Batman: The Long Halloween by Jeph LoebMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I didn't know what to expect when I picked up this book, but what I got was a thrilling read and a concise, precise plot for a story.
It's Halloween in Gotham City and the crime rates continue to escalate. Bruce Wayne is given an offer that he must refuse, but that will be the least of his worries as a series of killings will soon take over the Gotham Knight's time.
With his allies Captain Jim Gordon and DA Harvey Dent, Batman races against the clock to find the mysterious killer 'Holiday', who strikes only once every month on a holiday. Why? The trio have no clue. Possibilities abound as they tick off a list of suspects, including each other.
Added to this are the inner workings of the crime families of Gotham - Falcone and Maroni, the troubled family lives of Gordon and Dent, as well as Bruce Wayne's own demons, and you've got yourself a riveting read.
What a book! More graphic novels should be written like this. Granted, this book doesn't pass the Bechdel Test, but if they had included interesting female characters with their own arcs, I would probably give this book five stars.
I wasn't a fan of the art. I like my characters drawn in a more detailed fashion. Didn't like that Gilda Dent, Harvey's wife, is drawn as a twelve-year-old. Also, and I guess I shouldn't be surprised, but the illustration of Catwoman (not so much Selina Kyle) was utterly atrocious. I have yet to come across a normal and realistic drawing of Catwoman. Poor thing, I feel for her back.
The colouring was astounding - little daubs of colour thrown in for effect in several of the panels went a long way to set the tone of the narrative.
The pace, the story, the intrigue, the politics, the plot, the characters, there's just so much to love about this book by Jeph Loeb. For a Batfan, this one is not to be missed.
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