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VampGirl's Previous Featured Books: Page Eight 2001
 Batman : Bloodstorm : Doug Moench & Kelley Jones
"I think Bloodstorm is probably one of the most popular Elseworlds titles, as evidenced by the two sequels that have resulted from it. I am glad the Bat-fans have enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed doing it, and I suggest everyone gives it a try. It just may change the way you look at comics!" - Doug Moench
'Batman :Bloodstorm' is the sequel to 'Red Rain' and I really could not review the first graphic novel without reviewing this one too. Again written by Doug Moench and beautifully illustrated by Kelley Jones, this is a cleverly plotted, enjoyable follow-up which introduces more familiar faces from the regular Batman series: notably that of the Joker and Catwoman. The Joker arrives shortly after the demise of Dracula and sets about his plan to make himself 'Lord of the Undead' by taking over the remaining members of Dracula's legion of vampires and converting Gotham's underworld into bloodsuckers.
With the introduction of Catwoman to the novel as Batman's sidekick (Robin does not feature in these novels) this seems a little more akin to the usual Batman style of comic were it not for the fact that Batman is now a vampire himself and is struggling with the facts of his existence and the bloodlust that it brings. This is an excellent continuance to the 'Elseworlds' series and is most definately worth purchasing alongside 'Red Rain'. Even if, like me, you don't normally read Batman comics you'll certainly find these two novels great fun to read.
 Batman vs Dracula : Red Rain : Doug Moench & Kelley Jones
"In Elseworlds, Heroes are taken from their usual settings and put into strange times and places - some that have existed, or might have existed, and others that can't, couldn't or shouldn't exist. The result is stories that make characters who are as familiar as yesterday seem as fresh as tomorrow."
Although not a fan of the Batman series, I was thoroughly intrigued when I saw this graphic novel when it came out in the UK. Written by Doug Moench and illustrated by Kelley Jones, whose work I'd previously seen in my favourite 'Sandman' comics by Neil Gaiman, 'Batman vs Dracula : Red Rain' is an irrestible gothic-horror novel with an excellent, literate and well-planned script that I found extremely entertaining to read. The premise of the story is simple and quite traditional in literary vampire tales, but when coupled with the modern/futuristic style of the Batman comic and the grotesque, decrepit grandery of Gotham City, the story becomes fresh and exciting. Dracula himself has come to Gotham and begins to populate the streets with homeless vampires in an attempt to create a hellish kingdom that he can rule over as Lord of the Undead. Of course, only Batman is capable of stopping him achieve this evil dominion, but he will not be strong enough unless he allies himself with a group of vampire renegades in order to defeat Dracula in a duel to the death.
The first edition of 'Batman vs Dracula : Red Rain' was so hugely popular with fans that it was actually out-of-print within the first month of its release. Even if you have never read a graphic novel, or even a Batman one for that matter, I have to thoroughly recommend that you purchase a copy of this one.
VampGirl's Previous Featured Books: 2002| Page One | The Beast Within
: Ed. Stewart Wieck
Tall, Dark and Gruesome
: Christopher Lee
The Mammoth Book of Dracula : Ed. Stephen Jones
Pandora : Anne Rice |
| Page Two | The Complete Idiot's Guide to Vampires
: Jay Stevenson, Ph.D.
Buffy The Vampire Slayer Pop Quiz
: Cynthia Boris
The Queen of the Damned : Anne Rice |
| Page Three | The Vampyre : And Other Tales of the Macabre
: Ed. Robert Morrison & Chris Baldick
The Mammoth Book of Vampire Stories by Women : Ed. Stephen Jones
The Vampire Encyclopedia : Matthew Bunson |
| Page Four | Lost Souls
: Poppy Z. Brite
The Keep : F. Paul Wilson
Mina's Journal : Kimberley Zagoren |
VampGirl's Previous Featured Books: 2001| Page One | Dracula the Undead : Freda Warrington
Salem's Lot : Stephen King | | Page Two | The Vampyre: A secret history of Lord Byron : Tom Holland
Sunglasses After Dark : Nancy A. Collins
Love in Vein : Ed by Poppy Z. Brite | | Page Three | In Search of Dracula : Raymond T. McNally & Prof. Radu Florescu
Dracula : Bram Stoker
Lord of the Vampires : Jeanne Kalogrides
The Secret Life of Laszlo, Count Dracula : Roderick Anscombe | | Page Four | Sins of the Blood : Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Rulers of Darkness : Steven Spruill
Guilty Pleasures : Laurell K. Hamilton |
| Page Five | The Illustrated Vampire Movie Guide : Stephen Jones
This Dark Paradise : Wendy Haley
Interview with the Vampire : Anne Rice |
| Page Six | The Vampire Book : J. Gordon Melton
Bad Dreams : Kim Newman
Vampire World I: Blood Brothers : Brian Lumley |
| Page Seven | Sips of Blood : Mary Ann Mitchell
The World on Blood : Jonathan Nasaw
Vampire : The Masquerade : White Wolf Publishing
Ravenloft: Vampire of the Mists : Christie Golden |
| Page Eight | Batman : Bloodstorm : Doug Moench & Kelley Jones
Batman vs Dracula : Red Rain : Doug Moench & Kelley Jones
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| Page Nine | The Penguin Book of Vampire Stories : Ed. Alan Ryan
Piercing The Darkness : Katherine Ramsland
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| Page Ten | Vampire$ : John Steakley
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Obsidian Fate : Diana G.Gallagher
The Deluxe Transitive Vampire : Karen Elizabeth Gordon
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