| 03 February 2010
Batman: The Long Halloween is a 13-issue series first published in 1996 and 1997. Like Batman: Hush, this whodunit story arch features a large number of Batman villains and was penned by the same guy, Jeph Loeb. The story itself takes place early in Batman's career, and was the basis for everybody's second-favorite Batman film, The Dark Knight (we all know that Batman Forever was the best Batman movie ever...right?).
The comic introduces a mysterious new villain, called "Holiday", that kills members of Gotham City's mob every holiday. The series has all sorts of twists and turns, and every issue ends on a high note. Of course, there are some elements that seem tacked on (Batman/Catwoman's relationship, the inclusion of some unnecessary Batman villains), but as a whole the 13 issues flow really well.
The art style is done well, although it's beginning to show its age. Until reading up on the comic, I thought it had been drawn in the late 1980s, not 1996-1997. Batman is portrayed as a dark and unwavering character, unlike some of his later comics. I like that I didn't have to deal with Batman's inner turmoil too much and that the comic focused on what I was most interested in - the mystery of the villain "Holiday".
All in all, there's a reason that this series is considered one of the best Batman stories; it's immaculately thought out, and is both deep and rewarding. What's best is that it's a somewhat familiar story thanks to The Dark Knight but it's also new enough that it doesn't ruin this reading experience.
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
