Batman: The Long Halloween – 1996-1997 (DC Comics) – Superhero, Mystery, Crime, Thriller
Author: Jeph Loeb
Art: Tim Sale
Series Contents: Batman: The Long Halloween #1-13
As a serial killer makes a name for themselves, a young Batman looks to keep Gotham streets safe.
Story:
Batman: The Long Halloween is a classic mystery tale which involves some excellent elements of the Batman universe. Combining the atmosphere of the movie ‘The Godfather’ with an unhinged killer enigma and the colorful rogues of Gotham City makes for an unforgettable experience.
The tale opens in June at the wedding of crime boss Carmine Falcone’s nephew Johnny Viti, tensions are already high as the mobster demands his guest Bruce Wayne help him launder some funds through Gotham banking entities. Bruce doesn’t bend to the pressure, knowing the true motivations of the criminal.
Bruce is a young man, and has only been Batman for a couple of years at this point, yet Gotham City is responding to his war on crime by springing forth a plethora of dangerous and psychotic criminals, such as the Joker, the Riddler, Scarecrow, the Mad Hatter and more. Captain James Gordon tries to keep a handle on things, and works with the young hero Batman to quell crime. Fresh but hard-edged district attorney Harvey Dent is also making his mark, and looking to start a family.
Yet, on the streets the crime families vie for control and dastardly villains set-off their own plans of power, control, or destruction. Gotham is a wild place, but Batman looks to contain its dangers. Unfortunately for everyone involved, things are about to get spicier. Bruce denying Falcone money from the banking system sets off some violence, but the real story begins as an unknown killer murders Johnny Viti on Halloween.
This death sets off a spark of confusion and mistrust, but is only the beginning. As the year drags on, every new holiday that hits the calendar marks guaranteed death in the city. Leaving a calling card, and tons of victims, the killer is dubbed ‘Holiday,’ and Gotham does all it can to hang on.
As Batman, Captain Gordon and Harvey Dent form a pact to push the criminals to their limits and bring them in (without breaking the law, yet bending it could be acceptable), we have a force of good, versus the known and unknown forces of evil. Who will prevail?
This book is extremely accessible for any reader, and is a great choice for a first Batman adventure. It involves many familiar elements of the character’s lore and surroundings, but also is a good story and a great read. Batman stories tend to involve at least some mystery fundamentals, and this “whodunnit” type story leads to a lot of fun moments and good scenes. This should be readable for those that enjoy mysteries as well as superhero stuff.
It is clear that this book and its sequel inspired plenty of the Nolan and Reeves Batman movie takes.
Art:
Again, Tim Sale’s work on Batman and Gotham totally works for me, just as it did in the shorter Haunted Knight series. This murder mystery story needed the right atmosphere, and the bright colors and strong use of lights and darks crafts such a brooding and macabre backdrop for the devious acts displayed.
The pages contain creative layouts and a timeless city is on display with the Gotham setting. Villains look creepy and dastardly, and there is motion during the action scenes.
Reasons to Read:
Batman: The Long Halloween is a classic tale which is perfect for new or seasoned readers. There is no major tie to a singular continuity, so this can be read at any point by any reader with easy access to the story, which is fully contained within the 13 issues. While there are sequels/follow-ups, this story can be digested “as-is” also.
The mystery itself contains plenty of fun turns and some surprises. It may not fully convince everyone, but I like it every time I pick it up to re-read it. I love to art style and design, which is quite fitting to me. The sinister story covers a ton of characters and a good amount of time as it plays out its tale.
Similar Titles:
Batman: Haunted Knight; Batman: Dark Victory; Batman: Dark Patterns; Batman: Arkham Asylum; Batman: The Man Who Laughs; Batman: The Killing Joke; Batman: Ego; Batman: The Cult; 100 Bullets; Kill or Be Killed; Fatale