Action Comics Annual #1 (1987)
Action Comics Annual #1 (1987)
Batman is investigating some vampire attacks in Gotham City that lead him to a small town in South Carolina. There, he comes across a mob of angry people looking for the vampire – so when they see this dude dressed like a giant bat, they go “eh, close enough” and try to kill him. Batman escapes the mob but quickly realizes he’s way over his head on this one, so he calls Clark Kent at the Daily Planet to request Superman’s assistance. To prove it’s really Batman and not some radio DJ doing a prank (as if his voice wasn’t enough), Batman mentions the time he and Superman teamed up to fight Magpie. Wasn’t that on the news or something, though? I’d think that would show up on the news.
After reminding the reader that he doesn’t get along with Batman, Superman flies over to help him anyway. Meanwhile, Batman has an encounter with the vampire, who is actually an attractive ample-bossomed young lady named Skeeter. At first Skeeter thinks Batman is another vampire who came there to help her (a common misunderstanding, apparently), but then she realizes he’s not and throws Batman into some quicksand, leaving him for dead. Superman has a fight with Skeeter, who can actually hurt him because she’s magic, but Batman shows up at the last second and impales her. And yes, he paraphrases Mark Twain when telling Skeeter he wasn’t really dead, because what superhero wouldn’t?
Plotline-Watch:
Superman Hates Batman: I’m not clear on why Batman called Superman for help and not, like, The Flash or something (he’s listed in the phonebook and could get there in -1 seconds), but whatever. Now Batman owes Superman one, and he’ll cash in that favor right away in the next issue of Action.
WTF-Watch:
Why does Skeeter have a picture of Mr. Peanut in her shirt? That always bugged me as a kid. Do vampires like snack foods? Is Mr. Peanut himself a vampire? That would explain so much. However, it took me a while to notice him while re-reading this as an adult, for some reason.
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