Batman: The Long Halloween

A fantastic read, I wasn't sure which batman book I would read first but I eventually came to the conclusion that The Long Halloween was the choice for me. A great murder mystery with the villains of Batman you've come to known well.

Heard a lot of good things about this story. Also heard Jeph Loeb's writing was supposed to be excellent. Well, personally I did not enjoy this book. And I love Batman. But this just did not feel like a 'true' Batman book. The artwork was just as bad in my honest opinion. Not my cup of tea. The story seemed drawn out and very repetitive. If you like the Dark Knight as a detective and not an action superhero then this might be your type of story. Most of all I did not like how Two-face's origin was re-written. If you like the old school Batman you might like this book. But personally I did not enjoy wasting the time to read this 300+ page book. The best part was the last 3 pages of the story.

The Long Halloween contains many great writting strategies. This book is a mystery of murders coinciding with holidays, and Batman try's to stop the murders. This book also has varius villains in the 12 chapters of the book. This is a great book for any fan.

Absolutely fantastic story, not even necessarily a huge Batman fan but this book is simply too good to be ignored. If you are a fan of Batman, comic books, literature, or simply amazing story writing or artwork I highly recommend this.

The book itself was wonderful. The story kept me hooked from start to finish, the art was great to look at, really well done stuff. The only thing thats keeping this from being 5 stars is the absolutely awful packaging. Pages were falling out of the book as soon as I got it out of the box (and I purchased it new), and by the time I was done reading it, literally NO pages were still attached to the binding. I've gotten a refund, and hopefully this was simply an issue with my copy and not the product in general.

I did not care for this book at all. It's just a very repetitive murder mystery. Each issue/chapter is like this: Batman fights a supervillain (who are all presented in the most one-dimensional way possible here), a mobster gets killed, and various other little bits of plot involving fake mob stuff and red herrings that you know won't actually have anything to do with solving the mystery.

Tim Sale appears to be a pretty good artist, although I think some of his character designs are a little ridiculous, even for a comic book (best example: His Joker that has like 800 teeth). Also, I feel there's just nothing about his art that really connects with me, but maybe that's just me.

This book is supposed to be sort of a sequel to Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli's Batman: Year One, which is much better than this. You should get the deluxe edition of Year One and avoid Long Halloween and its follow-up, Dark Victory. Those two books are some of the few comics/graphic novels I have actually sold after buying them. And I actually felt bad for the person I was selling them to.

While the art is sometimes lacking, this graphic novel adds much information to the Batman story, and introducing many of his 'Rogues Gallery' to the reader, from The Joker to Solomon Grundy. An excellent read, and good addition to any Batman fan's collection.

Batman: The Long Halloween is a story set in the early years of Batman's history. The writer apparently sets out to do three things in this story. First, it depicts the transition of Gotham from a city where the mob ran rampant to one where a rogues gallery of homicidal maniacs and super-villains have pushed the old criminals out. Second, it shows different visions of justice in the guises of Batman, Harvey Dent, and Jim Gordon. Third, it presents a murder mystery which is supposed to be intriguing and a challenge to the World's Greatest Detective. Well, it accomplishes the first two and fails miserably with the last. Although some readers might think the ending is clever, in my view, it is not for the simple reason that the writer did not play fair with neither Batman nor the audience. No clues were given to point to the identity of the real killer, so neither Batman nor the reader has any chance at uncovering the villain's identity. Moreover, the writer breaks the cardinal rule of writing a murder mystery...if the killer has something to gain, the detective must find whatever that is to track the killer down. In this story, that was absent because by committing the murders, the killer actually pushed what that person wanted farther away from the killer. Finally, as for the detective himself, Batman basically phones in any attempt to engage in detective work in the story and really does nothing to try and solve the underlying crimes because of the distractions caused by his rogues gallery.

Now for the parts that were brilliant. The artwork was excellent, very noir and fit the story well. The story does a fantastic job of rounding out Dent's character and making him far more believable than other stories have shown in the past. Selina/Catwoman looked sexy and was an interesting character in the story (although the writer fails to explain why she was involved with the mobsters). As for the rogues gallery, some of the depictions were fantastic, such as the Scarecrow, Ivy, and the Mad Hatter. I did have problems with the drawings of the Joker...too many teeth and a bit too stylistic. Also, the depiction of Solomon Grundy was very lame. Grundy, at times, has given the entire JLA fits. Yet, a young Batman was able to give him a bloody nose with one punch? Very inconsistent. He wasn't that important to the story to screw up the character's capabilities like that.

So, this story starts with a bang but due to the dropped plotlines, the poor job of connecting the dots, and the muddled motive, it misses the target and fails in its bid to become a classic like Kingdom Come.

Long after reading Batman:Year One, and The Dark Knight Returns, which are formidable in their own respects, I was fortunate to have stumbled across Batman as I always saw him in The Long Halloween. Whereas "Year One" and "Returns" rekindled a dying enthusiasm for Bats, "Halloween"'s minimal style in art and dialogue allowed me just enough information to let my imagination fill in some blanks. Characters are reduced to their basic shapes: the stocky rectangular Bruce Wayne, the aerodynamic, muscular Batman and Catwoman, the stick-like Joker and Scarecrow, and so on. Proportions are tweaked and played with to allow for some interesting encounters among the characters from the gigantic daughter of the Roman to Gotham itself as a flat black and blue backdrop for our story to unfold. While the character designs are sometimes too characature-ish especially among the villains there is a nice mysteriousness that is maintained throughout the story because of the outlandishness they convey. Don't look for mong diatribes from any one character as conversations are mainly one-or-two liners usually involving nasty confrontations. The repeated line:"Do what needs to be done" and variations of that display the self-rightousness that the characters evoke in their own vision for Gotham; that the obsessive mission of Jim Gordon and Batman are not too far off from the madness of Harvey Dent and Holiday is eerie, indeed. Dent is a tragic character in every sense. Its a shame that you never see the cynicism that he has for the Justice System save for a few freudian slips in the company of Gordon. That he is doused in the face with acid in mid-story by his star witness in the case of his career should be satisfactory enough, though. The story should be commended for weaving different members of Batman's Rogue's Gallery in the mix but it also makes for a couple of plot holes and even some uninteresting sidetracks. The Joker, the Mad Hatter, and the Scarecrow go on some pretty predictable escapades that seem to originate from an editor's memo reading "more action sequences!". Poison Ivy's seduction of Bruce Wayne is exception to these intrusions and you feel a chilly fall from grace as she arrogantly states that no man can resist her in their embrace. Falls from grace indeed are a theme rampant throughout the book from a mob king, to the D.A., to the reputation of Bruce Wayne. Despite its short-comings, it is still a well-composed retelling of Two-Face's origin as well as another good addition to anyone's Batman collection.

This really is a gem. The writing and art together make this one of Batman's best stories. Pacing, storytelling, color and mood are all at their best in The Long Halloween. I study Tim Sale's art a lot and this work has served as a fantastic source for me. But beyond the art, the dialogue and the general content really handle Batman with respect and responsibility.

If you are completely or somewhat new to Batman or comics then this is literally a perfect story to read. But good luck finding a whole lot like it afterwards.

This graphic novel is well worth the money you pay for it. I usually read it at least once a year. My copy is in four pieces from reading and studying it so much.

This is by far one of the best Batman stories ever written. It's strength relies heavily on a cinematic feel to the work. It's not just a story of the caped crusader, it has many layers. You get to see a different type of Gotham, one that has so many layers, Batman cannot save everyone, or everything. You also see character development between a serial killer, the mob's firm grip on the city, and deeper indentations that you don't find with traditional comic stories. This is a tragic tale, one that is rich with layers and on par with Watchmen in the way the details unravel. You will be enthralled by the way humanity hits the hero complex. It's not just a story, it's one hell of a noir thriller.

Batman:The Long Halloween, written by Jeph Loeb and illustrated by Tim Sale, is a comic book about Batman learning he can trust no one. Murders are happening around Gotham, but not just normal murders. Someone is picking of family members of the Falcone family (the biggest crime family in Gotham.) These murders are all happening on certain holidays. To get to the bottom of it all Batman teams up with Jim Gordon (commissioner of the GCPD), and Harvey Dent (the district attorney of Gotham). The book is full of huge twist and gives the tragic and iconic origin story of the famous Batman villain, Two-Face. I love this book. Once I bought it and started reading it, I got sucked into it. I just felt like I was in it the whole time. I also loved seeing all of Batman's iconic villains show up through the book. I don't want to spoil anything so you need to go and read it. It is such a good book and if you love murder mystery kind of book than you will like this.

The 80s were the times of the Bat. The revolution in the Batman comics, started in the mid-seventies by people like Dennis O'neil and Neal Adams, reached its peak in the eighties, with the works of such brilliant writers as Mike W. Barr, Alan Moore, Grant Morrison and, obviously, Frank Miller. Tim Burton's Batman, possibly the finest comics-based feature film, was also made at that time. The nineties weren't as favorable to the Dark Knight. The artistic barrier was broken, and the spirit of revolution that characterized 80s comics drifted away. With Neil Gaiman and others of his kind becoming the main power in adult comics, Batman was, once again, mainstream. Although some good stories were published, none had the impact and inventiveness of Frank Miller's Batman.
Which is why I was very pleasently surprised to read the Long Halloween, a collected mini-series originally published in 1996, which is probably the finest Batman story released since Grant Morrison's masterpiece 'Arkham Asylum: Serious House on Serious Earth' in 1989. It was the first work I've ever read of either writer Jeph Loeb or artist Tim Sale. Loeb's dialogue is extremely powerful, flawless, reminding me of Frank Miller's writing on 'Dark Knight Returns' or 'Ronin'. Sale's wonderful artwork and brilliant use of close-ups, color and page compositions brought back memories of Dave Gibbons' work on 'Watchmen'.
The storyline was the best I've seen in years, recreating the story of Harvey Dent, aka Two-Face - in my mind, the most interesting of Batman's many enemies. It's a detective story, very different from the action-packed style of most 90s Batman, with the beautifuly created atmosphere of a film-noir. A family of gangsters and a serial killer are the actual 'villains' in the Long Halloween, but the main idea - the main conflict in the story - is the friendship of Batman, Harvey Dent and Comm. Gordon, and the old question of law and justice; some of Batman's more standart Arkham Asylum residing foes are brought in for short appearences, not stealing the show but giving this extremely long story some energy. Dent's personality is crafted brilliantly, as is the relationship between the three law enforcers, and the story of Dent's fall into crime is more tragic and touching than ever. The Long Halloween is one for the ages.

I love comic books, but I don't ever seem to indulge in them as often as I'd like. Films were my first love, and then novels. Short fiction and comics came much later -- recently, even -- when the urges to become a better writer and artist struck me hard in my second year of college.

Yesterday I finished Jeph Loeb's Batman: The Long Halloween, and it has rekindled my love of graphic novels. Months ago, I read The Killing Joke, Cacophony, Batman R.I.P., and several others. Then I bought The Watchman and V for Vendetta -- already two of my all-time favorite films -- and, for some damn reason, never read them.

So I'm finally getting to that.

The artwork by Tim Sale was one of the big highlights for me. The Long Halloween is reminiscent of darker stuff, like The Killing Joke or Watchmen, but with a very distinctive style that I really appreciate as an artist. The level of detail, line quality, and draftsmanship is friggin' stunning. Joker's teeth, and Two-Face's acid burn scars, are pretty frightening.

The color work is pretty recognizable as being typical of the mid-90s process, and adds beauty to Sale's already-great drawings.

As for the story, it's clear that the book -- no secret, from what I'm told -- was a huge influence on the Christopher Nolan films Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. Both Carmine "The Roman" Falcone and Salvatore "The Boss" Maroni are key players in the Gotham City underworld of organized crime and corruption; each of these guys were instrumental figures in the plots of both of Nolan's movies.

Harvey Dent's campaign against the mob and subsequent tragic fall into villainy as the murderous Two-Face is also a key plot point for the graphic novel -- one that is well played out, and reminiscent of both Joel Schumacher's infamous Batman Forever and The Dark Knight. In light of this focus, the Joker plays a far less important role in the comic, but is nevertheless present throughout the story, along with Mad Hatter, Riddler, Solomon Grundy, Catwoman, and Poison Ivy.

The great mystery driving the plot is that of the so-called "Holiday Killer," a shooter who begins hunting down members of the Falcone crime family starting with Halloween and continuing on with a significant murder taking place on each big holiday of the calender year.

The revealing of evidence, suspicions, and character motivations have the reader guessing right along with Batman the whole time, and even by the end only the reader is fully aware of the Holiday Killer's true identity. One of the best endings I've ever seen in a comic book, and perhaps the best story in the entire Batman mythos.

If someone asked me to recommend them one comic book/graphic novel from the ones I've read, I would recommend they read The Long Halloween. Expect more comic book-related geekouts in the near future.

Gotham City's forces of justice, winged vigilante Batman, honest Captain Jim Gordon, and District Attorney Harvey "Golden Boy" Dent, swear to bring Carmine "The Roman" Falcone and his family of organized crime to justice. However, a mysterious killer begins murdering members of the "Roman Empire." Dubbed HOLIDAY by the media, he/she leaves a bloody mess and no clues. Batman, Gordon, and Dent begin to become obsessed with finding Holiday, which slowly begins to change Dent's personality into something darker. Meanwhile, Gordon tries to keep his family together as well as Gotham City, and Batman deals with a combination of his memories of what drove him to crimefighting, the fear that he is losing his friend, his relationship with Selina Kyle, and the assorted villans that get entangled with the Roman. And it all ends with a friendship that is forever shattered.

This is without a doubt one of the best BATMAN stories I have ever come upon. It's a beautiful story that perfectly shows the three heroes for who they are. A crimefighter trying to fight for the promise he made to his parents, a police Captain trying to save the town he's chosen to fight for, and a District Attorney becoming obsessed with a more violent approach to crime. Of course, they wisely retold the transformation of Dent to Two-Face, which was never done justice before. The origin is kept the same, just expanded upon and Dent is more humanized, while Jeph Loeb manages to convince the reader that Dent will become the Dark Knight's most tragic enemy.

The villans are beautifully categorized. You have the Carmine Falcone, a strong, confident man who is slowly losing control over his empire. Carla Vitti, the sister of the Roman, Alberto Falcone, the son that wants to be doing what his father is doing, Johnny Vitti, Milos the Bodyguard, the extremley large Sofia Falcone, and Salvatore Maroni, the Roman's main competition for control of organized crime in Gotham City.

Then, you have the usual suspects, all of which are beautifully weaved into this year-long murder mystery. You have Catwoman, whose relationship with the Dark Knight expands as he tries to figure her connection to the Roman. You also have the wickedly psychotic Joker, the vigorously seductive Poison Ivy, the fear-inducing Scarecrow, the rhytmic Mad Hatter, Gotham's lost soul Solomon Grundy, the cleverly witty Riddler, and the inquisitive Julian Day, The Calendar Man. The Penguin also shows up, yet his presence is as brief as it is incoherent and unexplained.

Tim Sale's drawing and art work is also magnificent. Batman is tall and strong, Catwoman is swift and athletic, the Joker is stick-like and discomfortingly expressive, Harvey Dent is handsome, yet always drawn with a slight darkness, foreboding his transformation, Poison Ivy is luscious, surrounded by plants at all times and with green skin (The way it should've been done in BATMAN AND ROBIN), and the rest of the characters look nice.

All in all, this is a strong book. The beautiful storytelling and expressive art work blend nicely together in what is truly one of the greatest Batman stories written during the dreaded 90's.

P.S: Would make a good movie.

This graphic novel is ideal for young comic readers (13-14) who have matured beyond standard action superhero stories.

Adult readers may find it falls short of the expectations set by stories such as Year One. It comes off as an obvious attempt to blend superhero comics with more credible fiction (mafia films, detective noir) in order to seem adult, rather than simply telling a superhero story with those elements in a mature way. The resulting mixture is too heterogenous and too derivative (moments stolen from the Godfather and the overtly Chandler-esque title are particularly painful). The dialogue seems written to make a 13 year-old think he or she is reading something for real adults; the unintended humor of moments such as Batman screaming "Catwoman!" (as he pursues her off a rooftop in a dramatic scene with implicit romance) betray any real adultness in the story.

But what is particularly disturbing about this being near-tops on everyone's "Best Batman Stories" list is the fact that Batman does very little here. In fact, the writer managed to adopt one of the worst traits of much Detective Noir fiction - the protagonist playing little part in the story other than, "being caught in the middle of things so that the audience can have a narrative," (This issue plagued Blade Runner). Batman beats around some thugs, pulls a trick or two, but does little to drive the story and stumbles through the mystery - ultimately failing to even solve it.

With Frank Miller's blessings, scribe Jeph Loeb and artist Tim Sale went ahead and spun a mystery entrenched firmly within the time frame of BATMAN: YEAR ONE. This DC graphic novel's first incarnation was in the format of a limited 13-issue maxi-series back in 1996 and narrated the Darknight Detective's exhausting, year-long effort to capture the media-dubbed "Holiday," a serial killer whose first victim is slain on Halloween.

Thru the course of the year, Holiday continues to execute his victims but solely on national holidays, every time leaving in his wake an untraceable .22 pistol and the appropriate holiday memorabilia. His victims predominantly seem to be mob-affiliated, either close relations or upper-echelon members of the Falcone syndicate. The killings threaten the eruption of a mob war between Carmine "the Roman" Falcone and Salvatore "the Boss" Maroni, the Roman's chief rival and the second most powerful mobster in Gotham. Meanwhile, Batman, Police Captain Jim Gordon, and D.A. Harvey Dent make a solemn pact to end the mob tyranny on Gotham.

So I've heard all the hype and I finally got a chance to read BATMAN: THE LONG HALLOWEEN - and it's pretty darn good. The hype is a bit overblown because this one's not exactly up there in the rarified atmosphere of BATMAN: YEAR ONE. Some negatives: I just can't believe that this mystery is so perplexing that it couldn't be solved by Batman in under a year's time (I know, this is his first year, but it's friggin' Batman here) - and, really, what's so disappointing is that he doesn't even solve it. And, as much as I enjoy film noir and noir novels, I couldn't get in sync with the crime syndicates as derivatively depicted by Loeb. The only remotely diverting mob character is Falcone's gargantuan daughter and enforcer, Sofia Falcone Gigante.

Loeb's use of Batman's gallery of rogues smacks of being perfunctory and arbitrary, as the writer flings haphazard costumed villains into the fray seemingly because it's expected in a superhero comic book. His characterizations of the Scarecrow, the Mad Hatter, and Poison Ivy are half-hearted and cardboard. And, while I could see why the Calendar Man is given a more-or-less pronounced role in the goings-on, he is definitely no Hannibal Lechter.

A key element to the success of the BATMAN: YEAR ONE mythos was the refreshing portrayal of Jim Gordon as an aggresively honest and very capable cop who will brook no nonsense from his crooked fellow law enforcers. In many ways, Frank Miller wrote him in such a way that I immediately thought of Wyatt Earp taming Tombstone. Gordon fully shared and earned the star billing with Bats in BATMAN: YEAR ONE. Here, he takes a back seat to Batman and Harvey Dent and comes closer to resembling the Commissioner Gordon we've all known for so long. I didn't like it.

That was the vinegar part of the review; now, here's the sugar. On the positive side, the Joker, Catwoman, and especially Two-Face are fleshed out and made three dimensional here, or as three-dimensional as these wacky nut jobs can get. I could actually see the logic of the insane Clown of Crime becoming insanely jealous of Holiday ("The town isn't big enough for two homicidal maniacs") and thus going on his own murder spree. Catwoman is nicely ambivalent, occasionally abetting Bats but not about to give away her underlying motivations. Long time readers of Batman are treated to the nuances of the devolution of Harvey Dent, who starts out here as being crusadingly on the side of the righteous but, thru the course of THE LONG HALLOWEEN, descending into what he ultimately will become. That he, Jim Gordon, and Bruce Wayne are friends lends a particularly bittersweet element to the book. Batman, of course, remains Batman.

A dominant selling point for BATMAN: THE LONG HALLOWEEN is Tim Sale's artistic contribution. His excellent pencil and inks, combined with Gregory Wright's muted colors, with an occasional foray into full-out black and white renderings, lend a stark and somber tone to the proceedings, evocatively realizing Gotham and its shadowy residents. Echoes of Frank Miller's style abound in Tim Sale's efforts, especially in several gorgeous, full page lay outs. His Batman is depicted as having the same brawny mass as Miller's version, if more defined muscularly. BATMAN: THE LONG HALLOWEEN is a handsome product, encumbered with some flaws but showcasing competent writing and some truly solid artwork. And I guarantee you will not see the killer's identity coming (it's a little murky, although there are clues interspersed throughout). On the same level as BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE and BATMAN: YEAR TWO, BATMAN: THE LONG HALLOWEEN is vintage Batman and is a worthy addition to the Caped Crusader's canon. So, I'm giving this one 3 and a half stars.

The Dark Knight to Year One's Batman Begins, The Long Halloween tells not only the story of Harvey Dent, but also of Gotham's transition from organized crime to costumed "freaks" like Joker and Penguin. I enjoyed this a lot the first time I read it, but re-reading it after Year One makes it feel like a nice part of a larger story, and there are a lot of references to the first book I picked up on. More than that, though, Halloween stands well on its own; Year One finds itself co-opted by Nolan, but Halloween tells a compelling murder mystery on its own, in addition to exploring themes of escalation, justice, and identity. It's stronger than I remember it being, and I remember loving it; reading it again, it's apparent not only how much it influenced Nolan's vision for the sequel, but also how much impact it had on Batman's universe, bringing a film noir feeling to a fantastic world. A top notch Batman tale, and I'm excited to finally read the follow-up, Dark Victory.

The Long Halloween expands on the origin story created by Frank Miller with Batman: Year One. Gotham City is ruled by mobsters with Carmine Falcone at the head. Batman finds that he can't bring Falcone down on his own but the shaky alliances he formed with Harvey Dent and Lieutenant Gordon in the first book merge to find the three working together to bring down the mob boss. As Falcone's men start getting knocked off systematically on holidays (the mystery killer is subsequently dubbed "Holiday"), Batman, Gordon and Dent scramble to uncover the killer's identity and get as much evidence as possible to incriminate Falcone. The twists and turns through this 13 issue series are classic, iconic, and confusing making rereads not only necessary but exciting as well. The morally ambiguous conclusion and the surprise ending by Jeph Loeb brilliantly recall the mood of such classic films as The Empire Strikes Back and The Usual Suspects; his work here is his best in any medium. Tim Sale's physically intimidating Batman is the perfect blend of seasoned fighter, master detective, and stealthy prowler and the art is consistently beautiful and brooding throughout the series. The Long Halloween is Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale's most famous and critically acclaimed book and the brilliant world they create to transition from Miller's Gotham to the classic Gotham that readers are familiar with, by including cameos of some of the pantheon of Batman villains in their "earliest" appearances, is masterful. Anyone looking to read up on the Dark Knight would do well to start with Year One and then pick up this classic tale of crime and mystery in Gotham City.

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.

This is a pretty long Batman story that looks like it spanned a whole year and was written by the awesomeness that is Jeph Loeb!

In it we have a bunch of murders that are happening throughout the year on the same day as major holidays. Many people are suspected, and many are investigating the murders trying to make sense of them. The murderer is given the name, Holiday and he is holding Gotham in his grasp as everyone is nervous and wondering who he will strike next. We are given lots of back story on the big crime family of Gotham that the killer seems to be targeting. We also get cameos from several of Batman's rogue's gallery such as the Joker, Two Face, The Mad Hatter, Catwoman, Solomon Grundy, The Riddler, Scarecrow and Poison Ivy.

All in all it's a good story and it keeps you interested. But is it amazing? Not really, some places really dragged and at times the artwork was lacking and it looked like it was done in a hurry. Even with those complaints, it's still worth reading. Check it out!

I'd been saving this one up for years. I'm a fan of Loeb's work on Hush (one of the first Batman stories I read), and have heard non-stop about what a masterpiece this was.

Yeah well it just didn't work for me, personally. Maybe I missed something. The 'villain of the month' segments were thinly sketched and totally at odds with the noirish and semi-realistic elements of the main story. Oh look, here's Posion Ivy. Bruce is possessed now. Oh wait now he's OK and there are no ramifications. Oh look, here's Scarecrow. Bruce is possessed now. Oh wait now he's OK and there are no ramifications. At least Riddler and Joker were somewhat organically brought into the story... but i didn't like their over-the-top characterisations.

As for the main story itself... the byline on the back talks about the friendship between Batman and Harvey being broken forever. But not enough work is done to set up any semblance of friendship. It's borderline antagonistic from the beginning, with Harvey being a loose cannon with obvious psychotic tendencies. This has all been done much better before, even prior to 96. Hell, the Animated Series trumps it. The murder mystery had a nice twist that played against my expectations... and then it didn't.

The foreword by Nolan and Goyer rants on about how the book ran deep with the realism and grounded more outrageous characters like the Joker (thus inspiring The Dark Knight). Uh yeah, no. The Joker flew a biplane with an evil face painted on it and then had an aerial fight with Batman in the plane where he performed a biplane loop over Gotham. Then Batman punched him and it was all OK in the end. Yeah... nup.

Also, I'm a huge Batman/Catwoman fanboy, so I was kind of disappointed when no real explanation was given for Selina's role in all this. She was there because she was. Either that, or she was there just for Batman. Which is even worse as a character motivation.

It kind of made me wonder if Hush is as good as I remember it being. I'm about to read Dark Victory. Here's hoping it's a bit better... bleh.

Set shortly after year one, TLH takes you on a rollercoaster ride through the early Batman universe with Batman, Jim Gordon, and Harvey Dent that once you start reading is hard to put down. I've read a lot of Batman comics, and TLH, together with Dark Victory, are the best of the best and my absolute, personal favorites. Anyone who is a Batman fan will love this book. Anyone who doesn't know a lot about Batman will also find this book highly enjoyable and easily accessible since it is set early in Batman's crime fighting career. If you are trying to decide whether to get this book or not, BUY IT!!!

Every writer of Batman for the past fifteen years or so has been living in the shadow of Frank Miller. With both Batman: Year One and The Dark Knight Returns, Miller nailed down a reputation as one of the best creators to ever tackle the mythos surrounding the caped crusader, at the same time setting a standard for quality stories that, to be honest, few have even come close to reaching since.
But much as in recent months Brian Michael Bendis has finally been able to live up to Miller's reputation over in Daredevil, one writer in recent years has been able to match the pure excellence of Miller's work with Batman, a writer named Jeph Loeb. His seminal miniseries with artist Tim Sale, Batman: The Long Halloween, stands out as the best story involving the character in the past fifteen years and one of the greatest Batman tales told of all time.
A mystery told in 13 parts, The Long Halloween spans over three hundred pages and not a one of them is wasted. Taking place over the course of one year in the life of Batman, the story follows shortly after the events of Batman: Year One, when Batman first arrived on the scene in Gotham City. It even involves a few of the minor characters seen in Miller's work, as it details Batman's hunt for a serial killer who strikes each month on a major holiday at major crime figures in Gotham. As each month the bodies pile up, Batman becomes more and more driven to find the killer's true identity and end the bloodshed. Loeb uses the whodunit aspect of this story to keep readers guessing until the very last page, and even beyond the book's end.
But far more than being a tale of the mob in Gotham or a simple murder mystery, The Long Halloween is an in-depth character study of those people that populate the world in which Batman operates, not the least of which is Bruce Wayne himself. Through his narration we are given such incredibly deep insight into his motivations that, when he acts, we see the logic behind each action from his point of view. We see him gradually driven to the point of obsession in finding Holiday, and we realize that he could not have behaved in any other way.
Those characters usually relegated to minor status are also allowed to come out in full force. Selina Kyle, Harvey Dent, Jim Gordon-all have been a part of Batman's life for years, but here we get to see how these relationships started, what molded them into the shape they are today. Even Johnny Viti, one of those minor mafiosos Miller threw into Year One, Loeb gives a chance to shine in this tale, although his time on the page is almost as brief. The characters draw readers in, truly engaging them in the narrative much more so than a mere four-color fistfight or a soap opera in tights can.
The art too is absolutely exquisite. Tim Sale is an artist who can really make characters breathe, and his action sequences truly come to life. Too often comic artists make many of their characters look the same, but Sale really makes his characters stand out from one another. Harvey Dent is not just Bruce Wayne with lighter hair; he has a look all his own, created not only through facial expressions but posture as well. When Alberto Falcone and his father The Roman stand side by side, we can see a family resemblance, but they are not carbon copies of each other. Sale is sometimes criticized for over-using the splash page and the two-page spread, but here the images deserved the treatment they got and every picture is worth thousands upon thousands of words.
Thematically the book transcends the conventions of either the superhero or crime genres and ends up meaning so much more than a typical tale of good versus evil. By the end of this story, everyone has suffered from being a part of it; in the end, no one wins. This concept is a constant in Batman's life, that his crusade is not actually spawned by the death of his parents, but by the consistent losses he has felt in his life ever since that fateful day. For Batman, and for everyone else that crosses his path in this story, the losses continue here as well.
Along with Year One and The Dark Knight Returns, The Long Halloween is one of the quintessential Batman stories, and no one can lay claim to the label of a true Bat-fan without having partaken of the sheer brilliance crafted here by Loeb and Sale.

Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale. What's there not to like? The story takes place in the Year One era with the same mood and look. Tim Sales art is superb throughout the whole book and really brings out the Dark Knight's use of the shadows and fear to take down the city's less desirables. From the first murder on, Jeph Loeb has you eying everyone as a suspect(which is pretty much a prerequisite for murder mysteries, right?). This book hits on the early interactions of Batman and Catwoman, shedding some light into their relationship. They also dive into the story of Harvey Dent which was a character in Year One that was used but not expanded upon. In all, there is not much action, but that's not why I wanted to read this. The action that happens, though, is great and highlights Batman's swift and great command of the martial arts and the night. I highly recommend this but it would be more enjoyable if you read Year One prior to this as they are both set in the same time. It is not crucial to read Batman: Year One but it will add more depth to the story.

I love Batman stories that take place at the beginning of his career. This is the story where supervillains replace mob goons as Batman's enemies. As the villains and the threat rises to a new level, so does Batman! The story is super! A great murder mystery that invites the reader to investigate with Batman, Gordon, and Dent as they try to bring Holiday to justice if only they could figure out Holiday's identity! Stunningly iconic artwork by Tim Sale who has presented unique visions for Batman's villains!

If this graphic novel were a painting you'd have to take down Mona Lisa and put this one up in its place!

Well, it may not be "happy," but The Long Halloween may be the best Batman story I have ever read (and thus deserving of a less than witty review title?). This is a year-long case has Batman following the serial killer "Holiday," who strikes on special occasions. It features a large cast of villains, but in a way that feels natural--rather than a super-villain team up (though who can't love the Adam West Batman movie?). The mystery is intriguing and builds into a powerful conclusion. Some highlights are the origin of Two Face, and many appearances by Catwoman. The writing and art are both astounding. I cannot emphasize this enough! And if my opinion isn't enough, Christopher Nolan (of the most recent Batman films) definitely read and appreciated this book as well. And so should you! Seriously, if you like Batman at all, check this out!

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!

Tim Sale and Jeph Loeb are best known for exploring the early years of superheroes--they've covered the Hulk, Spider-Man, Daredevil and Superman, with fantastic results. However, BATMAN: THE LONG HALLOWEEN remains not just their best collaberative effort, but also one of the best superhero stories of its decade.

LONG HALLOWEEN is a sequel of sorts to Frank MIller's BATMAN: YEAR ONE, but neither Loeb or Sale seemed pre-occupied with re-hashing that tale. LONG HALLOWEEN is gritty, all right, but more in the vein of classic 30s gangster films than Miller's "Dirty Harry" approach.

This book primarily focuses on Batman's developing relationship with Commisioner Gordon and then-DA Harvey Dent as they try to take down the Falcone crime family. This overlaps with a murder mystery that seems to lead back to Calendar Man, an uber-lame Silver Age Batman foe who gets a Hannibal Lecter makeover.

Like Loeb's over works, including HUSH, THE LONG HALLOWEEN is very easy to pick up and read, whether you've followed Batman's comic book history or not. Heck, you don't even have to read YEAR ONE to enjoy this book--its a very self-contained piece, and because of that LONG HALLOWEEN is highly accessible. However, if you are a Batman enthusiant, keep an eye out for appearces by nearly every villian Batman has ever encountered, from Selina Kyle to the Joker to Solomon Grundy.

I cannot suggest this book highly enough--anyone who likes graphic novels will love THE LONG HALLOWEEN. And when you're done, check out Loeb and Sale's superb follow-up, DARK VICTORY.

This comic rocked! This was my first comic that I have ever owned. The first one I had ever read was a collection of the first Spiderman comics, but they weren't as good as this. I have heard some comic people talkings about alternate universes and story lines. I'm not sure if this is one of those because this is an actual book that loses one of the main characters, but for what it is it is a very good comic. I won't spoil anything, but let's just say I never expected that person to be the killer. Talk about a shocking ending! Also, this made me want to go out and buy a .22 handgun! That's how they get us! Haha. Very interesting and fun comic.

5/5

John McAdam:
Were Ancient Gods From Other Planets?
Am I Mad or Coherent?
The Surgeon With Glasses
Confucius Say

This is a very compelling and wonderful dark Batman tale. The art by Tim Sale is amazingly so well done you find yourself actually slowing down your reading pace to drink the art in. I found this to actually a 2 part story, the second half being the sequel, " Batman: Dark Victory ". Even with all the many characters within these 2 tales, you never find yourself lost thanks to Jeph Loeb's fine story telling. The only downside which I found ongoing throughout the story was the many references to " The Godfather " . It seems like parts of dialogue and certain situations were taken directly or indirectly from the film, but even subtly Loeb and Sale make it work for them. Over all , still a great story I know I will read again in the future.

Jeph Loeb as writer and Tim Sale as artist make an amazing team. No one can write about the Gotham mob like Loeb, and no one can draw Catwoman like Sale. The Long Halloween spans one year, from Oct. 31st during one of Batman's earlier years fighting crime (although come to think of it he looks older and gritty) to the following Halloween. A killer dubbed "Holiday" by the media is picking off high-ranking members of the Falcone crime family. Batman and Police Commissioner James Gordon (shown here with brown hair, first wife, and baby Barbara) are completely baffled by the killer's ability to get so close to the targets. Could it be someone within the Falcone empire itself? Or could it be Catwoman? Or Harvey Dent, whose wife Gilda was the victim (she survived) of an attack on their home because of Dent's efforts to prosecute the mob? Harvey has been hanging by a thread, lately.

Gotham's supervillians are not pleased by Holiday's appearance, either. Some are frustrated at having attention taken away from them. Others are hired by Falcone for reasons unknown. Some villians featured are the Riddler, Joker, Mad Hatter, Poison Ivy, and Solomon Grundy.

The art is fantastic. Gotham was never drawn and colored better. Highly, highly, highly recommended as one of the best Batman graphic novels I have ever read.

I waited till this comic appeared in a TPB, and at over 350 pages, it's quite hefty and dense for even a Batman tale. The premise of Batman vs. the Mob at the start of his career is intriguing, as are the characters and the way Jeph Loeb handles the Batman. However, the gimmick of a series of holiday-related murders forces Loeb to write too long a tale, one that could have been two or three issues shorter without sacrificing much. A red herring linking Bruce Wayne to the mob also goes nowhere, and some of the villains who show up are less suited to this noirish tale than others.
Tim Sale's art is stylized to good effect, and Gregory Wright's limited color palette combines with the art to create a noir comic of the likes not seen since Miller and Mazuchelli's Batman: Year One. However, the stylization serves some characters better than others, and the Joker is a bit too garish.
On the whole, this is an above average Bat-book that strives to tell a complete story built around the three pillars of Batman, Jim Gordon and Harvey Dent. But compared with both the recent "No Man's Land" saga and other, shorter Bat-epics, this is a bit disappointing until the last 60 or so pages.
Simon DelMonte

This is a fantastic Batman tale that truly show his detective side as he was originally meant to be! This story shows some of Gothams earliest crime and kingpin Carmine Falcone (The Roman)! I really enjoyed a lot of great details on the crime lords life and classic gangster style family issues. There is a lot of great characters in the Long Halloween, but most likely the best storyline is the Origin of Two Face! Jeff Loeb makes this comic a classic mystery masterpiece!

The Long Halloween is a perfectly balanced, gripping Batman story that keeps you guessing and wanting for more until the very end. Dark atmosphere and doubt all around is where Batman shines, and this graphic novel perfectly uses it. The art style itself is a bit minimalist, which I'm not a big fan of myself, but the story itself makes it all worth it.

It's a little bit ironic that this book was intended to be an homage to Frank Miller's "Batman: Year One" but manages to surpass it in almost every way. While Year One is undeniably important and influential (and not a bad little story), it always felt short and unfinished, the sort of thing hastily assembled while the idea was fresh, but finished as it was fading. The Long Halloween is a full, year-long Batman epic that continues to explore Batman's past, maintains and improves upon the the noir style of its predecessor, and tells an original, intriguing, and compelling story. Tim Sale's art is intended to emulate that of David Mazzucchelli's in Year One, but is quite a bit better in truth, albeit in a subtle sort of manner. It's the type of art that perfectly compliments the story it's helping to tell, and it's very nice too look at as well. Jeph Loeb, though he has apparently fallen out of favor as of late, really shines here as a long form story teller. There aren't one or two sentences or bits of text that stick out as especially brilliant or iconic, but the way he keeps the reader guessing the entire time is really quite masterful. If you're a fan of Batman, mysteries, or crime/mafia dramas, this is a fantastic book to pick up, you won't be disappointed.

While I tend to focus more on Marvel Comics, I vastly like the idea of Batman. The character, the history, and even the rogues' gallery are all very intriguing to me, though I haven't read too many actual Batman comics (so far, most of my knowledge comes from the movies and from friends). The Long Halloween is something that I've been meaning to read for some time now, because it is considered by many to be one of the greatest Batman stories in existence, which is a true honor (from what I've heard, there are some amazing Batman books as well as some that should be burned). At long last, I finally read The Long Halloween, and I couldn't be happier.

Some spoilers to follow

Taking place very early on in Batman's career, The Long Halloween tells the story of a serial killer known as Holiday. Starting on October 31st and ending on the following October 31st, Holiday kills every month on a national holiday, including Thanksgiving, Christmas, St. Patrick's Day, and Independence Day. Most of the targets are associates and family members of Carmine "The Roman" Falcone (introduced in Frank Miller's Batman: Year One). Falcone is the mob boss currently in control of the crime-ridden Gotham City, and it appears that someone is out to end his reign. Batman, Police Captain James Gordan, and District Attorney Harvey Dent have formed an alliance to put an end to Falcone's empire themselves, but Holiday is making things tough for them, because as much as they want Falcone out, they want it done legally.

Furthermore, the emerging supervillains that eventually become Batman's rogues' gallery begin giving Batman some trouble. The Joker claims that Gotham isn't big enough for two psychotic murderers and, in an attempt to kill Holiday, tries to release his toxic gas on a crowded square in the center of downtown Gotham, while Catwoman tends to show up and ruin things for Batman whenever he gets close to Falcone. It doesn't help that Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle (Batman and Catwoman) are in a relationship, and yet neither knows that they are fighting each other when they meet as their alter egos. Even Falcone hires villains like Poison Ivy, the Riddler, and the Scarecrow to get some of his dirty work done. And by the end, Two-Face is born from Harvey Dent, taking Batman's friend away forever.

The Long Halloween serves as the transition of power from the mob goons to the supervillains in Gotham as well as a retelling of Two-Face's origin. It is also a very well-told noir detective story (after all, Batman is the world's greatest detective). Jeph Loeb masterfully tells his story of Dent's descent into madness, the fall of Falcone, and the very gray nature of Batman and Gordan's "victory". The twists are also completely unexpected. Just when you think that you've figured out who Holiday is, the rug is pulled out from under you (I thought I figured it out, and I sort of did, until the final twist is revealed). Furthermore, the art is perfect for the book. When I first picked up The Long Halloween, I was a little put off by the art, but as I started to read the book, I realized that the style of art perfectly fit the story.

This is a must-read for any Batman fan. It is a great story for anyone; no prior knowledge of the characters is required (in fact, it helps set up certain characters' personalities), and it involves nearly every major Batman villain imaginable. Also, this is one of the stories that served as inspiration for the amazing Batman Begins film. Batman doesn't get much better than this.

This is an incredibly strong comic. You've got this really great story which is really grounded not by the usual players in the Batman universe but by the bit characters, Wives, Henchmen, female mafiosi etc to show how hard it must be to have to live in this environment. It thrives on these little mundane moments and interactions, drawing them out to show a level of depth which is just really refreshing. And the art work is just gorgeous, incredibly stylized and deeply cinematic, the panels unfold with an almost palpable grandeur. This isn't just a good comic, it's good mystery writing. This is the sort of comic that will convince people who don't like reading comics about how rich the Batman mythos is

This graphic novel gathers together all 13 issues of "Batman: The Long Halloween", written and drawn, respectively, by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale. The story revolves around Carmine "The Roman" Falcone, the ruthless head of Gotham's fiercest gangster empire. The Roman is responsible for countless murders, hijackings, and crimes throughout Gotham, but authorities have never been able to convict him (most of the graft-ridden city is either on his payroll or bribable). Batman, along with a young Captain Gordon and headstrong District Attorney Harvey Dent, is determined to rid Gotham of Falcone's corruption, but he soon learns that a mysterious figure may have already beaten him to the punch: a serial killer, known only as "Holiday", is currently on the loose in Gotham and preying on members of Falcone's extended "family". Batman, Gordon, and Dent now face a combined problem: bringing Falcone to justice, while also ending Holiday's deadly spree.

One of "The Long Halloween"'s primary goals is to provide backstory on Gotham's crime lord past, and this is where the novel truly shines. Readers finally get to see the crime organizations that controlled much of Gotham in the early days (this dark past was hinted at in other Batman stories, but it's more fully explored here). In addition, "The Long Halloween" contains a fascinating retelling of Harvey Dent's past, which will be warmly welcomed by fans of this sometimes morally-dubious friend of Batman's. Unfortunately, readers hoping for a significant glimpse into Batman's own psyche will be sorely disappointed; Batman remains a cipher throughout most of the novel, speaking always in a terse, stacatto rhythm and providing little in the way of a glimpse into his mind's inner workings.

While "The Long Halloween" is competently written, it suffers from a lack of originality and a workman-like narrative drive. The ideas explored here (Italian gangsters and serial killers) are mildly intriguing within the larger context of Gotham, but Loeb doesn't infuse them with many new twists, so they remain tired cliches in this story. Also, in an attempt to give an "epic" feel to this saga, Loeb introduces many of Batman's most infamous foes into the mix (The Joker, The Riddler, The Scarecrow, and The Mad Hatter are just some of the villains on display here). However, the characters are introduced and then dispatched so quickly by Batman, that they don't provide any real sense of drama (in fact, at times, they almost seem to be there for comic relief, which doesn't seem quite right). I think this story would have benefitted from focusing on a much smaller handful of villains, rather than the scattershot approach it takes.

I similarly found the ending of the story and the mystery to be somewhat unsatisfying, although I acknowledge that this is a matter of individual tastes. While it's interesting to see Batman (and Gordon and Dent) involved in such a bizarre murder mystery, the story doesn't play fair with the standard "rules" of the genre--some may say this makes for a breath of fresh air in the Batman universe (and the mystery genre itself), but I think it amounts to a bit of a cheat for trusting readers. In the end, it's difficult to tell just how ambiguous Loeb intended certain elements of the mystery to be; in fact, there's a convincing argument to be made that some of the ambiguity is merely due to sloppy storytelling. Gotham and the larger Batman universe provide fertile ground for this style of mystery, but "The Long Halloween" ultimately fails to deliver on that promise.

Set early in Batman's career, The Long Halloween is a masterful tale.
The story is about a crime wave that hits Gotham. A killer (killers?) are shooting up members of Gotham's various crime families. Batman is on the case, working together with Gotham City Police Captain Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent to find out who the mysterious Holiday killer is. Dent is also having troubles at home, and he's being transformed. Batman fears that he's losing a friend. How right he may be. The story contains many of your favorite Batman villians, such as Joker, Scarecrow, Poison Ivy, and many more. And, it tells the origin of Two-Face beautifully. The ending will leave you surprised. I read all of this in one sitting and could not bring myself to put it down. This story is continued in Batman: Dark Victory, also by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale
Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale are a match made in heaven. Loeb's gloomy style of storytelling fits in perfectly with Sale's artwork. Together, they weave a great tale of suspense for all Batman fans, and even fans of a good old murder mystery.

I remember I was in my junior college year when I first collected this series. And it brought back so much fond memories I couldn't stop myself from writing this stuff.
This graphic novel is the collected edition of the famous Batman maxi-series, The Long Halloween (obviously). It is about a young and naive Dark Knight out to clean a city, which loves being dirty with the help of a certain District Attorney called Harvey Dent and a passionate hero-cop named James Gordon. Together they form the triumvirate of justice in a city without hope.
This graphic novel is called as such because our hero is out to catch a killer called 'Holiday', who began his/her killing spree on Halloween night (it really is the Long Halloween because it took a year in real-time for the story to unfold). His/her targets are members of the most notorious crime family in Gotham, The Falcones, marking key monthly events (or holidays) with murders bearing his/her name. So, sounds like an easy case for our well-esteemed hero? Well...no.
Of course it would've been muuuccchhh easier for Batman to get his hands on this maniacal monthly murderer if his favorite list of infamous rogues-i.e., the Joker, Catwoman, Poison Ivy, Scarecrow, and Mad Hatter-were on vacation! Add a few more gangsters, Harvey Dent's 'transformation' and boom, you have a Gotham City literally painted in red. Roughly said, this book has all the classic Batman elements of mystery and intrigue masterfully told in each page by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale. It has adventure, introspection, detective work (man, it has lots of those), and drama woven in a tight yarn that absolutely deserves an Eisner award every which way. And I assure you, the conclusion will leave you plainly breathless and gasping for more. In fact, it is so great a shocker you'll have to read the book again and again just to satiate the inquiries of your baffled senses!
So what're you waiting for? Get this book now. Coz you guys are so lucky you don't NEED to wait for a year to find out how the story unfolds. All you need to do is sit back, relax and wander through the Dark Knight's world as you ask the question again and again: WHO REALLY IS HOLIDAY?

4.5 Stars! A great, more classic detective like story with a great twist & it includes basically Batman's entire rogues gallery. Some of Sale's character designs aren't my favorite but his artwork quickly grew on me. Not my favorite Batman story but still a modern classic!

Having been thoroughly disappointed by Miller's Dark Knight Strikes Again, I was more than eager to appease my appreciation for Batman with this title, "The Long Halloween." Unlike Strikes Again, I was not disappointed in the least. The Long Halloween builds upon the world of Miller's Year One, with Gordon a captain in the Gotham Police force, Harvey Dent a struggling D.A., and Bruce Wayne a posh, young millionaire.

Yet when the waring crime families of Gotham come to a head, and one by one, members of their own families are being picked off, who is to blame? And why does this malicious serial killer only strike on holidays, earning the apt nickname "Holiday"? The reward of Long Holiday is the payoff. Loeb, with Miller's blessing, has a created a rich crime-ridden, noir style mystery masterwork within the context of Batman's early years, and Sale's artwork richly depicts the terrors of the Gotham underworld, from the halls of Arkham, to the tops of immense skyscrapers, nothing escapes his pen. His line is communicated vividly, in every rippled Batsy bicep.

Long Halloween is an outstanding audition to the Batman catalogue. It combines the best of the Batman villans, the best of artwork, and the fine tuned storytelling of Loeb in one stunning piece of work.

This is hands down the best Batman story I have ever read. Clearly the inspiration for Christopher Nolan's acclaimed Dark Knight trilogy (especially the first film, Batman Begins), this story focuses on Batmans early days and a serial killer named Holiday who's murders coincide with the holidays. While that is the central plot, this story does a fantastic job illustrating the relationship between Jim Gordon (who is not yet commisioner) Batman, and a very young, aspiring district attorney by the name of Harvey Dent. Dent's origin is played out perfectly, leading to his eventual tranformation into the villian Two-Face. Gotham City's two crime families, the Maronis, lead by Sal "The Boss" Maroni, and the Falcones, lead by Carmine "The Roman" Falcone. These two families are of interest to the unknown killer, who only adds to their stress as the threat of losing their empire grows closer and closer. An intiguing story that will keep you guessing to the very end, The Long Halloween is a must-read for any fan of Batman, mob movies, and murder mysteries alike.

This is considered a classic Batman comic for a reason. It is well-drawn and well-written, contains an engaging story that keeps you hooked right up to the last few pages, and features some of the more recognizable members of the Batman rogues' gallery. Highly recommended.

Over the last two years, the Batman-as-noir trope has become commonplace, a generally welcome development that is nevertheless often marred by the fact that writers less talented than the likes of Frank Miller and Grant Morrison try and substitute ambience for script. Not so with "The Long Halloween," one of the most finely-scripted comic storylines in a long time. Loeb's characterization of the main protagonists is effective; in particular, the running juxtapositions of Batman and Harvey Dent with the denizens of Arkham Asylum do not redound to the credit of the former, leading up to a rather disquieting denouement. A drawback: Catwoman is not as she could have been, and ultimately disappoints. Sale's artwork is perfect for this script, and seems to get better as the series progresses; there is something "cartoony" about his renditions, albeit in a serious sort of way, and at its best-- as in the portrayals of the Joker & Selina Kyle-- the effect is genuinely discomfiting.

Wasn't sure what to expect when I purchased this. It holds true to its high the store rating. This isn't a action packed story about batman. It's a murder mystery plain and simple. And honestly, that's what makes it great. The artwork is out of the norm too but I liked that. Seeing so many villains in one story just adds to its allure. Definitely worth a look.

I recently purchased this book because of the fantastic job that Loeb does with Lee on his current Batman run. While I think Lee's artwork is better than Sale's the artwork is still very good in this book. This book is the tale of how Harvey Dent went from the District Attorney of Gotham to the villian Two-Face. This story is a crime fiction style thriller with not just your typical bad guys from Batman but also two gangster familiies that make the story even more interesting. The story is very dark and involves a killer named "Holiday" who kills different members of the two gangster families on every holiday for a year from one Halloween to the next.
Loeb as always uses most of the villians from Batman's rogues gallery just enough so that you know they are there. This helps the pacing which is amazing in this book. I read it extremely fast for how big the book is. The killer is a great mystery and still keeps you guessing after you are done with the book.
The only problem I had with the book was the repetitive captions as if you were jumping in with every chapter which gets old when you have it in graphic novel format. Other than that the story was very good, well written and well drawn, but just lacked a little something to make it great.

While I tend to focus more on Marvel Comics, I vastly like the idea of Batman. The character, the history, and even the rogues' gallery are all very intriguing to me, though I haven't read too many actual Batman comics (so far, most of my knowledge comes from the movies and from friends). The Long Halloween is something that I've been meaning to read for some time now, because it is considered by many to be one of the greatest Batman stories in existence, which is a true honor (from what I've heard, there are some amazing Batman books as well as some that should be burned). At long last, I finally read The Long Halloween, and I couldn't be happier.

Some spoilers to follow

Taking place very early on in Batman's career, The Long Halloween tells the story of a serial killer known as Holiday. Starting on October 31st and ending on the following October 31st, Holiday kills every month on a national holiday, including Thanksgiving, Christmas, St. Patrick's Day, and Independence Day. Most of the targets are associates and family members of Carmine "The Roman" Falcone (introduced in Frank Miller's Batman: Year One). Falcone is the mob boss currently in control of the crime-ridden Gotham City, and it appears that someone is out to end his reign. Batman, Police Captain James Gordan, and District Attorney Harvey Dent have formed an alliance to put an end to Falcone's empire themselves, but Holiday is making things tough for them, because as much as they want Falcone out, they want it done legally.

Furthermore, the emerging supervillains that eventually become Batman's rogues' gallery begin giving Batman some trouble. The Joker claims that Gotham isn't big enough for two psychotic murderers and, in an attempt to kill Holiday, tries to release his toxic gas on a crowded square in the center of downtown Gotham, while Catwoman tends to show up and ruin things for Batman whenever he gets close to Falcone. It doesn't help that Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle (Batman and Catwoman) are in a relationship, and yet neither knows that they are fighting each other when they meet as their alter egos. Even Falcone hires villains like Poison Ivy, the Riddler, and the Scarecrow to get some of his dirty work done. And by the end, Two-Face is born from Harvey Dent, taking Batman's friend away forever.

The Long Halloween serves as the transition of power from the mob goons to the supervillains in Gotham as well as a retelling of Two-Face's origin. It is also a very well-told noir detective story (after all, Batman is the world's greatest detective). Jeph Loeb masterfully tells his story of Dent's descent into madness, the fall of Falcone, and the very gray nature of Batman and Gordan's "victory". The twists are also completely unexpected. Just when you think that you've figured out who Holiday is, the rug is pulled out from under you (I thought I figured it out, and I sort of did, until the final twist is revealed). Furthermore, the art is perfect for the book. When I first picked up The Long Halloween, I was a little put off by the art, but as I started to read the book, I realized that the style of art perfectly fit the story.

This is a must-read for any Batman fan. It is a great story for anyone; no prior knowledge of the characters is required (in fact, it helps set up certain characters' personalities), and it involves nearly every major Batman villain imaginable. Also, this is one of the stories that served as inspiration for the amazing Batman Begins film. Batman doesn't get much better than this.

This is an incredibly strong comic. You've got this really great story which is really grounded not by the usual players in the Batman universe but by the bit characters, Wives, Henchmen, female mafiosi etc to show how hard it must be to have to live in this environment. It thrives on these little mundane moments and interactions, drawing them out to show a level of depth which is just really refreshing. And the art work is just gorgeous, incredibly stylized and deeply cinematic, the panels unfold with an almost palpable grandeur. This isn't just a good comic, it's good mystery writing. This is the sort of comic that will convince people who don't like reading comics about how rich the Batman mythos is

This graphic novel gathers together all 13 issues of "Batman: The Long Halloween", written and drawn, respectively, by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale. The story revolves around Carmine "The Roman" Falcone, the ruthless head of Gotham's fiercest gangster empire. The Roman is responsible for countless murders, hijackings, and crimes throughout Gotham, but authorities have never been able to convict him (most of the graft-ridden city is either on his payroll or bribable). Batman, along with a young Captain Gordon and headstrong District Attorney Harvey Dent, is determined to rid Gotham of Falcone's corruption, but he soon learns that a mysterious figure may have already beaten him to the punch: a serial killer, known only as "Holiday", is currently on the loose in Gotham and preying on members of Falcone's extended "family". Batman, Gordon, and Dent now face a combined problem: bringing Falcone to justice, while also ending Holiday's deadly spree.

One of "The Long Halloween"'s primary goals is to provide backstory on Gotham's crime lord past, and this is where the novel truly shines. Readers finally get to see the crime organizations that controlled much of Gotham in the early days (this dark past was hinted at in other Batman stories, but it's more fully explored here). In addition, "The Long Halloween" contains a fascinating retelling of Harvey Dent's past, which will be warmly welcomed by fans of this sometimes morally-dubious friend of Batman's. Unfortunately, readers hoping for a significant glimpse into Batman's own psyche will be sorely disappointed; Batman remains a cipher throughout most of the novel, speaking always in a terse, stacatto rhythm and providing little in the way of a glimpse into his mind's inner workings.

While "The Long Halloween" is competently written, it suffers from a lack of originality and a workman-like narrative drive. The ideas explored here (Italian gangsters and serial killers) are mildly intriguing within the larger context of Gotham, but Loeb doesn't infuse them with many new twists, so they remain tired cliches in this story. Also, in an attempt to give an "epic" feel to this saga, Loeb introduces many of Batman's most infamous foes into the mix (The Joker, The Riddler, The Scarecrow, and The Mad Hatter are just some of the villains on display here). However, the characters are introduced and then dispatched so quickly by Batman, that they don't provide any real sense of drama (in fact, at times, they almost seem to be there for comic relief, which doesn't seem quite right). I think this story would have benefitted from focusing on a much smaller handful of villains, rather than the scattershot approach it takes.

I similarly found the ending of the story and the mystery to be somewhat unsatisfying, although I acknowledge that this is a matter of individual tastes. While it's interesting to see Batman (and Gordon and Dent) involved in such a bizarre murder mystery, the story doesn't play fair with the standard "rules" of the genre--some may say this makes for a breath of fresh air in the Batman universe (and the mystery genre itself), but I think it amounts to a bit of a cheat for trusting readers. In the end, it's difficult to tell just how ambiguous Loeb intended certain elements of the mystery to be; in fact, there's a convincing argument to be made that some of the ambiguity is merely due to sloppy storytelling. Gotham and the larger Batman universe provide fertile ground for this style of mystery, but "The Long Halloween" ultimately fails to deliver on that promise.

Set early in Batman's career, The Long Halloween is a masterful tale.
The story is about a crime wave that hits Gotham. A killer (killers?) are shooting up members of Gotham's various crime families. Batman is on the case, working together with Gotham City Police Captain Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent to find out who the mysterious Holiday killer is. Dent is also having troubles at home, and he's being transformed. Batman fears that he's losing a friend. How right he may be. The story contains many of your favorite Batman villians, such as Joker, Scarecrow, Poison Ivy, and many more. And, it tells the origin of Two-Face beautifully. The ending will leave you surprised. I read all of this in one sitting and could not bring myself to put it down. This story is continued in Batman: Dark Victory, also by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale
Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale are a match made in heaven. Loeb's gloomy style of storytelling fits in perfectly with Sale's artwork. Together, they weave a great tale of suspense for all Batman fans, and even fans of a good old murder mystery.

I remember I was in my junior college year when I first collected this series. And it brought back so much fond memories I couldn't stop myself from writing this stuff.
This graphic novel is the collected edition of the famous Batman maxi-series, The Long Halloween (obviously). It is about a young and naive Dark Knight out to clean a city, which loves being dirty with the help of a certain District Attorney called Harvey Dent and a passionate hero-cop named James Gordon. Together they form the triumvirate of justice in a city without hope.
This graphic novel is called as such because our hero is out to catch a killer called 'Holiday', who began his/her killing spree on Halloween night (it really is the Long Halloween because it took a year in real-time for the story to unfold). His/her targets are members of the most notorious crime family in Gotham, The Falcones, marking key monthly events (or holidays) with murders bearing his/her name. So, sounds like an easy case for our well-esteemed hero? Well...no.
Of course it would've been muuuccchhh easier for Batman to get his hands on this maniacal monthly murderer if his favorite list of infamous rogues-i.e., the Joker, Catwoman, Poison Ivy, Scarecrow, and Mad Hatter-were on vacation! Add a few more gangsters, Harvey Dent's 'transformation' and boom, you have a Gotham City literally painted in red. Roughly said, this book has all the classic Batman elements of mystery and intrigue masterfully told in each page by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale. It has adventure, introspection, detective work (man, it has lots of those), and drama woven in a tight yarn that absolutely deserves an Eisner award every which way. And I assure you, the conclusion will leave you plainly breathless and gasping for more. In fact, it is so great a shocker you'll have to read the book again and again just to satiate the inquiries of your baffled senses!
So what're you waiting for? Get this book now. Coz you guys are so lucky you don't NEED to wait for a year to find out how the story unfolds. All you need to do is sit back, relax and wander through the Dark Knight's world as you ask the question again and again: WHO REALLY IS HOLIDAY?

4.5 Stars! A great, more classic detective like story with a great twist & it includes basically Batman's entire rogues gallery. Some of Sale's character designs aren't my favorite but his artwork quickly grew on me. Not my favorite Batman story but still a modern classic!

Having been thoroughly disappointed by Miller's Dark Knight Strikes Again, I was more than eager to appease my appreciation for Batman with this title, "The Long Halloween." Unlike Strikes Again, I was not disappointed in the least. The Long Halloween builds upon the world of Miller's Year One, with Gordon a captain in the Gotham Police force, Harvey Dent a struggling D.A., and Bruce Wayne a posh, young millionaire.

Yet when the waring crime families of Gotham come to a head, and one by one, members of their own families are being picked off, who is to blame? And why does this malicious serial killer only strike on holidays, earning the apt nickname "Holiday"? The reward of Long Holiday is the payoff. Loeb, with Miller's blessing, has a created a rich crime-ridden, noir style mystery masterwork within the context of Batman's early years, and Sale's artwork richly depicts the terrors of the Gotham underworld, from the halls of Arkham, to the tops of immense skyscrapers, nothing escapes his pen. His line is communicated vividly, in every rippled Batsy bicep.

Long Halloween is an outstanding audition to the Batman catalogue. It combines the best of the Batman villans, the best of artwork, and the fine tuned storytelling of Loeb in one stunning piece of work.

This is hands down the best Batman story I have ever read. Clearly the inspiration for Christopher Nolan's acclaimed Dark Knight trilogy (especially the first film, Batman Begins), this story focuses on Batmans early days and a serial killer named Holiday who's murders coincide with the holidays. While that is the central plot, this story does a fantastic job illustrating the relationship between Jim Gordon (who is not yet commisioner) Batman, and a very young, aspiring district attorney by the name of Harvey Dent. Dent's origin is played out perfectly, leading to his eventual tranformation into the villian Two-Face. Gotham City's two crime families, the Maronis, lead by Sal "The Boss" Maroni, and the Falcones, lead by Carmine "The Roman" Falcone. These two families are of interest to the unknown killer, who only adds to their stress as the threat of losing their empire grows closer and closer. An intiguing story that will keep you guessing to the very end, The Long Halloween is a must-read for any fan of Batman, mob movies, and murder mysteries alike.

This is considered a classic Batman comic for a reason. It is well-drawn and well-written, contains an engaging story that keeps you hooked right up to the last few pages, and features some of the more recognizable members of the Batman rogues' gallery. Highly recommended.

Over the last two years, the Batman-as-noir trope has become commonplace, a generally welcome development that is nevertheless often marred by the fact that writers less talented than the likes of Frank Miller and Grant Morrison try and substitute ambience for script. Not so with "The Long Halloween," one of the most finely-scripted comic storylines in a long time. Loeb's characterization of the main protagonists is effective; in particular, the running juxtapositions of Batman and Harvey Dent with the denizens of Arkham Asylum do not redound to the credit of the former, leading up to a rather disquieting denouement. A drawback: Catwoman is not as she could have been, and ultimately disappoints. Sale's artwork is perfect for this script, and seems to get better as the series progresses; there is something "cartoony" about his renditions, albeit in a serious sort of way, and at its best-- as in the portrayals of the Joker & Selina Kyle-- the effect is genuinely discomfiting.

Wasn't sure what to expect when I purchased this. It holds true to its high the store rating. This isn't a action packed story about batman. It's a murder mystery plain and simple. And honestly, that's what makes it great. The artwork is out of the norm too but I liked that. Seeing so many villains in one story just adds to its allure. Definitely worth a look.

I recently purchased this book because of the fantastic job that Loeb does with Lee on his current Batman run. While I think Lee's artwork is better than Sale's the artwork is still very good in this book. This book is the tale of how Harvey Dent went from the District Attorney of Gotham to the villian Two-Face. This story is a crime fiction style thriller with not just your typical bad guys from Batman but also two gangster familiies that make the story even more interesting. The story is very dark and involves a killer named "Holiday" who kills different members of the two gangster families on every holiday for a year from one Halloween to the next.
Loeb as always uses most of the villians from Batman's rogues gallery just enough so that you know they are there. This helps the pacing which is amazing in this book. I read it extremely fast for how big the book is. The killer is a great mystery and still keeps you guessing after you are done with the book.
The only problem I had with the book was the repetitive captions as if you were jumping in with every chapter which gets old when you have it in graphic novel format. Other than that the story was very good, well written and well drawn, but just lacked a little something to make it great.

Bruce Wayne and his more famous alter-ego are written at their best. It can't be easy to write about a vicious vigalante with a heart of gold, but it is done in convincing fashion here. Batman will do anything to stop mob boss "The Roman" and a serial killer killing his henchmen in a corrupt Gotham yet, he has a tender spot for not only "Catwoman" but, for "Solomon Grundy born on a Monday". It is this dual persona that humanizes our hero and has made him the social icon he has been for over 60 years. You see nobody is all good or all bad and we have all thought of revenge and selfless giving at nearly the same instant. Many novel writers could study the Batman/Bruce Wayne character to learn a thing or two about character development. This is the most impressive graphic novel I have ever seen.

Bruce Wayne has managed to make it into the second year of his vigilante career. Gotham City is being plagued by the likes of a powerful crime lord named Carmine Falcone, also known as "The Roman." While The Roman is fighting for Underworld control of Gotham against his gangland rival, Salvatore "The Boss" Maroni, an unidentified murderer is murdering members the Falcone family on different seasons of the year. The number one suspect would be Julian Day (aka "Calendar Man"), but he's locked away in Arkham Asylum. However, Day seems to know who the killer is.

Calendar Man's knowlegde of the "Holiday Murderer" draws the attention of Batman and police captain James Gordon, who interrogate the inmate about where "Holiday" might strike next. The killer might be Sal Maroni, or (much to Batman's dismay), it may even be Bruce Wayne's good friend, Harvey Dent. Dent is the young, newly elected DA of Gotham, and it seems that he'll do anything to keep his vow to help maintain justice in his crime-ridden metropolis. Dent has been trying to take down The Roman's empire for months now.

On the GCPD rooftop, an alliance involving Batman, Captain Gordon, and DA Dent is formed to bring down The Roman. While trying to solve the Holiday mystery and playing a game of "Cat and Mouse" with Catwoman, Batman must also deal with the dreaded "Rogue Villains" that are beginning to make names for themselves--Joker, Solomon Grundy, Poison Ivy, Mad Hatter, Scarecrow, and Riddler. When the mystery is solved, the real culprit may surprise you. There may even be more to the good-natured Harvey Dent than even his wife, Gilda, may know.

This book has excellent, dark artwork by Tim Sale, and noirish writing by Jeph Loeb. Though writer Loeb went on to write about other popular superheroes--Spiderman, Superman, Daredevil, Wolverine, and the Hulk--his best work was on Batman. Frank Miller explores the mental, obsessive side of the Batman, whereas Loeb writes about the "detective" side of the Dark Knight. Loeb writes a long, but captivating mystery that keeps you guessing who the real villain is. Even after the book is finished and placed back on the shelf, you find yourself guessing if the killer was really caught...

I've always been a big Batman fan, but I'm convinced that just about anybody could read this story and enjoy it. With the release of "Batman Begins", I got the itch to return to my childhood roots and once again discover the dark world of Gotham City. I wasn't disappointed.

What really makes this story great is the mystery. Gotham City is run under the iron fist of the Falcone crime family. It appears nothing can stop them until one Halloween night one of their members gets shot to death. So begins a string of murders that baffles the Dark Knight to no end. The story moves fast enough to keep you interested, but important detail isn't spared. Like Star Wars, Batman has a cluster of recognizable characters that are truly special. Jeph Loeb has a real knack for handling these characters in just the right way. Tim Sale's illustrations also fit the tone perfectly. The mystery builds great momentum as you move along, and when you reach the climax you most certainly won't be disappointed. This is a story of trust, murder, deception, and Two-Face, one of Batman's more tragic villains.

If you like comics or Batman, then you should have already read this because it's a classic. If you think comics are just for kiddies, then this is a good one to pick up and try.

I first heard of this excellent mini-series when it was nearing the end of its original run and, upon hearing that a published collection was to be made available, I ordered it. The two creators of this series are to be congratulated. Their blend of Detective Comics and The Godfather films (there are sly references to Mario Puzo's and Francis Ford Coppola'a cinematic masterpieces) brings an entirely new dimension to the world of The Dark Knight. Any fans of Batman or merely film noir will be pleasantly surprised at this superb retelling of Harvey Dent (Two Face)'s fall from Gotham City District Attorney to psychopathic criminal. This is an excellent tale, on par with Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns and Alan Moore's Watchmen. A must-have for any Batman or comic book fan. Check it out, and Enjoy!

This was one of the three Batman comics which influenced the making of the movie BATMAN BEGINS. The sequel to that film THE DARK KNIGHT grabbed heavily from this particular graphic novel. It's something of an early years of Batman's time as he deals mostly with the mob and an avenger named Holiday who kills people during almost any holiday. There are some good connection setups between Batman, Gordon and Dent. Film noirish style as to the murders some would say.
ARTWORK: B; STORY/PLOTTING; B plus to A minus; CHARACTERS/DIALOGUE: B plus; OVERALL GRADE: B plus; WHEN READ: early January 2012.

The real tragedy of this title is not the weak, contrived ending nor the bizarre and pointless parade of Batman's Rogue Gallery . . . it's that Sale and Loeb could have really put together a fantastic Batman mystery if they'd been pressed to.

Let me start off that Sale's artwork tends to be a little polarizing. People love it or they hate it, and it is very stylized. I enjoyed the moody, noir feeling Sale's deep shadows and muted colors evoke, I enjoyed the architecture of Gotham, and there were many splash pages that were artistically satisfying. Some weak anatomy and draftsmanship mistakes conveniently blacked out by a dramatic shadow are hardly unique to Tim Sale, and credit must be given where it's due. The Long Halloween has some very well-drawn pages and panels.

Loeb, on the other hand, really wastes the opportunity to write a beefy, 300+ page Batman mystery - something many writers would eat their own word processors to have the opportunity to do - by slathering his narrative with tired Godfather references, cliche Mafia tropes, and a hackneyed, clumsy mystery resolution that comes out of nowhere and makes no sense in the context of the story. I get the sense that Loeb was really into writing his mystery, but kept running into plot holes and lulls in the story that he had no idea how to work through . . . and that he wrote the ending before he wrote the story. His attempt to dove-tail his 'surprise' killer's motivations and drives with the slow and meandering narrative of his mystery is almost embarrassing to wade through. It's like having to watch a stand-up comedian bomb on stage . . . for almost 400 pages.

Sadly, the build-up to the reveal is actually interesting, the interest in the killer's identity grows as the story unfolds. The Harvey Dent sub-plot, while predictable and very cookie-cutter Batman story-telling, is nevertheless solid and holds up as the tale progresses. But the ending, the mystery resolution and the steps that lead to it are so bad that they overshadow and eclipse the aspects of the book that succeed at what they try to do.

The Long Halloween is a decent enough read if you don't want to think too critically about the story and/or attempt to solve the mystery before the characters do. Sale's artwork is well worth seeing, although it's quality is a topic of subjectivity. But if you're in the mood for a meatier, more cerebral treatment of Gotham's Dark Knight . . . you won't find it here.

One of the best Batman stories I've ever read, The Long Halloween is for lovers of Batman and gangster movie films (specifically The Godfather). The book is huge but you'll tear through it in no time because the storytelling is so good and fast-paced. Notable in this series is the story of Harvey Dent becoming the villain Two-Face. You'll also get to see many of the Gotham City villains that we all know and love. This is a fun murder mystery that will keep you guessing and will shock you to the very end. The artwork is fantastic. This book is absolutely ESSENTIAL for anyone who loves Batman or comics in general.

People always ask themselves the question what is it about the Dark Knight that makes him one of the most enduring and popular characters of our time? This wonderfully scripted trade paperback edition of the Long Halloween points to the answer. The book delves deeply into the criminal elemant of Gotham and bring out the best of Batman, who you see very little of when it come to the action scenes, but a lot of in scenes depicting conversation. The mood is very dark in this comic and reminisces the first Batman movie by Tim Burton. Batman sticks to the shadows and you just can't help but feel intimidated when he slowly walks out. The element of fear has always been the Bat's strongest features and this book really shines through when it comes to that. The coloring by Gregory Wright suits the mood so well that yopu feel as if you're that third person looking at things from behind a lens. Tim Sale is without a doubt one of the most promising talents out there. His soft, smooth approach to the characters makes better than the detailed, cartoony features that have become the norm in this day and age. Jeph Loeb scripts one of his best stories in there and you can interact with the characters and understant their expectations and wants. The story is suspenseful, thrilling with action in just the right places. Loeb brings out half of Batman's rogue gallery and portrays them right without them overstaying their welcome through and through.
If you're a fan of Batman, his first movie and the Godfather all put into one, you'll never put this book down (I read it continuously without a break). If you're just a Batman fan, then You'll be seeing the character written at his best.

Frank Miller might have all the kudos, but Jeff Loeb's story and the artwork by Sale in this graphic novel deserve a place in the Comic Book Hall of Fame. The story takes place shortly after Batman: Year One ends, and Gotham and Batman are still getting used to each other. Selena Kyle is featured prominently in this novel, and though Batman is the main character the driving force behind this story is Harvey Dent's war on crime.

I will be rereading this for years to come (not repeatedly, but once every six months or so). Strongly recommended.

The re-telling of Harvey Dent's journey to the dark side is tonally perfect and impeccably structured. The creation of Holiday, a murderer who kills with corresponding national holidays, enables the story to form a narrative structure that spans an entire year, keep a great pace and allows the story to take on a grand scale. The chapters allow each character the necessary page time to have a strong impact, nothing seems forced or underdeveloped - this is a complete Batman story. The detective story drives the narrative, keeping the reader hooked until the satisfying climax, and the artwork is second to none. No Batman collection should be without this, it's almost the perfect Bat story.

This comic is an absolute classic. Without going into spoilers, I'll tell you that Falcone and his mob are the major villains in this story.

Reviewing comics is a love-hate relationship with me, because I don't want to spoil the magic within the pages... Just know that this one has my recommendation!

As a super critical Batman fan, I look for suspense, mystery, adventure, violence, revenge, and every other dark quality possible in a Batman story. The Long Halloween has it all, and is my second favorite Batman title after Frank Miller's Year One. Jeph Loeb did a great job crafting this story in the spirit of Miller's Year One, and the villains Batman has to face, in addition to the gangs of Gotham, add up to a solid crime fighting comic book. The ending comes out of nowhere, so do not read ahead, as tempted as you may be.

A lengthy & complex exploration of several events, families, themes, and motives that propel powerful men & women to try to run the world according to their own terms, resulting in death & devastation, but perhaps not entirely without merit. This graphic novel finds Bruce Wayne immediately after the events described in "Year One", with the biggest criminal families of Gotham trying to settle their rivalries once & for all, and amidst all these there is a spate of "holiday killings" which affect members of both sides without much hesitation. Usual suspects get skewered (by analysis, as well as other sharper instruments), and with a tremendous twist in the tail/tale the novel inverts a lot of presuppositions at the last frame. Recommended as a gripping thriller and a novel, nothing less.

This book is really cool! I loved it! Some negative things though, one, if you have ever seen the dark knight, u know how Harvey dent(also know as Two Face)(played by Aaron Eechert) had a reason to flip the coin on chance?, he didn't just all of a sudden do it for no reason? Well not in this book Two Face just all of a sudden flips the coin for no reason. Second, I think if the Joker is in a story he should be a main villain with or without sub villains. But in this he was like a sub sub villain, not a very huge role. Third(I think this is negative but some guys may like this) Catwoman had unrealistically huge boobs. Anyway AMAZING book, if you like batman you should definetly buy this. Great graphics!

The Long Halloween is a fantastic graphic novel which follows Batman, Harvey Dent, and Comissioner Gordon as they pursue the serial killer known as Holiday. It features all of the Dark Knight's villains (Joker, Riddler, etc.) in some way shape or form. But what I really liked about Long Halloween was that it showed Batman doing his detective thing. My impression of Batman has been that the citizens of Gotham regard him as like an urban legend, so it makes sense he takes the role of an investigator working in the shadows over a hard-knocking vigilante (although there are plenty of good beat downs throughout the novel...he IS Batman after all!). Excellent artwork, intriguing story, very satisfying repersentation of the Dark Knight.

I must say that this is a great book. Well worth the time and money. It's also a very huge graphic novel. The biggest I have read so far. After the masterpiece known as "Batman; Year One" I had to read this so-called sequel to find out what exactly happens to our new, more darker Batman. I was not dissapointed. Although not as good as year one, which is close to impossible to surpass for a Batman novel, this book definately is a great followup. Only thing is Batman is now much more muscular. Alot more. I just wished they would explain how exactly Bruce and Selina met. Just curious. They both play huge roles in the story. Both in and out of costume. I have to admit that I thought the suspense started to slow down in the middle, until the huge twists at the end starting after Harvey got acid thrown in his face turning him into the infamous Two-Face. The art is great also. Gordon is a great character. The roller coaster relationship between the trio of Bats, Gordon and Dent in crime ridden Gotham City was written fantastically. Batman of course is the Man as always. Great Stuff. It got my 5 stars. Definately Pick it up.

I read this book on Halloween...and you can imagine the excitement the original series generated when fans waited 13 months to catch up with the conclusion.
What is great about this book is that it is a cool detective story in which the murders are central in the plot. Batman is still raw as he attempts to shed some "dark" light on the matter.

The Batman regular enemies embelish the novel in a nice way... & Catwoman remains a puzzle for the readers & her involvement is somewhat strange & incoherent.
Being a long-time admirer of murder mysteries & a student of the Agatha Christie school I saw through the plot, but however you guess you'll have a surprise at your hand at the end.
Very good stuff, inferior to the work of Frank Miller but retaining the taste, nice drawings that replace words...& a dark atmosphere that really suits the Caped Crusader.

"Batman: The Long Halloween" is another story by the greatest comic team ever: Jeff Loeb and Tim Sale! Someone is going around using an incredibly stealthy method to kill people somehow involved with Gotham's biggest crime lord: Carmine Falcone on every Holiday(Therefore dubbed the name: Holiday.). Featuring The Joker, Poison Ivy, The Riddler, The Scarecrow, and The Mad Hatter as sidevillans. Also a big charecter is Harvey Dent who has not become one of Batman's deadliest foes. It needs you to pay attention to the whole story to figure out who Holiday is!
If you like this, get "Batman: Dark Victory."

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.).

Great, great graphic novel from start to finish. If you're a Batman fan, you'll enjoy this because of the story, the villains, and the mystery unfolded as you read on. A must read and I couldn't put it down.

This was my first Batman book on kindle and it was superb. I have heard a lot about it and lives up to all of the reputation. Its unpredictable. The artwork is eye pleasing. The story is dark. The book is Gotham.

Batman: The long Halloween. (TLH for short) Simply, IMHO, the greatest Batman story I have ever read. The Dark Knight was excellent but it was more of a swansong type of story. Year One was also very good but I believe this is superior. TLH shows the Bruce / Batman duality very well, the writing and art style and pacing make this story almost movie-like and had me on the edge of my seat for the entire reading. I didn't know the identity of "Holiday" before I read the book so I was quite surprised. All current Bat titles should take a page from the Loeb / Sale Bat playbook amd bring the mystery and legend of Batman back to it's former glory. Personally I believe that Year One and TLH are perfect for a TV Batman series in the style of Homicide: Life on the Street or Law and Order. Hollywood bigwigs take notice of the last Batman movie atrocity and learn. For those who enjoyed TLH the Loeb / Sale team are puting out a sequel called Batman: Dark Victory. It seems to be up to their standards and my surpass TLH. Reading it its good for your brain. ;)

This is the book that got me back into graphic novels/comics. A lush, noir-esque story with great twists and turns as well as a new take on a classic villian that retains the basic origin while expanding it slightly.
It's set early in Batman's career, before Robin and before his role was clear in the eyes of police. The only person who believes in him and what he's doing is Jim Gordon, at this point only a lieutenant in the police force.
Fantastic art and a brilliantly written story. Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale have quickly become my favorite tandem in graphic novels. Brilliant work! Brilliant!

This was a very fun read. I like the writing of this book and the tension between the Gordon/Dent/Batman group and the uneasy relations between Bats and Catwoman. I thought the book moved well throughout and I liked the ending (which a few people were let down by). Loeb's writing goes through many plot turns and shows a good amount of imagination. Tim Sale's artwork may not be for everybody but I enjoyed. While this may not be the best Batman collection ever. I think it should definetly be in the Top 10. Do yourself a favor and read this. This is good stuff.

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).

When it first came out as a 12 issue series, everybody was raving about Long Halloween. I missed the boat during that time, so when the TPB came out, I quickly picked it up, read it and wondered why all the hype?
It's a pretty standard detective/gangster story, jazzed up with appearances by Batman's Rogues Gallery. I remember the hype back then on who was the killer, and the revelation is not that surprising, in fact, it's a little anti-climactic. Maybe in this day and age of CSI, the audience is a little sharp on red herrings and false leads. On its own, it's a solid Batman story, it's just that Long Halloween doesn't deserve to be labeled/hyped as the best or a classic.

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.

I'm a big old nerd, and over the last few years I have become a huge fan of graphic novels. I finally picked this up (mainly because of the new Batman films), and loved it. It may sound safe to say that The Joker is my favorite comic villain, but it was great to see him as he should be: psychotic. The Long Halloween is a great read for any fan of Batman or graphic novels, as you experience a vast storyline that intertwines a dozen of Batman's greatest villains.

Highly recommend.

As of right now this is the best Batman graphic novel I have ever read. It is so amazingly well written and the storyline carries on throughout the course of a year. The art is also great! I highly recommend this to anyone especially to Batman fans

This has become one of my favorite Batman stories of all time, and I've been reading Batman for 35 years.

The story-telling is crisp. The artwork is beautiful. And this builds a great foundation under the Batman mythos that has grown over the past decade.

Since this story is built around Batman's encounters with the Falcone and Moroni mob families, I love the homage paid to our greatest mob movies (The Godfather I & II, and Goodfellas). I re-read the book just to see how many scenes and lines I could connect to those movies (as well as its tribute to another of my favorite movies: The Silence of the Lambs).

This really shows us the descent of Harvey Dent into the psychopath known as Two-Face, but we root for him anyway.

One of the all-time best!

After every corner is another surprise. The ending is the best part (like always with murder mysteries). So don't cheat and look at the back of the book to peek at a few pannels! You'll ruin the story. The Art: Batman himself is drawn masterfully, while everyone else is well... different. I suggest this book to everyone! If you enjoy good reading then it doesn't matter what type of comics you read (I read 'em all) I garuntee you'll love this book. The thing I always thought depressing about all TPB's and Graphic Novels is that you can read them in a long afternoon and then back to Earth you come. Now with this one you can still read it in a long afternoon, but it'll be a bit longer. I also thought that the title for this book was an excellent choice. Anyway, BUY IT!

This graphic novel is the most acclaimed batman book by the award winning creative team of Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale. The Long Halloween is a murder mystery set in batman's supposed 2nd year of crime fighting. Their is a killer on the loose, but only kills on holidays, so batman, Gordon and Harvey Dent (two face) are out to find out who is killing off the people who are linked to the Falcone family. This book tells the true origin of Harvey Dent who becomes two face. This book features the insane minds of joker,scarecrow,poison ivy,the mad hatter,and much more. Any batman fan should have this in their library. Be sure to also get hold of the sequile to the long halloween, dark victory, also from Loeb and Sale.

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.

By far, Batman the Long Halloween is my favorite Batman story. It's tight and compelling story kept me reading the moment I started. Batman Year One was what got me started reading Batman comics, but The Long Halloween was what made me hooked. An amazing detective story set at the beginning of Batman's career, it expands on Millers take of Batman from Year One. I would dare say, perfecting it. The art by Tim Sale is absolutely gorgeous as well as surreal. The way the Joker is artistically portrayed, with his massively long teeth to accentuate his smile is deeply memorable. Overall, Batman the Long Halloween to me is the best a Batman story can be. For every fan of Batman and comics in general, this is a must read in my opinion.

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. It is 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.

This book's stature among Battales is perplexing. The story has many flaws. It's a sparse script. There's nothing to it. Many pages have so few words that your focus and time is spent turning pages than reading them. The rogue cameos are pointless and add little, especially Catwoman, who is seen throughout the story for no apparent reason, which we don't find out until the end of Dark Victory. Plus Batman doesn't play a big role in the discovery of the killer, whose identity at the end is still in doubt. This is easily Jeph Loeb's weakest Batman tale. Dark Victory and especially Catwoman When in Rome are superior, and Hush has the unfair advantage of Jim Lee's great artwork. A novel, like other works of art, needs a rhythm and flow, and that is entirely missing when a story reads as fast as this. It's lack of substance leaves the reader with a feeling of squandered opportunity and wasted time. Loeb is a talented writer but he needs to show that by adding depth and essence and not by producing a book that reads like a series of flash cards.

Wow, this was such a great read. I don't read a whole lot of comics/graphic novels, but this came highly recommended and did not disappoint. You can definitely see the influence that this story had on the Chris Nolan trilogy.

This ode to Frank Miller's "Year One", itself a noir take on Batman's early career, provides a note-perfect genre piece that should thrill anyone looking for a Batman whodunit. The story has Batman, early in his career, taking on the mob and a serial killer who strikes on holidays. The story is drum tight through thirteen issues (350+ pages), set from Halloween to Halloween, with a poetic pacing and use of graphic tension found only in top-notch graphic novels. Harvey Dent is heavily featured along with a young Jim Gordon. For Batman scholars, Dent's presence alone provides a backdrop of foreboding.
The usual rogue's gallery weaves through the book, including a jealous Joker, out to outdo the serial killer, a cornered, yet elegantly neurotic Riddler, and a wildly abstracted, sensual Poison Ivy, along with a little more mind-altering mayhem from the Scarecrow and Mad Hatter.
What I appreciated most about Jeph [sic!] Loeb's telling is that the criminals are reduced to their elemental symbols, where a gesture or a glance conveys as much as a panel of narrated text. The clues are perfect red herrings in the grand whodunit fashion. Fans of Batman know bad things are going to happen when a stranger passes a rose to a character who then pricks their finger on its thorns. Similarly, even a hardened Gotham detective shudders upon seeing a murder victim with a smile on his face. My only misgiving about this book is that if a reader wasn't acquainted with Batman and the usual Arkham cast, the subtletly of this telling will almost certainly be missed. On the other hand, this'll be a great place to start an education.
Tim Sale's art is compelling. Noir's a difficult effect to convey in comics, and it comes through beautifully in a shadowy, mostly gray and earth tone palette behind strong inking. This cool, muted ground provides the perfect foil against which to contrast the costumed villains, ratcheting up the tension another notch.

If you're turned off by the art as much as I was at first please put that notion aside. It somehow grows onto you and it seems that somewhere in the middle of the book it seems to get better. Tim Sale artfully crafts Jeph Loeb's story so well that you have no option but to enjoy the piece as a whole.

I hate comics that have crappy art because a comic is supposed to tell a story not only through words, but through visuals, and this is really achieved throughout the entire comic. Tim Sale has a way with contrast, strong ink lines, appropriate colors, and fantastic compositions, the graphic novel is actually stylistic in an excellent way.

The story is compelling and I was always the edge of my proverbial seat. Don't hesitate to pick this fine graphic novel up today.

I got this after hearing much praise for it, so I decided to pick it up from my favorite comic shop.

There are two main things I look for when I think about starting a new comic, is the art good, and is the story well written. Having never read anything by Loeb before, but loving the way the comic looked I figured there was more of a chance for a hit than miss.

And hit it did. Big.

Loeb weaves a story that takes back to Batman's roots as a Dectective trying to solve the mystery of a killer who strikes only on holidays. Though I don't buy this as a direct follow up to Year One, I definetly think this is early in Batman's career, as he does make some mistakes. This was a nice long comic, but I still finished it in 2 days I was so into the story.

Sale's art is nice and dark, and he definetly has created his own style, something that you see and know it is his. Much in the way Frank Miller has. It was nice to see unique takes on some of Batman's classic villains. Basically his art fit the book perfectly.

I suggest this comic to any Batman fan, or even a fan of a good crime/detective story. I look forward to reading the follow up "Dark Victory"

I would agree that Jeph Loeb falls a little short of Miller and Moore, but this graphic novel is still worth the money. The first thing you'll notice when you pick up this Graphic Novel is that it's BIG! 368 pages big, an entire years worth of comics, 13 issues BIG. Since "The Long Hallowe'en" is about the same price as a regular Graphic Novel, it's already a perceived value.
The story itself was quite good. It should keep you flipping the pages. The artwork and color (imo) could have been better, but since this was a part of the regular comic run and monthly deadlines are what they are, it's quite understandable.
All in all, a nice extrapolation of Miller's "Year One" stories with an organized-crime spin. A classic? No. Worth the price? Definitely. No regrets here.

In my review of Frank Miller's 'Batman: Year One,' I longed for more material; I complained that the work was too short. Loeb's 'Long Halloween' is a perfect fulfillment of Miller's source work. It carries forward with the characters as they are revealed in the original work, and works especially to develop the personalities of the Gotham City crime families and Harvey Dent. It also features appearnces by a whole host of classic Gotham villains. Not to be missed.

This is one of the best Batman stories out there today. Revolving around the relationship between Gordon, Dent, and Batman, the Gotham Triumvirate is what I came to think of the group as, the story is pushed on by the threes desire to rid Gotham of crime and what lengths each will go to to produce results. The art is very nice Tim Sale does justice to the story with his art. Definitely worth a read and highly recommended for first time Batman readers.

I have read the vast majority of the Batman graphic novels that are considered his greatest and this is my favorite. I love the entire story where Batman, Gordon and Dent decide what is right and what is wrong. This one definitely focuse on the detective aspect with only a couple direct confrontations through the entire story.

This book was a real let down. My interest in this title was generated based on the great reviews The Long Halloween recieved (on the store and elswhere). When the comparrisons to Frank Miller's seminal work on Batman was made by some, I was sold. Oh my, was i ever shocked upon actually reading it. This is why I'm sending out a warning out to those expecting Miller calibur writing in this title: Don't! This doen't even come close. In fact, The Long Halloween is actually not very good at all.
Here's my main complaint: Incridebly contrived and poorly executed "mystery." One should not be left severely confused after the story and mystery is resolved, and as hard as I tied to figure it out, I was continually perplexed by The Long Halloween. I reread it two times trying to make some sense of it, but still the pieces didn't fit together. Well, at least in any manner that was not extremely convoluted, arbitrary, and well, unbelivable. The "twists" at the end just didn't add up. I attribute this to very poor characterization and pacing, and motivations and allegiences that are never clearly explained, even after the story's punchline. I really can't understand why some people would compare The Long Halloween to Frank Miller's work, it's totally overrated. Pretty art though, and at least the follow up, Dark Victory, was a bit of an improvement.

This series is one big long mystery, at the heart, as the cops and Batman have to work, alongside the mob at times to work out who the hell the Holiday killer is, if they can, that is.

This is one that is not easy to guess, and is handled very nicely. Definitely a Bat-story to check out, and most people could probably handle it.

Batman: The Long Halloween is sort of a sequel to Batman: Year One by Frank Miller. It takes place not too long after that story ended. This graphic novel focuses more on Batman's battle with the mob than it does with other super-villains (though pretty much every super villain is in it... But more on that later). There is a killer dubbed the Holiday Killer who kills someone related to the mob boss every holiday. Not only does the Holiday Killer attract a team of Batman, Jim Gordon, and Harvey Dent, but also gets a big attention from the mob.

This story is definitely a page-turner and a very good Batman tale. The biggest problem I have with is is fairly congruent with most 2-3 star reviews. There is a point where there is just about every super villain (including The Penguin, who has no other place in the story) vs. Batman. Batman then takes them all out in less than 3 pages. Mr. Loeb could have subtracted 3 or 4 of these villains and maybe it would have made more sense. The other problem I have with this story is the ending. There are about 3 twists in the last 10 pages that are unnecessary.

For every con with this book there are many more pros. As stated earlier, the book maintains a very good level of suspense. Another huge pro in this book is Catwoman. Her portrayal here is one of the best I've read. Another excellent thig about this book is the relationship between Batman, Jim Gordon, and Harvey Dent. All in all I would rate this book at 3.5 stars. Some things could have been worked better in my opinion, but the majority of the book works well on many levels. Do yourself a favor and buy it on the store as the $13.59 price is going to be much less expensive than anywhere else.

This book's stature among Battales is perplexing. The story has many flaws. It's a sparse script. There's nothing to it. Many pages have so few words that your focus and time is spent turning pages than reading them. The rogue cameos are pointless and add little, especially Catwoman, who is seen throughout the story for no apparent reason, which we don't find out until the end of Dark Victory. Plus Batman doesn't play a big role in the discovery of the killer, whose identity at the end is still in doubt. This is easily Jeph Loeb's weakest Batman tale. Dark Victory and especially Catwoman When in Rome are superior, and Hush has the unfair advantage of Jim Lee's great artwork. A novel, like other works of art, needs a rhythm and flow, and that is entirely missing when a story reads as fast as this. It's lack of substance leaves the reader with a feeling of squandered opportunity and wasted time. Loeb is a talented writer but he needs to show that by adding depth and essence and not by producing a book that reads like a series of flash cards.

Wow, this was such a great read. I don't read a whole lot of comics/graphic novels, but this came highly recommended and did not disappoint. You can definitely see the influence that this story had on the Chris Nolan trilogy.

This ode to Frank Miller's "Year One", itself a noir take on Batman's early career, provides a note-perfect genre piece that should thrill anyone looking for a Batman whodunit. The story has Batman, early in his career, taking on the mob and a serial killer who strikes on holidays. The story is drum tight through thirteen issues (350+ pages), set from Halloween to Halloween, with a poetic pacing and use of graphic tension found only in top-notch graphic novels. Harvey Dent is heavily featured along with a young Jim Gordon. For Batman scholars, Dent's presence alone provides a backdrop of foreboding.
The usual rogue's gallery weaves through the book, including a jealous Joker, out to outdo the serial killer, a cornered, yet elegantly neurotic Riddler, and a wildly abstracted, sensual Poison Ivy, along with a little more mind-altering mayhem from the Scarecrow and Mad Hatter.
What I appreciated most about Jeph [sic!] Loeb's telling is that the criminals are reduced to their elemental symbols, where a gesture or a glance conveys as much as a panel of narrated text. The clues are perfect red herrings in the grand whodunit fashion. Fans of Batman know bad things are going to happen when a stranger passes a rose to a character who then pricks their finger on its thorns. Similarly, even a hardened Gotham detective shudders upon seeing a murder victim with a smile on his face. My only misgiving about this book is that if a reader wasn't acquainted with Batman and the usual Arkham cast, the subtletly of this telling will almost certainly be missed. On the other hand, this'll be a great place to start an education.
Tim Sale's art is compelling. Noir's a difficult effect to convey in comics, and it comes through beautifully in a shadowy, mostly gray and earth tone palette behind strong inking. This cool, muted ground provides the perfect foil against which to contrast the costumed villains, ratcheting up the tension another notch.

If you're turned off by the art as much as I was at first please put that notion aside. It somehow grows onto you and it seems that somewhere in the middle of the book it seems to get better. Tim Sale artfully crafts Jeph Loeb's story so well that you have no option but to enjoy the piece as a whole.

I hate comics that have crappy art because a comic is supposed to tell a story not only through words, but through visuals, and this is really achieved throughout the entire comic. Tim Sale has a way with contrast, strong ink lines, appropriate colors, and fantastic compositions, the graphic novel is actually stylistic in an excellent way.

The story is compelling and I was always the edge of my proverbial seat. Don't hesitate to pick this fine graphic novel up today.

I got this after hearing much praise for it, so I decided to pick it up from my favorite comic shop.

There are two main things I look for when I think about starting a new comic, is the art good, and is the story well written. Having never read anything by Loeb before, but loving the way the comic looked I figured there was more of a chance for a hit than miss.

And hit it did. Big.

Loeb weaves a story that takes back to Batman's roots as a Dectective trying to solve the mystery of a killer who strikes only on holidays. Though I don't buy this as a direct follow up to Year One, I definetly think this is early in Batman's career, as he does make some mistakes. This was a nice long comic, but I still finished it in 2 days I was so into the story.

Sale's art is nice and dark, and he definetly has created his own style, something that you see and know it is his. Much in the way Frank Miller has. It was nice to see unique takes on some of Batman's classic villains. Basically his art fit the book perfectly.

I suggest this comic to any Batman fan, or even a fan of a good crime/detective story. I look forward to reading the follow up "Dark Victory"

I would agree that Jeph Loeb falls a little short of Miller and Moore, but this graphic novel is still worth the money. The first thing you'll notice when you pick up this Graphic Novel is that it's BIG! 368 pages big, an entire years worth of comics, 13 issues BIG. Since "The Long Hallowe'en" is about the same price as a regular Graphic Novel, it's already a perceived value.
The story itself was quite good. It should keep you flipping the pages. The artwork and color (imo) could have been better, but since this was a part of the regular comic run and monthly deadlines are what they are, it's quite understandable.
All in all, a nice extrapolation of Miller's "Year One" stories with an organized-crime spin. A classic? No. Worth the price? Definitely. No regrets here.

In my review of Frank Miller's 'Batman: Year One,' I longed for more material; I complained that the work was too short. Loeb's 'Long Halloween' is a perfect fulfillment of Miller's source work. It carries forward with the characters as they are revealed in the original work, and works especially to develop the personalities of the Gotham City crime families and Harvey Dent. It also features appearnces by a whole host of classic Gotham villains. Not to be missed.

This is one of the best Batman stories out there today. Revolving around the relationship between Gordon, Dent, and Batman, the Gotham Triumvirate is what I came to think of the group as, the story is pushed on by the threes desire to rid Gotham of crime and what lengths each will go to to produce results. The art is very nice Tim Sale does justice to the story with his art. Definitely worth a read and highly recommended for first time Batman readers.

I have read the vast majority of the Batman graphic novels that are considered his greatest and this is my favorite. I love the entire story where Batman, Gordon and Dent decide what is right and what is wrong. This one definitely focuse on the detective aspect with only a couple direct confrontations through the entire story.

This book was a real let down. My interest in this title was generated based on the great reviews The Long Halloween recieved (on the store and elswhere). When the comparrisons to Frank Miller's seminal work on Batman was made by some, I was sold. Oh my, was i ever shocked upon actually reading it. This is why I'm sending out a warning out to those expecting Miller calibur writing in this title: Don't! This doen't even come close. In fact, The Long Halloween is actually not very good at all.
Here's my main complaint: Incridebly contrived and poorly executed "mystery." One should not be left severely confused after the story and mystery is resolved, and as hard as I tied to figure it out, I was continually perplexed by The Long Halloween. I reread it two times trying to make some sense of it, but still the pieces didn't fit together. Well, at least in any manner that was not extremely convoluted, arbitrary, and well, unbelivable. The "twists" at the end just didn't add up. I attribute this to very poor characterization and pacing, and motivations and allegiences that are never clearly explained, even after the story's punchline. I really can't understand why some people would compare The Long Halloween to Frank Miller's work, it's totally overrated. Pretty art though, and at least the follow up, Dark Victory, was a bit of an improvement.

This series is one big long mystery, at the heart, as the cops and Batman have to work, alongside the mob at times to work out who the hell the Holiday killer is, if they can, that is.

This is one that is not easy to guess, and is handled very nicely. Definitely a Bat-story to check out, and most people could probably handle it.

Batman: The Long Halloween is sort of a sequel to Batman: Year One by Frank Miller. It takes place not too long after that story ended. This graphic novel focuses more on Batman's battle with the mob than it does with other super-villains (though pretty much every super villain is in it... But more on that later). There is a killer dubbed the Holiday Killer who kills someone related to the mob boss every holiday. Not only does the Holiday Killer attract a team of Batman, Jim Gordon, and Harvey Dent, but also gets a big attention from the mob.

This story is definitely a page-turner and a very good Batman tale. The biggest problem I have with is is fairly congruent with most 2-3 star reviews. There is a point where there is just about every super villain (including The Penguin, who has no other place in the story) vs. Batman. Batman then takes them all out in less than 3 pages. Mr. Loeb could have subtracted 3 or 4 of these villains and maybe it would have made more sense. The other problem I have with this story is the ending. There are about 3 twists in the last 10 pages that are unnecessary.

For every con with this book there are many more pros. As stated earlier, the book maintains a very good level of suspense. Another huge pro in this book is Catwoman. Her portrayal here is one of the best I've read. Another excellent thig about this book is the relationship between Batman, Jim Gordon, and Harvey Dent. All in all I would rate this book at 3.5 stars. Some things could have been worked better in my opinion, but the majority of the book works well on many levels. Do yourself a favor and buy it on the store as the $13.59 price is going to be much less expensive than anywhere else.

I really wanted to like this one. Loeb and Sale get a lot of things right, not least of which is the beautiful, moody, pitch-perfect art (the best visual service anyone's done for the Batman, for my money). The story has all the elements for a great crime drama but they just don't come together. The story moves so fast that there's little to no time for characterization. Batman barely says anything in the entire book that isn't either straight-ahead event narration or phoned-in "justice for my parents etc etc..." filler. He's hardly even an agent of change for the plot; most of his time is spent on brief and too-familiar jaunts with familiar villains who seem to appear only out of obligation, or to hide the fact that Batman has almost nothing to do with the plot. They pull the same stunts they always do (why are crop dusters so plentiful anywhere near a major metropolitan city?) and waste a lot of time that could otherwise have been spent on an interesting murder plot.

Some of this can be chalked up to misdirection, which is surely a good ingredient in any mystery, but the bizarre, illogical, and unmotivated actions taken by quite a few of the characters don't get any illumination in the final reveal. If anything, the final answer asks for even more leaps of faith and acceptance of unlikely and unpoetic coincidence. It feels like a noir flick where you only get half of the "parlor scene" at the end. The closer you examine it the sloppier the whole story proves to be. There's real potential in the build-up, but the payoff just doesn't live up to it.

After reading this, it's not too hard to see some parallels with the story problems in "Heroes" (which Loeb also had a hand in, until recently). Too much emphasis on creating moment-to-moment (chapter-to-chapter, episode-to-episode) impact, with no consideration on how those moments have to hang together and create a unified story.

But I do have to say, and I just about never say this, The Long Halloween is probably worth a flip through on the strength of the art alone.

Some graphic novels are exciting and hard to put down, this one is neither of those. The story line is interesting, but not really captivating. If you really like Harvey Dent, then get this book. If you want hardcore batman stories, there are way better out there.

Perhaps the best comic series I've ever read. So good that it forces even those who believe all comicbooks are stupid to pay attention. Better than most mystery novels of recent memory, and many mystery films as well. Establishes the graphic novel as a fine format for "film noir." Worth reading more than once.

I loved it. Jeff Loeb is a real traditionalist when it comes to the characters he's writing. I've read tons of his books and he doesn't re-invent the character but keeps the traditional ideas going. The art is great and the stories are classic. Everybody and anyone could pick this up and enjoy it. It's a great example of a graphic novel. I think of comics as the baby of novels and movies. Art is alive in comics! Instead of watching TV try reading this. It's a great book.

Growing up, Batman was my favorite comic book and I loved the animated series. I have to admit though that I lost interest in it when I hit high school. A friend of mine was moving and gave me his comics collection and The Long Halloween was in it. It was incredible! The storyline was on point and the simplicity of the artwork makes the words stand out even more. I recommend this comic to anyone that loves comics and, like me, needs a great story.

This is straight up one of the best graphic novels or mysterys I have ever read. The Long Halloween is about Batmans promise to rid Gotham City of the evils thats took his parents and how far he will go on his word. It is also about the battle for the criminal elements in Gotham between the gangsters police and "freaks". And a mystery as to who is "Holiday" a killer who shoots up members of the mob on each Holiday. The Long Halloween would have made a great movie in the Batman series but unfoprtunatly people wouldnt understand what the hell is going on. Dont get me wrong this book is easy to follow and is a great mystery. If you are a fan of the Dark Night, comics, or anything in general I suggest picking it up...

After reading just about every other review of "The Long Halloween" one could be forgiven for thinking it was the greatest literary work of the late twentieth century. It's not. It's not even a pretty good literary work. Of course, it's hard for it to be considered a literary work at all when one considers just how little writing there is in "The Long Halloween". Loeb's chief problem is that he wants so desperately to tell a grand sweeping saga in the style of the Godfather (so much so that he blatantly rips it off at every point and turn) and yet leaves us with precious little to actually "read" much less think about. In any good mystery there must be an emotional resonance between the reader and the characters but that's just not possible here. Loeb feels compelled to include as many members of the Rogues' Gallery as he can fit, including a few ludicrous scenes with the Scarecrow and the Mad Hatter in which both seem to be competing for the Most Annoying Villain in a Comic Book or Drama category. What we're left with is a whirlwind tour through Arkham Asylum with little to no time left for even the most basic character development as the "mystery" of who the serial killer Holiday is is drawn out far longer than is required. Do not be fooled! If you're tempted to read this because of lofty comparisons to the works of Frank Miller or Alan Moore please note that this series has none of the emotional depth of their characterisations or intricate strands of their plots. Oh, and the art's not much good either.

The Long Halloween was Jeph Loeb's tout de force on Batman. It is recounted in 13 chapters (which is how the tale was originally told 13 issues). This and Frank Miller Batman: Year one should be read together.

Loeb's take on the early Bat legend is classic. A one man, no power superhero who uses his brain. It is also a crime drama of a mafia family bring murder with Bat's rogue gallery thrown it for measure

So is it worth it to get? YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT!

Bennet Pomerantz, AUDIOWORLD

This book is not great. Maybe you like the art.. OK, that's one thing. Personally, I don't. But even if I did, I'd like some writing to go with it.
People compare this to Frank Miller.. which I think is a very valid thing to do since it's intended as a direct follow-up to Miller's little masterpiece, "Year One". First off, I should say that I think Miller's Batman stories are really works of literary genius, as good as many great novels. The Long Halloween can't really be a work of literary genius as there's barely even any writing in it. The whole book can be read in no time flat. Most of the supporting characters get no time at all, and I'm still confused as to why any of Batman's usual roge gallery was included since none of them are really used well, and since their presense begs for questions about their origins, all unexplained here. This is a follow-up to Year One, so where did all these people come from? From the laziness of the writers, that's where. The story of Harvey Dent is handled horribly as well. There's a huge gap between his story in Year One and where we pick up here, and we see almost nothing of him after his trasformation, and we don't get too deep inside his head during the actual transformation, because I guess thought balloons would muddy up the "artwork". So what this leaves us for drama is basically just the moment where he gets acid thrown in his face. It's sad.. so's roadkill. So's this waste of nearly 400 pages. Almost as shameful is the endless parade of Godfather references trying to act as if they're homages when all they are is further excuses for new creation. My main problem with this all can be summed up in one word: Density. As in total lack thereof. Miller would have used about 3 pages to tell this story, and then taken us inside Harvey's head for the rest of the book, and then ended it in a way that reinforced the genius of his allegory. This book ends with Batman punching people. Even if you don't expect this to be a masterpiece like Frank's work, which I (perhaps foolishly) did, it's still just not very good.
To compare this with Frank Miller is just nuts.. He usually has more than 3 words on a page, for one thing, and his characters usually do something. To compare the art to Watchmen.... well, lets just not even go there.
This is the only Batman book I've ever been sorry I bought.

To compare this with Batman year one is an insult to Batman year one. The ridiculous parade of batman foes, all of them just crammed into the story to satisfy brainless fans, is dissapointing. Not a single one of them is of real importance to the plot. You can really forget about them. And the captions in every single issue, telling you who is who, you can really see how the Long Halloween was more of a marketing excersise than anything else.
Now, that aside, the art is great, as the ending, and also the transformation of Harvey Dent. This is a good comic book, but by no means a great one. If Loeb had only worked with the crime families this would have been a much better story.
Do not believe the hype. Read at leas the first part before you buy this, decide then.

As someone else said, I was also afraid of how I would like Batman taking on the mob. Not to worry though, it is mob based but there are the famous Batman villains. From one Halloween to the next Halloween, a killer named Holiday is loose and knocking off mob members.

You'll get to see Bruce Wayne in jail. The story is easy to follow and read. Catwoman is drawn nicely. If you like the pulp stories or gangster films of the old days, you'll like this.

Writer Jeph Loeb along with artist Tim Sale drag us kicking and screaming through a full year of criminal turnoil in Gotham in "Batman: the long halloween". A killer who 'makes the most of the holidays' lurks, throwing suspicion everywhere and bringing the crazies out of the woodwork (the Joker doesn't want to be knocked off his pedestal as the 'craziest killer in Gotham' so he gets into the act). In true mystery novel manner the reader questions the sanity of even the 'most sane' characters. While not being a huge Batman fan, with the exception of the ElseWorlds TP's, I found this to be a truly enjoyable read and recommend it highly.

The Batman in this comic is drawn better than any others
The action and violence shows how dark the dark knight truly is
There doesn't need to be a lot of print because the extra amount of drawings helps add to the story
Tim Sale is the best artist period
The subplots only add more too the story
It isn't even close to being too much like The Godfather
There needs too be a large rogues gallery too show who gets involved in the mystery but most of all because it needs to show how many possible suspects Batman would have to choose from
The double twist ending is superb
If I hear any more bad reviews than I might have to become the next holiday killer
Angelina Ballerina?
What are four?
Dumbass list-Angelina/tmoney/Richard/Emerick/Alejandro/Joseph

The Long Halloween is 369 pages of why I love Batman. It starts off on a good premise. Batman is in about as close to a straight up detective role as I've seen him in. The opposition includes gangsters, several of his more psychotic and dememted foes, and even the people he believes in.

The story is very interesting and entertaining but maybe not quite brilliant, similiar to the other Jeph Loeb stories I'm familiar with. The connections with Year One were interesting, however a comparison would be futile, these are two very different stories. The fact that so many villains appear inside of a year is possibly not the most commensense idea ever, but like Loeb's Hush story it's justified if you enjoy the way they handle it and the art.

Tim Sale's art is, in my opinion, incredible. Very unrealistic in many ways, even for the world of comic books, but nonetheless very pleasing to the eye. Certain panels were just gorgeous. I love his interpretations of all of the characters (with the exception of Poison Ivy, which also happened to be my least favorite part in the book story-wise) and his backgrounds were very effective.

If you love Batman, read this book.

"The Long Halloween" is way too long and marred by a detective plot, that just doesn't add up in the end. On the positive side it has great, moody art-work and some very decent character descriptions of central figures in the Batman-cast, however it is not a satisfying read.

Jeph Loeb is obviosly in love with his idea of a killer using the holidays to mark his murders, but he hasn't got the ideas to keep the plot fresh for long. Therefore he turns to throwing the classic super-villains from Arkham at Batman. This only provides utterly unnecessary action-scenes and distracts from the main plot o hunting down the holiday killer and Harvey Dent's attempt to convict "The Roman". If Jeph Loeb had written a stunningly surprise finale to the very thin plot he might have pulled of a decent comic, but instead we are left with a showdown in an office (how epic is that...) between Batman, Catwoman and super-villains galore. And... tadaaaa... three different characters claiming to be the holiday killer. It doesn't add up. And what's with the appearences of Catwoman. A mystery throughout the book and a mystery at the end. Very sloppy script. Avoid this one unless artwork is all you care about. The art is great.

The blatant rip off of the godfather, parts one and two. Honestly, they don't even acknowledge it in a joking manner, the writing is superb, until I see these scenes. It's as if they said: You know what? We need good dialogue. Let's rip off the godfather and hope nobody notices. It's insulting. Other than that, amazing story. It keeps you wondering just who Holiday is up until the ending. You see Bruce, Gordon, Dent, and Alfred as human beings, with problems and fears,like the rest of us, and I like that.

The Long Halloween is the ultimate Batman noir/detective/crime tale. A mysterious killer named "Holiday" is killing off mobsters and it's up to Batman, Gordon and Harvey Dent to stop him. Borrowing heavily from Year One, Long Halloween is a year long tale that leaves the reader guessing until the end. The strongest points of this story are the mystery of Holiday's real identity and Harvey Dent's slow descent into madness. Dent is actually the character who goes through the most development while Batman just tears through his entire rogues gallery. The Joker, Poison Ivy, Catwoman and more are using the chaos of Holiday's murders. Throw in a crime family that has been taken straight out of the Godfather movies, Jeph Loeb's amazing writing and Tim Sale's dark, moody pencils and you have an instant classic.

I really enjoyed Batman: The Long Halloween. It was a really refreshing Batman story. Not quite as good as DKR or Year One, but not that much worse. The artwork was very reminiscent of old film noir movies, and the story itself payed a lot of homage to the Godfather. It gets a tad repetitive though. Nevertheless, Long Halloween is an original Dark Knight story which if you're a fan of Batman, you will not want to miss out on.

Jeph Loeb's, "Batman: The Long Halloween" is great story and graphic novel. The illustrations are breath taking and the characters are so unforgettable. A killer is on the loose in Gotham and every holiday there's a murder. Commisioner Gordon, Batman, and District Attorney Harvey Dent form an alliance and all "beleive in gotham city". Although this novel has appearances by the more famous Batman villains such as the Joker, Catwoman, Poison Ivy, Mad Hatter, Scarecrow, Penguin, Calendar Man, and Two face, this book tends to focus more on gangsters and crime boss Carmine Falcone, his empire and Sal Maroni and his family. Its a very dark story where Batman must keep his promise to his parents of cleaning up Gotham and bringing criminals to justice.

The Long Halloween and Year One are the most near perfect Batman graphic novels I have read so far. They both capture the essence of the character very well. As for the Long Halloween by itself, it takes the traditional origin of Two-Face that most fans of the comics know and twists it around to fit into a convoluted murder mystery. This approach in itself merits points for creativity, and its homages to various films from The Godfather to Silence of the Lambs makes it a treat for any film buff like myself.

Being a Batman fan for many years and seeing all the transitions and interpretations of the character, this is one of the best stories I have read in a long time. The noir style of the story, and the dark, shadowy, "Frank Miller-esque" art by Tim Sale is his best work ever! This story picks up where "Year One" left off, and delivers. Loeb and Sale are up there with the greats like Miller, Adams , and O'neil. If you enjoyed "Dark Knight" or "Year One", you will like this one. Definitely a great book for the older Batman fans!

The Long Halloween is good but not great. It has atmosphere, and is a brisk, fun read, but it doesn't hold up to even casual scrutiny. First, I must confess that I have a strong dislike of story lines that run a parade of villains through the narrative. This story is a great example of why. The villains get short shrift, and their formidability is diminished to the point where they are usually dispatched within a page or two. Who are they? What makes them so important in Batman's rogues' gallery? All we get is the ubiquitous "pin-up" page and then we move on. He beats them as easily as he would a mugger. There is even one ridiculous point in which Joker, Two Face, Scarecrow, Mad Hatter, Solomon Grundy, Poison Ivy, and I think even the Penguin (but he doesn't say anything and hadn't been in the story at any other point before, while the others had), are all together in a room, facing him. The Batman (with a little help from Cat Woman) dispatches all of them in a page or two. How is it that these villains can be so diabolical and confound Batman for multiple issue story lines in other books and then be so easily beaten here? Also, the "twist ending" makes no sense whatsoever.
In fact, this whole story was told much more concisely only 5 or 6 years before this one, in the 1990 Batman Annual, by Andrew Helfer and Chris Sprouse. It's the same core story, focusing on the origin of Two Face. There's the trial of mob boss Morconi (complete with Batman in disguise in the gallery), the duplicitous assistant D.A. Fields, and Dent's troubled history with his father; however, it resonates far more effectively because of the manner in which it explores Harvey's psychological turmoil and because it never veers from that. By going for depth rather than breadth, the story packs more of a punch in 55 or so pages than The Long Halloween's 370, and since it doesn't go for pin-ups every other page, it takes about as long to read too.

This is everything you could want in a modern Batman series. A series of self-contained stories that build to a larger arc that is greater than the sum of its parts. I didn't want to put it down and every time I picked it up, I read for longer than I had intended. I can see how this was inspirational to Nolan, and I think I prefer this book to those films.

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.

This was the first Batman graphic novel I had ever purchased and it was well worth its money, I had seen the Dark knight movies but never read the comics so after reading this I was able to understand the certain aspects that were added into Christopher Nolan's Dark knight movies. I'd highly recommend it for Batman fans or 'Bat-fans'.

Jeph Loeb did a phenomenal job writing this must read comic for any batman fan. The twists and turns in this comic will keep even the most seasoned comic book vet shocked and on top of their toys right till the very end!

I have never seen Batman drawn the way he was always meant to look until I saw Tim Sale's incredible rendition of the Dark Knight. The shadows, the paucity of words, the plot and characters all amount to one of the greatest Batman stories ever written. With Batman today cluttered with a family of characters, 3rd rate villains, and modern themes, this story, set in Batman's beginning in a crime-infested Gotham, is the definitive Batman. My favorite character, the Calendar Man, is a psycho locked up in Arkham who knows the identity of the killer the whole time and never spills. Don't miss this for any other Batman story.

THE LONG HALLOWEEN is probably the fourth finest Batman story ever (after THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS, YEAR ONE, and THE KILLING JOKE). In fact, this may be considered a kind of extended homage to YEAR ONE.

THE LONG HALLOWEEN was serialized as a 13-issue mini-series written by Jeph Loeb and illustrated by Tim Sale -- the team responsible for much above-above-average or slightly-less-than-classic works for both Marvel and DC. THE LONG HALLOWEEN is by far the best of their famous collaborations, however.

The story begins on Halloween during BATMAN: YEAR ONE, even featuring the same otherwise disposable gangsters. Gotham at the time is a city of corrupt cops and powerful gangsters. By the end of the series, on Halloween a year later, Gotham has become a city of zany and crazy villians along the lines of Dick Tracy. The narrative is strung together by a series of murders attributed to Holiday, with each chapter occurring on a holiday and featuring another murder or attempted murder. Along the way, Batman encounters a series of villains and District Attorney Harvey Dent becomes the villain Two-Face. The tension with Catwoman from BATMAN: YEAR ONEis here too, but the story is simultaneously a gangster tale heavily influenced by The Godfather.

The story's final issue / chapter seems to reveal the identity of Holiday, only to quickly undermine that by revealing that multiple people committed the crimes, copying each other -- including, we find out in a moving and mind-boggling scene, Harvey Dent's loving and sympathetic wife. The beginning and the ending are tied by the phrase "I believe in," which succinctly expresses characters and their motivations, turned in the final chapter towards devastating implications. Beginning and ending are also tied by a secret meeting atop Gotham's police headquarters -- at the first a sacred pledge to clean up the gangster-run town, at the last a recognition that this quest has been won at the cost of Harvey Dent, poignantly absent, and not without new threats in the form of costumed villains. The paradigm has changed for Gotham.

Truly an epic, no chapter more powerful than the ending, THE LONG HALLOWEEN shows nothing less than personal tragedies (none more subtle than that of Dent's wife) and the transition from one era into another.

For the record, THE LONG HALLOWEEN was preceded by three worthy but less poignant prestige format Halloween specials (for the series BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS) by the same team; these have been collected in BATMAN: HAUNTED KNIGHTS. THE LONG HALLOWEEN was in turn followed by BATMAN: DARK VICTORY, by the same team in the same format, which attempted to resolve the ambiguity around the Holiday murders but which was less artistically successful.

-- Julian Darius, Sequart.com (for the sophisticated study of comic books and graphic novels)

... This is a story set in some of the pre-Robin days and Batman where he, Commisioner Gordon and D.A. Harvey Dent are trying to solve the holiday murders. It features a good amount o classic Batman villains and a good retelling of the origin of Two-Face. Jeph Loeb has crafted a good story and Tim Sale's art, though not mind-blowing, is dark and gritty enough to go with the story and give Gotham City a menacing look. These two work well together and this book is proof of that.

Didn't quite know what to expect when I cracked open my copy of Jeph Loeb's 'The Long Halloween'. I had been told by many friends that it was a great read... and I was pleasantly surprised. This story follows a young Batman partnering up with a young Gordon and Harvey Dent to investigate a slew of murders being committed against the Falcone and Maroni Mob families by a mysterious killer know only as Holiday for his propensity to kill people on holidays. With some panels making clear nods to the movie 'The Godfather', the art could have been inked by Francis Ford Coppola and the dialogue written by Mario Puzzo. If you want a Batman book with a great Mob story and appearances by other classic Batman villains, don't pass this one up!

I picked up The Long Halloween just recently. Let me tell you I'm glad I did. Even though it is set around the same time Year One is, and in fact continues from that time, it is not a direct sequel. My self I was wanting to see Joker and Batman's first face off but this wasn't it. However I was treated to one hell of a read. This is Batman at his best.

Another great thing about this book we get to see Harvey Dent become Two-Face. We meet the man before he became the monster. What drove him, what made him have to pursue the criminals, and way Batman feels responsible for what happened. This is one of the greatest stories ever told.

The mystery is kept to the very end. Hard to see coming but well worth it. If you like Batman this is well worth the money and time it takes. Do your self a favor get this book.

"Batman: The Long Halloween" is a fairly contrived story with weak plotlines, characterizations and motivations. The whodunnit aspect is drawn out far beyond the point of reason. The ultimate conclusion is, how shall I put it...idiotic.

The story seems to follow along the trend of past Batman movies...strong on supporting characters and weak...very weak on the leading role of Batman/Bruce Wayne. And when I say, "strong" on characters, I mean there are a lot of em. A virtual rouges gallery of villians with the intent to confuse and confound the reader as to the identity of the "Holiday" killer. Believe me...the sheer idiocy of these contrivances abound as we are taken through an endless journey of plot holes akin to a Michael Bay extravaganza.

The story follows Batman as he "investigates" a series of murders that are committed during various holiday's for over a year. Over a year?!!? Batman, along with the brilliant assistance of Captain James Gordon and DA Harvey Dent are helpless as a serial killer continues his/her rampage unabated. The funny part...Batman doesn't do a whole lot of investigating. For the most part, his main contribution to the story is to look menacing while accomplishing very little. I'm sure we all love to read about our favorite Dark Knight running around Gotham as useless and impotent as befits his moniker..."world's greatest detective".

To compare Loeb's effort to "The Dark Knight Returns" or to "Year One" or even to "A Killing Joke" is like comparing ginger ale to a magnum of Cristal.

Please people. By no means is this a classic. In an age where mediocrity has become the gold standard, the acclaim for "The Long Halloween" is understandable.

Let me start by saying this book is not as well written as the Frank Miller Batman stories. This is due directly to the fact that it is not written by Frank Miller! If you want a Frank Miller book then buy one. Otherwise, if you want a Batman story that has brisk pacing, a good plot, a good mystery and a solidly constructed story then this book is for you. Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale are one of the best duos out there and I have yet to read a subpar release from them. If you like Batman and want a quick entertaining read you will like this book.

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.

The Long Halloween is really what made or at least started Jeph Loeb's reputation as one of the great comic book writers. TLH is a very early Batman tale. And Loeb gives Harvey Dent the consideration such a character as him deserves. The artwork is dark, almost filmic.

Batman Th Long Halloween is probably one of the best batman graphic novels I have ever read. I love the artwork. And the story line is brilliant especially the the fact that it includes Gotham's crime lords in the story.

Probably one of the best Batman comics I've ever read. The art is superb and the writing is amazing as well. Loeb and Sale are truly a match made in heaven and it shows in there work not just here but in the other two books of the series. I recommend this to all lovers of Batman. Though a bit more adult, and therefore more graphic, than some earlier Batmans the spirit is still there and burning bright.

The Long Halloween, is one of those Batman TPBs that does not disappoint. I liked reading about Harvey Dent especially, pre-Two Face. I'd probably give LH five stars if not for the fact that "Hush" is probably still my favorite.

Batman: The Long Halloween is one of my favorite Batman Trade Paper backs, and one of the first I picked up. In this book, all of the best Batman foes make an appreance, along with the Falcone crime family, unseen since Year One. On top of that, the origin of Two-Face is rewritten in spectacular stlye. While reading this novel, its imperative that the events are taking place some time after Year One, but while Batman is still learning the ropes. Therefore, some readers will be put off by the "amaturish" way Batman conducts himself, but then, the fact that he is still learning the ropes makes the story all the more gripping.

The Long Halloween is one of the greatest stories I have ever read. Unfortunately, the ending is flawed in that it is either vague or implausible. No spoilers here. The journey to the ending is a lot better than the conclusion. Still this is worthy read for any fan of comics. BTW, my rating is really four-and-a-half stars.

I read this 260 page graphic novel in about 2 days. The murder mystery aspect was very engaging and if you are into that at all, I would recommend you checking it out. Theres also some side aspects that make it great like the use of familiar villains. There is a lot of them yet they are incorporated in the story so well. I've recently began purchasing graphic novels so I actually benefited from not knowing the identity of certain people. If you are a novice like me in the DC comic world, you might appreciate it like I did.

I have only recently started into graphic novels, but out of the ones I have read I would rate the batmans from best to least favorite as follows:

1)Dark Knight Returns
2)Long Halloween
3)Killing Joke
4)Dark Victory
5)Batman: Year One

Long Halloween has a great story (which continues in Dark Victory), great art style, and is just fun to read. Highly recommended.

I finally got around to reading this one, having long heard it touted as a worthy follow-up to Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli's stunning masterpiece, _Batman: Year One_.

It's a follow-up, all right, but I'm not persuaded that it's a completely worthy one. Jeph Loeb gets some of it right, but he fritters away Batman's second year in business with quite a bit of silliness. Are we, for example, to believe that Batman encountered this much of his "rogue's gallery" during this one case? The only one that gets any real "screen time" is Catwoman, and she's well handled for the most part. But the rest are just trivialized away. And was Batman out of commission for the entire time he was under Poison Ivy's influence? If not, what did he do during that time?

I'm also not a huge fan of Tim Sale's art. Some of the panels are very nicely rendered, but what's up with e.g. the Joker and his eighty-eight five-inch teeth?

What made Miller and Mazzuchelli's masterpiece work was its utterly consistent aura of gritty realism. Loeb and Sale have pushed Batman back in a more "cartoony" direction -- with a somewhat noir-Gothic edge, but without the crisp, economical storytelling that made its predecessor such a resounding success and certainly without the same earthy approach to Batman's origins and capabilities.

To make matters worse, the world's greatest detective doesn't even successfully _solve_ the mystery at hand. Despite the good-on-the-whole handling of Harvey Dent's transformation into Two-Face, the central story -- the mystery itself -- is bungled by both Batman and the author, who hands the reader (and not Batman!) a totally gratuitous "surprise" payoff with essentially no basis in the storyline to that point.

It's pretty good on the whole, but it's far from great. I'll follow up by reading _Dark Victory_ and _Haunted Knight_ just to see whether they improved. But I don't like this stuff anywhere near as well as I liked Denny O'Neil's 1970s-era Batman, let alone Miller's brilliant work.

By the way, _Batman Begins_ fans will also want to read this as one of the sources Christopher Nolan and David Goyer consulted for their excellent screenplay. Just don't expect this to be of the same quality as the movie.

This was my first graphic novel and I have to say that it was awesome! The story is great and Tim Sale's art is just as great. Every chapter gets more and more interesting as the book progresses. It's just really good.

Batman Long Halloween is by far the best batman graphic novel from Loeb and Sale. Kept me on the edge the entire time and its one of those books you can pick up over and over. If you love batman, you'll for sure love this.

The Long Halloween is a great murder mystery in the guise of a superhero tale. All of Batman's rogues combined with gangsters, suspense, and some of the best writing and artwork you're ever likely to find. This book has changed my outlook on what a "comic book" should be. Excellent.

This was pretty well the best looking and worst story I have read.
I can't emphasize enough how truly awful the the story is. Too bad is screwed up such a nice looking comic.

Dark Knight Returns = my favorite
Year One = almost my favorite
Long Halloween = makes me sad the some people actually thought this story was even ok never mind great.

I was quite excited to see a few "graphic novels" released in time for the Kindle Fire this week. I downloaded the sample for The Long Halloween, and wouldn't you know it... the second page is totally unreadable. The second and third page of this book is merged into a wide panel (likely for a cohesive image), but the maker of this file decided to put "widescreen bars" over the top and bottom to that the two pages are in tiny eye-squint print that is completely illegible. You cannot tilt this file format to view in widescreen either. That my friends is (in nerdspeak venacular) an Epic Fail. C'mon, it's the second page! Whoever was in charge of testing this file for the Kindle must not have gotten past the first page. I have to give this format a 1-star rating, even though the graphic novel itself is a 5-star read. Sorry, Batman, but the store has not done you justice.

I picked up The Long Halloween just recently. Let me tell you I'm glad I did. Even though it is set around the same time Year One is, and in fact continues from that time, it is not a direct sequel. My self I was wanting to see Joker and Batman's first face off but this wasn't it. However I was treated to one hell of a read. This is Batman at his best.

Another great thing about this book we get to see Harvey Dent become Two-Face. We meet the man before he became the monster. What drove him, what made him have to pursue the criminals, and way Batman feels responsible for what happened. This is one of the greatest stories ever told.

The mystery is kept to the very end. Hard to see coming but well worth it. If you like Batman this is well worth the money and time it takes. Do your self a favor get this book.

So much to draw and so little to say. When this book isn't childishly ripping off "The Godfather" or "The Silence of the Lambs," it's mucking about in a plotline that's as two-dimensional as it's overblown. Capos spout dialogue at each other in storytime mafia-ese; characters we're supposed to care about lose all credibility and come off as dull thanks to the clumsy script; and half of Batman's rogue's gallery seems contractually obligated to make an appearance--sometimes just falling into the frame as eyeroll-inducing non sequiturs. Batman is a wonderful character, and he can support so many kinds of stories: detective yarns, suspense thrillers, noir tragedies, psychological inquiries, even postmodern eviscerations. But this . . . this is nothing. This is bad writing. There's no story here. Kudos for the sometimes beautiful visual images, but even they quickly wear thin with nothing to support them. Sadly, in a reader's world of hits and misses, "The Long Halloween" is something even worse: a waste.

I honestly can't imagine how this tripe can be so popular and positively reviewed. If this were a novel, any reader with common sense would find it hackneyed and obvious. I can spot at least three films that Loeb steals directly from (although kinder reviews call it an "homage" to The Godfather) and the "mystery" is simply a cobbling of confusing scenes with the occasional murder and two or three clearly red herrings. The reveal at the end could have been picked with a dartboard. Not unlike "HUSH," Loeb infrequently references a seemingly innocuous character throughout the story and then, suddenly, in the last few panels of the last issue, shoehorns motivation and malevolence into said character to explain why they are the antagonist. There are no clues throughout the story to indicate the killer nor does Batman use any of his storied detective skills to ferret out the culprit. In Loeb's world, the killer is just delivered to our doorstep like a shabbily wrapped present with a rumpled bow slapped on it to distract us from the complete lack of logical storytelling.

Critique of artwork can be a very subjective thing. Basic anatomy and proportions, however, are not. Tim Sale is an atrocious artist who uses "style" as an excuse to avoid learning the dimensions of the human form. Eye placement is generally not three eyes apart, bones aren't made of rubber and, last I checked, we all don't have 137 teeth in our mouths. I know that his fans will tell me that I just don't understand his interpretation of the characters or whatever...but I'm here to tell you this: Jack Kirby had a style. John Byrne has a style. Jim Lee has a style. Mike Mignola has a style. Sale is a sloppy, lazy artist using thick brushes and India ink to hide his lack of skill and detail. If the story had been incredible, I still would have been distracted by a disjointed Catwoman with enormous hips and pencil thin ankles, her entire body contorted to the point of an apparent spine injury.

I have to admit, this work was so awful that I probably never would have written a review of it. But it was recommended so highly by the comic shop guy and then the scads of reviews here and elsewhere singing its praises, I feel more than a little slighted by my purchase. It's this kind of praise of a truly unworthy piece of work that gives comic fans a bad name. This is a work of sub-par intelligence, a contrived story with no backbone or direction. It reminds me of the Phantom Menace in that you could take out the middle and just read the beginning and the end and come away with the same experience, just with a lot less wasted time.

If you're interested in actual story telling, try some of the following: Planetary, Preacher, Concrete, Usagi Yojimbo, Ultimates (v1 & 2 only...3 is by Loeb and Madiera and it's really terrible), Old Man Logan, Powers, Fables, The Boys, Astonishing X-Men (Whedon/Cassaday), The Walking Dead, Ex Machina, Y: The Last Man, 100 Bullets and Invincible just to name a few.

This highly acclaimed book does actually start off strong as an exciting noirish Batman tale. Unfortunately it only gets worse and worse, concluding with a more than sub par ending. Terrible writing as usual from author Jeph Loeb, who's work as usual resembles terrible fan fiction rather than a professionallly written story. Avoid this and other works by Loeb.

For a really superb Batman story, look up Batman Year One and The Dark Knight Returns. Other excellent superhero works include, All Star Superman, New X-Men by Grant Morrison, Kingdom Come, Planetary, and Powers.

What a waste of time! I am a new Batman fan but seriously? I have been reading the very first Batman's watching the shows ( Batman 1960 and Animated series) and playing the video games that have come in the last two years (Arkham Asylum and City). I think the characterization of Batman is a little insulting. Like a few people have mentioned here, Batman is a DETECTIVE!!! There is no way it would take a year for Batman to figure out who the killer was. Have we seen the Animated show? It only takes him 20mins, plus minus the commercial breaks. ;) What else I really could not stand about this book and the HUSH book is Leob's use of well established villains for really no purpose. I found it flashy and pointless. The inner thoughts of Batman were also distracting and silly...It felt like Leob could not trust us what Batman was thinking...Have we lost the ability to read things that are implied? The dialogue seemed so trite and like something I would hear on a late night Animee. So drawn out just for the sake of drama! . I had to get that out...point is do not buy this book or the other one. I don't really if this book was meant to be an homage to some other writers, by it self this book is awful. If you want some good Batman just watch some Paul Dini episodes of the Animated Show. That is good story telling.

Amazing story - using it in a comic book/philosophy class that I teach. I have a selection of graphic novels in the class and allow students to choose one to read. I haven't incorporated this one yet as I need to reread it to make sure it's suitable.