Batman is easily the most popular superhero in comics, and has attracted a large and diverse array of creators with distinctive takes on the character. Yet there is one question that comics come back to time and time again since The Dark Knight was introduced in 1939: what would happen if Batman faced a vampire? Any superhero that dresses up like a bat and stalks his prey at night is guaranteed to invite comparison to those blood sucking ghouls.

RELATED: 10 Best Original Batman: Black & White Stories

The "Batman vs a vampire" concept has inspired a wide range of comics, from nihilistic stories set in supernatural versions of Gotham city to epic superhero sagas and noir drenched murder mysteries. Batman tends to focus on more mundane, street-level foes, but that doesn't mean he hasn't tussled with his fair share of magical villains over the years.

10 Batman Faces Off Against The Vampire Justice League In DC Vs Vampires

Writer James Tynion IV will wrap up his over-a-decade long association with the Dark Knight with the out of continuity miniseries DC vs Vampires. The comic is co-written by Mathew Rosenberg and penciled by Otto Schmidt. It begins by resurrecting Mary Queen of Blood and Andrew Bennet, stars of the I-Vampire comics, and proceeds to have their vampire plague spread across the DC universe.

DC vs Vampires relishes in turning iconic DC superheroes into vampires, then having them face off against their former allies. The series is still ongoing, but the first half alone earns its place in the Batman/vampire hall of fame.

9 The Batman Strikes! Delivered A Worthy Prelude To Batman Vs Dracula

The Batman Strikes 15

The Batman Strikes! was a comic tie in to the Cartoon Network program, The Batman, which aired in the early 2000s. Although the animated series is often overlooked, its direct-to-video spinoff, Batman vs Dracula, is highly regarded.

RELATED: Batman: 10 Best Mad Hatter Comics

In The Batman Strikes! #15, writer Mathew K Manning plots a short prequel to that animated movie, which depicts Wayne Manor being haunted by a vampiric apparition. Most notably, the comic features the art of Wes Craig, who would go on to co-create the hit comic Deadly Class. Despite being forced to work within the style of The Batman, Craig's visual flair shines in this comic.

8 Horror Comics Maestro Gene Colan Made Batman Fighting Vampires Look Great In Batman #351

Gene Colan Batman Vampire

The vampire menace the Mad Monk was one of Batman's earliest rogues. The character was reintroduced in 1982 in the pages of Batman #346-351 and Detective Comics #511-517, written by Gerry Conway. These issues slowly built up to Batman's confrontation with his vampire nemesis, beginning with the introduction of Dala, the Mad Monk's partner in crime.

The story gets a bit wierd as Dala seduces Dick Grayson, and there's a temporary love triangle between Dick, Bruce Wayne, and Vicki Vale. It all pays off in Batman #351 when the Dark Knight is briefly transformed into a vampire. The sequence was gorgeously realized by artist Gene Colan, who first made his mark on Marvel's Tomb of Dracula comics.

7 Superman & Batman Vs Vampires & Werewolves Is The Comic That Has Everything

Superma & Batman Vs Vampires & Werewolves

The six issue limited series Superman & Batman vs Vampires & Werewolves does exactly what it promises in the title. The comic was written by Kevin VanHook, director of the cult horror film Slayer, and illustrated by Tom Mandrake. The story begins when vampires and werewolves infiltrate Gotham City and even Superman's appearance isn't enough to quell the threat.

The expansive comic brings in guest stars from around the DC Universe, including Green Arrow, Wonder Woman and Etrigan the Demon. Although the story isn't particularly subversive or narratively complex, it delivers plenty of action, horrific gore, and epic moments, thus living up to its excellent title.

6 The Mad Monk Was An OG Batman Villain From Batman Versus The Vampire

Detective Comics #31-32, coming just a couple of months after Batman's debut in issue 27, produced Batman's very first confrontation with a vampire. This mystery story introduces the Mad Monk and Dala and takes a few cues from Bram Stroker's Dracula. The comic was written Gardner Fox and the art was credited to Batman co-creator Bob Kane.

RELATED: 10 Best Things About Batman & Catwoman's Relationship

This version of Batman that appears in this two part story, Batman Versus The Vampire, might surprise modern Batman fans. He's certainly a lot more aggressive, and even chases the Mad Monk to Hungary to exact vengeance for an attack on his girlfriend.

5 Batman & Alfred Stayed At A Bed N' Breakfast Run By Dracula In Detective Comics #455

Batman Heart Of A Vampire Christopher Lee

In this delightful story from Detective Comics #455, Bruce Wayne and his trusty butler Alfred Pennyworth experience some car engine troubles while driving through a particularly eerie and remote area. The duo decide to rest for the night at a nearby house, occupied by a strange landlord that shares more than a passing resemblance to Christopher Lee.

Elliot S! Maggin delivered a script that wears the influence of Hammer Horror Films on its sleeves, borrowing their sense of atmosphere and economical storytelling. Meanwhile, artist Mike Grell brilliantly captures the visual aesthetic of those iconic British films, especially with his adaptation of Lee's Dracula.

4 Stories Was A Loving Homage To The Legends Of The Dark Knight

Legends of the Dark Knight was a Batman ongoing series published in the 90s, each story arc featured a new creative team. This resulted in classic Batman comics like Going Sane and Venom. Stories, was a "done-in-one" story published in issue 94, by writer-artist Micheal T. Gilbert.

It depicts a group of hostages describing various accounts of their previous interactions with Batman. Gilbert uses the conceit to traverse around Batman's visual history, from the Silver Age to the 90s. The opening account is a playful retelling of the original Mad Monk story, although the entire issue subtly suggests that Batman himself may be a vampire.

3 Batman The Vampire Trilogy Was A Comic With Serious Stakes

DC Comics' Batman as a vampire from Red Rain

For all the jokes about vampires, Batman, and Robert Pattinson, very few comics have actually seriously explored what would happen if Batman became a vampire. DC Elseworlds: Batman: The Vampire Trilogy was the rare exception to that rule. The saga begins with Batman/Dracula: Red Rain, in which the Dark Knight is confronted by the original vampire and eventually joins the ranks of the bloodthirsty undead.

Writer Doug Moench and artist Kelley Jones had a memorable collaboration on the mainstream Batman title, but when freed from the constraints of continuity, they concocted a truly grim and nihilistic Dark Knight tale. Jones' expressionistic, shadow heavy artwork is tailor-made for horror and relishes in all the gory details the story provides.

2 Man-Bat Made A Great Vampire Batman In Justice League: Gods

Batman: The Animated Series co-creator Bruce Timm conceived the surprise hit animated feature Justice League: God & Monsters which starred villainous counterparts for DC's main trinity of superheroes, Superman (General Zod), Wonder Woman (Bekka) and Batman (Dr. Kirk Langstrom aka Man-Bat). In this universe, Langstrom wasn't just Batman, but also a super serum enhanced vampire.

RELATED: 10 Best Things About Joshua Williamson's Batman Run

Timm teamed up with co-writer J.M. Dematties and artist Mathew Don Smith for Gods & Monsters: Batman, a tie-in comic that focuses on this alternate version of Batman. The comic uses this unique set up to remix Batman's iconic origin in surprising ways that fully exploit the vampire angle.

1 Batman & The Mad Monk Turned A Classic Story Into An Epic Horror-Mystery

Batman and the Mad Monk

Writer-Artist Matt Wagner's limited series Batman & The Mad Monk is easily the greatest Batman/vampire story ever published. The comic is actually a reboot of the original Mad Monk story from Detective Comics #31, but set in the aftermath of Frank Miller and David Mauzzucchelli's classic Batman: Year One.

Mad Monk is a detective mystery in the style of a 40s noir, a horror story in the style of classic Universal monster films, and a throwback to the aesthetic of Golden Age Batman comics. Wagner also resurrected Batman's original love interest Julie Madison and finally made her more than a superficial supporting character. Finally, the Mad Monk was given a modern makeover that helped cement this story as the best Batman vs a vampire tale ever told.

NEXT: The 10 Best DC: The New 52 Comic Runs