DC vs. Vampires has promised a war where heroes and villains will unite to face off against creatures of the night, with one character from The Suicide Squad already fighting with bloodthirsty monsters.
Otis Flannegan aka Ratcatcher has been an enemy of Batman since he first appeared in Detective Comics #585, possessing the ability to control rats and make them do anything he commands, including murder. In director James Gunn's The Suicide Squad, though Flanenegan never joins the squad himself, Ratcatcher's daughter -- Cleo Cazo, played by actor Daniela Melchior -- serves as a leading team member and the moral heart of the film. Award-winning actor/director Taika Waititi is also featured as the original Ratcatcher in the film. In a preview for DC vs. Vampires #3, the Batman villain is found fighting off a bloodsucker, and appears to be knowledgeable on the threat that the DC Universe faces in this Elseworld story.
DC vs. Vampires is set to be a twelve-issue series that explores what could happen if both heroes -- like Green Lantern Hal Jordan -- and villains were turned into fanged monsters, infiltrating the metahuman population to rule over and feast on humankind. So far, it seems only the Bat Family and Green Arrow are aware of the threat posed to the world, with Batgirl (Barbara Gordon) and Nightwing seen patrolling Gotham City for vamps in the issue and finding one that Ratcatcher tries to take on. At one point, Ratcatcher even interrupts the couple from flirting by revealing that he too knows about the massive undead threat lurking in the shadows, which he feels they should be focusing on.
The villain's appearance here is a little more lighthearted than he has been seen in recent comics. In the current miniseries Arkham City: The Order of the World, Flannegan appears as a cannibal ready to eat a child by hiding under their bed -- and that was without the villain being a vampire. As mentioned by Andrew Bennett in DC vs Vampires #1, "what's coming will turn friends into foes and make allies of our enemies," but it is unclear at this time if Ratcatcher may appear more in the issue or series altogether.
Another plot point explored in the preview is the death of the Flash (Barry Allen), who was killed by his best friend Hal Jordan under vampiric orders. Jordan also killed the Wonder Twin Zan, whose sister Jayna appears to discuss his disappearance with Batman towards the end of the preview. The released pages and solicitation for the upcoming issue can be found below.
DC VS. VAMPIRES #3
- Written by JAMES TYNION IV
- and MATTHEW ROSENBERG
- Art and cover by OTTO SCHMIDT
- Variant cover by FRANCESCO MATTINA
- $3.99 US | 32 pages | 3 of 12 | $4.99 US Variant (Card stock)
- ON SALE 12/28/21
- Vampires are hunting on the streets of Gotham City as the coming undead plague makes its first move. Batman’s investigation into the disappearance of Andrew Bennett takes him into the sewers beneath the Hall of Justice, where he makes a stunning discovery! And the fall of another hero means the war for Earth has begun!
DC vs. Vampires #3 is written by James Tynion IV and Matthew Rosenberg, with colors and art by Otto Schmidt. Letters were done by Tom Napolitano, with a variant cover by Francesco Mattina. The issue goes on sale Dec. 28 from DC Comics.
Source: DC Comics