Spider-Man and Deadpool have quite a colorful history together. Their alliance was the foundation of the ongoing Spider-Man/Deadpool series a few years ago, and Spidey tends to be one of the few heroes Wade Wilson looks up to (even if the feeling is anything but mutual). But that’s Peter Parker. What happens when Deadpool crosses paths with Miles Morales instead? That’s the premise behind Pools of Blood, a crossover linking writer Cody Ziglar’s monthly Deadpool and Miles Morales: Spider-Man comics.
Check out the slideshow gallery below for an exclusive look at interior art from the first two chapters of Pools of Blood, then read on to learn more about the crossover from Ziglar himself:
Unsurprisingly, this crossover has been in the works since it first became clear Ziglar would be writing both books in 2024. As he explains, the similarities between Miles and Wade’s daughter Ellie (who replaced her father upon his death and now shares the Deadpool mantle with him), were too intriguing not to explore in more depth.
“I knew from the beginning that I wanted to expand Ellie’s role in Wade’s life and eventually have her meet Miles,” Ziglar tells IGN. “They seemed like a fun ‘opposite sides of the coin’ dynamic with them both being Afro-Latino mantle holders. It’s why we had Agent Gao appear in a cameo in the first issue. I also thought it’d be fun to have Wade interact with Miles since they’ve only had a brief run-in before with Pete.”
Ziglar promises a very different and more antagonistic dynamic between Wade and this younger Spider-Man. That’s in part because Deadpool has reluctantly accepted a contract to kill Miles, a contract he hopes will help provide some much-needed capital in his ongoing feud with the villain Death Grip.
“I think entering into this, Wade is very much a fan of Pete’s Spider-Man – he respects him and dare I say looks up to him?” Ziglar says. “It’s partly why he has such reservations about taking the job to kill Miles’ Spider-Man. He’s really only in this position because he felt he had no other option if he wanted to get the funds and materials to take out Death Grip. However, it’s really Ellie who doesn’t sit right with this mission and it becomes the driving emotional force for this crossover.”
This sudden conflict with the two Deadpools comes at a bad time for Miles, who is still reeling from the events of 2024’s Blood Hunt crossover and the trauma of becoming a vampire. Expect the fallout of that crossover and other recent ordeals in Miles’ life to directly fuel the conflict in Pools of Blood.
“Miles has really been through the wringer for the past few arcs and this is the first time in a while he’s felt a sense of normalcy and peace. Life is finally starting to get back to normal while also juggling bringing a new sibling (Shift) into the Morales family and also taking him under his wings as a fellow Spider-Man,” Ziglar says. “The conflict in ‘Pools of Blood’ brings up some things for Miles like maybe every decisions he’s made post-Vampire wasn’t the most responsible move to make. And maybe just because he’s trying to do good doesn’t mean he’s necessary thought out how his actions would impact those around him.”
The same goes for both Deadpools, as both father and daughter are still coming to terms with their respective deaths and the ongoing threat posed by Death Grip. For Wade, this job represents a distasteful but necessary opportunity to level the playing field.
“Wade and Ellie’s death is the main driving motivation behind Wade for this arc,” Ziglar says. “Wade’s emotional journey for this run as been: 1) Thinking he’s doing right by Ellie by pushing her away and keeping her from his life, 2) Realizing that that wasn’t the best move and accepting Ellie into his life while wrestling with the fear that something could happen to her, and 3) having his biggest fear realized when he was killed by Death Grip. So for Wade this is an ‘any means necessary’ type of job where he knows he’s doing a bad thing but, in his mind, it’s worth it if he uses the money from the job to buy a weapon strong enough to take out the biggest threat in his life (Death Grip).”
Ziglar continues, “In terms of Ellie, she has some serious reservations about being hired to kill Spider-Man but she promised her dad that she’s ready to fully be a part of his life, warts and all. And part of being a professional super-mercenary is taking jobs where good people get hurt. Still, even with that in mind, Ellie much like Wade just wants to find a way to take out Death Grip but she’s a little more reasonable as far as talking things out goes.”
Finally, with so much of the Marvel Universe being swept up in the upcoming One World Under Doom crossover, we were curious how Pools of Blood might inform the events of that crossover. Will we see the impact of Doom’s rise to power felt in Deadpool and Miles Morales: Spider-Man? Ziglar is keeping coy on that subject, teasing only, “I don’t want to spoil anything, so I’ll say it’ll be felt.”
Pools of Blood kicks off in Deadpool #11, which hits stores on February 12, and continues in Miles Morales: Spider-Man #30, which hits on February 19.
For more on what’s coming in the Marvel Universe, check out what to expect from Marvel in 2025 and see IGN’s most anticipated comics of 2025.
Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on BlueSky.
