[johnny]

See, I like vampires because, when done right, they have all the ruthless killing tendencies of zombies, but can also be thinking creatures and take over cities and have a militaristic command. That way you've got the possibility of protagonists getting killed, maimed, horribly ripped to shreds, or turned to the other side against their will (prime dramatic territory, emotionally speaking) but you've also got the possible "larger picture" plot of vampires becoming a governmental force for the protagonist rebels to take down.