Tales of the Multiverse: Batman - Vampire

[Silver Nemesis]

Vampires and Batman are an obvious mix. One of the Dark Knight's earliest adversaries was the vampire/werewolf team of Dala and the Monk, and since then he's encountered numerous other vampires over the years. But perhaps the most renowned of all these vampire-themed comics is the classic Elseworlds trilogy comprising:

•   Batman & Dracula: Red Rain (1991)
•   Batman: Bloodstorm (1994)
•   Batman: Crimson Mist (1999)

IGN once ranked this as the 9th greatest Batman graphic novel ever published, stating that it was the best Elseworlds story to date. I'm not sure I'd agree with that, but it certainly is a memorable story. Dough Moench and Kelley Jones collaborated on one of my favourite Elseworlds books, Batman/Dark Joker: The Wild (1993), and their work here is just as dark. In fact I would argue that the vampire trilogy is one of the darkest, bleakest Batman comics ever produced. Batman spends the entire saga struggling against an evil compulsion; a struggle which he ultimately loses. He slaughters all the inmates in Arkham before eventually committing suicide. Not even Gordon or Alfred escape with their lives at the end. It doesn't get much bleaker than that.

The trilogy as a whole is one of the most impressive accomplishments of the Elseworlds subgenre. Moench's writing has a lyricism typical of a lot of vampire literature. And Kelley's artwork is truly horrific. He's always specialised in horror comics and the Batman vampire trilogy contains some of his most gruesome work. I personally prefer Red Rain over the latter two books, simply because I felt it had the best story and wasn't quite a gory and bleak as the sequels. But all three books are worth reading.

It's interesting to note that the 2007 edition of the trilogy includes an introduction by author Eric Van Lustbader, which begins with the line:

Wasn't it Prince who wrote, "I've seen the future and it works"?

He concludes the introduction by writing:

As Prince wrote, "I've seen the future and, boy, it's rough."

It seems appropriate to quote a song from the Batman 89 soundtrack seeing as this trilogy was clearly influenced by Burton's films. For one thing the image of the vampiric Batman soaring over Gotham at night surrounded by a swarm of bats is visually evocative of Batman Returns.

Then there's Jones' depiction of the Joker, which looks remarkably similar to Tim Burton's 4th Doctor-esque concept art for the 89 film.

But perhaps the biggest parallel of all would be Selina's origin story in Bloodstorm. After being attacked by a vampire she wanders in a daze back to her apartment and collapses on the bed. All the stray cats in her apartment then converge on her and begin licking her wounds, causing her to be reborn as a supernatural cat-woman.

The legacy of the Batman vampire trilogy has continued in several mediums. While I haven't seen it myself, I've heard The Batman vs. Dracula (2005) animated movie was heavily influenced by this comic. The universe in which this trilogy takes place – Earth-43 – has also been referenced in later comics, as well as the Batman: The Brave and the Bold TV series. And I'm sure a lot of people on this site will have read the original trilogy.

For those who have, what did you think of it? And which of the three books did you like best?

[thecolorsblend]

Consider this the mother of all preliminary reviews but you inspired me to read at least the first one. I'm only up to page 23 but it hit me that this thing is a page-turner. I don't mean that in a suspenseful way. It's more that Moench takes him time laying out the pieces and you're genuinely captivated with each subsequent panel. The dialogue doesn't seem melodramatic just for the sake of it and the art drips atmosphere.

Keep in mind though, I like Batman mixing with paranormal, horror and macabre elements so I was never going to have a problem with this story.

[Silver Nemesis]

The writing definitely has a measured pace that draws you in. It's like a slow descent into darkness. And just when you think it can't sink any deeper, it does.

This trilogy also raises some interesting moral issues about Batman killing. Should his no kill rule extend to vampires? And if so, what about other supernatural entities such as werewolves?

I'll be interested to hear what you think after you've read some more of it, colors. Considering the book's gothic overtones, I'm surprised it hasn't already been discussed on this site. As you say, it has that macabre supernatural element to it. And I'd expect that to resonate with fans of Burton's Batman films.

[The Dark Knight]

I have not read this book/series. Now I want to.

[Azrael]

One of my all time favourite Elseworlds tales for reasons you already mentioned Silver Nemesis. I never noticed that the Joker was maybe also referencing Burton's sketch - interesting. The movie "adaptation" (if one can call it that), I never liked.

[thecolorsblend]

Finished Red Rain last night. Really enjoyed it. Greatest Batman story ever? Maybe not but it was fun and enjoyable. Liked it.

The one "gripe" I have is that Kelley Jones hadn't quite progressed to the level he would reach later. His art in Red Rain is perfectly good but I think he would really go to the next level a few years after Red Rain. No big deal but there you have it.

[Silver Nemesis]

The movie "adaptation" (if one can call it that), I never liked.

Is it really bad? All the comments I've read tend to be negative. I've never seen it myself. I looked for a copy of the DVD online but it's not available anymore. But if it's not worth tracking down then I won't bother.

I never noticed that the Joker was maybe also referencing Burton's sketch - interesting.

I doubt Kelley was consciously inspired by Burton's design, but I thought the similarity was worth noting anyway. It probably arose from Burton and Kelley referencing common cinematic influences such as London After Midnight (1927) and The Man Who Laughs (1928).

On the subject of vampires, I've always had a problem with how quickly Batman slaughters them whenever he encounters them in the comics. It begs the questions of what boundaries, if any, Batman's no kill rule has. There are plenty of comics where Batman kills animals in self defence, so obviously the no kill rule doesn't extend to them.

Perhaps sentience is the deciding factor. But aren't vampires sentient too? Batman rationalises his actions by saying vampires no longer have souls, that they're inhuman monsters that have no lighter side and exist solely to prey on the innocent. But couldn't you say the exact same thing about the Joker? He lost any semblance of humanity years ago (a fact that makes me dislike the modern version of the Joker immensely) and he's never going to reform or stop hurting people. To all intents and purposes, the modern Joker is a soulless monster. So where's the moral difference between killing him and killing a vampire?

An obvious counterargument to this is that the Joker can be contained using nonlethal methods. But can't vampires also be contained? If Arkham Asylum can fork out countless dollars constructing hi-tech facilities to house Mr. Freeze and Clayface then surely they can afford the resources to accommodate vampires and werewolves. In fact this has already happened in the comics, specifically during the 1982 vampire story arc that saw the return of Dala and the Monk. Over the course of this story Batman is turned into a vampire and ends of killing a criminal named Marley. But he isn't damned the way he is in Moench's story. Instead he is cured of his vampirism by a priest named Father Green.

The storyline concludes in Detective Comics #518 with Robin handing Dala and the Monk over to Father Green to be detained indefinitely under his care at Saint Jude's. So this story proves that it isn't necessary to kill vampires in the Batman universe, that they can instead be contained and cared for just like any other monstrous villain. And yet scenes like these have remained commonplace throughout Batman's history:

The same question can be applied to aliens and werewolves. If it's acceptable for Batman to kill aliens then what's to stop him from killing any other extraterrestrial villain in the DC universe? And if he can kill werewolves, then why not also kill Kirk Langstrom/Man-Bat?

There's no right or wrong answer to these questions. I just think it's a fascinating subject to discuss. Many people view Batman's attitude to killing as absolute; that he will not kill another sentient being under any circumstances. Then there are people who say Batman will never intentionally plot to kill his enemies, but that he might on occasion use lethal force if he's backed into a corner. It's interesting to see how the slaying of vampires, werewolves and aliens is reconciled against those two conflicting viewpoints.

[thecolorsblend]

I agree. Changing the context seems to offer clarity. If Batman fights a vampire, we intuitively understand that terminating the monster is doing the world a favor. Any other choice is insane. But the same is no less true of several of his foes so why do they get a stay of execution?* Superman can afford to have a mostly absolute pro-life policy because of his worldview and the higher responsibility conferred by his powers but I really don't think someone who does what Batman does would or should be so restrained.

* Yes, the Joker and others are icons and so DC would be stupid to kill them. That's not the point.

[Silver Nemesis]

Judging from promotional art for the recently announced Infinite Crisis game, it looks like the Earth-43 vampire Batman will be making an appearance.



I wonder if that's meant to be the Victorian Batman on the right.

[Silver Nemesis]

Well they're calling him 'Nightmare Batman', but it's basically the vampire Batman from these books.