Marvel and DC Unveil Groundbreaking Crossover Comic: ‘DEADPOOL/BATMAN’

In an unprecedented move, Marvel and DC are set to join forces this fall with the release of the highly anticipated crossover comic, DEADPOOL/BATMAN. This one-shot issue follows Wade Wilson, also known as Deadpool, as he embarks on a mercenary mission in Gotham City, leading to an inevitable showdown with none other than the World’s Greatest Detective.

Creative Team Behind the Crossover

The comic will be penned by Zeb Wells, a celebrated writer recognized for his extensive contributions to Spider-Man comics and as a co-writer for Marvel Studios’ upcoming Deadpool & Wolverine film. The artwork will be brought to life by Greg Capullo, an acclaimed illustrator renowned for his significant work on both Batman and X-Men titles.

 

A New Era of Collaborations

This crossover marks the first of two collaborations between Marvel and DC in over twenty years. DEADPOOL/BATMAN #1 is slated for release on September 17, 2025, followed by DC’s BATMAN/DEADPOOL #1 in November 2025. This dual release allows each publisher to delve into character dynamics from their unique perspectives, promising an epic clash that fans have long anticipated.

Insights from the Creators

In an official statement, Wells shared his enthusiasm for the project, stating, “After writing Amazing Spider-Man (2022) for 60 issues, I told Marvel I needed a break. They offered me the chance to write a comic starring Deadpool and Batman with the best Batman artist of our generation. I no longer needed a break.” He humorously noted that pairing Deadpool with Batman introduces a new level of tension, quipping, “We’ve found someone who has even less time for Deadpool’s antics than Wolverine.” However, with a city-wide threat from the Joker looming, the duo will be forced into an uneasy alliance, with Deadpool undoubtedly testing the limits.

Capullo echoed Wells’ excitement, calling this crossover a potential career highlight. “Am I dreaming? This crossover is likely to be the high point of my career… and I’ve had a great career,” Capullo remarked, referencing his long-standing history with both Deadpool (from X-FORCE) and Batman (from over ten years at DC). With Capullo’s main cover already unveiled, anticipation continues to build as fans eagerly await the release of DEADPOOL/BATMAN #1 on September 17.

Vans Skate Old Skool 36+ by Carpet Company

Name: Vans Skate Old Skool 36+ by Carpet Company
Colorway: White/Yellow
Release Date: 2025
Where to Buy: Carpet Company

Carpet Company and Vans have collaborated multiple times in recent years, most recently on the Vans Skate Cab 4 and Vans Skate Half Cab. As the year comes to a close, this dynamic duo is back with another exciting reimagining of a classic Vans silhouette: the Vans Old Skool 36.

 

This latest collaboration draws inspiration from Vans' original Style 36 model from 1977 and is limited to just 1977 pairs, making it a collector's item. The sneakers sport a striking white and yellow colorway, accented with a black form stripe, a red co-branded logo on the tongue, and a silver Carpet Company star on the heel. The design is completed with a yellowed off-white outsole and a yellow pull tab at the back.

 

Each pair is uniquely numbered out of 1977, with the number stamped on the inside of the tongue, along with additional branding from both Carpet Company and Vans etched underneath.

Stay tuned for the campaign video and keep an eye on Hypebeast for the official release date!

Vans Trivia:
Did you know that the original Vans Old Skool was the first sneaker to feature the iconic side stripe? Introduced in 1977, it was originally called the "Style 36" and was designed to be a skate shoe. The Old Skool has since become a timeless classic, loved by skaters and sneaker enthusiasts alike!

Nike SB Dunk Low X TIGHTBOOTH Collaboration

TIGHTBOOTH, a Japanese label led by professional skater Shinpei Ueno, is set to elevate its global presence with an upcoming collaboration with Nike and the Nike SB team on the SB Dunk Low. Ueno himself has given a sneak peek of the forthcoming release, which introduces a fresh interpretation of the SB Dunk Low's upper through a distinctive combination of textures and materials.

The shoe's foundation features a black hairy suede, while off-white overlays with a scratch texture create a contrasting effect. Complementing this arrangement is a matching color lining and laces. The lateral side showcases a reflective black Swoosh, likely mirrored on the medial side as well. The padded tongue features a dotted pattern and is accompanied by TIGHTBOOTH branding alongside the recognizable Nike SB tongue tag. Completing this initial preview, an orange sockliner bearing TIGHTBOOTH branding corresponds with a small lateral tag positioned below the Swoosh. Both TIGHTBOOTH and Nike have yet to disclose specific details about the upcoming collaboration between the two. However, rumors suggest that the shoes will be released during the holiday season through Nike and select skate shops, retailing for $135 USD. Stay tuned for further updates on this exciting partnership.

NBA and Louis Vuitton Collab for a New Accessories Collection

Louis Vuitton‘s collaborative portfolio expanded into the hoops division once it solidified a partnership with the NBA in 2020. And since then, the French luxury house has teamed up with the pro basketball league on various initiatives including footwear, apparel, a mini hoops set and a trophy case for the champions, and now the duo has reconnected to introduce a fresh batch of leather goods.

 

Lined up in this assemblage is a backpack, keep-all, wallet and a smaller-sized duffle bag. Each piece comes luxuriously fashioned with a bold blue leather that’s adorned with tonal monogram patterns. Silhouettes of a basketball that bear the LV logo inside also grace each product and come styled with red and white accents to appropriately channel the aesthetic of the NBA logo. More contrast is also visible through the straps as they are fitted with solid black as well as the hardware which shows up with metallic gold exteriors. You can find the range releasing via Louis Vuitton on June 2, the first day of the 2022 NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and the Boston Celtics. Prices are $4.6K USD for the backpack leather keep-all for about $4.3K USD for the leather keep-all, $650 USD for the wallet and $1.7K USD for the travel bag.

Tyga and Doja Cat Reunite on Freaky Deaky

Following the success of their 2019 hit “Juicy,” Tyga and Doja Cat have reunited for a new track, dubbed “Freaky Deaky,” and an accompanying Christian Breslauer-directed music video. Doja opens the track with a cheeky intro: “I’ve been feelin’ freaky deaky, you’re on your way to see me / Got the mirror on the ceiling, you’re in the mood to please me.” Tyga then takes the mic in the first verse, rapping, “Uh, my lil’ shawty, always on time / I pick you up, come outside, take you for a ride / Body like December, ass on summer timе.”

In an interview with Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1, Tyga said that “Freaky Deaky” arrives as the first single off an upcoming album that is “about 80 percent done” and will most likely drop “sometime early summer.” “[Doja] is a true artist,” Tyga told Lowe. “And I think we see that from her outfits, her Lives, her TikToks, but that’s what makes her her and she’s a real true artist and that’s what I appreciate about her. … Working with her is real easy. It’s like working with Chris [Brown]. I feel like Chris and Lil Wayne are two people that I can go in the studio with and make a great record in 30 minutes.” Watch Tyga’s “Freaky Deaky” music video with Doja Cat above.

Balenciaga Joins Fortnite in the Metaverse

Balenciaga has joined forces with Fortnite on a series of in-game outfits and a limited-run physical apparel collection. Fortnite’s Balenciaga Fit Set amps up the wardrobes of the game’s most popular characters: Ramirez, Knight, Doggo and Banshee. Modeled as digital takes on the brand’s recent runway designs, each outfit is complete with Balenciaga backblings, pickaxes, gliders, wraps and several other accessories for unique styling options. “We took four fan-favorite Fortnite characters and reached into the Balenciaga archive to create four meticulously detailed outfits and a variety of accessories,” Emily Levy, Senior Manager of Partnerships at Epic Games. “The looks were inspired by pieces from several Balenciaga collections.” Specifically, Ramirez and Knight draw inspiration from the label’s Fall 2021 collection, Doggo cites the House’s Spring 2021 line and Banshee takes cues from Spring 2020.

“In close collaboration with Balenciaga’s design team, our artists at Epic used new techniques in Unreal Engine to accurately represent the look and feel of Balenciaga’s iconic fabrics, and designs when creating the new set of Outfits in Unreal,” she added. In tandem with the launch of the digital clothing, Fortnite also launched a community-driven living lookbook campaign inside the game with the Strange Times Featured Hub. Set in a “strange” city, the Hub hosts a Balenciaga retail store inspired by the label’s brick-and-mortar locations. There, billboards boasting sartorial imagery promoting the collaboration will showcase the Fortnite community’s commitment to style. Taking the partnership one step further, Fortnite and Balenciaga have also crafted a limited-run physical apparel collection, featuring a slew of hats, T-shirts, hoodies and jackets fronting dual branding in white, red and black colorways. The real-life clothing will hit shelves on September 20 and September 21, depending on the region. “Our partnership with Epic didn’t start with Fortnite, actually,” said Demna Gvasalia, artistic director at Balenciaga, in a statement. “It started with our own first video game, Afterworld, which we built using Unreal Engine to debut our Fall 2021 collection. From there, we have continued to be inspired by the creativity of Unreal and Fortnite communities. It made total sense, to me, that we collaborate further by creating these authentic Balenciaga looks for Fortnite and a new physical Fortnite clothing series for our stores.” Take a look at the in-game outfits and physical clothing collaborations above.

Facebook And Ray-ban’s Smart Glasses Release

Facebook and Ray-Ban are set to announce their smart glasses collaboration later today, September 9th, and right on cue Evan “Evleaks” Blass has posted a ton of alleged photos of the product lineup. The glasses are called Ray-Ban Stories, and other than the box it doesn’t look like Facebook branding appears anywhere on the product. Evleaks’ images include three distinct frame styles Wayfarer, Round, and Meteor and they all look pretty close to the classic Ray-Ban designs.

The difference, of course, is the presence of two cameras by the hinges on either side. There’s also a button along the top of the right temple, which could potentially be used to operate the cameras. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg previously said of the glasses that they “have [Ray-Ban’s] iconic form factor, and they let you do some pretty neat things.” They don’t have screens for AR functionality, however, so we’re still in the dark about what those things might be. Zuckerberg said that the product is part of the company’s “journey towards full augmented reality glasses in the future,” and more advanced AR glasses are also in the works. For now, these pictures don’t do much to show how or whether Facebook has leapt beyond the capabilities of even Snap’s early Spectacles other than by making glasses that look like regular Ray-Bans, of course. We’ll hopefully have the answer to that question later today.

Adidas Ultraboost DNA can be customized with Lego bricks

Adidas has a new version of its Ultraboost DNA running shoes with a unique twist the company’s iconic three-stripe logo is now made of real plastic Lego bricks, allowing for a pair of more customizable kicks. Officially known as the Adidas Ultraboost DNA X Lego Plates shoes, the new $200 brick sneakers feature transparent plastic slots on the side in the shape of flat two-by-six Lego plates: enough to fit three two-by-two Lego plates in each stripe.

The shoes also feature a few other Lego homages, including a Lego logo on the tongue and brick-style detailing on the top and sole of the shoes. The interior lining is also done up in a bright Lego yellow. And while the shoes do come with a collection of bricks in primary colors, there’s presumably nothing stopping you from swapping in your own bricks in more interesting colors for an even more customized look. The whole thing is actually vaguely reminiscent of Crocs specifically, the Jibbitz charms that slot in to let owners put a unique style on their rubberized shoes. The main difference here being that Lego bricks are a bit more common, and the Ultraboost shoes a bit more fashionable. The Adidas Ultraboost DNA X Lego Plates are set to go on sale on Thursday, April 8th at 10AM ET through the Adidas website for $200.

McDonald’s celebrity menu collaboration: J Balvin Meal available for a limited time, following Travis Scott Meal

Move over Travis Scott Meal.

McDonald’s launches its next celebrity menu collaboration with award-winning reggaeton artist J Balvin Monday, a day after its popular collaboration with Cactus Jack ended.

The J Balvin Meal arrives at participating restaurants nationwide Monday and is scheduled to be available through Nov. 1, the fast-food chain announced in a news release Monday. It features a Big Mac, fries with ketchup and an Oreo McFlurry.

While the collab meal will be available to order in-restaurant, for carry-out, at the drive-thru and with the McDonald’s app, to get the meal as a deal it'll need to be ordered through the mobile app.

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When ordering the meal as an offer on the app, get any size McFlurry for free, McDonald's told USA TODAY. Prices vary by location and the app gives the option to order any-size fries and McFlurry flavors other than Oreo for the meal.

The popularity of the month-long Travis Scott collaboration – the first time a celebrity's name has been on the menu in the U.S. since 1992 – led to shortages of key ingredients across the nation. Originally, the meal was available for $6 in restaurants, carry out, drive-thru and the app, but McDonald's shifted the meal to an app-only promotion to get it at the discounted price.

McDonald’s U.S. Chief Marketing Officer Morgan Flatley called Balvin a "trailblazing international icon."

“He’s always been a regular at McDonald’s restaurants during his concert tours, and now we’re excited to bring his go-to order to our menus across the U.S.," Flatley said.

Last week, Balvin landed 13 nominations for the 2020 Latin Grammys, including two nominations for album of the year and two for record of the year. The Colombian superstar, who revealed in August that he had COVID-19, also was nominated for several 2020 People's Choice Awards from male artist, Latin artist and music video of the year for "UN DÍA" with Dua Lipa and Bad Bunny.

“As a longtime McDonald’s fan, I am excited to join the short list of global icons who have had a meal named in their honor,” Balvin said in the release. “I am looking forward to sharing my signature order with my fans, along with more surprises that are to come with this partnership. ¡Lego!”