Halloween season always provides reminders of the various creatures permeating popular culture, but you don't need the spook-filled holiday to raise awareness for vampires—thanks to shows like "True Blood" and the blockbuster "Twilight" franchise, everybody and their grandmother are well aware of the blood-sucking menace.
What some might not be as aware of is the multitude of both terrifying and terrific vampire characters within the comic book pantheon. There are so many compelling vampires on the paneled page, in fact, that I can only list a handful of my favorites.
Check out five of my personal favorite comic book vampires, then check back in with us in the comments for some of yours!
BLADE
Normally, I wouldn't look too kindly upon a self-loathing vampire—flaunt it if you've got it, as they say—but Blade the Vampire Hunter makes self-loathing look pretty awesome.
This half-human half-vampire hates his sorta-fellow bloodsuckers so much that he's dedicated his entire life to their eradication, which has yielded several comic books, three movies and even a potential spin-off franchise filled with action-packed, vampire-slaying fun for the whole family—except for the kids under 18, that is.
CASSIDYNot only is Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon's "Preacher" one of my very favorite comic books, it also contains one of my favorite vampires to boot—none other than the hard-drinking Irish vampire, Cassidy.
True enough, Cassidy has his flaws: he has betrayed several "best friends" over the years due to alcohol and drug-induced debauchery and has taken more than a few bites out of human beings with varying degrees of innocence, among other grievances. Still, Cassidy's dialogue and tragic story make him one of the most compelling comic book characters of all time—just don't call him Proinsias.
MORBIUS
Vampires and Spider-Man might not seem the most natural of pairings, but you'd be surprised at how well the two get along—or don't get along—in the form of Spidey's nemesis, Morbius the Living Vampire.
Rendered a bloodsucking creature of the night due to a science experiment gone wrong, Michael Morbius became one of Peter Parker's most fearsome foes, even if he eventually had heroic moments as well. While some fans are calling for Bruce Campbell as Mysterio in the upcoming "Spider-Man 4," I'm still holding out some hope that Morbius—a rumored contender for the "Spider-Man 4" villain—still finds his way to the big screen.
VICENTE
Although he wasn't included in the movie adaptation, Vicente is the true vampire to beat when it comes to "30 Days of Night," the horror comic book series from writer Steve Niles and artist Ben Templesmith.
For all of its successes, the "30 Days of Night" film failed to incorporate one of the best moments from the comic book when Vicente travels to Barrow, Alaska to teach the out-of-control vampires a lesson about discretion—a lesson that involves the very public and very bloody mutilation of then-leader Marlow, played in the film by Danny Huston.
ZECHARIAH
If Gary Hampton, the main character in Robert Kirkman's "The Astounding Wolf-Man," is one of the most misunderstood monsters in comic books, then century-old vampire Zechariah is about as blatantly bad as it gets.
Between conspiring to convert humanity into a vampire nation under his dominion and training Wolf-Man to become an unwitting participant in said conspiracy—not to mention brutally murdering Wolf-Man's wife—Zechariah is absolutely deserving of a horrific ending when "The Astounding Wolf-Man" concludes next year, but that doesn't make the character any less compelling by my standards.
Who are some of your favorite comic book vampires? Let us know in the comments section or on Twitter!
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