Meet NOCTURNA - Batman's "Vampire" Girlfriend?

Casually Comic invites you to meet Nocturna a DC character with a colourful history and tenuous ties to vampirism...at least at the start. Watch Batman fall for one of his villains...again. Featuring the return of pre crisis on infinite earths ginger Jason Todd.
#casuallycomics #nocturna #dccomics #vampires #batman
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[@Swenglish]

Batman: "An original motive..." Penguin: *cries in self-entitled bird man*

[@Swenglish]

@@toshomni9478 Oh, you say that now, but he'll be turning heads at the ball.

[@PainMonkey]

Slinky cat burglar who flirts with Bruce to rob him blind? Turned white due to an industrial accident? They just combined Batman's two biggest love interests.

[@joeyjoey5393]

Bursted laughing 🤣

[@kstormgeistgem461]

... [confused] Catwoman and Joker?

[@mslightbulb]

kstormgeistgem yes.

[@andreworders7305]

Well, among other things, The LEGO Batman movie was a Rom-Com about Batman and the Joker

[@cassiedevereaux-smith3890]

**Talia al Ghul has entered the chat**

[@talentlesshack397]

🤣 "Batman also collects orphans"

[@dragowolf268]

Well there is his actual son

[@VerneditheSnail]

@@dragowolf268 And daughter Helena in Pre-Crisis.

[@mishthefish82]

And all/most at least once.

[@zxfullgrand2535]

Nightwing- if Solomon Grundy was his Father: gray Dick, son.

[@eastsidepeezy7514]

No bap he a steppa

[@bajan71683]

I don’t know why but when Sasha as Batman says, “Damn her, damn the night”, I break out into a laughing fit.

[@trevorwooten9485]

Her rendition and the fact that Batman probably wouldn't have said that.

[@thegrayshaws]

The "oh" of a co-worker that got more of an answer than he bargained for....that has definitely happened to me.

[@Luanna801]

I've never read a Nocturna comic in my life so I don't know if anyone went this route, but I feel like her origin has genuine potential and *could* be sympathetic, if they just leaned into the idea that her motivations aren't just "Ooh I want the shiny" but represent the lost life she had with her adoptive father, and her complicated feelings about him. From this origin story, we know that she had nothing, and then suddenly after Charles Knight adopted her, she didn't just have material wealth, but also stability and love for the first time. I think there's a lot you could play with psychologically with those things becoming inextricably linked on a subconscious level for an impressionable kid. Then suddenly her adoptive father is gone, and she loses all of it. On top of that, she learns that the man she loved and probably idealized for "saving" her wasn't who she thought he was, that all these wonderful changes in her life were built on crime. It not only makes her feel somehow complicit in her father's crimes because she enjoyed the wealth his crime brought her, it also makes the love and stability and happiness feel tainted. But if she admits that to herself, then she's truly lost everything. So instead she goes into overdrive denying that her father did anything wrong, and stepping into his shoes to continue his crime empire (or whatever). She'll do anything to maintain the life she once had, not just because she wants nice things, but because it's the only way she can hang onto that sense of stability, as well as her rose-colored image of her father. I think this interpretation also works with the fact that the whole Nocturna character feels kinda fake and over-the-top. Because in a sense, it's simply a persona she's putting on, the cool amoral femme fatale who isn't bothered by anything and only cares about glitter and glitz. Underneath it, there's the shattered orphan girl who lost everything and is desperately trying to maintain the fiction that she didn't.

[@drpac9164]

"It's a waste of a perfectly good storm off" That mental image made me laugh. Thanks for that, lol

[@ProfessorCrumBerries]

Nocturna definitely have some potential. NOT UNTIL CRISIS ruined it. Thanks DC! Actually i liked her being a poison ivy-esque character, she is really provocative against batman and she has no intentions of killing him somehow. Sadly i feel bad for pre-crisis natalia...

[@jongaulthero]

OMG! Who the hell wrote Nocturna's dialog??? Holy shit, that was awful!! Hearing her and Bruce "flirt" was physically painful! Who the hell talks like that?? It was like listening to a couple of goth theatre kids trying to hook up. Great vid, Sasha!

[@scribescholar]

"Elegant Night Crimes" sounds like late night Cinemax

[@CasuallyComics]

lol it really does, something with lots of saxophone.

[@joeyjoey5393]

@@CasuallyComics and jazz piano

[@ikecarr5989]

I'd watch it.

[@jrcarter9175]

Gotta slip in the word "erotic" somewere.

[@CHEESEPUFF_7]

An obscure Batman character I haven't heard of?! My God! I must watch this video.

[@mr.goodcat3025]

Nocturne, Poison ivy and Harley Quinn, on the Harley Quinn series would be perfect..... Just saying. Personal opinion.

[@HeroicNerd]

Isn't wanting nice things and then stealing them and also being romantically linked to Bruce a Catwoman thing?

[@travishimebaugh8381]

So basically albino vampire Catwoman with a slightly creepy relationship with Jason Todd

[@CountOrlok22]

"Batman: Mask of the Phantasm" is a masterpiece. I would love to see all the censored storylines and episodes from TAS done in a new show or a collection of short films.

[@agypsychild]

🤣”that’s the “oh” of a man who has just asked a question and got moved up to a level of colleague he was just not ready for”🤣 I was laughing so hard it took me 10 minutes to write this comment.

[@psiaura1]

IMO there was a lot of potential in Nocturna, but they shot themselves in the foot with inconsistent and weak characterisation. I do like that they established that she did have a good side (especially where Jason was concerned), and I like the angle that she is especially alluring to men of darkness like Bruce because she’s characterised as a sort of embodiment of the Night and all its elegance, and there’s all sorts of symbolism and character exploration you can do with that in theory. But her motivations are just… kinda bland, and she’s not really that compelling as a supervillain because her crimes, despite being ***elegant night crimes,*** didn’t have much to them. She just likes stealing nice stuff, or at least getting guys to steal it for her, and later she has a jealous ex that wants to kill her. At the very least I can say that the issues with her were entertaining because of how unrelentingly melodramatic she and the Nightslayer were literally all of the time, but purple prose about the beauty of the night alone does not an interesting story make.

[@Dougeb7]

Never encountered Nocturna in my spotty history of Batman consumption. She seems a like a character with great possibilities, but seriously underutilized. Regardless, your videos are always fun, whatever the focus. Thanks!

[@lionboi2]

Nocturna was a very hard sell on the part of DC, who wanted a fresh villainess love interest since Catwoman wasn't about to go straight with her Q rating so that relationship was a dead end. When Mayfair Games got the RPG rights to DC, Nocturna's entry for such a minor character in Batman's gallery was more filled out than the Joker's. There was a definite push on DC's part to render her as a major player despite not having the chops. One of those characters the publisher wanted more than the fans.

[@anthonywebb7890]

I like hearing you over explain things, you really care about comics. You make a difference. The people who are in to this hobby owe a debt of gratitude to you, keep it up honey!

[@thefoodstampsband3848]

She'd always been my favorite villain...especially in her hot air balloon!!! Fun fact: she was the model for Morganna Macabre from Darkwing Duck!

[@MolotovFolktales]

As someone who just ordered the KGBeast from Mezco and the Ten Nights of the Beast, I also remember the story-arc where she was going to adopt Jason Todd. Good pull from the longbox.

[@mslightbulb]

5:50 this reminds me of when 12 year old me wrote at the end of a character description “she, is a closed circle”. To this day I have no idea what it means. Ah, edgy preteen.

[@getpaidblackman9859]

Batman was like everybody catch this invite by mail whether there my girl or not.

[@lunamalfoy7]

I see your Cable and Deadpool in the background. I'm always up for some Cablepool videos...just saying.

[@Bolsonaro_em_Haia]

Batman #381 was one of the very first comics that I read in English. Pre-Crisis Nocturna feels to me like a tool for a Jason Todd plot. There is very little to the character that does not directly relate to Night-Slayer or Robin, and what there is is nearly undistinguishable from Catwoman on a day of little characterization. On the other hand, she is a very effective tool for making Jason and Bruce feel a bit more developed and convincing as characters. Interesting how Bruce Way used to be a better character than Batman before Frank Miller.

[@mercuryman1250]

Nice video. I'm glad you separate Pre-Crisis Earth-One characters from Post-Crisis and Prime Earth from each other. Modern readers and non comic book readers always think its always been one character for years. That annoys me

[@DrawnByLaserLove]

I can't get over with your batman voice, it's really distracting when I have to stop the video and laugh for half a minute every time batman speaks, I love it so much.

[@davidfountain6607]

The cover picture of them fighting under the stars has them on top of a star field projector in a planetarium, which is not something you'd want in an observatory. To observe the night sky, you want as little ambient light as possible.

[@juanm.rodriguezgallarzo9287]

Best Batman/Bruce Wayne voice ever...

[@maxalaintwo3578]

Kevin Conroy who?

[@blkbrdmntrvimes6438]

@@maxalaintwo3578 you mean the guy who guarantees that mark Hamill's voice will be the joker's?

[@TheLobstersoup]

I laughed, but I also thought she makes him sound like a sore Trump.

[@juanm.rodriguezgallarzo9287]

@@TheLobstersoup but way less orange.

[@maxalaintwo3578]

@@juanm.rodriguezgallarzo9287 what does orange sound like?

[@blackxjackal3486]

The gauntlet's been thrown. If you're known as "the Nightslayer" you're either a killer in a paper or killing it on the dance floors in bars, drinking people under the table, slaying the nightlife, as it were.

[@PuffyCloud_aka_puffeclaude]

Nightslayer is a supergroup consisting of Dave Lombardo(drums), Kerry King(guitar) and Jack Blades(bass/vocals). When they added Tommy Shaw they called it Damn Nightslayers.

[@GabePuratekuta]

And they fought Nightcat.

[@bebecranney8740]

She seems kind of cool and aesthetic but definitely not very sympathetic. I'd be interested in seeing how her character changed after that, though to be honest even though I know that its technically dumber I kind of like that the vampirific was less literal thought it sounded more original. Cool vid man

[@desmonddesjarlais2697]

Regardless of how dated it looks, this visual style gets me. I grew up reading my neighbours old books.

[@eugeneflorence4355]

I love the Sasha Batman voice. Hilarious as hell. If she did that more, I would like and subscribe.

[@Libertyfudge]

I love your Batman voice but I LOVE your Nocturna voice

[@d1p]

I was really on board with Nocturna's attempted reboot in the Tim Drake Robin era. I loved the psychic aura of drama she had. It was so much more interesting than just another vampire. I wish she had been recurring... as a villain in a series about Spoiler. She was an interesting foil to Stephanie, behaving a lot like how Bruce and Tim sometimes seemed to see Spoiler. However, in their interactions, it shows that Stephanie wasn't a vigilante for fun, but to help people, including Natalia AND the man who seemed to be trying to kill her.

[@jimgillespie6109]

I'm 3/4th's of the way through this video and you have reminded me of everything I loathed about this period in Batman's history, so... THANKS?!

[@davidesterley3163]

Did I mention I love that hair? My Harley sense is tingling

[@rufunnyrob]

I keep looking at the wall behind her and thinking "Is it covered in blood?" LOL!

[@GalaxyfullofStars]

Sasha: "Tell me what kind of time you think you'd have with "The Nightslayer-" Me: *uncontrollable wheezing*

[@briandaleske5139]

This classic ComicBook story that was just shown introducing the first ever appearance of NOCTURNA; It was quite interesting, weird, I noticed it had some drama in it, and it was a bit enjoyable to have viewed along with learn about the female character thief (NOCTURNA).

[@pauljohnson271]

I urge you, in the strongest way, to check out James Robinson’s “Starman” when he was Jack Knight. You may well love it-a lot. He is right up your alley. And Neil Gaiman’s “Sandman.” Which will blow your mind.

[@violaivy]

Yeah it's not that deep but sometimes people just want nice things I guess? :D I'm here for vampire comic villains and Nocturna could be interesting if handled well. Having her as a Batwoman villain wasn't a bad idea but basically everything they did with it was. Her appearance on the Batwoman show was cool though and there she had a better backstory but without the problematic stuff from the New 52.

[@williambethea8703]

Great video Sasha. I enjoy your reviews because the majority of them highlight comic book titles and/or issues O have not read. Your comments spark my interest and have me either read the comic reviewed or check out the history of the character or storyline with a Google search. You are a great storyteller. Thank you and keep reading comics.

[@ThePthompson41]

I love these character breakdowns on the obscure

[@flashfrozen64]

My God, I enjoy your Batman voice and Batman storytelling too much, please do more 😊😊👍👍

[@stuntranger74]

Shasha, I love your nocturna/Batman voices!!! You need to do this more often! 🥰

[@DetroitAlan01]

At the 15:10 mark, Batman looks more interested in having a “vogue-off” than a fist fight. It would be rather difficult to take him serious in that pose.

[@journaliry464]

You always pick out the most amazing things from comics that I've never heard of or seen before, wonderful video as always

[@johnmascola3403]

I love your character voices for the comic characters. Amazing.

[@dem0n0maniac]

I love your Batman voice so much. Absolutely SLAYS me

[@wasgreg]

As good as you are with your Batman voice, Keven Conroy is still my number one voice for Batman. Though I would love to hear you speak about Astro City.

[@Jezee213]

The Batman voice gets me every time.

[@MAMoreno]

I love the pre-Crisis Doug Moench run, but Anton threatens to ruin all of the Nocturna stories. Like, Natalia/Bruce stuff is absurdly melodramatic itself, but Night-Slayer knocks it up a notch too far. The highlight of the entire run is Jay Todd, who eventually starts partnering up with Bullock when Batman turns his attention to chasing Selina again.

[@trevorwooten9485]

As a long-time Batman fan, this was a period that I missed out on. I hadn't heard of Nocturna before now. It seems, from your reading that the problem with her may have been with the writer (I don't think you named him/her). I can see the character working, but not with that dialogue. And Batman seems out of character when he speaks as well. Still, I appreciate learning about this character here and I can see why she could have caught on, if she'd had more appearances.

[@RennocD]

I am loving the videos and the new backdrop! I do miss the related computer backgrounds!~

[@CasuallyComics]

lol I miss them too, someday maybe they'll be back.

[@frogmouth2]

I get the sort of “haves and have nots” theme but ya it just doesn’t hit. Maybe if they went all the way with either how petty her motives are or her heartlessness by having her use people as pawns could work. Maybe there could be some commentary about how unsustainable her methods and extreme spending are idk. Overall I just feel like they just didn’t carve out a specific niche for her very well, just a bunch of attributes that kinda but don’t compliment eachother well.

[@sixdollarman1362]

I know you were just talking aboy the story, but I have to say that I'm a big fan of the Don Newton and Gene Colan art from that era.

[@smkolins]

A wee detail I dont see people mention in a brief review - it isn't an observatory. It's a planetarium. That big thing with lines radiating away is the projector for a planetarium. Back in the day it looked like that. Few of them are left as most are computerized now.

[@smkolins]

Actually I think it is even possible it is a specific Zeiss projector but it would require more digging to find it.

[@smkolins]

BTW observatories that the public access often are paired with planetariums.

[@archam777]

Your Batman voice is hilarious.....(good way), cracks me up. >.

[@dennismason3740]

O.k., reframe (busy background) previous comment - if I am to brucify (detectivize) your scenario...well done. Too many vids. Kidding. So much better. Thank you. Virgos can't help themselves.

[@daviddaniels1487]

Excellent job on Nocturne's voice, Ms. Sasha. 😊

[@rexhazelwood7302]

It is always awesome to learn about a new villain(?) in the life of Batman. I will need to put this one on my list to get my hands on. I must say though, that cover is pretty bad & the interior art didn't look that great either. I don't think you missed anything, her back story is anything but original, I mean, it's one of the reasons why people steal. The whole story feels like either a rush job or maybe they were just too lazy to put any effort into it. Still, I can see a lot of potential in a vampire love interest for the Bat. :)

[@barry-allenthe-flash8396]

Look, I don't care if I'm commenting on this video over a year after it was posted; its always a good time to tell you that your Batman voice is _superb._ I love it; it is so entertaining, especially when busted out for Bruce Wayne during fancy events. Bruce Wayne has zero chill, lol. Can you give a voice a _*chef's kiss?_ Your Batman/Bruce Wayne voice really deserves some kind of kudos :)

[@RabbiJoeInJerusalem]

This was one of the few Batman comics I bought, back in the day (I was into Superman, Flash, GL). I couldn't figure out who Nocturna was supposed to be.

[@mercuryman1250]

I agree with you. She does look good like that

[@aquatroy]

I discovered Nocturna while filling in my Don Newton issues of Batman and Detective. Newton draws her beautifully. So, I didn't pay much attention to the story.

[@danieldishon688]

Natalia is addicted to having luxurious things and Catwoman is addicted to stealing things. If the teamed up they could enable each others addictions....but Natalia has nothing she can offer Catwoman.

[@monthly.girls.digital8728]

Catwoman is bi. Nocturna is hot. They can figure it out

[@plantainsame2049]

​@@monthly.girls.digital8728sesbian lex

[@altalia07]

I read the comic where she adopted Jason, I really liked it😆 I love Batman romance stories so that extra added to my enjoyment haha

[@jhornacek]

The 90s Spider-Man animated series had tons of censorship from the network. No handguns were allowed, which is why everyone (including the cops) fire laserguns. Also Spidey was not allowed to hit anyone (had the network ever read a Spider-Man comic?) so he is always swinging into people, kicking them, throwing things at them, etc. The only (?) time you see him actually punch someone is the episode where the Chameleon is disguised as Peter Parker. Spidey punches him in the belt, which is the source of Chameleon's powers.

[@1bruceeric]

Love your Batman voice. Christian Bale is so jealous right now.

[@JoePants]

Wow, that "blood-letting" thing brought me back to the 90s Spider-Man Animated Series, and Morbius drinking "plasma" instead of blood.

[@teedup8995]

Or the "Killer Tomatoes" cartoon were the censer lady popped in and said there will be no biting on this show but it's ok to kiss their victims.

[@colinjansen9346]

I think Matt Reeves should make a sequel for The Batman with Nocturna as the main villain.

[@hairspray242]

Sasha I ADORE your batman voice

[@bhbailie]

I think I now understand why I never understood a single time when girls were flirting with me...

[@grantnewton4230]

Just recently discovered this channel and gotta say it’s some koala tea khan tent

[@WhiteRaven696]

Nightslayer sounds like a Jigsaw/Jack the Ripper combo, and it’d be one crazy rodeo.

[@justinedwards5047]

I think that cover is supposed to be inside a planetarium, and that thing shooting out the beam effects is the projector putting the stars and planets on the ceiling

[@brianroma2042]

Love these episodes. Have you considered episodes with a book club format? I would love to read the issues as you Doug through obscurity.

[@chrisanderson2204]

I read she was going to appear in Batman TAS but due to Fox Kids censors,it was scrapped.And I'm still wondering how Spiderman TAS got around the no vampire rule

[@OreoBrawl]

He was a “living” vampire and drank plasma

[@Mecharnie_Dobbs]

This is the lowest point I can scroll the comments down to.

[@jhornacek]

Morbius on Spider-Man TAS drained plasma, not blood. Plus he had suckers on the palms of his hands which he used to drain plasma instead of biting people.

[@colinjansen9346]

I saw a teenaged version of Nocturna in Batman Caped Crusader

[@altalia07]

I've recently been reading comics, and this was one of the first, and the ones after always have annoyed me a bit since I have to keep going back and fourth between Batman and Detective Comics and I accidentally missed five stories😅

[@stembuk]

I mean, if 94 Spideymated could have Morbius... Could have just swapped blood for life force, perhaps? LifeForce also being a film i highly recommend watching.

[@grugspro]

I haven't read too many comics, I'm pretty sure the only superhero one I've read in full is "Raven: Daughter of Darkness" issues. The only othe comic I've really read are one based on cartoons like Adventure Time. I did read a small bit of an issue of Scooby Apocalypse and oh boy was that crazy.

[@grugspro]

I just bought all of Scooby Apocolypse digitally

[@samuelwolch1302]

Now she’s coming back! Batman Caped Crusader for the win!

[@marcy2443]

Your Bruce/Batman voice 😂😂. I just found this channel but it’s pretty entertaining.

[@kld2009]

LOL!😁 I love the voices you do in reading the comic. Especially the Sasha's DEEP Batman's voice . 😋😋

[@ZebOswalt]

Cool vid. I always liked Home girl as she was in the 80s. Another Vamp charter in Bats comics... glad they didn't go there. Maybe they can bring her back with this old story and just update it next time.

[@MC2THEXPROJECT]

You are very funny and knowledgeable . Loved the spiderwoman hair episode where ya mention farscape. Ah, the memories...You make me ok with being old and a big nerd. Keep it coming 👍🏾😁

[@ahuman28]

I'm a fan of comics but in a weird way. I really like learning about obscure stuff in comics like nocturna for example, so I know so all this little obscure stuff about comics but I don't know much about really big stuff in comics.

[@jolene5033]

i know this video is 4 yars old, but I love pre-crisis Nocturna. and Pre-Crisis Jason. That whole Doug Moench run is my fave era of Batman comics. Does she have depth? No, of course not, but I don't think they were trying to present her as having any to begin with. It's more about how "Damn Bruce sure does have a thing for bad girls" as Jason later points out in the run. Plus it really pays off in Batman 390 "Women Dark and Dangerous". As for Vampire Nocturna? I consider her to just be a different character on the loosest of basis that she's got a slightly different last name

[@calumhouston3308]

Make-shift microphone on the fly!? Sasha you are low-key real-life Tom Strong! 😮

[@charlie2640]

The cover shown at 4:00 is odd, for an observatory. Sorry but kind of an astronomy person here. The thing shown on the cover is clearly an old school planetarium projector. Observatories generally don't have them, they are installed in museums.

[@mrbruce307]

wow...Thanks for this video......You are such a joy to listen to

[@knotenoslavename3246]

Your commentary is funny as hell you put your all into it.

[@TheJohno95]

DC should hire Sasha to do audio book versions of these comics. And to do Nocturna AND Batman's voices. She kills me when she does the Bruce Wayne voice and I see the art. It's awesome!

[@NightHawke]

Yes, "The New 52" was a time. It was a bad time. "'I am night.' Stop it! He will choke you out!" 🤣🤣🤣 "Is this what flirting is? Is this hot?" When you're voicing it, it is! 😍😘 The writing here is pretty turgid, though. I'm surprised the cover isn't in purple, with Fabio on it! The Christian Bale Batman voice is even more funny after that silky purr you use for Nocturna! I think I get your attraction to this story. It's not so much the actual narrative, but the feel, the milieu of it. IT is the night, and if you're of that bent it's intriguing even if the execution is uneven. What blows it for me is the overwriting of it all. I've become accustomed to little or no editorial narration, but this one has it in spades. As over-the-top as Nocturna herself! You're right; it does seem like the writer thinks this whole circumstance is much deeper than it really is. Maybe if it was less wordy and had little to no exposition about Nocturna's background. Femme fatales draw you in by being mysterious, not by divulging their entire life stories up front.

[@fernandoorozco3751]

Thanks Sasha. You are my new fav comics KZbinr. Keep up the great work!

[@kingt7126]

This is too much, Im exhausted!

[@cookieDaXapper]

you KNOW we LOVE the "Bat-voice" even for poor Bruce Wayne,......it just seems appropriate you know? the 80's were not kind for DC and Batman, and i was not particularly a collector, so Nocturna is an unknown entity to myself, but your retrospective/examination of her is fascinating, and "illuminating"; i can understand why some later writers decided to make her a vampire (of sorts, they seem to lack a supernatural source for their condition, but i might be wrong,........i'm wrong hunh?). anyways, Thank you for: sharing, all of your hard work, being AWESOME, and ............being...... Casually Comics! that's right, saying "comics" 4 times in an intro is rather casual, right? PEACE dear sister, and God bless.