The Alpha Review
By Andrew Uys
I’ve heard that trade paperbacks — a run of comic issues collected into a graphic novel — are all the rage today. But which ones are worth your time? This column aims to put the spotlight on the spectacular trades — at least according to this writer. And just for fun, we will start with the letter “A,” and each subsequent review will follow with the next letter of the alphabet. While you might object to my taste or my opinion, I hope that this column will help save you time and money when you are next buying a trade paperback, as well as effort in alphabetizing.
Batman: The Long Halloween
Written by Jeph Loeb
Art by Tim Sale
DC Comics, 1998
Having started this column with Superman (All-Star Superman, to be exact), it is only natural that Batman would be next. As with any popular and long running comic hero, there are a number of Batman trades, and it took awhile for me to choose which Batman collection to review. Batman: The Long Halloween falls between the two groups that I mentioned in my last article — continuity and Elseworlds. This trade is not derived from a regular Batman title and explores Batman’s early history, retelling the origin of Harvey Dent’s transformation into the villain Two-Face. This story has been done before, and from what I understand, a version of it will be included in the upcoming Batman movie The Dark Knight. The beauty of this particular account is the masterful weaving of existing Batman mythos with a new and very entertaining story — the Holiday killings. Originally published as thirteen issues, this is one huge collection, running nearly 400 pages. That being said, I must have read it in a day after I first picked it up — the story is just too gripping to be put down. Personally, I think this is Jeph Loeb’s best work, and the Loeb/Sale team has produced a lot of excellent material (you might know them best from thier work on Heroes).The Long Halloween follows a series of killings that plague Gotham for nearly a year, and involves many of Batman’s classic villains. When the story begins Harvey Dent is still the district attorney and Commisioner Gordon is still only a captain in the police department. Carmine “The Roman” Falcone rules the underworld, and the three protagonists are fighting valiantly to bring down his crime family. Into this mix arrives the Holiday Killer who starts striking at the various organized crime elements in Gotham. The killer’s motive remains as mysterious as does their identity, but the result is a brewing war between the crime families with the innocent people of Gotham suffering. Each chapter of the story focuses on a particular holiday, and the murder timed to coincide with it. Many of the individual chapters highlight one of Batman’s villains — such as Joker, Scarecrow, Poison Ivy, and Solomon Grundy — who add to the mayhem and complicate Batman’s attempts to stop the Holiday Killer. Catwoman also plays a prominent role in this story, as both an ally and opponent to Batman. As I have already mentioned, this trade weaves Harvey Dent’s metamorphosis into Two-Face into the plot, though I only realized this much later into the story. This particular telling of Two-Face’s origin doesn’t depict the Dent/Two-Face shift as being a singular psychotic break. Rather, it paints a picture of a man tortured by trying to achieve order and justice in a violent and malicious city, and the moral sacrifices that he makes along the way. Two-Face, when he is created by the all well too known splash of acid, seems like the natural progression of where Dent was heading, and I feel this adds a very human element to this familiar Batman villain.
It took me a long time to pick up this trade, even though it was recommended by a number of well-read friends. My initial problem with this collection was the art. I am not the biggest fan of Tim Sale’s style of illustration, even though I have enjoyed other work by this team (Superman For All Seasons). I find it too scratchy, and once the inks and colour have been added, too dark. Well, for Batman this would seem to be ideal, but when I used to flip through this book at the store I would always put it back, buying something else with cleaner lines and brighter art. After reading this story, I have partially changed my mind. I still don’t rate Sale as one my favourite artists of all time, but his style certainly works very well for the mood and atmosphere of this collection. That, and the story rocks so much you can’t help but enjoy this book. Personally, I think this is better than The Dark Knight Returns, which everyone claims is the best Batman story out there. If you enjoy this trade paperback, you should look into picking up the sequel Batman: Dark Victory. Grab Batman: The Long Halloween when you get the chance, as it sells out of my local comic shop whenever they get the trade in, and it is well worth the read, whether you are a Batman fan, or just enjoy comics in general (if you’re really hardcore you’ll buy the “absolute” edition with the oversized art and slipcase).
