In 1939, Batman appeared in Detective Comics #27 and changed the landscape of comics forever. In 2017, Fortnite appeared and changed the landscape of video games forever. And in 2021, the two properties crossed over in the comic miniseries “Batman/Fornite Zero Point” and raised the standard of comic crossovers forever.

Let’s be honest: this crossover event had no business being as good as it was.

I’ve been a Batman fan my whole life. No secret there. I know I’m not alone when it comes to being a Batman fan. He’s an icon, a staple of modern mythology. Even when it was “un-cool” to like comics, Batman was always the standout. 

Fortnite on the other hand? I used to make fun of Fortnite. I couldn’t play it when it came out in 2017, as I only had a Nintendo Switch, and when I went to San Diego Comic-Con in the summer of 2017, I actively made fun of my inability to understand what was going on. Did I play the game furiously when it came out, free to play, on the Switch in 2018. Yes, yes I did. Do I still play it? Yes I do, but that is neither here nor there.

Comic crossovers are almost always bad, or at least they used to be. I remember the “Fast Lane” anti-drug collaboration between the White House and Marvel Comics (see above). I remember the more recent but even zanier KFC and DC Comics crossover (see also above). [Click here for more information about Fast Lane and here for the KFC crossover from external sites]

Point is, this crossover could have just been a cash grab. The kids were going to buy the comic anyway, there were codes in every comic for free Fortnite skins and items. The story could have been weak. They would have sold out no matter what.

But the story was amazing.

Fortnite is an online multiplayer building/shooting game with a loose storyline that has progressed and become more complicated throughout the years. The story lets them bring any character into the game, as long as licensing allows. They’ve brought in the Avengers, the Mandalorian, Sarah Conner, the characters from My Hero Academia, and more. Weirdly enough, the story allows them to bring in characters from the multiverse without affecting canon. That’s where this comic crossover comes into play.

“Batman/Fortnite Zero Point” is in continuity, unlike a lot of crossovers that have come in decades past. When the a rip in reality appears in Gotham, Batman, Harley Quinn, Catwoman, and another key character go inside to find themselves in Fortnite Battle Royale, stuck in a time loop with no memories and no speech. The story itself is superb, starting off as a mix between “Groundhog Day” and “Memento”, and becomes a race against time as Batman and other try to find their way back home against a bigger conspiracy.

Did I mention there’s an unprecedented fight between Batman and Snake Eyes from G.I. Joe?

All in all, it’s well worth the read. I bought the single issues when they came out, and recently bought two copies of the hardcover (one for me and one for another Fortnite fan). It’s great for yourself or as a gift, and you can find the hardcover at most book retailers including CheapGraphicNovels.com at this link right here.

Do yourself a favor and check it out!