10 Best Batman Analogues

7. Midnight Mink

Nighthawk Marvel
King Hell Press

Of all the alternative takes on Batman, the least well known of them is the Midnight Mink. He appears in Robb Veitch's criminally underrated indie comic Brat Pack. This time the writer/artist asks questions about the Batman and Robin dynamic and how unhealthy it is when viewed outside the artificial confines of a superhero universe.

Doctor Blasphemy kills the sidekicks of that world's grown-up "heroes" and disfigures Chippy, a bullied and broken analogy of Robin.

Midnight Mink, Moon Mistress, Judge Jury and King Rad begin the hunt for replacements because they have too much money tied up in endorsement deals to go on without sidekicks. What follows is a tale of abuse, exploitation and child endangerment as the recruits become immersed in the hedonistic and violent world of superheroes.

Midnight Mink goes so far as to murder the new Chippy's father, in a staged break-in, because it fits his narrative better. It also makes his new sidekick more susceptible to his psychological manipulation and cruelties.

Midnight Mink is a manipulative, narcissistic sociopath and probably the darkest take on Batman to date.

Contributor
Contributor

Kevin McHugh is a code-monkey by day and a purveyor of the unpleasant by night. Having had several comics published by Future Quake Press he is now moving into prose. An avid fan of punk rock, cheap horror movies and even cheaper fast-food Kevin can be found pontificating either on Twitter or over at WhatCulture Comics where he is a regular contributor. He lives in Edinburgh with his wife and two daughters.