Cursed by Dracula's kiss and the Joker's foul blood, I am beyond redemption, and soon to pass beyond caring. 
Batman: Crimson Mist is a one-shot with a cover date of February, 1999. It was published on December 9, 1998.
Synopsis for "Crimson Mist"
In the wake of the vampire Batman's death, Gotham City becomes overrun by a variety of "freaks", including the Scarecrow, Killer Croc, and the recently-maddened Harvey Dent. In desperation, Alfred removes the wooden stake from Batman's heart, returning the undead Dark Knight to "life". To his dismay, Batman has been driven insane after spending months impaled in his coffin, conscious but immobile; upon being revived, he proclaims that he has become nothing more than another monster hungry for blood.
As days pass, the vampire Batman gruesomely drinks the blood of and then kills by decapitation most of the "freaks" plaguing Gotham, going so far as to slay every inmate inside Arkham Asylum. In order to fight this new menace, Gordon and Alfred are forced to join forces with the only remaining criminals: Croc, Dent (now calling himself "Two-Face"), and a small band of Dent's henchmen. The group then lures Batman into the deepest depths of the Batcave, armed with oak-bolt crossbows. Their ultimate goal is drive him into an area laden with explosives and then set them off, which will expose the cave - and Batman - to sunlight.
Once Batman appears to have been slain, however, the other members of the party turn on Gordon and Alfred. A chase through the caves ensues, and while Gordon surreptitiously kills Two-Face's henchmen with his remaining bolts, Alfred finds his master at the edge of a cliff - wounded, but not dead. Refusing to abandon either of his friends, Alfred volunteers his blood and his life so that Batman can regain his strength and save Gordon. After accepting Alfred's sacrifice (and decapitating him so that he will not return as a vampire), Batman kills Croc and Two-Face, before starting to succumb to his bloodlust again.
Hysterical, Batman presents Gordon with an ultimatum: join him in his bloodlust and doom the human race to an early extinction, or kill him so that he may never threaten mankind again. An anguished Gordon chooses the latter, setting off the explosives. Despite Batman's pleadings to run, however, the explosives trigger a rockslide that trap Gordon inside the cave, ultimately crushing him. As he silently grieves over the deaths of his two closest friends, a melancholy Batman allows the Sun to disintegrate him into dust, and usher him into eternal rest at last.
Appearing in "Crimson Mist"
Featured Characters:
- Batman (Dies)
Supporting Characters:
- Alfred Pennyworth (Dies)
- Commissioner Gordon (Dies)
Antagonists:
- Amygdala (Dies)
- Black Mask (Dies)
- False Face Society (Dies)
- Killer Croc (Dies)
- Mad Hatter (Dies)
- Penguin (Dies)
- Poison Ivy (Dies)
- Riddler (Dies)
- Scarecrow (Dies)
- Two-Face (Dies)
- Zsasz (Dies)
Other Characters:
- Ariane
- Catwoman (Flashback only)
- Jeremiah Arkham
- Thomas Wayne (Mentioned only)
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Notes
- This book was originally scheduled for November 18, 1998, but was delayed.[1]
- This is the third and final volume of what became the Batman - Vampire trilogy. The preceeding volumes were Batman and Dracula: Red Rain and Batman: Bloodstorm.
- This book was reprinted in Batman: Vampire and Elseworlds: Batman Vol. 2.
Trivia
- The phrase "crimson mist" can refer to the phenomenon of people having difficulty remembering their actions when in a state of rage. In this way, the title of the story gains a double meaning: it refers to Batman's hunger-induced madness, as well as the red mist form he takes to infiltrate villainous strongholds.
- Penciler Kelley Jones dedicated this book to the late Christopher Lee, one of the most iconic actors to ever portray Dracula.
