback he got while working on a large-scale crossover event.

Although Marvel and DC Comics have teamed up before, it’s been a long time since their characters shared a story. Past crossovers include titles like Batman/Deadpool and Superman/Spider-Man, and more recently, digital-only releases such as It’s Jeff/Aquaman Infinity. The industry’s most talented creators are

Chip Zdarsky, speaking on the Direct Edition Podcast, said that Marie Javins, DC Comics’ Editor-in-Chief, was incredibly stressed because she was simultaneously editing both the Superman/Spider-Man comic and MAD magazine. Superman/Spider-Man actually went to print a week before MAD, creating a particularly hectic situation for her.

Fraction described the notes he was receiving as incredibly foolish. He felt that if his experience was typical, many people were getting similarly nonsensical messages, which he found frustrating.

I handled the last round. I reviewed the notes, and while I won’t say they were poorly written, they clearly showed the companies were focused on ensuring fairness for everyone involved,” Zdarsky explained.

According to Fraction, Marie and Cebulski seemed to reach an agreement and gave the go-ahead. However, the project then landed with a team of lawyers who weren’t familiar with the details.

Zdarsky noted that things are becoming increasingly complex with more lawyers and corporate stakeholders getting involved. He expressed surprise and admiration that these materials are being produced at all, and that they are of such high quality.

Marvel and DC Comics Have Crossed Over Before

Given the huge investments from Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery, it’s no surprise Marvel and DC were so careful about protecting their properties. Dealing with the business side of comics is complicated, and as Matt Fraction pointed out, the lawyers likely didn’t have much experience with the comic book world.

For the past ten years, both Jonathan Hickman and Al Ewing have consistently been leading creators in the comic book world. Currently, Hickman is writing the main Batman series for DC and Avengers: Armageddon for Marvel. What’s especially exciting about these crossover events is the opportunity to see the best writers and artists from major publishers collaborating on a single story.

As a huge comic book fan, I still get excited thinking about the very first time Marvel and DC joined forces! It happened back in 1976 with Superman vs. The Amazing Spider-Man: The Battle of the Century. It’s a classic that people still love, and it was a really special release – a larger-sized ‘treasure edition’ where Superman and Spider-Man had to team up against Lex Luthor and Doctor Octopus. It was such a fun story!

Superman/Spider-Man can be found where comic books are sold.

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2026-05-23 19:08