Finding Art in Strange Places

Many people look down upon comic books as a pedestrian past-time. They are a means for proles to while away their days and nights because they don’t have the intellectual capacity to read a novel without pictures.

Years ago I would have agreed, but then my outlook started to change and I realized that art could appear anywhere. From painting, novels, and film to comic books, TV shows, and video games.

Still, until recently I stayed away from comic books besides the occasional graphic novel. I completely avoided superhero comics. I never looked down upon them, I just thought that my time was better spent elsewhere. A few days ago something took over me and I started to read up on comics and graphic novels. With and without superheroes.

Wow, boy was I surprised. I think I have been ignoring a whole wondrous world of story, imagery, and emotion that deals with many important themes. I did not know that the comic book industry was so mature. And I don’t mean gore and sex. When I say mature I mean that the art has developed to such a point that it can handle subtlety and satire, multi-layered storytelling and over-the-top campiness all at once. Just like film!

I have read a few things in the past few days, but the highlight in my eyes has been the Batman & Dracula trilogy. In the 90’s, Doug Moench wrote three books for the Elseworlds series. This series involved taking familiar characters and putting them in completely unfamiliar “what-if” situations.

Dracula and Batman is a good “what-if” combination, because both characters have the same dark edge. The first book in the series, Red Rain, tells the story of Dracula arriving in Gotham City in order to create an army of undead vampires below the city. Batman is recruited by a gang of “good” vampires who have been battling Dracula for hundreds of years. In the process, he is turned into a vampire because it was the only way for him to be powerful enough to defeat Dracula.

The second book, Bloodstorm, continues Batmans transformation. He now has to battle with his inner drive to drink blood. While he refrains from it he does not suffer any of the usual vampire handicaps (crosses, sunlight, etc.), but the drive to do it is getting stronger every day. Things get tougher when Batman needs to use all his strength to stop the remnants of the undead army. They have found a new leader in the Joker, and his maniacal plan may win if Batman can’t hold back his craving for blood.

The third and final volume, Crimson Mist, shows what happens when Batman can no longer hold back. He is turned into what he hates most. When a group of super-villians run rampant in Gotham, Batman uses his new found bloodlust for good, but what happens when all the bad guys are gone?

The transformation of Batman from weary superhero to all-powerful unstoppable vampire is a great arc for a story. You can really feel him struggling to remain human in the face of this power and the price it comes with. You can see the transformation he goes through in the three panels to the right. The art is dynamic, and it really brings across the torment and darkness in the story.

Batman is such a human character, and that is why he is my favorite superhero at the moment. You can understand why he does things, even if the story involves vampirism and were-cats.

To sum it up, you can definitely find art in strange places. I’m very glad I read this trilogy, and I plan on reading comics more often. Being new to this, I would love any recommendations. Let me know if you have any. In the meantime, I’ll explore this vast new world of art and post reviews when I find something as dynamic and interesting as Batman & Dracula.