Batman: Crimson Mist

[cyberghostface]

Here is the final installment of the Batman Vampire trilogy. In my opinion, I would have ended it with the second installment as I consider this to be the weakest of the bunch, but maybe you'll think differently. Once again, this was a full-length graphic novel, I'm including a third (32 pages out of 94).

Also if you liked the trilogy you can get it for pretty cheap in the form of a single trade paperback at Amazon right now.







In the aftermath of Batman's staking, Gotham has been overrun by various villains--in addition to Two-Face, Killer Croc stalks the sewers. The Penguin, Scarecrow and Poison Ivy are also spreading their own brand of evil.

Alfred decides the only thing he can do now is to bring his master back to life. Venturing into the crypts, he wrenches the stake out from Batman's corpse.




Now a monster, Batman begins to slaughter the various villains of Gotham, murdering the Penguin and the Riddler.









Gordon tells Alfred that Batman's become more than a murderer, but a predator; killing has become natural to him, and all he can do is choose his prey selectively.






Batman is well aware of Alfred's plan of betrayal, but does nothing. He doesn't know what is becoming of him, or what he truly wants--death, or immortality. He slaughters the Black Mask and his gang, and leaves their heads on the spikes of Blackgate Penitentiary as a warning to the prisoners inside. He then arrives at Arkham Asylum, and massacres all the homicidal inmates before leaving a message to the warden writ in blood, telling him to go home for his work us done.









Inside the cave, Alfred, Gordon, Two-Face and the rest attempt to lure Batman to them, but Batman is well-aware of their treachery.



During the melee, Gordon gets a clean shot and shoots.

Comments

[mrstatham]

This is so hilariously melodramatic it's actually great.

[shadowpsykie]

heh, yep.

[thehefner]

It definitely is the weakest of the bunch, mainly because it indulges in Moench's propensity for overwrought and, yes, hilariously melodramatic posturing and shouting. ESPECIALLY his Two-Face. In every single goddamn Two-Face story by Moench, he has Harvey ranting, raving, snarling, and declaring "THE DEATH PENALTY!!!1!!"

And now, it seems like the Elseworlds format allowed him to go even BIGGER than he would otherwise. But y'know, much like the late-period work of Frank Miller and Neal Adams, it's kind of fun that way, just to see a writer take their bad habits and push them to 11. One just has to put aside the fact that Red Rain was a legitimately GOOD story. In retrospect, maybe I liked Bloodstorm the least, because it was that mixture of Good Moench and Bad Moench that I don't like. If he's gonna be Bad Moench, I kinda prefer to have him go all the way, as he does here.

Also, it helps that you cut out the graphically-gruesome deaths of Scarecrow, Penguin, Ivy, and Riddler. Reading those were a real turn-off in the original graphic novel, and while I was initially disappointed to see that you couldn't include them (just to see the reactions), it ultimately helped me to focus on the core of this story, without being distracted by the gratuitous violence. The Joker's death in Bloodstorm served for the narrative climax. The deaths here are just horribly violent for the sake of things.

Thank you so much for posting this, and for letting me use the scans over at About_Faces. I'll post my review there before Halloween.

[cyberghostface]

Yeah, my initial draft was going to include some of the villain deaths (at least Scarecrow's) but I would have ended up going over the 1/3 limit unfortunately.

Also while I haven't read the author's other Two-Face depictions I was also disappointed with how he was characterized here--didn't really get a sense of the duality of the character. Would have been nice to see him flip the coin a couple more times.

[thehefner]

It wouldn't have mattered, sadly. As I've seen (and talked about over at About_Faces) time and time again, Moench's Two-Face is the kind who flips to decide between doing two equally evil things, and even if one option is less evil, he'll still find ways to work around the coin to do what he wanted in the first place. He's a self-righteous psycho with a gimmick.

[althechi]

Someone really should do a headcount of just how many times Moench's Two-Face (or really, Two-Face in general) bellows "THE DEATH PENALTY", replete with examples. =P

[thehefner]

Yes, someone really should... hmmmm...

[misterbug]

Firstly, I will never not crack up at that 'Woe is me' monologue being delivered as he laps Harvey Dent's blood off of that arrowhead like an adorable monster puppy.

Secondly, it really does not help that my first and latest ex-girlfriend is named Tanya. I get all sorts of weird emotions when I think of Skeletal Vampire Batman and I potentially mourning after the same woman.

Thirdly, has anyone ever read "100 Months"? This sort-of kind-of reminds me of that.

[freezer]

So many tropes... so many many tropes...

[icon_uk]

Yeah, this is.... not good, though it's livened up by your above-the-cut image, which appears to be "Jazz Hands!!" Batman.

[drmcninja]

I don't love all of the art, but they really did a good job on Batman here. A vampire in the most fearsome sense of the word. Bony, thin, but threatening beyond all else.

[nezchan]

And the part of Alfred shall be played by Vincent Price and Marlon Brando.

[droolfangrrl]

yes, I am not the only one!

I agree..This was the weakest of the three..

[steverodgers5]

The first was fun and surprisingly touching..the second was very sad and tragic, but quite moving too. But this one always felt like an unnecessary step too far, and is just way too bleak and depressing.

On a semi related note. Did anyone ever see the Brave and The Bold episode where Bats became an evil vampire? If you like these stories, then you'd probably like that too, as it was surprisingly dark for a cartoon, and especially so for the series it was in.

[brushed_velvet]

I hated the fact that both Alfred and Gordon died (and that Gordon suffered the lamest death ever) - it would have been so much more poignant to me if at least one of them survived.

However, Batman talking filthy to Gordon is always most welcome in my world. XD