As Boyz II Men sang so profoundly in the ’90s:
“Although we’ve come
To the end of the road
Still I can’t let go”
That’s how I feel with BATMAN: THE LONG HALLOWEEN: THE LAST HALLOWEEN (still too long a title). To anyone who listens/reads my comments, I love THE LONG HALLOWEEN. It’s my favorite Batman story in any medium. When THE LAST HALLOWEEN was announced, I was equally skeptical and excited.
The excitement was through the attached writer, Jeph Loeb. He has crafted such an excellent world in the Batman universe, and continues to surprise. In this series, he’s been connecting to the old while laying groundwork for the new. Nothing is out of whack or doesn’t make sense; it all just fits and furthers the story.
Did he stick the landing here? I’ll let you decide, but I think so. This was the first time I’d been following a story in this universe month-to-month, as opposed to reading a collected version at my leisure (THE LAST HALLOWEEN is currently set to be released, collected, in January 2026). That said, I look forward to reading each chapter now and then revisiting them again in a few months. I am confident saying, however, that Loeb delivered a very worthy sequel that closes the book on this universe satisfyingly.
My skepticism upon the announcement in this series was with the artist. This universe oozes the late Tim Sale. His shadows, his characters, his settings, and his ability to make each panel look so simple yet striking. This series had a revolving door of new artists on each issue, with Matteo Scalera receiving all of the pressure of doing the final chapter.
Did he stick the landing here? ABSOLUTELY. Yet again, this was an artist not trying to imitate Sale, but rather respect him. We get some great characters, action, and settings that all fit with what has come before. I particularly liked the open setting at Arkham (with a seasoning of Halloween), as well as a full-page spread that featured Two-Face and Gilda. The coloring complements the pencils, giving me every bit of satisfaction by the issue’s end.
So, there you have it. THE LONG HALLOWEEN universe is complete. I’m not ready to let go; however, I sort of am. While I respected and overall really enjoyed the artist swap, I do believe this book will be noted as missing Tim Sale. Doing more stories here could be getting further away from the dynamic duo creative team, and that was the highlight of this world.
Loeb and Sale.
This was a great send-off for fans, a great tip of the cap to Sale, and a firm handshake to Loeb, implying “well done, sir”.
Get your hands on this series when the collected version is released. – Ryan Lower
