Here we are, the penultimate chapter of the latest addition to the THE LONG HALLOWEEN universe. And it’s a doozy.
Batman crashes a family meeting. Robin helps make a big connection. Catwoman toes the line between ally and enemy (right where she wants to be). And the latest Holiday killer(s?) is shockingly revealed.
The first thought that popped into my head upon finishing this issue was that I wanted to revisit everything Jeph Loeb has written leading to this. This story, as it should, connects to THE LONG HALLOWEEN, DARK VICTORY, and CATWOMAN: WHEN IN ROME. If you aren’t fresh on those story details, maybe it’s time for a refresher.
Meanwhile, Loeb keeps his eye on the story and keeps it progressing with drama, action, mystery, intrigue, and connections. The guy is a master and is still showing it with each issue. There’s a reason this universe is heralded as a classic (as well as the initial story), and it’s spearheaded by one of Batman’s greatest writers.
Of course, there’s a massive “What if Tim Sale had illustrated this?” attached to THE LAST HALLOWEEN. Sadly, we’ll never know. Instead, this has been an interesting experiment by bringing in a revolving door of brilliant artists. The latest is Chris Samnee, who has been absolutely crushing it on BATMAN & ROBIN: YEAR ONE for the past year. As he’s done in that book, he brings a great blend of shadows and darkness that fit into this world. Again, like artists before, not trying to do an impression of Sale but rather a tribute. Mission accomplished, as I’d have taken Samnee on all 10 of these issues.
Overall, quite a fun read as we await the final chapter of this series, and THE LONG HALLOWEEN as a whole. The final issue has Matteo Scalera attached as the artist and is currently slated to release at the end of this month.
I’m counting down the days. – Ryan Lower