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.

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.

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

The Long Halloween is a masterpiece. The premise of the story is that a serial killer is taking down the mob, one gangster at a time. This killer has a unique method, killing on holidays, therefore the killer is called Holiday. Batman, Gordon and Harvey Dent make a pact to discover the identity of Holiday and to stop the killing. However, the identity of the killer is not so easily discovered, and many gangsters die.

The tone of this story arc is dark, which suits Batman very well, without being overbearing. Batman spends more time trying to figure out the identity of Holiday than punching out villains, so you really get a sense of Batman as a detective. However, there are various chances for Batman to show his skills--the best of which is a midair battle with Joker. This is recommended for all Batman fans and is a must have.

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 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.

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.

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.

I ordered this for my husband and was very pleased with the quick service and the care taken to ensure the book arrived it top condition!
He was thrilled to add it to his batman collection!

if you don't read any other batman book, this one is THE book to read. It is the single best book I have ever read in the batman myth

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.

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 one awesome batman story. So crazy i have to say i enjoyed this very much

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 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 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.

This is my favorite Batman TPB thus far, for many reasons. First of all, I thought the entire plot was spectacular; a little bit "Sopranos", a little "Godfather", but completely believable for the Gotham world, not hammy or out-of-place. Carmine "The Roman" Falcone is actually a suave, cool figure in his own right, along with the other members of the "family" (not to spoil too much, but especially a certain member featured in the very end). This very cool plot line is deliciously peppered with the classic Arkham gang, all of the favorites are here more or less in funny cameos (Joker and Scarecrow/Hatter were my personal favorites), with the exception of Catwoman, who is featured heavily, and I must say, expertly drawn and written. Somehow, the heroes are not neglected at all, least of all tragic Harvey Dent, whose mental decline is another great highlight in the meaty story. We see Bruce take on the host of villains, team with Jim Gordon to solve the murder, and even fall a couple of times, as well as his sexually tense relationship with Selina Kyle and her alter-ego. Not as in-depth with Bruce Wayne as, say, "Year One", but he is true to character, and retains his overall strength against adversity-- probably his most important character trait.

The artwork is superb; I even prefer the more bright, dramatized stylizations of Tim Sale's work, and every villain was drawn spot-on, in my opinion. The only point of contention is Bruce himself, sometimes a tiny bit awkward in face, but that has more to do with my personal tastes. Gotham is dark, moody, and slick. Very well done stuff.

I don't even think I could complain about anything here. A fantastic book, and a must-have for any Batman collection, or people who are only familiar with "Batman Begins" or the movies. The entire plot is here, you don't necessarily need to read any prior or later books as it stands alone, and it is simply a great book. If you like the Batman world even a little bit or are curious, start with this book!

Seriously, a great noir/murder mystery and Sale is outstanding for two reasons :
(i) I have never thought such long pointed ears would look cool on Batman
(ii) The chemistry between Batman and Catwoman/Selina Kyle is exhilarating and life like!
The sequel Dark Victory is equally great!

Seriously, a great noir/murder mystery and Sale is outstanding for two reason :
(i) I have never thought such long pointed ear would look cool on Batman
(ii) The chemistry between Batman and Catwoman/Selina Kyle is exhilarating and life like!
The sequel Dark Victory is equally great!

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.

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 either Batman or 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 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.

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.

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.

A better then usual take on Batman, Catwoman, and villain 2 Face. The ending really surprised me.

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.

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.

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 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

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.

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.

First of all, i just really couldn't get into art work, i mean the characters heads and facial structures are just so distorted that they almost look as if they have down syndrome. I will admit though that the Joker although looking extremely cartoonish with the oversized teeth, still came off very fresh look, Batman however looked slightly wimpy and not nearly as intimidating or imposing as he usually does when drawn by other artists such as Jim Lee, Norm Breyfogle or Graham Nolan just to name a few.

The story itself though is actually a neat idea, however there are several elements that seem to have just been ripped right out of other films, the obvious influence is the Godfather. But i found a HUGE silence of the lambs influence, they depicted Calandar Man as a creepy inmate in vein of Hannibal Lecter. Yeah, thats right, Calendar Man. There really isn't much fighting in the story but the story never drags.

There are a few important back bone elements that are not only cool but important in Batman continuity, such as the inclusion of Harvey Dent. Throughout the story we get to see Batman get help from Dent himself which is kind of cool to see them working together, and it is also great to have the story involve his origins into becoming Two-Face, and the ending when you see Batman loose a friend to only gain an enemy is easily the best part of the entire story. Bruce's relationship with Selina is very brief in this story but it is nice to have it in there, though this isnt a Batman love story between the two like in Hush.

So overall if you can overlook the art work, or if you enjoy it, you might want to check this book out but i really dont think this story deserves all the hype it has gotten in the past.

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.

I came back from a ten year Bat hiatus this time last year after reading an essay on the Dark Knight in my English 101 class. Back then Batman was apart of my daily afterschool TV diet: The character, the stories, the rogues gallery. He was an integral part of my childhood and now as I embark on a second chapter in my life I am thrilled to say that he is still there. After reading up on what was going on during DCs Infinite Crisis/One Year Later, I asked around for what the fans thought was the best, or at least a really good, Batman story. All the answered varied but I did notice a pattern and Long Halloween was one story I decided to risk and tackle.

Best $$$ I ever spent! An intricate tale of whodunit, a wonderful cast of characters and Tim Sale's art, all combine and come together in this work of art that is sure to make the reader have an appreciation for the Dark Knight and forever leave the idea that Batman is for kids/60s camp TV show. This is the Batman you take seriously! Jeph Loeb, a wonderful craftsman on the pen, keeps you guessing and even with all the explanations at the end leaves his audience thinking: "How did he do that?" He showed it here and he showed it in Dark Victory and Hush which I also highly recommend.

The story is about a mysterious murderer nicknamed Holiday who is suspected as being responsible for the murders linked to Carmine "The Roman" Falcone's organized crime and its strangling grip it holds on Gotham City, which we first meet in Frank Miller's Year One. Here we are also introduced to another integral character in Batman's mythos, DA Harvey Dent, whose forboding tendancies become more apparent and are a significant harbinger of things to come. Even I, as a hardcore Joker fanatic, place this a bit higher than Moore's Killing Joke but for now, let's save that for another matter. 13 chapters of suprises will leave you gasping for more as it was difficult for me to put this down the first time I bought it, and it took me three and a half to four hours.

Now some people will complain that Loeb's habit of using villains' for eye candy is excessive and albeit annoying. I would have to disagree. They are the perfect red herring and distraction for the Dark Knight. Joker becoming jealous and going into the crime lord's villa and challenging him was chilling, Ivy's feminine wiles to distract Bruce were well done and Scarecrow and Mad Hatter's Team up was a riot!

Tim Sale's art has been underhanded way too many times. I think he adds an interesting take on the characters and making them his own. I like how he made Selina look. She wasn't a blonde bimbo like how you would normally see her. The black long hair made her look sultry and a bit predatory, which fit like a glove with her characterization. Some people have complained the Joker looked a bit toothy here. Well apparently he did also in Hush. It just adds to his overall psychotic/predatory nature. Sale adds a sort of definition to the women instead of making them look all bulimic a la the Gotham Knights episodes. And for that Long Halloween gets my fifth point.

It's a great buy! If you like detective, film noir, Batman or a combo of all three, well, what are you waiting for!?

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.

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.

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.

I'm Giving this book 4 stars out of 5. The story was amazing well told throughout the entire year and a great retcon of Two-face's origins. The only thing i disliked about it was the artwork although there were points to the artwork that fit the story well I absolutely hated selena kyle visually and Two face looked like he had maggots crawling all over him the art in some places just seemed a bit second rate or rushed. Having said that It's a great read. Overall a recommended buy for any Batman 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.

I got a taste of this particular Batman story when I purchased the film "Batman Begins" in a special two-disc DVD from Amazon.com. With it came a small book that had the first part of Batman: The Long Halloween! After I got that taste, I wanted the whole tale!

This story basically shows the end of gangster rule in Gotham City and the beginning of the Rogue's Gallery being the main villians! We also get a glimpse of the different views of justice from Batman, Commisioner Gordon and D.A. Harvey Dent's point of view. The latter's viewpoint is what ultimately led to his tragic turn into the criminal Two-Face.

Very good Batman tale. I would also recommend getting Batman: Year One and Batman: Dark Victory with this because they seem to be based on each other and would make a very good continuty tale on their own. Good recommendation!

This story was just not very beliveable. Between the over use of Batman Villians and the ending being very predictable, It is really not much to read.

The Batman movie makers read this book, but clearly they did not take all the story ideas to heart because the recent Batman movie is ten times better then this book.

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.

A strong beginning unfortunately does not last the length of the work. There is tension at the start with who is doing the killings, but then I stopped caring. The problem was that we didn't see the mobs reacting to the killings. Sure, we saw some personal reactions from those immediately affected, but I'd expect mobilizations of the mob infrastructure, mutual protection pacts being forged and broken, the mob leaders taking steps to protect their families. None of this happens however.

Instead we have cameos of the new super-villains sprinkled throughout to show the new era of crime. Sometimes they make sense, most times they don't as if they are dropped in just to add a splash of color and to say "Look, look, it's me, you know me I'm Poison Ivy." and suddenly *poof* their plot thread is dropped.

There is some strong plotting work on the domestic front of Jim Gordon and Harvey Dent. Unfortunately the rest of the plotting is unable to hold together for the entire run of the 13 months. The artwork is generally good, though at times does drift way out to left-field, such as the Joker with with 100 or so very long teeth as one reviewer mentioned. Generally though it is good with effective colors used to portray moods.

This should really be a tragedy, but the somewhat re-imagined Harvey Dent/Two-Face makes it less of a tragedy as the bad was, apparently, already coming out before he became Two-Face.

Still it is worthwhile reading, but not a masterpiece.

A sequel of sorts to Frank Miller's classic Batman: Year One, the Long Halloween finds longtime partners writer Jeph Loeb and artist Tim Sale delivering one of the best Batman stories ever crafted. Gotham City is in the tight grip of crime lord Carmine "The Roman" Falcone, and in an effort to bring him down, Batman, Gordon, and DA Harvey Dent make a pact to bring him to justice. What unfolds is a year long mystery when a killer dubbed Holiday begins killing members of the Falcone crime organization on a different holiday each month, while Falcone scrambles to save his empire by enlisting the help of various villains. You've got to hand it to Loeb, he's really made something special here; a subtle, noir-ish crime saga that sucessfully illustrates the transition from organized crime running rampant in Gotham City to the reign of Batman's infamous rogues gallery. More than that though, the Long Halloween also gives a worthy transformation of the determined DA Harvey Dent and his tragic ordeal that turns him into the deranged Two-Face. Many other classic Batman villains are here as well, including the Joker, the Scarecrow, the Mad Hatter, Solomon Grundy, the Riddler, Poison Ivy, and Catwoman as well who plays both sides against each other. Tim Sale's art is about what you'd expect from him: lush and beautiful with a noir-ish look that really makes this TPB all the sweeter. All in all, if you want an excellent Batman story that isn't written by Frank Miller, look no further.

A sequel of sorts to Frank Miller's classic Batman: Year One, the Long Halloween finds longtime partners writer Jeph Loeb and artist Tim Sale delivering one of the best Batman stories ever crafted. Gotham City is in the tight grip of crime lord Carmine "The Roman" Falcone, and in an effort to bring him down, Batman, Gordon, and DA Harvey Dent make a pact to bring him to justice. What unfolds is a year long mystery when a killer dubbed Holiday begins killing members of the Falcone crime organization on a different holiday each month, while Falcone scrambles to save his empire by enlisting the help of various villains. You've got to hand it to Loeb, he's really made something special here; a subtle, noir-ish crime saga that sucessfully illustrates the transition from organized crime running rampant in Gotham City to the reign of Batman's infamous rogues gallery. More than that though, the Long Halloween also gives a worthy transformation of the determined DA Harvey Dent and his tragic ordeal that turns him into the deranged Two-Face. Many other classic Batman villains are here as well, including the Joker, the Scarecrow, the Mad Hatter, Solomon Grundy, the Riddler, Poison Ivy, and Catwoman as well who plays both sides against each other. Tim Sale's art is about what you'd expect from him: lush and beautiful with a noir-ish look that really makes this TPB all the sweeter. All in all, if you want an excellent Batman story that isn't written by Frank Miller, look no further.

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 read this after reading Hush (Loeb/Lee). The story-line for Long Halloween is incredible. Loeb's use of inner-monologue gives the story a very personal feeling and the suspense is used much better here than in most graphic novels. I had no prior experience with Tim Sale's artwork before reading this but it's enjoyable (although not the greatest). Either way, the story-line is simply amazing and the multiple suspects and the mystery tied together so well that you probably won't put the book down until you've finished it.

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.

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" has Batman, Jim Gordon, and Harvey Dent scouring Gothom City to find the Holiday Killer, who is murdering members of thr Falcone Crime Family on holidays.

This story is mostly about the passing of the old crime families ("Godfather"-like) and the emergence of the infamous Rouge's Gallery. It is also the story of how D.A. Dent became Two-Face. The identity of the serial killer is kind of a suprise; I know I didn't see it coming. Catwoman plays a more promanant role than in "Year One". And there is also important apperences by The Joker, The Riddler, and The Scarecrow. The art was more stylized this time out than in "Year One"; the colors are brighter and more alive. The characters are starting to act more like themselves. Batman is now more disciplined tha before, and newly promoted Captian Jim Gordon is recieving more respect on the police force than before. An absolute must for Batman fans.

The most marked feeling that I took from reading THE LONG HALLOWEEN was one of great disappointment. The premise for the book carries interesting possibilities: a follow-up for the character of Carmine Falcone, last seen from Frank Miller's BATMAN: YEAR ONE; a character-driven mob story; a complex mystery. Instead, the reader is given a superficial glimpse of all three of these as a means to a different end, which is to allow writer Jeph Loeb to call upon almost every single villain in Batman's rogues gallery in the most unnecessary and tokenistic way possible.

What I realised while reading this book was that the plot was simply a contrivance upon which a series of disconnected encounters between Batman and his adversaries were hung (the most ridiculous being a brief cameo by Solomon Grundy in a sewer). Had Loeb been able to rein in his own adolescent fantasies, he may have been able to construct a fairly compelling crime drama. Unfortunately, almost all genre pretences are abandoned before long, leaving some painfully derivative Mafioso dialogue (with several lines notable for having been lifted directly from the scripts of films such as THE GODFATHER and GOODFELLAS), and a string of clichéd and largely unrelated action sequences.

As it stands, the underlying structure of LONG HALLOWEEN is that of a fairly obvious whodunit, climaxing in the most ridiculous of shock endings, which is neither earned by the writing, nor makes the slightest bit of sense. Which is a shame, because the book does work in some ways. The retelling of Two-Face's origin is very well done, and if you look close enough through the clutter of superfluous villains, there is potential for a good crime/mystery story, with some exploration of the Batman-Catwoman relationship. Tim Sale's art is distinctive, although once the costumes are put on, it tends towards awkward physiology and excessive posing. If only this book had been approached with a little more foresight and sobriety, and a little less rehashed Batman fanservice, it could have been something truly worthwhile.