Armed with intrigue with an edge of cynical brutality and twisted irony, this story asks the question which no reader can answer, “Did the good guys win?” Complicated and puzzling, this mystery can only be solved by the world’s greatest detective as he is called, especially when the red-herring becomes the killer, only to become the red-herring again. However, all are pulled away by the rising and complicated war on crime. At its core is a deeply human fable including Batman/Bruce Wayne’s endless crusade, Commissioner Gordon‘s attempts to make time for his family between work and district attorney Harvey Dent’s attempts to strengthen his marital life.
This book heavily influenced “The Dark Knight” trilogy, and apparently the upcoming, uber-imaginatively titled “The Batman” (2022) while also borrowing plot elements from the underrated “Batman Forever” (1995). Focusing less on Batman’s gadgets and mainly on the dangerous social and fiscal politics of organized crime in Gotham, this story takes a darker turn when an assassin named the Holiday killer, begins murdering members of the crime family beginning on Halloween and further heightening mayhem in Gotham City, culminating in the advent of Batman’s more bitter and iconic enemy. Released as a 13-issue event between 1996-1997, the story grounds the fictional Gotham City and its lawman, vigilantes and criminals alike into a believable, realistic world. “The Long Halloween” changed the Batman mythos into the grittier, down-to-earth setting we know and cherish today. Written by Jeph Loeb and illustrated by Tim Sale, it was adapted into two animated feature films this summer. It’s also the set-piece for the most influential Batman graphic novel, “The Long Halloween”. It’s Halloween: the time of year when I buy candy, put it in a bowl, sit at the front door… and eat it all by myself because I get no trick-or-treaters visiting my area of town. How do the films stack up to the graphic-novel? Patrick Ullmer | Photo Courtesy