Batman The Long Halloween: The Last Halloween #1 – Jeph Loeb, Writer; Eduardo Risso, Artist; Dave Stewart, Colorist; Richard Starkings, Lettering & Design
Ray – 9/10
Ray: Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale were one of the most iconic teams in all of comics, being responsible for several classic miniseries at DC and several more at the competition – most famously, Batman: The Long Halloween, a year-long classic noir mystery as Batman and his entire supporting cast and rogues’ gallery were pulling into a case involving a secret serial killer known as the Holiday Killer. Its sequel, Dark Victory, deepened the saga of the Falcone Family and a 2020 one-shot was an excellent follow-up. Sadly, Sale’s death a few years later put an end to their collaboration – but Loeb has decided to return to complete a story that he and Sale workshopped together by partnering with some of the most iconic artists in comics.
First up is Eduardo Risso, who has had plenty to do with Gotham before. Set a year after the events of Dark Victory, it finds Batman – now aided by Robin – still haunted by this case. Two-Face and his loyal wife Gilda are now on the run, and Halloween is fast-approaching. The interaction between Batman and Robin is top-notch, with Batman showing genuine pride in Robin’s growth while also being terrified for the boy’s safety. An encounter with Catwoman that almost results in Robin being accidentally strangled makes this clear – and also gives some interesting insight into Selina’s relationship with Mario Falcone, the heir and sole survivor of the Falcone crime family, who has recently returned to Gotham.
But a far darker mystery is brewing, and it all starts with Halloween night. Jim Gordon and his semi-estranged wife are taking their son – dressed as Batman – out for trick-or-treating when a split-second of distraction leads to the boy going missing. The grief and terror that ensues from this all-too-real scenario is gripping, and it adds a very personal edge to this mystery. And Harvey Dent is being targeted too – maybe by Gotham’s most infamous villain. This story is very busy, and maybe lacks some of the timeless feel of Loeb’s collaboration with Sale, but it does have a very compelling, familiar grip on Gotham and Risso’s art looks different than it usually does – like it’s paying tribute to one of the all-time greats.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
