Crimson (comic book)

Publication history

The series debuted in 1998 and ran for twenty-four issues. The first seven issues were published as part of the Image Comics' Cliffhanger imprint of creator-owned comics and then the final seventeen at DC Comics' WildStorm imprint.

Also published were a Crimson Sourcebook special issue as well as a one-shot starring Scarlet X. Scarlet X - Blood on the Moon was set in Mexico and featured the origin of Joe the Indian.

Plot

Crimson revolves around a young man named Alex Elder who is attacked by a gang of vampires while out late with his friends. Bitten, Alex is saved by Ekimus, the last of an ancient race pre-dating humanity, who claims Alex is "The Chosen One". Alex becomes the first and last of his kind, gaining powers beyond that of a normal vampire, who is destined to bring the end to vampirekind. The series follows Alex as he adjusts to life as a vampire and shoulders the responsibilities of being a hero. The comic features not only vampires, but werewolves and other supernatural beings and elements, as well as Biblical themes and deities.

Main characters

• Alex Elder is the protagonist and a sixteen-year-old teenager who on a night out with friends is ambushed by a savage vampire gang. He is saved by Ekimus, who feeds Alex his blood and turns him into "The Chosen One": a vampire endowed with magical powers so as to destroy all other vampires, and who is chronicled to save the world from the coming apocalypse.
• Ekimus is a wise, repentant, and ancient being known as a "Grigori", who guides Alex in his new life as a vampire. He is known as the source of all vampirism throughout the world.
• Scarlet Thinbault X is a female operative and daughter of "The Order of the Red Hood", a family-led organisation dedicated to hunting and destroying demonic creatures. She befriends Alex and later becomes his love interest.
• José, nicknamed "Joe", is a Mexican Indian vampire who becomes Alex's street mentor and best friend.
• Lisseth is the main antagonist, and Ekimus' former lover. She is coined "The Mother of All Vampires", bent on bringing about the apocalypse and ruling all of creation.
• Victor Van Fleet is a U.S. senator and powerful vampire lord with aspirations for the presidency. He is allied with Lisseth.

Collected editions

The series has been collected by DC Comics into four trade paperbacks:

• Crimson:
  • Loyalty and Loss (collects #1–6, 160 pages, June 1999, )
  • Heaven & Earth (collects #7–12, 160 pages, February 2000, )
  • Earth Angel (collects #13–18, 160 pages, March 2001, )
  • Redemption (collects #19–24, 160 pages, October 2001, )

The whole series has also been collected in hardcover:

• The Complete Crimson (collects #1–24 as well as Crimson: Scarlett X Blood on the Moon, and the Crimson Sourcebook, 640 pages, August 2018, )

Other media

Toys

Palisades Toys released toys based on the series.

Notes