58-1 - The Batman vs. Dracula [Vampire Week]

Toonami Absolution’s Halloween special Vampire Week kicks off with Gotham’s Dark Knight facing the original creature of the night, and the Joker and the Penguin get dragged into it. This week on Toonami Absolution, Alyx, Jon, and Sam cover The Batman vs. Dracula (2005), the 83-minute direct-to-video film spun off from The Batman (2004–2008), and premiered on Toonami just days after its DVD release (which tells you how much faith everyone had in it). The Joker and the Penguin escape Arkham after hearing about treasure buried in Gotham Cemetery. While Batman chases the Joker, the Penguin opens the wrong crypt and cuts his hand. His blood drips onto a skeleton, and Dracula (Peter Stormare) wakes up. Dracula hypnotises the Penguin into servitude and starts feeding on Gotham’s citizens. He turns up at Bruce Wayne’s party as “Dr. Alucard”, a visiting anthropologist who claims to study Batman, and fixates on Vicki Vale as the vessel for his lost love Camilla Karnstein. Meanwhile, a bat-like figure preying on the city gets Batman himself blamed for the disappearances. Dracula offers Batman immortality and a place at his side. When Batman refuses, Dracula beats him badly. Batman has to treat vampirism like a disease and work on a cure while outnumbered, and the Joker ends up on the wrong side of it all. We discuss how this Batman handles the supernatural, if this film is actually scary (and thus works as a Halloween movie), and how The Batman compares to Batman: The Animated Series and similar projects. 🔔 Subscribe for our ongoing chronological watch-through of Toonami and Adult Swim history. 📌 Topics covered this episode: – The Batman vs. Dracula (2005) recap & review – Part of Toonami Absolution’s Vampire Week **** Toonami Absolution is a weekly podcast where Alyx, Jon, and Sam revisit the Toonami and Adult Swim shows that made them, and you, you. From the block's early days with shows like Space Ghost: Coast to Coast and Transformers: Beast Wars to the imported anime that made Toonami and Adult Swim appointment television for a generation of kids, such as Cowboy Bebop, Sailor Moon, and Dragon Ball. **** See more Toonami Absolution stuff (including the video version of the podcast) by checking out our Linktree! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.