Batman The Long Halloween TP

Being relatively new to comics in general, I wasn't all too sure what to expect when I picked up The Long Halloween. Well, now I can safely say that out of the three batman comics I've read this one is by far the best. The story is gripping and dark with a surprising amount of nods towards The Godfather (compare the opening scene of this comic to the movie-you'll be pleasantly surprised). I would say that it is far more a crime drama than it is a superhero story, which isn't a bad thing. In fact it allows for some very gritty scenes that you wouldn't find in your average hero comic. The art is wonderful. The heavy use of shadow and the limited colour pallet emphasise how dark and foreboding Gotham is. The bat himself is bulky and imposing, the design of his cape almost coming off as unnatural. I liked this; it gave him a very moody and grim quality-you can definitely see why criminals find him so frightening. Other characters were drawn with a certain noir style that makes them very memorable, particularly the Joker. Overall it was a very impressive and well-drawn read. Worth every penny.

No rips or creases

*Contains spoilers* I'll come right out and say it: I didn't like the ending. This is a who done it and I didn't like who did it. Despite that I really enjoyed reading this. The story has an epic feel and there's a serious exploration of actions and their consequences. We also get to meet a lot of interesting characters along the way. There's an interview at the beginning of this edition with Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer who discuss the influence of this story on Batman Begins and The Dark Knight and you can really see that here (particularly on Batman Begins) in terms of theme. Also this book's Jim Gordon really does feel like the same character as the one in the Dark Knight trilogy. Well worth a read.

Great comic

If you are looking for a more definitive Batman story you will be looking hard. Strong characterizations throughout. There are no weak characters in this story. Let's cover the story, briefly. Somebody in Gotham is picking off members of the Falcone and Maroni crime families, the caveat. Each murder occurs on the same day as a holiday, beginning on Halloween 🎃 and lasting a full calendar year. Batman, Jim Gordon and Gotham's highly driven DA Harvey Dent make a pact to end the reign of the so called "Holiday" killer. What makes this such an enthralling read is the pace of the story and the depth the characters is perfectly balanced. Firstly, Bruce Wayne/Batman and his (their) relationship with Semina Kyle/Catwoman. The dynamic between the four personas is what we've come to expect. The difference is the juxtaposition between Wayne/Kyle, who at times display unexpected vulnerabilities compared to Batman/Catwoman who are always in control. It's a quite striking thread that runs throughout the story. Harvey Dent's transformation from white knight DA to the conflicted Two-Face is excellently brought to life. Jim Gordon is a continuation of who we meet in Year One. The cameo appearances from Batman's rouge gallery is brilliant as each of their personalities are expressed perfectly. I would have given 5 stars were it not for two aspects. 1. The portrayal of the Sullivan gang (who are of Irish extraction) is such an American stereotype of what an Irish person acts and sounds like. As an Irish person I was a little put off by it. 2. The ending was a little loose. Not sure what the reason was for it. If it had ended a few pages sooner it would have been perfect.

Fast delivery, excellent read

Great storytelling

great book

Se volete leggere una storia mozzafiato che vede coinvolti un Batman ancora alle prime armi in qualità di detective, il senza macchia capitano della polizia Jim Gordon e l'indecifrabile procuratore distrettuale Harvey Dent, questa graphic novel fa proprio al caso vostro. Seguito praticamente perfetto di Anno Uno di Miller, in questa storia i tre protagonisti si trovano a dare la caccia ad un misterioso serial killer che sembra aver preso di mira le più importanti famiglie mafiose di Gotham City. La trama è magnifica e perfettamente articolata. Si menano le mani solo quando davvero necessario: il fumetto è senz'altro più "psicologico" che "fisico". Dialoghi eccezionali e un carnet di personaggi, tra cui i principali super-criminali della serie, davvero notevole e mai inseriti a caso o solo per apparire. Disegni meravigliosi, tra i più belli che abbia visto in una graphic novel di Batman: l'eroe è fisicamente possente, Gordon e soprattutto Dent sono spettacolari, per non parlare degli antagonisti, che presentano un tratto a dir poco grottesco e quasi spaventoso. I contenuti aggiuntivi non sono niente di che, ma poco importa; è una storia che gli appassionati devono assolutamente leggere, considerando anche i seguiti Dark Victory e Hush.

Le duo Loeb-Sale signe ici un véritable chef-d'œuvre. Ils nous emmènent dans une intrigue passionnante où Batman, Gordon et Dent sont confrontés à un tueur inconnu qui sème la terreur dans Gotham. Un véritable roman policier où l'on cherchera le fin mot de l'histoire jusqu'à la dernière page. L'enquête est très bien rédigée et fait apparaître plusieurs personnages de la saga qui sont là pour aider ou entraver le travail des détectives qui fonctionnent chacun à leur propre manière. On m'avait averti que The Long Halloween était un must-have mais je ne pensais pas que ce serait aussi bon. On sent que cet ouvrage a été source d'inspiration pour Christopher Nolan. Il s'agit indéniablement d'un des premier ouvrages de la collection Batman que les fans doivent se procurer.

Una excelente edición justo lo que quería

It is a very good detective story … in my opinion, this is what Batman stories should be like. Focus on the crime and detective work, and less on long fighting sequences. Batman is, after all, a sleuth and considered to be the world’s greatest detective. It is always good to go back to the fundamentals. One is kept guessing right to the end as to the real identity of the serial killer, Holiday. Chapter 7 —midway through this 13-chapter story — toys with the reader by introducing multiple suspects such as Salvatore Maroni, Carla Viti, Catwoman, and Harvey Dent. And there is a huge twist at the end of the story (I certainly didn't expect it)! There is certainly plenty of character development and depth. We get to see how wedded Jim Gordon and Harvey Dent are to their jobs and responsibilities so much so that they neglect their own families. We also get to see how Harvey Dent unravels and ultimately transforms into Two Face. And there is “something” going on between Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle. The fact that this story influenced Christopher Nolan’s “Batman Begins” and “The Dark Knight” should be sufficient reason/enticement for one to pick up this book and read it. Even Matt Reeves’ more recent “The Batman” movie was influenced by “The Long Halloween”! The panels are not text heavy (unlike say, Alan Moore's "Watchmen"), so it is a pretty breezy and brisk read overall. However, just to nitpick, the opening sequence in Chapter 1 copies Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather”. It is cheesy to have Bruce Wayne declare, “I believe in Gotham City” in the style of Amerigo Bonasera. And Carmine Falcone is made out to be like Don Corleone in this sequence. The smelling of a rose, the wedding reception … all these lack originality. Thank goodness the artist, Tim Sale, did not draw in a cat sitting on Falcone’s lap! Well-known Batman villains are gradually introduced as the story progresses (e.g., Catwoman, Solomon Grundy, the Joker, Poison Ivy, the Riddler, the Scarecrow, the Mad Hatter, and the Calendar Man). Most are decently linked to the story but Solomon Grundy and the Mad Hatter are completely superfluous in my view. Batman seeking insights on the killer from the Calendar Man is too similar to Clarice Starling seeking Hannibal Lechter's help in "Silence of the Lambs". Because of these, I contemplated subtracting half a star from the rating but then I decided against it. The art style is nice with clean, crisp lines. It certainly has a distinctive “look and feel” to it. It is stylish. It is the complete opposite of the “rough and ready” style such as that found in Frank Miller’s "Ronin". And then, there is the creative cover art for every chapter, with each related to a specific holiday occasion. I like it.

A must read for any Batman fan