As a gamer who’s spent countless hours immersed in the dark alleys of Gotham City, I can confidently say that Batman: The Long Halloween: The Last Halloween #1 is a chilling addition to the Batman mythos. Jeph Loeb masterfully weaves a gripping narrative that captures the essence of the original while setting the stage for a new classic.
In May, DC created quite a stir within the comics community when they revealed that Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale’s Batman: The Long Halloween was getting a follow-up series titled Batman: The Long Halloween: The Last Halloween. This new ten-part mystery is set to unfold from the events of the 2021 Batman The Long Halloween Special, which had connections to the original classic. Some critics felt that the special lacked cohesion with the much-loved, groundbreaking The Long Halloween. However, any minor flaws in its predecessor are soon overshadowed by the arrival of The Last Halloween. The first issue of this series is skillfully crafted and serves as a compelling continuation of the story that not only maintains the original’s atmosphere but also lays the groundwork for an engaging, soon-to-be iconic Batman tale.
In “The Final Halloween” #1, Gotham City resumes celebrating Halloween following the chilling incidents of The Long Halloween and the Holiday killings. However, Batman, Jim Gordon, and by extension, Gotham itself, must confront the holiday once more when Gordon’s young son vanishes during trick-or-treating. To make matters worse, there seems to be a new Holiday killer on the loose as well. From a storytelling perspective, this issue is a real gem. The writing flows seamlessly, and it feels like Jeph Loeb has slipped back into writing this story as if it were a comfortable pair of shoes, leading us back into the dark and frightened heart of Gotham City. Batman’s omniscient narration provides valuable insights without distracting from the dialogue or art. It strikes the perfect balance, creating an atmosphere of both dread and excitement, with an underlying tension that something terrible is about to happen.
Regarding the artistic aspect, things become more complex due to Sale’s passing in 2022, which means his remarkable contributions are absent from this issue. However, Eduardo Risso steps up to the challenge and does a commendable job. It’s important to note that Risso is not a replacement for Sale, and there’s a noticeable shift in the overall aesthetic of the issue. Nevertheless, Risso’s work harmonizes well with Loeb’s narrative, and there are certain visual instances that might be even more haunting than any written text. The depiction of the pumpkin – symbolizing both a children’s candy bucket and a key element in Holliday’s methods as drawn by Risso – emphasizes the urgency of the events unfolding on this rainy Halloween night in Gotham City, perhaps even more so than anything else. Although Sale’s extraordinary talent will be missed by readers while going through this issue, Risso manages to create a strong standalone piece that doesn’t feel like just another chapter in a larger story. Readers who are yet to encounter the legendary The Long Halloween can jump right into this issue and find themselves at home, and then return to the original without feeling disoriented or as if they’re traversing different worlds.
Rereading or expanding any cherished tale can be tough. This difficulty intensifies when the initial story is so adored and well-known, but Batman: The Long Halloween: The Last Halloween #1 somehow achieves something that seems almost impossible – a feat Gotham might find hard to believe. The issue serves as an appropriate continuation of the original while also setting up its own narrative effectively. Although Sale is no longer around to provide the art, the artwork here maintains and enhances the visual storytelling legacy, leaving readers craving for more. As we look forward to seeing how the rest of the parts unfold, this issue has begun remarkably well, just in time for the spookiest season.
Published by DC
On September 25, 2024
Written by Jeph Loeb
Art by Eduardo Risso
Colors by David Stewart
Letters by Richard Starkings
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2024-09-25 18:09