Nearly 30 years ago, writer Jeph Loeb and artist Tim Sale crafted one of the finest and groundbreaking graphic novels ever with Batman: The Long Halloween, a 13-part series set in Batman’s early years that saw Gotham City terrorized by a serial killer known as Holiday.
The duo returned to The Long Halloween franchise with a 25th anniversary special in 2021, but Sale unfortunately passed away a year later, putting off any plans to continue the story. Now, Loeb has announced Batman: The Last Halloween, a new story that will conclude The Long Halloween trilogy with a team of rotating artists paying tribute to Sale.
Batman: The Last Halloween (its full title is Batman: The Long Halloween: The Last Halloween, falling under The Long Halloween banner its stories have been rebranded with) is a 10-part series picking up where The Long Halloween Special left off. The first issue, which will come out on September 28th, will see Batman and Robin investigate a new mystery that threatens to tear Commissioner Gordon and Gotham City apart with the apparent return of Holiday. The official synopsis reads:
Gotham City learns to fear Halloween once more as a terrible event threatens to destroy Jim Gordon’s life and puts Batman and Robin’s teamwork to the test more than ever before. In a city of liars, masked vigilantes, and criminals…can anyone be trusted?
Loeb announced the news the MCM London convention today. He revealed the first issue will be illustrated by Eduardo Risso (100 Bullets) with issue #2 by Klaus Janson (Batman: The Dark Knight Returns) and Mark Chiarello (Batman: Black and White) on issue #3. Dave Stewart and Richard Starkings, the latter of whom worked on the original story, will also contribute to the series as its colourist and letterist respectively. Each issue will be released with a cover of unseen Sale artwork accompanied by a variant cover from the issue’s artist.
“Batman The Long Halloween: The Last Halloweenis Tim Sale’s parting gift to me,” Loeb told the crowd. “Tim and I had already decided to tell this last chapter following Batman: The Long Halloween Special, which will serve as the prologue to this 10-part action-packed mystery.”
“Tim’s unfortunate passing put our plans for this series on hold,” Loeb continued. “About a year later, after speaking with Mark Chiarello and Richard Starkings, my partners on the previous Long Halloween titles, we decided the time was right to move this forward as a tribute to Tim, who continues to be with us in spirit.”
The Long Halloween franchise includes the Loeb/Sale stories Haunted Knight, Dark Victory and Catwoman: When in Rome. Haunted Knight was the first Batman series Loeb and Sale worked on together and was what brought them to the attention of DC for a larger story set in the same continuity. Dark Victory is a sequel to The Long Halloween, picking up a year after its events for a new mystery that also introduced a young Dick Grayson into Batman’s life. Catwoman: When in Rome follows the infamous cat burglar during the events of Dark Victory as she tries uncovering a deep family secret. The stories also chart the transfer of power from Gotham’s mafia organizations to the likes of ‘freaks’ like Two-Face, Penguin and The Joker.
This story concludes the war between the freaks and the crime families forever, as Batman, Robin, and DC’s most infamous Bat-villains face off against Holiday, and secrets dating back to Batman The Long Halloween Special will be revealed,” Loeb said.
Batman: The Long Halloween has long been a favourite among Batman fans for its gritty noir mystery. Not only did it inspire its sequels, but it has often been referenced by other writers and artists in various Batman stories and was a huge influence on the live-action films The Dark Knight and The Batman. It was adapted into a two-part animated film which was eventually put together in one film as Batman: The Long Halloween Deluxe Edition.
Batman: The Long Halloween: The Last Halloween #1 will go on sale September 28th.
Ricky Church – Follow me on Twitter for more movie news and nerd talk.
