Warning! Contains Spoilers For Batman: The Last Halloween #0 and #1!
FewBatmanstories are as highly regarded among the DC Comics fandom asJeph Loeb and Tim Sales' iconicThe Long Halloween– and now, nearly three decades after the legendary series' publication, DC has returned with a fitting sequel, which seems more than ready to live up to the legacy of the original.
Batman: The Last Halloweenfeatures a returning Jeph Loeb, this time joined by artists Eduardo Risso and Dave Stewart, as he seeks to deliver a definitive final chapterin his saga. So far, they seem to be doing a truly excellent job.
While Tim Sales' art is sorely missed, due to his passing in 2022, the art style of the book remains as faithful to his designs as possible, serving as a heartfelt tribute to the late creator.The Last Halloweenlooks absolutely amazing, and the story seems geared to deliver on readers' high expectations as well.
So far, DC has releasedBatman: The Last Halloween#0 and #1;so far, the series has been a bold return to Loeb and Sale’s version of Gotham. At its heart, both the old and the new series emphasizeBatman’sstatus as detective fiction, while also offering unique takes on the franchise’s mythos.The Long Halloweenthe fall of gangsters and the rise of the freaks in Gotham City, and this potent landscape is as vibrant and chaotically live as ever inThe Last Halloween.
Loeb and Sale’s original thirteen-issueThe Long Halloweenseries was followed byBatman: Dark Victory– even longer at fourteen issues – andCatwoman: When in Rome, a six-issue miniseries set concurrently withDark Victory. Loeb’s return to complete the “trilogy” without Sale is bittersweet, but in a way, essential to his legacy in the comic industry.
From the early issues, visuals like Harvey and Gilda sitting in their house, Halloween decorations out front, a swing tire in the backyard, against a dark purple sky, are instantly memorable and haunting. At the same time, there is an immediate sense of tension and uncertainty, as plotlines involving the shooting of Catwoman and Two-Face, and the kidnapping of James Gordon’s son, set a dynamic, multi-threaded plot into motion. Above all else,The Last Halloweenoffers the same feeling asThe Long Halloween, which is precisely what fans have craved for so long.
The Last Halloween Will Be Readers' Final Look Jeph Loeb And Time Sale’s Iconic Gotham City
Batman: The Last Halloween#0 And #1 – Available Now From DC Comics
Through the initial issues ofBatman: The Last Halloween, these are several dangling threads that will captureBatmanfans' attention, especially fansfamiliar with Jeph Loeb’s previous work.The story is tense, the mystery is just getting started, and the artwork is perfectly darkand captures the feeling of Halloween wonderfully. Though it wil be difficult for the story to achieve the heights of its predecessors, it certainly has the potential to, and could still serve as an amazing conclusion to everything Loeb has set up over the past two decades.
DC Makes A Shocking Change To Batman Lore in New Series ‘The Last Halloween’
Batman: The Last Halloween begins on September 26th, and the tragic event that kicks the new story off could change the Dark Knight’s lore forever.
Often in contemporary DC stories,Two-Face is treated as just anotherBatmanvillain; simply someone to be defeated and thrown in Arkham Asylum. What theLong Halloweenstoryline excelled at, which continues inThe Last Halloween, is hitting on the fact that Gordon, Batman, and Harvey Dent were friends. They worked together to clean up the streets of Gotham, and Harvey becoming Two-Face was a major tragic moment. This kind of weight isn’t usually seen in the main DC universe anymore, but it was one of the strongest points ofLong Halloween,which makes it great to be returned to here.
The Beginning Of “The Last Halloween” Has Raised Fan Expectations Even Higher Than Before
Can The Series Deliver A Worthy Conclusion?
Batman: The Last Halloweenis set to play out over the span of ten issues; in addition to making it one of the most exciting comic book projects of the next several months, this gives the story the same room to breathe thatLong HalloweenandDark Victoryhad. In an era of increasingly fast-paced storytelling,this is essential to allowing Jeph Loeb the full range to complete his epicBatmansaga in a way that is irrefutably satisfying. With its initial mysteries introduced, fans can only speculate where the creative team might take them next.
It’s possible that Jeph Loeb has created the perfect conclusion to what could be one of the greatestBatmantrilogies in comic book history.
The .22 caliber pistol, Harvey and Gilda reuniting, and James Gordon’s son being kidnapped, are all intriguing set-up, yet it remains difficult to prognosticate where the story is going right now. FromThe Last Halloween#0 and #1, it definitely seems to recreate that Halloween feeling from the first book. The world is beautiful to look at ,and the writing seems to be every bit as good as the original story, meaning it’s possible that Jeph Loeb has created the perfect conclusion to what could be one of thegreatestBatmantrilogies in comic book history.
Batman: The Last Halloween#0 and#1are available now from DC Comics!
Batman
One of DC’s most iconic heroes, Batman is the vigilante superhero persona of billionaire Bruce Wayne. Forged by tragedy with the death of his parents, Bruce dedicated his life to becoming the world’s leading martial artist, detective, and tactician. Recruiting an entire family of allies and sidekicks, Bruce wages war on evil as the dark knight of his hometown, Gotham City.
