Batman: Haunted Knight – 1993-1995 (DC Comics) – Superhero, Mystery, Crime, Thriller
Author: Jeph Loeb
Art: Tim Sale
Series Contents: Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight Halloween Special #1 (1993), Batman: Madness – A Legends of the Dark Knight Halloween Special (1994), Batman: Ghosts – A Legends of the Dark Knight Halloween Special (1995)
A collection of Halloween themed Batman tales is presented within the dramatic pages of these special issues. Moody art is mixed with fast paced thematic tales of intrigue and mystery.
Story:
The three annual Halloween specials crafted for the ongoing 90s comic series 'Legends of the Dark Knight' freed Batman up from most ongoing continuity and allowed for tales of the past. Jeph Loeb begins the series the 1993 story “Fears,” which features an attack on Gotham by the villain Scarecrow. Bruce Wayne is young and a fledgling superhero, with no Robin or allies around other than his trusty butler Alfred, and James Gordon of the Gotham PD.
Scarecrow has developed a new and concentrated fear serum while Bruce struggles with staying awake for days on end, living a double life, a new and mysterious love interest named Jillian and a battered body. How will Batman handle the psychological attack from the new fear juice?
The second story is 1994's “Madness,” and it focuses on the Mad Hatter while looking at Lewis Carroll’s actual works of Through the Looking-Glass and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland for inspiration. Captain Gordon’s niece/daughter Barbara (who later becomes Batgirl) hits the streets of Gotham late one night while Batman and her pops try to solve the issue of missing/runaway kids. Too bad she winds up in the Hatter’s crosshairs…
Finally, a not purely Halloween tale is presented in 1995's “Ghosts,” which looks at Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” for its driving backbone. While villainous spirits deliver metaphorical messages to a haunted Batman, he must conclude their theme and message.
Art:
I love Tim Sale’s work on Batman. The dramatic use of lights, darks and colors always makes it stand out, and crafts a moody and classic atmosphere. The look of the city is timeless, and the design-y take on Batman and his rogues gallery works for me fully.
I have seen complaints about the style, but then I’ve seen complaints about virtually everything on the internet, so I typically block that out. It surprises me when I see people upset with Tim Sale’s Batman style as I feel like it would even work for animation. Visually there are many creative pages whether it’s via the layouts or the backdrops, or the fear/madness inspired illustrations.
Reasons to Read:
This collection of Batman tales is easily accessible for anyone, even those that have never read anything Batman related before. The author crafts interesting tales of a youthful superhero, while bringing in some dark elements of Gotham for some spookier Halloween type tales.
These can be read at any time of the year however, as the stories are well conceived and are fun to zip through. The artwork matches Gotham and Batman very well for me, and I love the moody vibe created.
This also is a great introduction and lead in to some classic Batman tales which will be covered here later.
Similar Titles:
Batman: The Long Halloween; Batman: Dark Victory; Catwoman: When in Rome; Batman: The Long Halloween: The Last Halloween; 100 Bullets; Criminal; Moonshine; Fatale; Batman; Detective Comics