Batman Is An Actual VAMPIRE in The Astro City | Screen Rant – Screen Rant

Despite having no real superpowers, Batman has spent a lot of effort cultivating an almost supernatural reputation, causing even some heroes who know him to wonder if hes something more than human. Aside from some Elseworlds stories and temporary brushes with metahuman abilities, Bruce Wayne remains a mortal man, but what if he wasn't?

What if the rumors surrounding Batman were actually true, and The Dark Knight was a supernatural creature of the night? Remarkably, acclaimed comic book writer Kurt Busiek actually explored these possibilities in his creator-owned comic book Astro City for the award-winning story arc Confessions.

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For those not familiar with Busieks fan-favorite comic book, Astro City explores the world of superheroes from multiple unique perspectives. Each issue of the series delves into a universe as rich and varied as the Marvel or DC Universes, with characters who take inspiration from the better-known superheroes (for instance, Astro Citys greatest champion is an incredibly powerful being who flies around in a red and blue suit and calls himself Samaritan).

Rather than tell all the stories of these heroes from their point of view, however, some issues let readers view the world through the eyes of a civilian who lost a loved one in a superhero battle, a criminal hungry for recognition, or even a cartoon lion who has to adjust to life among humans after being brought to life by a mad scientists invention. Such offbeat stories keep old comic book tropes fresh and interesting thanks to the way Busiek can explore them.

When it came time to introduce readers to Astro Citys version of Batman, however, Busiek came up with a very unique approach by introducing his audience to Brian Kinney, a teenager who moves to Astro City and begins frequenting superhero hangouts including a bar where old-time heroes share drinks and an exclusive club where wealthier heroes enjoy high-end parties. When Brian is attacked by a supervillain who crashes one of these parties, however, he uses his martial arts skills to take the crook down, revealing hes actually interested in having one of the heroes take him on as a sidekick.

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And he gets his wish that night, the Confessor, a mysterious figure cloaked in pitch black priest robes and a mask, approaches Brian and makes him his partner, Altar Boy. Sounds silly, but the story plays it all straight as the Confessor refines Brians combat skills, drills him in crime investigation techniques, and takes him out on regular patrols. Initially, this is all great fun for Brian, who hopes to become a superhero and gain the respect he feels his father a good-hearted doctor who died broke after treating too many patients for free never received.

Over time, however, Brian starts noticing strange things about his mentor like the way he only appears at night, seems capable of vanishing at will, and is apparently capable of mesmerizing crooks with a glance. Although Brian asks the Confessor to tell him the truth about himself, the enigmatic hero only taunts Brian and tells him to use the deductive skills hes been learning to find the answers out for himself.

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Brian soon finds himself embroiled in additional mysteries, however, when the citys heroes begin apparently committing crimes, turning the local politicians and public sentiment against them. Simultaneously, a mysterious serial killer with possibly supernatural powers begins slaughtering innocent people in Shadow Hill, Astro Citys more mystical locale. Troubled, Brian investigates and discovers that the Confessor is a vampire but that he is not behind the murders as some people suspect.

Congratulating Brian on his deduction, the Confessor reveals that he was a former priest who was bitten and transformed by a vampire who had arrived long before Astro City was even built. After decades of self-loathing, the priest learned of the existence of superheroes and decided to adopt such an identity himself even wearing a large cross on his chest to intentionally cause him pain and keep his mind off his bloodlust. While the Confessor claims he took Brian as a partner to fulfill his priestly duty to teach, Brian suspects his partner also wanted a confidant after so many years of isolation.

Tragically, after just days of sharing his history with Brian, the Confessor dies exposing an alien plot to replace key politicians and turn the public against superheroes to aid in an invasion. Even worse, his vampire identity is exposed and the public believes he was the Shadow Hills killer. Although frustrated by how the public chooses to tarnish his friends reputation, Brian realizes that the Confessor much like his own father chose to place what was right over how he was perceived by others. Inspired, Brian continues training and four years later, takes on the mantle of a new Confessor in honor of his mentor.

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More than a mere re-imagining of the Batman and Robin story, Confession delves deep into the true nature of heroism and the responsibility of superheroes. While Brian came to Astro City with the hopes of becoming a superhero the public would admire and respect, his experiences with the Confessor teach him that public sentiment can change very quickly, making the strength to do whats right in difficult times all the more important.

When Brian considers quitting the hero life after the people he tries to protect throw garbage at him, the Confessor quietly asks if they do what they do so that people are appropriately grateful to them, or because it is the right thing to do. His observation reflects the dilemma of heroes like Batman, Spider-Man, and the X-Men (who are regularly villainized when the general public needs an easy target to blame for their problems) and makes the reader question what real heroes have to go through when they arent so celebrated.

Moreover, the Confessors own approach to heroics is unique among superheroes where Batman uses his bat symbol as a way to strike fear into the criminals he goes after, the Confessors cross symbol turns that fear and pain inward, reminding the vampire of the sin that led him to his role. Constantly reminded of his monstrous identity, the Confessor still strives to be a better person and lead by example.

By the end, Brian has followed the Confessors example by taking up his mantle knowing that he will be hated and feared by the public who know about the originals vampiric identity. However, he embraces this as well realizing that criminals will come at the now-human Confessor with garlic, holy water, and crosses instead of guns and knives, making Brians job easier. Its a surprisingly uplifting end to a dark take on the Batman legend, but typical for the type of stories told through Astro City.

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Michael Jung is a mild-mannered freelance writer-for-hire, actor, and professional storyteller with a keen interest in pop culture, education, nonprofit organizations, and unusual side hustles. His work has been featured in Screen Rant, ASU Now, Sell Books Fast, Study.com, and Free Arts among others. A graduate of Arizona State University with a PhD in 20th Century American Literature, Michael has written novels, short stories, stage plays, screenplays, and how-to manuals.

Michaels background in storytelling draws him to find the most fascinating aspects of any topic and transform them into a narrative that informs and entertains the reader. Thanks to a life spent immersed in comic books and movies, Michael is always ready to infuse his articles with offbeat bits of trivia for an extra layer of fun. In his spare time, you can find him entertaining kids as Spider-Man or Darth Vader at birthday parties or scaring the heck out of them at haunted houses.

Visit Michael Jungs website for information on how to hire him, follow him on Twitter Michael50834213, or contact him directly: michael(at)michaeljungwriter(dot)com.

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