Chloe and Rantz, taking in some local flavor.
Vampire Bites
is a webcomic by Victoria Alexander.
The story follows Rantz and Chloe, two vampires that were newly turned, though from some unknown vampire. However since they were "orphaned" by the one who turned them, another much more older vampire named Arak, who masquerades at their school as one of their teachers, takes them in to train them in the ways of using their power and controlling their hunger. Through all of this, the duo deal with high school and the threat of hunters who are not afraid to stake them on sight.
Due to Victoria's busy schedule (she's a illustrator on Archer among other commitments), the comic only releases strips every fifth of the month (most of the time, again busy schedule and sometime technical difficulties), with a full story arc in October.
Beginning in 2013, it's updated on it's own site as well as the author's Deviantart page.
Has the following tropes
- All of the Other Reindeer: Rantz is pretty much shunned by most of classmates due to his odd behavior. Though he doesn't really care in the slightest and just sees it as a reason why being a vampire is better.
- Big Damn Heroes:
- In the "House of Mirrors" arc, Rantz and Chloe end up getting attacked by a hunter using a mech. Just as she's about to kill then, Arak arrives to save them.
- The two return the favor in the "Permission Slipped" arc when two hunter have Arak pinned with one of them choking him with a sliver made lock. Before the other one can close in to stake him, Rantz clocks the hunter from behind and Chloe forces his comrade to let Arak go.
- Bittersweet Ending:
- The "Friends and Foes" arc ends with no one really winning. Chloe manages to defeat the hunter woman trying to kill her and keep her secret safe. But ended up destroying the artifact she was sent by Arak to fetch to do so, ended up biting and feeding on one of her friends due to said hunter using her blood wound to spread her blood around to trigger Chloe's hunger and Chloe and her friend aren't on speaking terms due to the misunderstanding, with Chloe claiming the hunter was a jealous girl that got on her case. But apparently having got said friend in trouble with her parents because of the artifact. At the least, Arak does apologizes to Chloe for what happened and intends fix things while likewise promising to be a better teacher to Rantz and her.
- The Children of the Night arc ends with the artifact Arak was meant to deliver to the council destroyed during the fight as he uses it to seal Chloe and Fiona's powers to stop them from fighting, putting him in more hot water then he already was. The same two council flunkies arrive in the aftermath of the fight with Fiona and are set to kill her. Arak offers to do it himself but can't bring himself to and offers himself in her place. He's taken away much to Rantz and Chloe's distress. What's more Fiona nicks the jewel that was in said artifact which can seal a vampire's power and sets off to kill someone she's after though doesn't mention who.
- Daywalking Vampire: Vampires in this series can go out in the daytime just fine. The only drawback being they can't use their powers in full, leaving them no stronger then a normal human, and they're a bit more vulnerable to sunburn and heatstroke as running the mile in PE causes Rantz to pass out. Though inversely moonlight strengthens them and older vampires are better able to cope with the sun after centuries of lunar exposure.
- Failed a Spot Check: In the January 2019 comic, Chloe tends to a singed cat/bat transformed Arak who was hit by fireworks fired at New Years. When she asks how he didn't notice this, he claims he's lived so long he doesn't keep track of the holidays anymore, including ones that involve fireworks.
- Frankenstein's Monster: Ghost, a boy with lizard body parts on him. Ironically he likewise dabbles in science.
- Hypocritical Humor: When Chloe comes to Arak to learn how to use mind control. He refuses on the count that they can't use their powers for personal gain. She shoots back that he does it by using his cat/bat form to steal snacks from the vending machine, to which he concedes to her point.
- I Hate You, Vampire Dad:
- Rantz and Chloe are implied to not be on the best of terms with their sires, explaining why Arak is teaching them instead.
- In the "Children of the Night" arc Arak turns Fiona, a teenage hunter who'd tried to kill Chloe in the previous arc, which turns out to be a huge mistake.
- I Just Want to Be Normal: Chloe feels this way, she takes being a vampire in stride. But, unlike Rantz, still wants a social life with her mortal friends (who're unaware she's a vampire).
- Instant Expert: Surprisingly Fiona (the hunter from the "Friends and Foes" arc) manages to get a grasp on her vampire powers surprisingly quickly despite only having them for less than a day. Even giving Arak, a centuries old vampire, trouble when he tries to stop her.
- Lions and Tigers and Humans... Oh, My!: The world of this series is populated by humans and anthropomorphic animals. This is never really explained, just that it has always been that way. And yet oddly vampires are still considered myth within the world's setting.
- The Mentor: Arak toward Rantz and Chloe in the ways of being a vampire.
- Mysterious Past: Arak's hasn't been revealed yet and he doesn't seem to want to tell his two bitlings much about himself either. What little the comic tells us about him is that he is long lived, was around during the witch trials (even nearly being burned at the stake at one point) and has some..rather murky details of his past (he off hand mentions "bathing in the blood of his enemies"). Him taking in Rantz and Chloe as his wards is likewise found to be odd by his kind since he wasn't the one who turned them, though never discloses why he did it. Though the "Children of the Night" arc does offer a brief snippet before he was turned, revealing he had a terminal illness and implied one of the elder vampires turned him to save him.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero:
- Chloe gets this in the "I Put A Spell On You" arc when she abuses her hypnotic powers and loses control of it since she can't control so many people, causing them to fawn all over her to the point it becomes dangerously smothering. Luckily Rantz helps her dispell the hypnosis.
- Arak in the "Children of the Night" arc when he turns Fiona by injecting her with his blood in the hopes it can control her. It backfires as she has much stronger willpower then he realizes and becomes an even bigger danger as a vampire than she was as a hunter.
- Not Growing Up Sucks: Played with. One strip had Rantz complaining about not being able to get into a nightclub due to being a minor. Arak teases him that'll likely never be since now that he's a vampire, he'll never grow older then he is now. Rantz panics and runs out the room, but Chloe tells Arak that their photos grow older despite this. Arak chuckles he knows, but since Rantz doesn't, he likes to mess with him for kicks.
- Not So Above It All:
- Chloe tries to be the reasonable of the pair but likewise has her selfish moments. The "I Put A Spell on You" arc in particular.
- From the same arc, Arak is called for using his powers to steal from vending machine.
- One-Winged Angel: Vampires can naturally gain stronger monster forms though they vary from person to person.
- Arak's is a cat/bat hybrid which can apparently shift in size.
- Chloe's is a swarm of bats.
- Fiona gains a bigger bat like form.
- Our Vampires Are Different: Hoo boy. Okay, for one sunlight doesn't instantly kill vampires. It just massively dampens their powers and weakens their strength, otherwise they can go out without worry. Likewise they CAN see their reflection in the day but it will disappear at night (though apparently camera phones are fine as Chloe is seen using one when heading out for the night). The powers are augmented by the moonlight which including regeneration. Silver is a major determent to them as well, burning them if they make any contact with it. Also one that turns a vampire normally stays by their charge to train them in their powers and one that takes on "orphaned" vampires is considered pretty rare.
- Vampire Procreation Limit: Seems to use the "blood exchange" method, none of the people Rantz or Chloe bite turn, while Arak turns Fiona by injecting his blood into her IV bag. Though Ghost doesn't seem to turn after Rantz sprays his blood onto his stomach wound, it just heals the patchwork boy.
- Perky Goth: Rantz comes off like one, dressing in punk clothing. Yet is a bit too happy go lucky to really pull it off.
- The Omniscient Council of Vagueness: The Endless, a vampire council whom Arak takes orders from. At the current we've only seen two other members. Finally averted in "Children of the Night" arc where we see most of them.
- Really 700 Years Old: Arak claims to be 2,254 years old.
- Retail Riot: Chloe takes advantage of Black Friday to hunt in broad daylight.
- Thou Shall Not Kill: Arak imposes this on Rantz and Chloe when training them and follows this code himself (unless it's a hunter since it's pretty much kill or be killed). Only allowing them to feed just enough to get their fill and leave their victim dazed but unharmed. Not so much out of the goodness of his heart, but more that killing wantonly will attract hunters to them.
- Transhuman Treachery: Played with with Rantz. He utterly loves being a vampire and essentially does vampire related activities when not hunting. The comic points out that he was like before he was turned being something akin to a goth. That said though he doesn't completely shun mortals and willing to act causal with his classmates. Likewise he doesn't allow Ghost to put his mind into a stronger body since he likes himself the way he is.
- Van Helsing Hate Crime: The hunters in the story are very gung-ho in their hunts, apparently not really caring even if the vampires are fairly harmless (like Rantz and Chloe who never try to kill anyone).
- Voluntary Shapeshifting: Arak can turn himself into a cat/bat like creature at points.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Both Rantz and Chloe have given this to each other at one point.
- For Chloe to Rantz in the first arc, "House of Mirrors", when she finds out he lied to her that Arak had ordered them to come a Halloween Haunted house for training. Costing her a chance to go to her friends party.
- For Rantz to Chloe in the "I Put A Spell On You" arc when she tries to use her newly gained hypnotic powers on him. He rightly calls her out on it.
- Whole-Plot Reference: The aptly named "Dracula" arc where the school does a play based on Dracula (1931) (complete with a drawing designed like movie's original poster and a black and white coloring to match the film). Ironically it's Chloe who ends up cast in the lead role, making this a Gender Bender adaptation as well.
