Review: Batman: The Long Halloween Part One

 

 

Overview:

A new killer in Gotham City is targeting key members of the Falcone Crime Family. And his penchant for murdering on the holidays has everyone on their toes. Though as prepared as they are, nothing is stopping the killings as the next holiday rolls around.

Thankfully, Batman is on the case, along with a couple of allies in Harvey Dent and Catwoman. But solving the puzzle is not going to be as simple as it seems. Especially when some of Gotham’s more notorious psychopaths begin to get curious about the new kid in town, and Dent is having a hard time holding himself together. 

 

Our Take:

There is a large group of comic readers out there who know that Batman: The Long Halloween Part 1 and 2 will be standouts in the DC Animated collection. The original comic title may fly under the radar but could be argued as one of the greatest stories of the Dark Knight ever told.  

The Long Halloween was created by the legendary creative team of Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale. The story intentionally puts the caped crusader in the early days of his career, as the book is meant to be a sequel to Frank Miller’s Batman: Year One. So though the plot effectively works within the Batman continuity, it does sit outside of the cannon.

It should be mentioned that a significant part of this book was used for inspiration of 2008s The Dark Knight. Specifically, when talking about District Attorney Harvey Dent becoming Two-Face.

Debatably, the early year version of Batman makes for some of the best stories. Before he becomes the unstoppable force that faces down gods and titans, the Dark Knight works better as a low-level street defender. Which makes this title the perfect vessel for some good old fashion Batman action.

A significant theme for The Long Halloween is the plot surrounding Holiday, a murderer who only strikes on the annual events. Part One takes us from Halloween to New Years Day, where the book takes a significant turn. 

Thankfully, there is plenty of content to fill this first movie. And breaking it up over two films as the DCAU has done before is a decisive manoeuvre.

The adaptation is faithful to the source content, following all the major beats initially scripted. Unfortunately, the signature art style of Tim Sale was set aside for a more familiar esthetic. However, there are still some signposts of the original design. For example, a silent chase scene above the skyline of Gotham between the Bat and Catwoman acknowledges one of the artists most remarkable works.

Speaking of Selina Kyle. The Catwoman has never been adapted to screen so well. No offence to all of the amazing actresses who have portrayed her in the past, but this version is the perfect balance of coy and calculated. Additionally, the movie is dedicated to Catwoman voice actress Naya Rivera, as this was her final film before her untimely passing.

Plenty of Batman’s rogue gallery make an appearance throughout this first film. Characters such as The Penguin, Mad Hatter, Scarecrow, and Solomon Grundy are established before more significant roles in the story later. Another villain makes a sting in an after-credits scene that sets the baseline for where things are headed before the next holiday.

Gracefully, this film utilized a minimal yet impactful appearance by The Joker. Again, it is an ideal usage of the character as his crazed antics can wreak havoc without him driving the main plot. A little bit of Joker goes a long way. And his portrayal in this film incapsulated the creepy humour and psychotic behaviour of the clown prince of crime expertly.

There is still a lot to play out in the second half of this story.  The Long Halloween Part Two is scheduled for digital download on July 27, 2021. Those that have not read these comics are in for some significant turn of events. Much as this film offered its share of twists and turns, there is plenty of this mystery yet to unfold.

As an adaptation, this film hits everything necessary to give credit to the source material. As a Batman story, The Long Halloween offers everything a fan could ever want. And as a DC Animated feature, these films will stand out as something slightly different from the standard flash and bang. Part One sets a high bar, but given the follow up can maintain the momentum, these may be the most excellent DC animated films that we have seen. And that is saying a lot considering the calibre of some of these movies.