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DC vs. Vampires #1-6
DC vs. Vampires, Vol. 1
The war for Earth isn’t beginning… it’s already here! It’s the heroes of the DC Universe against the undead in an epic fight for the very survival of the human race!
The Justice League has long protected Earth from all manner of foreign and alien invaders over the years, always keeping a vigilant eye to the skies for the next threat. But what if the threat was already walking the Earth…hiding in plain sight…watching…waiting for their moment to strike…
A mysterious new vampire lord has already put a plan in motion to conquer the Earth, and his horde are hunting on the streets of Gotham. Can Batman save his city—or will he succumb to the undead plague?
In the tradition of DCeased comes a terrifying new series from the twisted minds of James Tynion IV ( Nice House on the Lake ; Something is Killing the Children ), Matthew Rosenberg ( The Joker A Puzzlebox ; 4 Kids Walk Into A Bank ; Hawkeye ), and Otto Schmidt ( Green Arrow ) that will tear the Justice League apart in their war with the undead!
This volume collects DC vs. Vampires #1-6, the first half of this bloody battle.
The Justice League has long protected Earth from all manner of foreign and alien invaders over the years, always keeping a vigilant eye to the skies for the next threat. But what if the threat was already walking the Earth…hiding in plain sight…watching…waiting for their moment to strike…
A mysterious new vampire lord has already put a plan in motion to conquer the Earth, and his horde are hunting on the streets of Gotham. Can Batman save his city—or will he succumb to the undead plague?
In the tradition of DCeased comes a terrifying new series from the twisted minds of James Tynion IV ( Nice House on the Lake ; Something is Killing the Children ), Matthew Rosenberg ( The Joker A Puzzlebox ; 4 Kids Walk Into A Bank ; Hawkeye ), and Otto Schmidt ( Green Arrow ) that will tear the Justice League apart in their war with the undead!
This volume collects DC vs. Vampires #1-6, the first half of this bloody battle.
248 pages, Paperback
First published September 27, 2022
281 people are currently reading
717 people want to read
About the author
James Tynion IV
1,665 books2,006 followersPrior to his first professional work, Tynion was a student of Scott Snyder's at Sarah Lawrence College. A few years later, he worked as for Vertigo as Fables editor Shelly Bond's intern. In late 2011, with DC deciding to give Batman (written by Snyder) a back up feature, Tynion was brought in by request of Snyder to script the back ups he had plotted. Tynion would later do the same with the Batman Annual #1, which was also co-plotted by Snyder. Beginning in September 2012, with DC's 0 issue month for the New 52, Tynion will be writing Talon, with art by Guillem March. In early 2013 it was announced that he'd take over writing duties for Red Hood and the Outlaws in April.
Tynion is also currently one of the writers in a rotating team in the weekly Batman Eternal series.
Tynion is also currently one of the writers in a rotating team in the weekly Batman Eternal series.
Ratings & Reviews
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 290 reviews
December 15, 2022
Far better than I expected.
And honestly, far better than it had any right to be, given the title. It was DC characters vs DC vampires, so if that sounds like a terrible idea to you - SKIP!
This is an Elseworlds story, so you don't need to read it.
Alright, I think Tynion does a fantastic job with horror stuff so this has a decent vibe to it. And the idea behind why the vampires are attacking was reasonable enough for me.
Now, I've never been sure if the DC vampires are completely evil once they are turned or if they retain a portion of their humanity or...what. And this didn't make it any easier.
There were a few instances where some of the vampires did or said things that made it seem as if they had their old personalities, but other than Andrew Bennett they still ended up doing the evil thing at the end of the day.
But that's not really the story.
So, put aside any logical questions about vampire morality because here's the story:
Vampires are quietly taking over everything. They've turned high-ranking Justice League members and are killing off villains that might oppose them. And the mystery that Batman needs to solve is who is their leader now that Mary, Queen of Blood is dead?
I gotta admit, Tynion got me at the end.
And as cheesy as this thing sounds, it's right there in my personal wheelhouse of fun comics, so I'm looking forward to reading the next volume.
If you're a fan of DC Horror, give this a shot.
And honestly, far better than it had any right to be, given the title. It was DC characters vs DC vampires, so if that sounds like a terrible idea to you - SKIP!
This is an Elseworlds story, so you don't need to read it.
Alright, I think Tynion does a fantastic job with horror stuff so this has a decent vibe to it. And the idea behind why the vampires are attacking was reasonable enough for me.
Now, I've never been sure if the DC vampires are completely evil once they are turned or if they retain a portion of their humanity or...what. And this didn't make it any easier.
There were a few instances where some of the vampires did or said things that made it seem as if they had their old personalities, but other than Andrew Bennett they still ended up doing the evil thing at the end of the day.
But that's not really the story.
So, put aside any logical questions about vampire morality because here's the story:
Vampires are quietly taking over everything. They've turned high-ranking Justice League members and are killing off villains that might oppose them. And the mystery that Batman needs to solve is who is their leader now that Mary, Queen of Blood is dead?
I gotta admit, Tynion got me at the end.
And as cheesy as this thing sounds, it's right there in my personal wheelhouse of fun comics, so I'm looking forward to reading the next volume.
If you're a fan of DC Horror, give this a shot.
July 24, 2022
Starts off as a slow burn with the fact that there is a new vampire king leaks out. Then it's Batman and Green Arrow separately trying to figure out what heroes and villains have been turned into vampires. The latter part of the book has some copouts to move some plot points. Also, not great that they use some of the goofier vampire lore like vampires turning into bats. Still this is a fun and mindless series.
June 12, 2022
The best way I can describe this horrendous reading experience is by comparing it to another title. So, unlike something like Archie vs. Predator, which is an enjoyable teen slasher film in comic form using characters we know and love, DC vs. Vampires is one of those shitty direct-to-DVD ones you’d only find at a Redbox.
An elseworlds story that just completely lost me by the end, and the worst part is this book has another 6 fucking issues and god knows how many one-shots that you will not catch me reading anytime soon. I don’t hate the concept of vampires, but I do hate the concept of once you turn into a vampire, you automatically become evil. This series would be so much more interesting if that dumbass trope wasn’t the case here, like if the heroes who turned had to struggle with bloodthirst and the pain of killing friends and fellow heroes, but alas, it isn’t that at all.
It’s Elseworlds so I can ignore out-of-character moments (I literally went into an entire spiel about continuity in my Human Target Vol. 1 review) but how some characters act and how certain events play out in here just don’t make any fucking sense no matter how you spin it. For example (minor spoilers follow, so just skip to the next sentence or paragraph if you care for some reason)why would one, let alone someone who is supposed to be a genius in the DC universe, shove a mindreader who is invulnerable to vampires into a teleporter that zaps them into deep space instead of just making him read your mind there on the spot so he knows you aren’t a vampire. Or how the hell a solar-powered hero even becomes a vampire in the first place, because how does that make any fucking sense on any level if Vampires can’t stand sunlight, just to name two of the many that annoyed me.
Also, the twist on who the Vampire King is wasn’t very satisfying at all and the explanation they give for how that character hid being a vampire from our heroes when they were seen in sunlight earlier was just pathetic. The writers were just pulling dumbass explanations out of their asses at that point, which was a far cry from the well-thought-out explanation for the surprise League member who turned in issue 1. After that one pretty cool moment, logic just goes out the fucking window and splatters on the pavement below. I also found the deaths that followed said reveal (and most throughout the series for that matter now that I think about it) to be more funny than sad (which is what I assume they were supposed to be), but whatfuckingever I can’t take superhero comics like this seriously anymore, they are so self-serious and stupid.
So basically if you completely turn your brain off, you’ll maybe have fun with it. If you leave just 1% on, you may start to notice the cracks in the story. I wouldn’t recommend it unless you have a vampire fetish or NEED to see the DC Universe interacting with vampires. I really didn’t like this, which disappointed me a ton as I honestly love fun & dumb comics, but this was more dumb than fun. Maybe if you are like totally baked out of your mind this would be better? Total shit book though and I’m probably just not reading Volume 2 unless it’s given to me or ends up in my library, because who fucking cares how this ends or what happens at this point? Not me, that’s for sure. And if you liked this, I’m really happy you found a book you can dig, but this just read like a super shitty version of DCeased with Vampires to me.
An elseworlds story that just completely lost me by the end, and the worst part is this book has another 6 fucking issues and god knows how many one-shots that you will not catch me reading anytime soon. I don’t hate the concept of vampires, but I do hate the concept of once you turn into a vampire, you automatically become evil. This series would be so much more interesting if that dumbass trope wasn’t the case here, like if the heroes who turned had to struggle with bloodthirst and the pain of killing friends and fellow heroes, but alas, it isn’t that at all.
It’s Elseworlds so I can ignore out-of-character moments (I literally went into an entire spiel about continuity in my Human Target Vol. 1 review) but how some characters act and how certain events play out in here just don’t make any fucking sense no matter how you spin it. For example (minor spoilers follow, so just skip to the next sentence or paragraph if you care for some reason)why would one, let alone someone who is supposed to be a genius in the DC universe, shove a mindreader who is invulnerable to vampires into a teleporter that zaps them into deep space instead of just making him read your mind there on the spot so he knows you aren’t a vampire. Or how the hell a solar-powered hero even becomes a vampire in the first place, because how does that make any fucking sense on any level if Vampires can’t stand sunlight, just to name two of the many that annoyed me.
Also, the twist on who the Vampire King is wasn’t very satisfying at all and the explanation they give for how that character hid being a vampire from our heroes when they were seen in sunlight earlier was just pathetic. The writers were just pulling dumbass explanations out of their asses at that point, which was a far cry from the well-thought-out explanation for the surprise League member who turned in issue 1. After that one pretty cool moment, logic just goes out the fucking window and splatters on the pavement below. I also found the deaths that followed said reveal (and most throughout the series for that matter now that I think about it) to be more funny than sad (which is what I assume they were supposed to be), but whatfuckingever I can’t take superhero comics like this seriously anymore, they are so self-serious and stupid.
So basically if you completely turn your brain off, you’ll maybe have fun with it. If you leave just 1% on, you may start to notice the cracks in the story. I wouldn’t recommend it unless you have a vampire fetish or NEED to see the DC Universe interacting with vampires. I really didn’t like this, which disappointed me a ton as I honestly love fun & dumb comics, but this was more dumb than fun. Maybe if you are like totally baked out of your mind this would be better? Total shit book though and I’m probably just not reading Volume 2 unless it’s given to me or ends up in my library, because who fucking cares how this ends or what happens at this point? Not me, that’s for sure. And if you liked this, I’m really happy you found a book you can dig, but this just read like a super shitty version of DCeased with Vampires to me.
January 24, 2025
I really enjoyed this book. It's not just a great action book but a very good person who did it story. The artwork matches the story perfectly. After this volume, the worst is still to come.
The peace between humans and vampires has come to an end. The trouble is that while the heroes and villains of the world are divided, the vampire have already made their move. No can be trusted, and lethal force is authorised.
I might be biased as a Batman fan, but I he is the perfect person to lead the resistance. The trouble is there are already few people he trusts. He might not be the best person to unite behind.
The war has begun, and both sides have had losses and gains. I can't wait for the next book, with the big gun and the fight back. The book finishes with a cover gallery with vampire variants of different characters.
The peace between humans and vampires has come to an end. The trouble is that while the heroes and villains of the world are divided, the vampire have already made their move. No can be trusted, and lethal force is authorised.
I might be biased as a Batman fan, but I he is the perfect person to lead the resistance. The trouble is there are already few people he trusts. He might not be the best person to unite behind.
The war has begun, and both sides have had losses and gains. I can't wait for the next book, with the big gun and the fight back. The book finishes with a cover gallery with vampire variants of different characters.
October 6, 2024
Reread: 06/10/2024
This one was so epic, I love it omg. The way it just shows you how the heroes become vampires and so much mystery of how it all started is kind of good and then the thing with Hal and him being my favorite character.. its crushing and then seeing Ollie-Bruce teaming up vs this threat its so awesome and I love the play by play with what happens to other members of the league and how they're pulled into this apocalyptic story and the emphasis on Bat-family is awesome and before that JL vs Ollie and Bats! Its kind of a fun battle and you see how Batman has prepped for it! And the ending will leave you shattered with that big twist and its kind of brilliant, emotionally provoking and makes you wonder what the world will look like now! The narrative thread with Batman and Ollie is the highlight here for sure! Its seriously one of the best ELSEWORLDS stories dc has done recently and the art is just freaking gorgeous!
_________________________________________________________________
You know I have been wanting to read this for a long time now and ngl it's so worth the wait because it's just so epic from the get go when we see Andrew Lincoln arriving and his warnings to Hal aka the JL and then the twist with him and what he does to one of the wonder twins which was so sad.
And then seeing the big mystery play out and also Batman got a letter about all that was going on so it's like seeing a battle play out on both sides of the conflict like who will get whom and I love that so much.
Hal and how he takes out the threats to the vampires and particularly Barry who was one of his best friends and ahh that's sad and then the stuff with Diana, fighting JL members and all and confronting them and then throwing the suspicion on Batman and also Ollie being involved and his fight with Batman was so funny, I like how these two team up and are essentially the leads on this case.
But there is this whole twist when the JL confront them believing Bruce is Batman and Bruce feels the entire JL team has been turned so it leads to some interesting fight scenes I will say and trust me you're gonna enjoy reading them a lot. In particular the moment between Ollie and Hal as the latter is dying is so emotional considering their long standing friendship and the dialogue written there is really emotional and Kudos to the writer for putting it there. And being a fan of these two.. it was extra emotional for me 😭🥺♥️.
And then the big twist with who the Vampire king turned out to me.. okay they really did that.. I wasn't expecting that but okay the whole twist actually leaves on a pretty good mark and will make you keep reading future volumes or spin offs and it's actually a pretty good status quo because this guy is like the heart of DC/superheroes but now it's gonna be awesome to see how the whole thing is resolved or how it plays out. Loved it.
I had a fun time reading it and highly recommend and also loved the art by Otto, he is like one of the best artists atm and seriously some of his best work here. He thrives in these epic event scale books and I can't wait to read the next volume.
This one was so epic, I love it omg. The way it just shows you how the heroes become vampires and so much mystery of how it all started is kind of good and then the thing with Hal and him being my favorite character.. its crushing and then seeing Ollie-Bruce teaming up vs this threat its so awesome and I love the play by play with what happens to other members of the league and how they're pulled into this apocalyptic story and the emphasis on Bat-family is awesome and before that JL vs Ollie and Bats! Its kind of a fun battle and you see how Batman has prepped for it! And the ending will leave you shattered with that big twist and its kind of brilliant, emotionally provoking and makes you wonder what the world will look like now! The narrative thread with Batman and Ollie is the highlight here for sure! Its seriously one of the best ELSEWORLDS stories dc has done recently and the art is just freaking gorgeous!
_________________________________________________________________
You know I have been wanting to read this for a long time now and ngl it's so worth the wait because it's just so epic from the get go when we see Andrew Lincoln arriving and his warnings to Hal aka the JL and then the twist with him and what he does to one of the wonder twins which was so sad.
And then seeing the big mystery play out and also Batman got a letter about all that was going on so it's like seeing a battle play out on both sides of the conflict like who will get whom and I love that so much.
Hal and how he takes out the threats to the vampires and particularly Barry who was one of his best friends and ahh that's sad and then the stuff with Diana, fighting JL members and all and confronting them and then throwing the suspicion on Batman and also Ollie being involved and his fight with Batman was so funny, I like how these two team up and are essentially the leads on this case.
But there is this whole twist when the JL confront them believing Bruce is Batman and Bruce feels the entire JL team has been turned so it leads to some interesting fight scenes I will say and trust me you're gonna enjoy reading them a lot. In particular the moment between Ollie and Hal as the latter is dying is so emotional considering their long standing friendship and the dialogue written there is really emotional and Kudos to the writer for putting it there. And being a fan of these two.. it was extra emotional for me 😭🥺♥️.
And then the big twist with who the Vampire king turned out to me.. okay they really did that.. I wasn't expecting that but okay the whole twist actually leaves on a pretty good mark and will make you keep reading future volumes or spin offs and it's actually a pretty good status quo because this guy is like the heart of DC/superheroes but now it's gonna be awesome to see how the whole thing is resolved or how it plays out. Loved it.
I had a fun time reading it and highly recommend and also loved the art by Otto, he is like one of the best artists atm and seriously some of his best work here. He thrives in these epic event scale books and I can't wait to read the next volume.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 4, 2022
What if the DC universe was invaded by vampires?
When putting this on my TBR, I figured that the main draw would be all of the crazy action like in DCeased. And while this does provide that, I think this does a better job of telling a great story about how all this craziness got brought on in the first place.
The first volume mainly deals with the set up, and then the next volume, (I assume) will have a huge war against the vampires. There are also one shots and a spin of series that have already come out in single issues.
I think what really made me love this as a whole was the ending. Because WOAH! What an ending!
Overall, I thought this was a fun start to this series. I look forward to seeing more.
When putting this on my TBR, I figured that the main draw would be all of the crazy action like in DCeased. And while this does provide that, I think this does a better job of telling a great story about how all this craziness got brought on in the first place.
The first volume mainly deals with the set up, and then the next volume, (I assume) will have a huge war against the vampires. There are also one shots and a spin of series that have already come out in single issues.
I think what really made me love this as a whole was the ending. Because WOAH! What an ending!
Overall, I thought this was a fun start to this series. I look forward to seeing more.
June 8, 2022
this was a lot of fun, dc is going up against all the classic monsters so it was inevitable vampires were next. i did not expect the twist at the end i can’t wait to see where things go
February 14, 2023
I think I'm too burned out after seeing the DC Universe destroyed by zombies in DCeased and its many spinoffs to really care how vampires go about their take on a horror apocalypse. These sort of "What If?" or "Elseworlds" or "Imaginary Stories" always lose impact since they don't count in the DCU continuity.
I mean, if DC thinks everyone just wants to see the superheroes die page after page, why not go full "Faces of Death" snuff film and put out a book that just consists of pin-ups of all their characters being murdered? Get really gruesome and tasteless and have a "Capital Punishment" special that has everyone being executed by hanging, electric chair, firing squad, etc., etc., ad nauseam.
More specifically to this book though, the art is a little too cartoony to convey much menace or horror. Characters are thrown in by the dozen without showing much personality or even being named. I'm annoyed that for some reason, Barbara Gordon's Batgirl acts like she's a little drunk or high throughout the whole book. What's up with that?
I have no enthusiasm for picking up the conclusion right now, but hey I might click on it if it turns up my in my library's catalog. I'm a real sucker that way.
I mean, if DC thinks everyone just wants to see the superheroes die page after page, why not go full "Faces of Death" snuff film and put out a book that just consists of pin-ups of all their characters being murdered? Get really gruesome and tasteless and have a "Capital Punishment" special that has everyone being executed by hanging, electric chair, firing squad, etc., etc., ad nauseam.
More specifically to this book though, the art is a little too cartoony to convey much menace or horror. Characters are thrown in by the dozen without showing much personality or even being named. I'm annoyed that for some reason, Barbara Gordon's Batgirl acts like she's a little drunk or high throughout the whole book. What's up with that?
I have no enthusiasm for picking up the conclusion right now, but hey I might click on it if it turns up my in my library's catalog. I'm a real sucker that way.
January 30, 2023
Just another uninteresting what-if scenario. Oh no, this or that character is a vampire now, oh noooo!! It all feels so uninspired, so rote.
Who cares about any of this.
Who cares about any of this.
April 9, 2025
Vampires bent on world domination have secretly infiltrated the Justice League of America! Honestly, if that doesn't excite you to no end, I don't know what will...
April 24, 2025
An enjoyable romp with some bloody moments and twisty surprises. A lot more lighthearted than DCeased.
Great art and nice colours. So a success, not only as a DC comic but also as a vampire comic, although that’s not much of a surprise for this creative team.
Pre-reading thoughts: (2/4/2022)
Did someone say VAMPIRES ?! Count me the hell in!!
Great art and nice colours. So a success, not only as a DC comic but also as a vampire comic, although that’s not much of a surprise for this creative team.
Pre-reading thoughts: (2/4/2022)
Did someone say VAMPIRES ?! Count me the hell in!!
December 28, 2022
Rating 4 out of 5 | Grade: A. Let the Darkness prevail
Premise
There is something sinister lurking in the dark. All around the world, Villains and superpowered beings are being hunted. By the time the League and the other heroes become aware of this threat it's too late.
Vampires, of all things, creatures of the dark, have begun to infect, convert and indoctrinate superhumans worldwide, both heroes & villains. Their end goal, world domination while using humans as livestock. Hardly the most inventive plotlines, but it works to a degree.
So now, with part of their own forces turned, and the mysterious Vampire King manipulating events from the background, the remainder of the world's heroes must uncover the full extent of the plot and stop them from achieving their goal.
Thoughts
I started reading this story right after DCeased, by Tom Taylor. So, there were some leftover expectations. Compared to that series DC vs Vampires is less well made, particularly in the world building aspect. But then you begin to appreciate how it’s leaning into more of the horror campy aspects. As well as appreciate some of the more inspired choices they make in terms of storytelling.
Large event comics seem to have made this unspoken rule, to kill off Batman in the first act, as was the case in DCeased, as is the case in Vampires. Perhaps that is a wise move to make long term, as otherwise we might risk exposure fatigue for the Batman, as he seems to be front and center in almost all new media.
In a veritable way, he has usurped Superman as the flagship IP for the comic book giant. There was even a widely appreciated comic event Dark Nights: Metal, which featured him front and center, and where the entire narrative was structured around the reality bending canon lore of the mythology of Batman.
Taking out Batman early on, allows other characters to take up the mantle of responsibility. Be it green lantern Canary & the Superkids in DCeased, or Green Arrow & Batgirl in Vampires.
There are also some inconsistencies in the lore and worldbuilding.
Like, how does burning the world’s forest cause a permanent night to occur. It’s like that one episode of He-man where they blocked a big volcano to create a permanent cloud cover. Considering how they have all of these superpowered beings under their thrall, you’d think the Vampire king would come up with a more inventive way of blocking out the sun. Maybe casting a planet level spell which shrouds the world in darkness. Or even have Superman place some sort of device or move the moon to create a permanent eclipse on earth.
It’s also not clear just how much turning a person affects their mentality. Some heroes like Green Lantern wholeheartedly leaned into their new homicidal tendencies. While others like Damian Wayne are able to stave off the indoctrination through sheer will. Also, with the sheer diversity in physiology and morphology of the superpowered beings of this world, you’d think a few, like Martian Manhunter would be immune to being turned.
What I really appreciate is the setup and build up to the story. How the vampires seem to realize early on, that an outright confrontation with the superhumans would result in their defeat. So, they go around turning key people in the background and have them masquerade as their spies. These spies would then use opportunity and their contacts to infect more members; or kill those that can't be turned.
By the time Batman & Green Arrow start investigating the affair, they’ve already managed to infiltrate the inner circle of the League, and the uncertainty surrounding whose turn allows them a chance to infect even Superman.
The rest of the story, which occurs after a time skip, shows how the world is already overrun by the Vampire overlords. The last survivors, those who aren't in some slave camps, are struggling to survive. The heroes, their numbers largely reduced, struggle to rescue the survivors.
The only thing going for them is how they've managed to establish the last free human city on Earth, within the newly abandoned city of Kandor. Using quite an inventive plot device, combining the miniaturization powers of the Atom & the friendly old swamp swelling killer croc, they managed to remain hidden from the eyes of the superpowered vampires.
But this is only a temporary measure. The defeated, beleaguered and vastly outnumbered resistance forces, led by Green Arrow, Black Canary & Batgirl, each have formed their own plans as to how to bring about an end to the Vampire threat. Each plan, vastly different, speaks volumes as to the mental state of each of the leaders.
It also makes for quite an interesting plot device, as the narrative shifts between the three independent missions all leading to the same goal.
James Tynion IV, known for other acclaimed horror comics such as Something is Killing the Children & The Department of Truth, Vol 1: The End of the World plays to his strengths when integrating the world of DC canon, with the horror elements of Vampires.
This is evident in the first couple of chapters, where instead of seeing the threat posed by the Vampires outright, our story starts off with a tone of uncertainty. Green Arrow & Batman are hunting each other, mistakenly believing the other to be infected.
Before belatedly realizing their folly, and getting ambushed by the rest of the League, some of whose members are already turned.
Neither the duo, not the League, nor we as readers are certain who exactly is turned. There is at one point, me wondering whether this whole thing is a hallucination going in Batman's head. There is pandemonium & confusion, until Bats in his typical genius fashion, manages to (albeit temporarily) pull the rug over the Vampires.
But just when we think Batman has it all figured out, calamity struck. The Caped Crusader, like Ollie, had already caught wind of what was going on in the shadows and anticipated that the League members might've been turned.
He does everything right in preparing for the upcoming battle. Doing his research, readying anti Vampire weapons, assembling the Bat-family (after vetting them, being the paranoid jerk that he is) and was all but ready to launch an assault to neutralize the Vampire King, the head of the snake.
Unfortunately, even he couldn't anticipate the intellect of the Vampire King. For no other reason that
From then on out, it's all out pandemonium. And the Vampire forces seeded throughout taking advantage of the chaos to neutralize the heroes. So, the era of the night lords began.
The Art
Similar to writer James Tynion, the Illustrators really leaned into the horror aesthetic of the story.
Most of the pages and panels are bathed in this eerie blood red, sanguineous glow befitting its subject matter.
The covers, which follows the same trend, are sardonic, playful and quite aesthetically pleasing.
Another point of note is the action scenes. Especially the opening long bout, between Batman vs Green Arrow, followed by the duo vs the compromised League, followed by the Bat family vs the vampires.
A continuous series of battles, with many pages filled with action, but no dialogue, and always maintaining pace, dynamic and always makes sure that you as a reader knows what the stakes are, who is currently the ally or enemy, and what it's leading to.
It is quite possibly on the level of Samurai Jack level of visual storytelling through action, and I'm loving it.
Barring some inconsistencies, DC vs Vampires delivers on its campy premise, with lots of action, horror, jump scares and some entertaining storytelling. Looking forward to seeing how this story will pan out. Would definitely recommend it to fans as an Elseworlds Story.
Premise
There is something sinister lurking in the dark. All around the world, Villains and superpowered beings are being hunted. By the time the League and the other heroes become aware of this threat it's too late.
Vampires, of all things, creatures of the dark, have begun to infect, convert and indoctrinate superhumans worldwide, both heroes & villains. Their end goal, world domination while using humans as livestock. Hardly the most inventive plotlines, but it works to a degree.
So now, with part of their own forces turned, and the mysterious Vampire King manipulating events from the background, the remainder of the world's heroes must uncover the full extent of the plot and stop them from achieving their goal.
Thoughts
I started reading this story right after DCeased, by Tom Taylor. So, there were some leftover expectations. Compared to that series DC vs Vampires is less well made, particularly in the world building aspect. But then you begin to appreciate how it’s leaning into more of the horror campy aspects. As well as appreciate some of the more inspired choices they make in terms of storytelling.
Large event comics seem to have made this unspoken rule, to kill off Batman in the first act, as was the case in DCeased, as is the case in Vampires. Perhaps that is a wise move to make long term, as otherwise we might risk exposure fatigue for the Batman, as he seems to be front and center in almost all new media.
In a veritable way, he has usurped Superman as the flagship IP for the comic book giant. There was even a widely appreciated comic event Dark Nights: Metal, which featured him front and center, and where the entire narrative was structured around the reality bending canon lore of the mythology of Batman.
Taking out Batman early on, allows other characters to take up the mantle of responsibility. Be it green lantern Canary & the Superkids in DCeased, or Green Arrow & Batgirl in Vampires.
There are also some inconsistencies in the lore and worldbuilding.
Like, how does burning the world’s forest cause a permanent night to occur. It’s like that one episode of He-man where they blocked a big volcano to create a permanent cloud cover. Considering how they have all of these superpowered beings under their thrall, you’d think the Vampire king would come up with a more inventive way of blocking out the sun. Maybe casting a planet level spell which shrouds the world in darkness. Or even have Superman place some sort of device or move the moon to create a permanent eclipse on earth.
It’s also not clear just how much turning a person affects their mentality. Some heroes like Green Lantern wholeheartedly leaned into their new homicidal tendencies. While others like Damian Wayne are able to stave off the indoctrination through sheer will. Also, with the sheer diversity in physiology and morphology of the superpowered beings of this world, you’d think a few, like Martian Manhunter would be immune to being turned.
What I really appreciate is the setup and build up to the story. How the vampires seem to realize early on, that an outright confrontation with the superhumans would result in their defeat. So, they go around turning key people in the background and have them masquerade as their spies. These spies would then use opportunity and their contacts to infect more members; or kill those that can't be turned.
By the time Batman & Green Arrow start investigating the affair, they’ve already managed to infiltrate the inner circle of the League, and the uncertainty surrounding whose turn allows them a chance to infect even Superman.
The rest of the story, which occurs after a time skip, shows how the world is already overrun by the Vampire overlords. The last survivors, those who aren't in some slave camps, are struggling to survive. The heroes, their numbers largely reduced, struggle to rescue the survivors.
The only thing going for them is how they've managed to establish the last free human city on Earth, within the newly abandoned city of Kandor. Using quite an inventive plot device, combining the miniaturization powers of the Atom & the friendly old swamp swelling killer croc, they managed to remain hidden from the eyes of the superpowered vampires.
But this is only a temporary measure. The defeated, beleaguered and vastly outnumbered resistance forces, led by Green Arrow, Black Canary & Batgirl, each have formed their own plans as to how to bring about an end to the Vampire threat. Each plan, vastly different, speaks volumes as to the mental state of each of the leaders.
It also makes for quite an interesting plot device, as the narrative shifts between the three independent missions all leading to the same goal.
James Tynion IV, known for other acclaimed horror comics such as Something is Killing the Children & The Department of Truth, Vol 1: The End of the World plays to his strengths when integrating the world of DC canon, with the horror elements of Vampires.
This is evident in the first couple of chapters, where instead of seeing the threat posed by the Vampires outright, our story starts off with a tone of uncertainty. Green Arrow & Batman are hunting each other, mistakenly believing the other to be infected.
Before belatedly realizing their folly, and getting ambushed by the rest of the League, some of whose members are already turned.
Neither the duo, not the League, nor we as readers are certain who exactly is turned. There is at one point, me wondering whether this whole thing is a hallucination going in Batman's head. There is pandemonium & confusion, until Bats in his typical genius fashion, manages to (albeit temporarily) pull the rug over the Vampires.
But just when we think Batman has it all figured out, calamity struck. The Caped Crusader, like Ollie, had already caught wind of what was going on in the shadows and anticipated that the League members might've been turned.
He does everything right in preparing for the upcoming battle. Doing his research, readying anti Vampire weapons, assembling the Bat-family (after vetting them, being the paranoid jerk that he is) and was all but ready to launch an assault to neutralize the Vampire King, the head of the snake.
Unfortunately, even he couldn't anticipate the intellect of the Vampire King. For no other reason that
From then on out, it's all out pandemonium. And the Vampire forces seeded throughout taking advantage of the chaos to neutralize the heroes. So, the era of the night lords began.
The Art
Similar to writer James Tynion, the Illustrators really leaned into the horror aesthetic of the story.
Most of the pages and panels are bathed in this eerie blood red, sanguineous glow befitting its subject matter.
The covers, which follows the same trend, are sardonic, playful and quite aesthetically pleasing.
Another point of note is the action scenes. Especially the opening long bout, between Batman vs Green Arrow, followed by the duo vs the compromised League, followed by the Bat family vs the vampires.
A continuous series of battles, with many pages filled with action, but no dialogue, and always maintaining pace, dynamic and always makes sure that you as a reader knows what the stakes are, who is currently the ally or enemy, and what it's leading to.
It is quite possibly on the level of Samurai Jack level of visual storytelling through action, and I'm loving it.
Barring some inconsistencies, DC vs Vampires delivers on its campy premise, with lots of action, horror, jump scares and some entertaining storytelling. Looking forward to seeing how this story will pan out. Would definitely recommend it to fans as an Elseworlds Story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 1, 2023
Apocalyptic storylines are always hard to pull off. There's a fine line between a believable species takeover vs one that's orchestrated on drama and shock value alone. Did I have fun? Yes. Was it also stupid when thinking about in-universe continuity? Also yes. Honestly, it's a shallow story driven completely by spectacle over substance, but it offers so much popcorn entertainment that's its hard not to race to the finish line.
March 27, 2024
The title says it all. All in all a great read, it’s fun to see the heroes going up against their friends and villains who have been turned. Looking forward to the 2nd volume to see where the story goes.
September 19, 2025
Not a bad Elseworlds tale, with some funny dialogue in places, but nothing really great. It didn’t help that they needed to bring in four fill-in artists to complete issues five and six, which made those issues look a real mess.
October 5, 2022
DC vs Vampires Vol. 1 collects issues 1-6 of the DC Comics series written by James Tynion IV and Matthew Rosenberg with art Otto Schmidt, Simone Di Meo and Daniele Di Nicuolo.
The Queen of Vampires is dead and the peace between humans and vampires is in jeopardy as war is soon to break out. The Legion of Doom is all dead or vampires. There is a vampire in hiding within the Justice League. Heroes and villains are dying. Will Batman be able to find a cure or put a stop to a vampire invasion?
While this book is nowhere near as good as DCeased and has a decent amount of plot holes, it is still incredibly fun. As a Batman fan, I enjoyed the Batfamily being at the center of the book and the investigation into the vampires. There are some scratch your head moments, but they are easy to overlook for such a fun story. The art is pretty good throughout but there are a few areas where it was hard to tell who was who, especially in a fight scene involving the Suicide Squad. Looking forward to the next installment!
The Queen of Vampires is dead and the peace between humans and vampires is in jeopardy as war is soon to break out. The Legion of Doom is all dead or vampires. There is a vampire in hiding within the Justice League. Heroes and villains are dying. Will Batman be able to find a cure or put a stop to a vampire invasion?
While this book is nowhere near as good as DCeased and has a decent amount of plot holes, it is still incredibly fun. As a Batman fan, I enjoyed the Batfamily being at the center of the book and the investigation into the vampires. There are some scratch your head moments, but they are easy to overlook for such a fun story. The art is pretty good throughout but there are a few areas where it was hard to tell who was who, especially in a fight scene involving the Suicide Squad. Looking forward to the next installment!
May 26, 2022
3.5 stars
Entertaining elseworld series but why DC couldn't give me Jason vampire.
Entertaining elseworld series but why DC couldn't give me Jason vampire.
April 6, 2022
Silly, violent, wild, and fun. I loved it. Also, Vampire King is sexy.
January 29, 2023
[3.5/5]
I really enjoyed this one. I like the focus on green arrow and the bat family, and while I didn’t LOVE the ending, I thought it was still fairly well done. I’ve seen some complaints about nightwing being turned, but to be fair, I think that if anyone from the batfam has the capability to win a war for the other team it’s him.
I really enjoyed this one. I like the focus on green arrow and the bat family, and while I didn’t LOVE the ending, I thought it was still fairly well done. I’ve seen some complaints about nightwing being turned, but to be fair, I think that if anyone from the batfam has the capability to win a war for the other team it’s him.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 19, 2022
I have gotten away from reading graphic novels lately and am trying to get back into it. "DC vs. Vampires" was the perfect way back in. It's exactly what you think: Vampires infect all the bad guys, who then start infecting the good guys. You get a few superheroes who are vampires and the story takes off real quick! I especially like Batman's (and company's) representation here. Stories like this remind me of the old Marvel "What If?" books and that's high praise coming from me.
August 30, 2023
Cara, não esperava que fosse gostar tanto dessa história. Já tinha pego alguns spoilers do começo dela (e a capa da segunda edição também da spoiler), mas me surpreendi bastante com essa trama do quadrinho.
Toda essa dinâmica de não confiar em ninguém, o que aconteceu com os super-heróis e vilões, foi muito foda.
Mas fiquei ainda mais apaixonado pela arte. Os traços bem brutos, com uma colorização impecável, tornaram tudo ainda mais interessante.
Ansioso para a segunda parte e ver como termina essa história!
Toda essa dinâmica de não confiar em ninguém, o que aconteceu com os super-heróis e vilões, foi muito foda.
Mas fiquei ainda mais apaixonado pela arte. Os traços bem brutos, com uma colorização impecável, tornaram tudo ainda mais interessante.
Ansioso para a segunda parte e ver como termina essa história!
December 20, 2023
Excellent! One of my favourite Batman graphic novels. A really engaging stories with a good balance of DC characters with lots of twists and turns. DC horrortastic! Looking forward to volume two and the spin offs!
January 15, 2024
3.5 maybe
June 2, 2025
This is a lot of fun. Not overally clever or anything but plain fun and over the top. I wasn't sure what to expect but this was a pleasnt surprise. I'll be reading volume two real soon now to see how it ends.
October 7, 2025
This was pretty disappointing to be honest! The plot felt very generic and the core component of vampirism was really underutilized.
February 9, 2024
This was just a lot of fun. Good art, entertaining plot with twists and turns, and did I mention actual, manipulative vampires trying to take over the Justice League and the entire world? Oliver's dialogue was dry and hilarious as per usual, everyone seemed in character, plenty of good fights and mind games, and of course I loved seeing all of the Bat Family present from Cass to Alfred to Jason (featuring Babs/Dick banter, even!).
Overall, this is just an easy and well executed event to drop into and enjoy without a spreadsheet of what you need to read first. Good re-read potential too due to a last minute bomb dropped in the final pages. Go get it.
Overall, this is just an easy and well executed event to drop into and enjoy without a spreadsheet of what you need to read first. Good re-read potential too due to a last minute bomb dropped in the final pages. Go get it.
December 16, 2024
what a wild ride
March 8, 2024
Fun!
It is a bit off-putting just how many of our beloved heroes meet an unceremonious end in this book, and - I'll say it - Batman's kind of an idiot this time around. But, the art is pretty solid, and I had a good time. It's DC vs. Vampires, after all - what you see is pretty much what you get, and that isn't a bad thing in this case.
It is a bit off-putting just how many of our beloved heroes meet an unceremonious end in this book, and - I'll say it - Batman's kind of an idiot this time around. But, the art is pretty solid, and I had a good time. It's DC vs. Vampires, after all - what you see is pretty much what you get, and that isn't a bad thing in this case.
January 14, 2023
Anticlimactic, to say the least. You don't need to turn every good comic into a cash cow, DC.
November 17, 2022
story is OK at best, art is really fun though. I mean the title says it all, its not much more deep than that. Panels and fights are enjoyable so I liked that but the story is just boring.
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