de Vleermuis (The Bat)

Real Name: King Craem

Identity/Class: Unknown

Occupation: Unknown

Affiliations: Unknown

Enemies: Unknown

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: London, England, but active in several large cities.

First Appearance: De Vleermuis #1 (1955)

Powers/Abilities: Can see in deepest darkness as in broad daylight.

History: Unknown

Comments: According to the maker Albert Winands (who would later use the pseudonym Albert Survie), the comics were made when he was 15 years old. The comics were 24-page monthlies, drawn and written by Winands, but after 6 comics the publisher stopped the series.

Similarities to a very famous US-hero with a bat theme are obvious, even to the degree that De Vleermuis-comics have been incorrectly - not to say falsely - advertised as early Dutch Batman booklets. Confusion could be avoided by paying attention to the fact that the Vleermuis-suit lacks both a cape and a bat-symbol on the chest. That the name “Batman” for the DC-hero has never been translated into Dutch for a comic book, but that “Batman” itself was used instead, may be more obscure comic book lore, but is as well proving the separate identities of these two heroes with a bat-theme.

The titles of the De Vleermuis comics:

  1. Keren doden terug (Dead Return (as in: Do The Dead Return?))

  2. Het monster van Parijs (The Monster of Paris I)

  3. Het monster van Parijs (The Monster of Paris II)

  4. Spreek of sterf (Talk or die)

  5. Atoomduivels (Atom Devils)

  6. Op jacht (Hunting)

Profile submitted by Theodoor Westerhof. Thanks to Guy Sparkman for the image.

Windmill Comics Publishing is currently reprinting the old Vleermuis stories in the Hip Comics series and in 2011 intends to publish a new story of the Vleermuis. De Vleermuis will also be used in the future in the super-hero series TOO: The Owl Organization. Thanks to Windmill Comics publisher Johan de Neef for this information, and de Vleermuis' real name.

CLARIFICATIONS: Not to be confused with

Any Additions/Corrections? Please let me know.

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