 "The Long Halloween" | 2008-09-25 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1IFTPBCELBTI2 |
| The highlight of this Batman offering is above all, the artwork of Tim Sale. His vibrant, unique compositions give the book's plotlines an edgy, kinetic energy which keeps the story moving along in the reader's mind even when Loeb's complex storyline sometimes fails to carry its weight. The story is on balance very engrossing and ultimately very entertaining, even if it loses steam or strains for gravitas here and there. It's an admirable attempt to cover all the ground of the Batman mythos- the fun superficialities of cape, cowl and gizmo, the pop philosophical musings on perceptions of justice and the large catalogue of villainous foes the Dark Knight meets along his crusade. Indeed this book shows that Batman's fight for justice is a crusade of sorts in the classical sense of the term- a fight that is becoming more taxing and lengthy than he anticipated, and one perhaps undertaken with misguided intentions and resulting in unexpected consequences. The greatest accomplishment of the writing is the Two Face story arc. It covers the tragic story of Harvey Dent maybe even more ably than the recent film, though the characterization of the Joker in this instance is all style and little substance, pale (no pun intended) in comparison to the recent Ledger incarnation and light years behind the monstrous jester and seminal portrayal found in Alan Moore's 'Killing Joke'. On par with the excellent Dent/ Two Face characterization here, is the intriguing and mysterious handling of Catwoman. In this book and his other works like 'Dark Victory' and the 'Hush' volumes, Loeb has treated the Catwoman character with more respect and realism than most writers and rescued her from the campiness usually associated with her, and in so doing, given Batman an interesting and believable romantic interest and the Batman universe a much needed feminine foil and counterweight to all the testosterone fueled escapades. All said, this comic may not crack the top five of the all time best Batman stories alongside, 'The Killing Joke', 'The Dark Knight Returns', 'Year One', 'Arkham Asylum' and the underrated 'Batman Year 100', but it is definitely a solid number 6 or 7, paired with 'Dark Victory', in the all time top ten. Good read, escpecially for die hards. |
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 "Awesome suspenseful graphic novel" | 2008-09-10 |
| - Reviewed By funkygreen |
This is quite possibly one of the longest graphic novels I've read (close to 400 pages) but make no mistake...there are no boring parts in it. It starts with someone blowing up Harvey Dent's house on Halloween, with Gilda and Harvey still inside. From there on Batman, Jim Gordon and Harvey Dent work together to find the killer known as 'Holiday'. Holiday continues to kill members of 'the roman's family leading to many suspects and everyone being at eachother's throats. Batman and Gordon begin to doubt Dent due to him being assualted during a hearing that disfigures his face.
There's plenty of action as every chapter is separated by holidays, which keeps it interesting. The artwork is amazing and the story is captivating. This is one of my favorite batman stories/graphic novels. Besides The Dark King Returns, Year One and perhaps The Killing Joke, The Long Halloween is one of the best Batman graphic novels out there! |
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| "Unable To Put Down " | 2008-09-10 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2ESGUJDX7EIY0 |
| This comic was amazing. I couldn't put it down it kept going and going. Just when you think you know....you have no idea. |
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 "A Weak Whodunnit " | 2008-09-09 |
| - Reviewed By andrewdavison |
My preference is for 'detective' Batman, which we almost get here. The story is a whodunnit, but there's very little actual detection carried out. Instead the story becomes a little repetitive with more and more bad guys being dispatched on each holiday.
The whodunnit aspect is weakened by the inclusion of several 'psycho' Batman characters, such as the Joker, the Scarecrow, Mad Hatter, and (eventually) Two-Face. I'm getting pretty sick of 'dark' Batman stories, and especially of the Joker.
The ending is quite disappointing since there's no realistic way anyone could have forseen the ending (a necessary requirement of a good whodunnit in my opinion).
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| "Dark, Well Told, Engaging" | 2008-09-07 |
| - Reviewed By User: A3UF3BSB20J3NO |
The Long Halloween turns Batman into what he certainly should be, a pseudo-detective, dark, mysterious night-searcher. The mob theme is a universe which suits Batman very, very well, and the story mixes in the classic archenemies perfectly.
Basically, this is perfect for any Batman fan, and you should go pick it up. |
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| "Worthy of Hammett or Chandler" | 2008-08-18 |
| - Reviewed By lochnessa7 |
| The Batman Universe has always had a film-noir feel, and never more so or to better advantage than in Loeb & Sale's epic urban nightmare, The Long Halloween. A new supervillain has emerged from the underbelly of Gotham, a villain who strikes on each of the major holidays. The killer's motives are as dark and complicated as the streets of Gotham, is he in league with the crime families of Gotham or against them? Is there a method in his madness? The artwork is stellar as usual, and the storyline is as strong and intricate as anything by the great mystery writers like Hammett or Chandler. |
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| "Overrated, but still good" | 2008-08-18 |
| - Reviewed By User: A17QHIL11MILSR |
| I was expecting the Long Halloween to be great like Dark Knight Returns or Year One, but it didn't come close to measuring up. It was definitely solid, just not in the same ballpark. Sale's art is cool, and the coloring is beautiful, but some of the characters are a bit over-exaggerated for my taste. The Joker in particular was way overdone, and Batman himself was too muscled out. The Scarecrow and Catwoman were both very well done. Loeb's writing was decent, but nothing to get too excited about. There were some twists that I didn't see coming, but the dialog was a little mundane. Overall it was a solid book, and worth the price for sure. I will definitely check out their other collaborations (Dark Victory, When In Rome, etc.). |
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| "Clever tricks make "The Long Halloween" a real treat" | 2008-08-17 |
| - Reviewed By knightlander |
The debate rages on between Batman fans as to who is the better Batman writer: Frank Miller or Jeph Loeb. Miller tends to focus more on the psychology of the character, where Loeb focuses more on his skills as a troubled detective. Loeb's first seminal Batman work, following a successful stint on the "Legends of the Dark Knight" series, was "Batman: The Long Halloween," published in 13 issues from late 1996 to late 1997. "The Long Halloween" picks up after Miller's "Batman: Year One." Someone is murdering prominent Gotham citizens on holidays. At the end of each month, Batman races to discover the identity of the killer, nicknamed "Holiday," and to stop him or her. Aiding him is Lieutenant Jim Gordon and spunky District Attorney Harvey Dent. Those familiar with the Batman mythos know where this is headed.
"The Long Halloween" was heavily influenced by film noir, as well as "The Godfather." The "Godfather" influence is clear in its depiction of the Falcone family, and its noir influences are clear throughout the story, especially in its depiction of Selina Kyle, who is given the femme fatale status she so deserves. There's plenty of substance to go with that style. Loeb can certainly craft a story. "The Long Halloween" is a delightful mystery, shifting the focus from just how messed up Bruce Wayne to Batman's detective skills. This is Batman as he was originally written. We see Bruce Wayne, disturbed and haunted billionaire. We see more of Batman, dark detective, prowling the tops of Gotham's skyscrapers, hiding in shadows, beating up thugs to know what he needs to know. Surprisingly, Loeb even creates a killer whose identity will keep readers guessing until the end -- and maybe even after that. To this day, the revelation still leaves people pondering.
Loeb's world is added dimension by Tim Sale's terrific artwork. Sale is such a wonderful artist. His work is some of the most distinctive and recognizable in the industry, alongside and yet vastly different from visionairies like Alex Ross or Frank Miller. Sale's artwork can be beautiful, gothic, chilling, grand, or gritty. It could even be all those things at once. But while Sale really hits the noir depiction of Selina Kyle, the way he draws her makes her seem kind of trashy to me, for lack of a better word. He did a much, much better job with her in the sequel, "Batman: Dark Victory." In every other way, though, Sale's artwork is wonderful.
Also wonderful is Loeb's focus on the friendship between Jim Gordon, Harvey Dent, and Batman/Bruce Wayne. He emphasizes the tragic angle of their friendship and the result, especially its result on Bruce Wayne. Loeb's depiction of their friendship may have influenced Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight." Screenwriter David S. Goyer has said that "The Long Halloween" was one of the three chief influences for "Batman Begins." Additionally, IGN Comics named "The Long Halloween" the fifth greatest Batman story in the history of the character. It was the only Batman story of the last 15 years to crack the top five.
For making a sixty-year-old character seem completely fresh and new, for crafting a very original and very engrossing mystery, and for making one of the best comics in recent years, Sale and Loeb deserve a lot of credit. "Batman: The Long Halloween" is one of the finest Batman stories, and a must-read for fans or casual readers looking to become acquainted even loosely with the world of comics. |
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| "Surprised!!" | 2008-08-15 |
| - Reviewed By sithmig |
I had never read this book before, but had heard somany good things about it. I picked it up and read the whole thing in one sitting. An excellent story on Batman taking on organized crime in the early part of his crime fighting carrer. I read this stoy in one sitting. A very enjoyable story.
Interesting to note how the mob seems to feel threatened by the new breed of criminals starting to take over Gotham(like The Joker, Riddler, Poinson Ivy, and such). Or as The Mob call them "Freaks".
I do recommend this book, as I myself really enjoyed it. |
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| "Harvey Dent, Tragic Character" | 2008-08-04 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2IJGHGYSXHMZ1 |
| This is probably one of the first stories that really showed Harvey Dent as a tragic figure in the Batman universe rather than some demented villain with a duel identity issue. The Long Halloween probably did the best of showing the relationship of Batman, Jim Gordon, and Gotham's DA Dent. That is of course until The Dark Knight came in theaters. However you can see where pieces of this story inspired the feature film. |
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