Batman: The Long Halloween – The Last Halloween #3 – Jeph Loeb, Writer; Mark Chiarello, Artist; Richard Starkings, Lettering & Design
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: Jeph Loeb has been working with an all-star team of artists to bring this series to life and to honor Tim Sale, and the latest is an unexpected name – Mark Chiarello, a legend best known for his behind-the-scenes work. But he has a fascinating style, one that reminds me of somewhat of a cross between Sale and Frank Miller at his best. It’s cartoony, but gritty in a way that really works. This issue continues the hunt for Jim Gordon’s son, kidnapped in the first issue – but it’s the villains who are becoming the targets. The latest is Riddler, who is brutally attacked by goons who render him temporarily unable to talk or write – leading him to find a unique solution to answer Batman’s questions. And as dangerous as our mysterious villain is, a more pressing threat may be the FBI, which has taken over the case and is stymying Batman’s investigation at every turn and treating the GCPD like the enemy.
One of the best parts of this series so far has been the ambiguity of the story, keeping the true antagonist behind the scenes same as the first two volumes. We don’t know who the threat is and the villains are just as much in danger as the heroes – including Mario Falcone, the last heir to the Falcone clan, who inherited his power through a shower of blood in the last two stories. The growing pains in Batman and Robin’s partnership are very interesting to watch, and I’m glad one major plot is resolved this issue. It wasn’t quite compelling enough to drive the entire series, so now we’re left with a lot more ambiguity about who was actually playing who. Loeb built this universe with Sale over a very long process, and the current partnerships are doing a great job of paying tribute. But like every mystery, including the previous two, it’ll ultimately only be as good as its final reveal.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
