The latest DC/Marvel crossover has confirmed why Wolverine couldn’t cut it as a Gotham hero: the Gotham sewer system has such an overpowering smell that it eliminates the advantage of the hero’s elevated senses. It is a gross, but surprisingly immersive bit of worldbuilding that shows why some characters are better suited for their own universes.
DC/Marvel: Batman/Deadpool #1 contains the story “Sticks and Snikts,” written by Tom Taylor, with art by Bruno Redondo. The story pairs Gotham hero Nightwing with Laura Kinney, the next generation Wolverine.
Searching for Laura’s sister leads the duo to the sewers, terrain Nightwing is accustomed to, giving him an unexpected advantage over Wolverine.
The Gotham Sewers Stink So Bad That It Neutralizes Wolverine’s Heightened Sense Of Smell
DC/Marvel: Batman/Deadpool #1, “Sticks and Snikts,” Written By Tom Taylor, Art By Bruno Redondo
“Her scent gets overwhelmed here,” Laura says to Dick Grayson, as they stand at the precipice of a massive drainage pipe. “It’s the Gotham sewer system,” he explains, “all scents get overwhelmed here.” This brief dialogue exchange highlights a surprising limitation that Wolverine, any version of the character, would face when in Gotham.
With major superhero crossovers like this one, fans are always eager to know if one character is superior to another. Nightwing and Wolverine are working together in this case, but were they to come into conflict, taking the fight to the Gotham sewers would apparently give the DC hero a tactical advantage by neutralizing the Marvel character’s sense of smell.
For Wolverine, the ability to track people by scent is akin to a version of Peter Parker’s “Spider-sense.” It is difficult to get the drop on Logan, or Laura, because they can smell someone coming from literally a mile away. The Gotham sewers nullify this edge over their opponents, showing a drawback they’d have to overcome if patrolling DC’s darkest city.
Nightwing’s Familiarity With The Sewers Saves Wolverine Some Trouble
The preview for “Sticks and Snikts” shows Nightwing and Laura Kinney getting off to a strong start as allies, as two characters who have a surprising amount in common. It also does a solid job of showing how Wolverine would have to acclimate to finding herself in a strange alternate universe such as the DCU.
The story has the potential to be the highlight of a packed crossover issue, which also features pairings of Doctor Strange and John Constantine, Hulk and Harley Quinn, and as the title of the issue promises, the Caped Crusader and the Merc With a Mouth. Yet few of the duos feel as immediately dynamic as Marvel’s Wolverine and DC’s Nightwing.
DC/Marvel: Batman/Deadpool #1 will be available November 19, 2025 from Marvel Comics.
- Created By
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Roy Thomas, Len Wein, John Romita Sr.
- First Appearance
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The Incredible Hulk (2023)
- Alias
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James “Logan” Howlett
- Alliance
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X-Men, Avengers, Canadian Army, OSS/CIA, Avengers Unity Squad, Alpha Flight, New Avengers, New Fantastic Four, Savage Avengers, Weapon X, X-Force
- Race
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Human-Mutant
