Batman: The Long Halloween
/Na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na Batman! Batman! October is here, and what better way to start the month and get in the Halloween spirit than by reading a blog about my favourite book of all time, Batman: The Long Halloween. I love Halloween, and I love Batman, so having a book that has both together is a win. Below, I will go over everything there is to know about the book without getting into any spoilers.
The Long Halloween was originally released as a 13-issue comic book limited series written by Jeph Loeb with art by Tim Sale. Published by DC Comics in 1996 and 1997, it was re-released many times throughout the years in the form of collected trade paperbacks. I remember first reading the book almost seven years ago, and I was left speechless. I wanted more, and luckily, they did release two sequels. To that point, I never felt that way about any other book that I read. It quickly became a tradition for me to order the book from the library and read it every October until I finally purchased the book two years ago. I continue to read the book every year, and of course, it does not leave the same thrilling impact as the first read, but I would be lying if I said that it wasn’t close. Why do I think the book is so good? Why is it so special? I love superheroes; I love action and adventure; and I love mysteries. Batman: The Long Halloween is all three of those combined. With very cool and unique art by the late great Tim Sale and an incredible story written by Jeph Loeb, what else is there to say?
Image from dc instagram
Now that you have heard some of my thoughts on the book, I will now dive into the book itself. It is set on Halloween night during Batman’s second year as a crime-fighting vigilante. He is still not recognized as Gotham’s saviour quite yet; most people still thought he was an urban legend. The main premises of the book are that starting on Halloween night, a murder took place involving a member of one of Gotham’s notorious crime families. Each chapter is divided by holidays, and on each holiday, a new murder will take place. The killer would be called Holiday, and it would be up to Batman and the GCPD to catch this killer. The book features a strong cast, with almost all of Batman’s main rogue’s gallery present and utilized in a great way throughout the story. Catwoman, Jim Gordon, Harvey Dent, Alfred, and even more iconic allies to Batman also have a strong presence. This is an incredibly packed, star-studded lineup of characters, and it is done in a way that allows the reader to get to know these iconic characters for the first time. The Batman movie directed by Matt Reeves in 2022 took huge inspiration from The Long Halloween, with DC releasing a special box set with three graphic novels that influenced The Batman.
There is a lot more that I could say, but that would lead into spoiler territory, which I do not plan on crossing. If you are a Batman fan or just a fan of reading a great book (especially one that fits the Halloween season). What are you waiting for? Go to your local bookstore or library and read Batman: The Long Halloween today.
Hello. I’m Luca. I love all things geek. I enjoy superhero’s, Star Wars, cartoons, movies, tv shows, comics, and video games. Ever since I was a kid I always enjoyed geek culture, Spider-Man was my first introduction into superheroes. Spider-Man has continued to mean so much to me just like all the other characters across all the many genres I enjoy. Batman has been my favorite character for over 12 years now bumping Spider-Man down to number two. I also enjoy collecting geek memorabilia, like action figures, Lego, books, video games, movies, and more. I hope you enjoy my blog.
