Batman: The Long Halloween is one of the most well-regarded stories to ever feature the Dark Knight. It is also one of the most heavily adapted, inspiring an animated film and several story elements of the live-action movies. A new sequel series, Batman: The Long Halloween: The Last Halloween, builds upon the world of the original miniseries.
Written by Jeph Loeb, with art by Eduardo Risso and Dave Stewart, The Last Halloween #1 opens, fittingly enough, on Halloween night. Batman, as the narrator, muses upon how the holiday has come to be viewed under a darker light in Gotham City. Despite this, Jim Gordon and his wife still take their son out trick-or-treating, even as Two-Face is on the loose.
The first five pages of Batman: The Long Halloween: The Last Halloween #1 may be viewed below.
The Last Halloween #1 builds Long Halloween legacy
Originally published as 13 monthly issues in 1996, The Long Halloween was the follow-up to three Halloween specials Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale produced for Legends of the Dark Knight. These specials are often overlooked, however, given the long shadow of The Long Halloween. Loeb’s script added onto the timeline established by Batman: Year One. It also offered a then-fresh take on the fall of Harvey Dent, and his journey to becoming Two-Face. The evocative art of Tim Sale added onto the mystique of the tale. The Long Halloween was successful enough to inspire two direct sequels, Dark Victory and Catwoman: When In Rome.
Tim Sale passed in 2022, but he and Loeb collaborated on one final Halloween special. That story set the stage for The Last Halloween, which Loeb penned as a tribute to Sale. The art of Eduardo Risso is similar enough to be worthy of both Sale and the original series’ aesthetic.
Batman: The Long Halloween: The Last Halloween #1 arrives in comic shops everywhere on September 25, 2024.
