Batman: The Long Halloween is one of the most well-known, celebrated, and influential Batman comics of all time. Written by Jeph Loeb and illustrated by the late Tim Sale, it debuted as a 13-issue limited series in 1996. Telling the story of how District Attorney Harvey Dent became the infamous Two-Face amidst a string a “holiday killings”, it quickly became an unmissable piece of Batman canon. It was so popular that it led to a sequel, Batman: Dark Victory, in 1999 and a spinoff, Catwoman: When in Rome, in 2004. Now, Loeb is returning to finish the trilogy.
Batman: The Long Halloween: The Last Halloween will continue the story from 2021’s Batman: The Long Halloween Special #1, which Loeb refers to as a “prologue”. He and Tim Sale had always planned to finish their story with one last series after they had published that one-shot. Unfortunately, with Sale’s tragic passing in 2022, their plans were put on hold. In his place, a string of artists will illustrate the series. This includes talents such as Eduardo Risso (100 Bullets), Dave Stewart (Catwoman: When in Rome), Richard Starkings (Elephantmen), Klaus Janson (Batman: The Dark Knight Returns), Mark Chiarello (Batman: Black and White), and more.
Batman The Long Halloween: The Last Halloween is Tim Sale’s parting gift to me. 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. 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. 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.
Batman: The Long Halloween: The Last Halloween #1 will release on September 28, 2024.
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