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GHM Online Columnist - Steve Higgins |
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| LATEST NEWS .: |
.MAY 2003.
Steve's Column Debuts! |
| COLUMN PICS & LINKS .: |
.Batman.
.The.Long.Halloween.
by Jeph Loeb
and Tim Sale
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Feedback is always appreciated!
E-mail me at vacuumboy9@hotmail.com
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May 9, 2003
"Batman The Long Halloween"
Every writer of Batman for the past fifteen years or so has been living in the shadow of Frank Miller. With both Batman: Year One and The Dark Knight Returns, Miller nailed down a reputation as one of the best creators to ever tackle the mythos surrounding the caped crusader, at the same time setting a standard for quality stories that, to be honest, few have even come close to reaching since.
But much as in recent months Brian Michael Bendis has finally been able to live up to Miller's reputation over in Daredevil, one writer in recent years has been able to match the pure excellence of Miller's work with Batman, a writer named Jeph Loeb. His seminal miniseries with artist Tim Sale, Batman: The Long Halloween, stands out as the best story involving the character in the past fifteen years and one of the greatest Batman tales told of all time.
A mystery told in 13 parts, The Long Halloween spans over three hundred pages and not a one of them is wasted. Taking place over the course of one year in the life of Batman, the story follows shortly after the events of Batman: Year One, when Batman first arrived on the scene in Gotham City. It even involves a few of the minor characters seen in Miller's work, as it details Batman's hunt for a serial killer who strikes each month on a major holiday at major crime figures in Gotham. As each month the bodies pile up, Batman becomes more and more driven to find the killer's true identity and end the bloodshed. Loeb uses the whodunit aspect of this story to keep readers guessing until the very last page, and even beyond the book's end.
But far more than being a tale of the mob in Gotham or a simple murder mystery, The Long Halloween is an in-depth character study of those people that populate the world in which Batman operates, not the least of which is Bruce Wayne himself. Through his narration we are given such incredibly deep insight into his motivations that, when he acts, we see the logic behind each action from his point of view. We see him gradually driven to the point of obsession in finding Holiday, and we realize that he could not have behaved in any other way.
Those characters usually relegated to minor status are also allowed to come out in full force. Selina Kyle, Harvey Dent, Jim Gordon-all have been a part of Batman's life for years, but here we get to see how these relationships started, what molded them into the shape they are today. Even Johnny Viti, one of those minor mafiosos Miller threw into Year One, Loeb gives a chance to shine in this tale, although his time on the page is almost as brief. The characters draw readers in, truly engaging them in the narrative much more so than a mere four-color fistfight or a soap opera in tights can.
The art too is absolutely exquisite. Tim Sale is an artist who can really make characters breathe, and his action sequences truly come to life. Too often comic artists make many of their characters look the same, but Sale really makes his characters stand out from one another. Harvey Dent is not just Bruce Wayne with lighter hair; he has a look all his own, created not only through facial expressions but posture as well. When Alberto Falcone and his father The Roman stand side by side, we can see a family resemblance, but they are not carbon copies of each other. Sale is sometimes criticized for over-using the splash page and the two-page spread, but here the images deserved the treatment they got and every picture is worth thousands upon thousands of words.
Thematically the book transcends the conventions of either the superhero or crime genres and ends up meaning so much more than a typical tale of good versus evil. By the end of this story, everyone has suffered from being a part of it; in the end, no one wins. This concept is a constant in Batman's life, that his crusade is not actually spawned by the death of his parents, but by the consistent losses he has felt in his life ever since that fateful day. For Batman, and for everyone else that crosses his path in this story, the losses continue here as well.
Along with Year One and The Dark Knight Returns, The Long Halloween is one of the quintessential Batman stories, and no one can lay claim to the label of a true Bat-fan without having partaken of the sheer brilliance crafted here by Loeb and Sale.
All Content ©2003 Steve Higgins, All Rights Reserved.
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| :. ABOUT STEVE |
Tim Butler was born and raised in Cleveland, and moved to Seattle 10 years ago. The longest relationship he's had outside of family, has been with comics for nearly a quarter of a century. He lives with the love of his life, Sydney, and is expecting the birth of their first child, Matthew Jay, this April.
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| :. ABOUT STEVE ( CONTINUED) |
Favorite Comics: Flash, Powers, Queen and Country
Favorite Movies: Blade Runner, Clerks, Raising Arizona
Favorite Writers: Kurt Vonnegut, Robert Heinlein, Ed McBain, Les Roberts
Favorite Sports: Baseball (Cleveland Indians, Seattle Mariners) Football (Cleveland Browns)
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| © 2003 - Gray Haven Magazine & All Authors. |
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