DC vs. Vampires: World War V has just given humanity a fighting chance with the one Green Lantern fans didn’t even know they needed.

Following the death of the vampire queen, Barbara Gordon, the world of DC vs. Vampires: World War V #2 has been on the verge of breaking out into an all-out war between various vampire factions and the last holdouts of humanity. While Talia al Ghul and Alfred Pennyworth discuss the situation inside a League of Assassins safehouse, the pair receive an unexpected visit from none other than Wonder Woman herself. Unlike the rest of the vampire council, she has no interest in bartering for Damian Wayne’s life. And, while she is more than a capable match for Talia, she is nowhere near prepared to take on Alfred once he unleashes the power of a Green Lantern ring.

Written by MATTHEW ROSENBERG and TYLER BOSS Art by OTTO SCHMIDT and MIQUEL MUERTO Colors by PIERLUIGI CASOLINO Letters by TOM NAPOLITANO and BECCA CAREY Main cover art by OTTO SCHMIDT Variant covers by CASPAR WIJNGAARD, LUCIO PARRILLO, and DANIELE DI NICUOLO

Preceded by the Golden Age amateur detective turned butler Alfred Beagle, the original Pre-Crisis Alfred Pennyworth made his first appearance in 1955’s Batman #92 in Bill Finger, Lew Sayre Schwartz, and Bob Kane’s story, “Ace, the Bat-Hound!” A former British Intelligence officer, Alfred worked for the Waynes to take the place of his dying father. In the years after the murders of Thomas and Martha Wayne, Alfred took on the role of a father figure for young Bruce. Alfred also became a confidant and support network for Bruce as Batman, leading to numerous storylines involving the spy turned butler at their heart.

DC Comics’ original DC vs. Vampires by James Tynion IV, Matthew Rosenberg, Otto Schmidt, Francesco Mortarino, and Pierluigi Casolino saw the world fans know best overrun by a vampiric plague that claimed the lives of many of the greatest heroes and villains of all time. Over the course of the series, the enigmatic vampire overlord carried out calculated assaults against humanity’s foremost defenders, all before revealing himself as Dick Grayson, better known as Nightwing. By the series’ end, Nightwing had been assassinated by Barbara Gordon, aka Batgirl, who allowed herself to be transformed in order to usurp his place.

Ahead of the release of DC vs. Vampires: World War V, writer Matthew Rosenberg discussed the importance of Green Lanterns in the franchise, both as characters and as symbols. “Green Lanterns are hope and that’s a big thing for us – taking away your hopes and smashing them,” Rosenberg said. He teased Alfred’s transformation, noting, “There is a new Green Lantern coming… maybe a familiar character. It’s maybe my favorite character in the book, and they are going to become a Green Lantern. I think people are going to be really excited about it.”

DC vs. Vampires: World War V #2 is on sale now from DC Comics.

Source: DC Comics