Batman finally proved he’s stronger than Dracula in an Elseworlds trilogy

Fans wondering if Batman was strong enough to beat Dracula finally got their answer in 1991’s Red Rain, but its dark ending led to some of DC’s most haunting Elseworlds tales.

With Halloween upon us, the time has come yet again for comic book fans to weigh in on their spookiest character match-ups. This inevitably winds up becoming a lengthy list of Batman fan fights. 

It shouldn’t come as a surprise. Batman in official live-action hasn’t had many crossovers, but fan films and productions like Superhero Beatdown have pitted him against everyone from Darth Vader to the Predator. 

In the comics, Batman has had some of the most haunting crossovers, crossing paths with the likes of Alien’s Xenomorphs, Judge Dredd, and even Spawn. But for something a little more classic in the Halloween season, there’s always the seminal Elseworlds Vampire trilogy. 

In Elseworlds, Batman defeats Dracula but loses himself

The trilogy of books has a number of names – Red Rain trilogy, Batman & Dracula trilogy, etc. Most commonly, the books are known as the Vampire trilogy, a series of Elseworlds stories that pit Batman against the horrors of the night. And, of course, if Batman’s fighting a horrific vampire, the gold standard is Dracula himself.

The original story, Batman & Dracula: Red Rain, finally definitively answers the question, “Could Batman beat Dracula?” The answer, it turns out, is yes, Batman is stronger than Dracula and can beat him – but not without losing everything. 

The book begins with Batman receiving something of a power upgrade from Tanya, a rogue vampire who wishes to help him overthrow Dracula. The enhanced powers allow Batman to defeat vampires, but he doesn’t lose himself to the vampire’s curse as he’s not actually dead. 

That changes in the fight with Dracula, though. Moving in for the killing blow opens up Batman to Dracula’s bite, which drains his last remaining blood – and his final vestiges of humanity. Red Rain ends with Batman fully embracing his new life as a creature of the night, Bruce Wayne all but dead. 

Batman’s vampire adventure becomes a haunting trilogy

Red Rain is an iconic but dark Elseworlds tale. The follow-up stories, however, are even darker.

Batman: Bloodstorm presents a Batman who cannot control his bloodlust. In a final encounter with Joker, Batman drains his blood and stakes him so he cannot become a vampire. However, the Joker’s blood inspires a dark, murderous impulse in the Dark Knight, and he pleads with Alfred to stake him so he cannot kill again. 

The final installment, Batman: Crimson Mist, sees Alfred try to revive Batman to save a Gotham that is falling apart without him. However, years of decaying while stakes have driven him mad. Alfred and Commissioner Gordon reluctantly team up with Two-Face and Killer Croc, but in the end, all four are dead as Batman steps into the sunlight, allowing himself to die and hope for a final peace. 

Though the trilogy is well over 30 years old at this point, it remains a popular story. The juxtaposition of Batman with vampires just plain makes sense, and the surreal artwork of Kelley Jones has resulted in some of the most terrifying and iconic Batman imagery ever put on paper. It’s surreal that it all came out of trying to answer if Batman could beat Dracula. 

Batman & Dracula: Red Rain is available to read on DC Universe Infinite and makes perfect reading for the spookiest time of the year. For more Batman and comic book news, be sure to follow all our coverage.