CBI Archive
Comic Book Alphabet of Vampires - B
Tuesday, May 20th, 2008 at 11:57 PM EST
Updated: Wednesday, May 21st, 2008 at 2:18 AM EST
Again, coinciding with First Second Books’ Vampire Month, here’s the next in our alphabet of comic book vampires!
Enjoy!
Batman
In perhaps his most notable work for DC Comics, Doug Moench produced, with artist Kelley Jones, a trilogy of Elseworlds graphic novels depicting Batman becoming a vampire. It began in Batman vs. Dracula: Red Rain, which was a lot of the inspiration for a Batman cartoon movie years later.
In the story, Batman defeats Dracula but in doing so, loses his humanity forever. However, Gotham now has a Batman…forever!
However, in the sequel a few years later, Bloodstorm, things have changed.
Batman is getting increasingly hard to maintain his heroism, and once his love, Catwoman, is murdered, he goes totally over the bend, leading to Gordon and Alfred having to stake him.
That, however, is not the end, as there is one more one-shot, Crimson Mist, where Gordon and Alfred did not decapitate Batman, so once Alfred removes the stake, Batman is back. Alfred does so because Gotham needs Batman - even a half-insane vampire Batman!
In the end, well, everyone dies.
But Batman is able to control himself enough to walk into the sun, ending his reign as a vampire.
But boy, was it cool while it lasted!
Since then, the Batman vampire world has become one of the 52 Earths.
16 Comments
Tom Fitzpatrick
May 21, 2008 at 3:22 am
You really love your alphabet lists don’t you?
Anthony Strand
May 21, 2008 at 4:51 am
You know, I’ve never read any of those, but I did read (for free, illegally) the Countdown special that took place there. I paid too much for it.
I should check these out some time.
Tom Fitzpatrick
May 21, 2008 at 5:28 am
You should, the art is absolutely horror-ific and Kelley Jones is at his finest.
Jeff Ryan
May 21, 2008 at 6:00 am
I shoulda known you’d find a way to NOT have B be something obvious like Blade.
Scott MacIver
May 21, 2008 at 6:46 am
While this is a cool choice, leaving out Blade almost invalidates the list.
Quite possibly the most important comic book vampire after Dracula, Blade was present in the 70’s (Tomb of Dracula), 80’s (Dr. Strange), 90’s (Nightstalkers) and 2000’s (His own title), as well as having three movies. Maybe you’ll jam him in later, but I think that leaving him out in favour of Batman was a mistake.
SanctumSanctorumComix
May 21, 2008 at 6:49 am
I have these.
LOVED them!
That was when Kelly Jones was HUGE!
Great stuff.
And… a nice unexpected choice by Cronin.
~P~
P-TOR
joshschr
May 21, 2008 at 7:30 am
ditto.
Chuck_BRICK
May 21, 2008 at 9:28 am
I’m having alphabet-list burnout. Please stop.
Blackjak
May 21, 2008 at 9:57 am
Blade is only a half-vampire though…
Wraith
May 21, 2008 at 10:35 am
Here’s a great solution for burnout! Quit reading alphabet list posts… for this advice my fee will be $600.
Omar Karindu
May 21, 2008 at 10:57 am
In fact, before the movies, Blade wasn’t even a half-vampire — he was just immune to certain vampiric powers, ut otherwise a normal, if incredibly tough guy.
Scott MacIver
May 21, 2008 at 11:52 am
But he also wore those awesome yellow goggles.
No snark.
I really wanted a pair of those things when I was a kid. I still kinda do…
GarBut
May 21, 2008 at 12:37 pm
Can’t BLADE be alphetbetized after his real name? Y’know, Brooks.
Oh. Never mind.
dhole
May 21, 2008 at 6:42 pm
I was rooting for Baron Blood.
Dalarsco
May 22, 2008 at 1:05 am
Yes, Blade is obviouse, but as I said in the comments for the last one this isn’t about picking the obvious. This list is about picking the really cool ones that a lot of readers might not be aware of.
Djed
May 28, 2008 at 10:02 pm
I remember a Batman comic from the late 70s, early 80s, I think drawn by Gene Colan. Batman is fighting vampires there, too. Vampires in monk robes. Scared the shit outta me when I was a kid.