Batman: The Long Halloween: The Last Halloween announced for September

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.

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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.

15 comments

Sara

May 25, 2024

"Now, Sale is returning to finish the trilogy."

Spooky if true. But I think you mean Loeb.

This sounds potentially really cool, but the absence of Two-Face on those covers is making me twitch, despite knowing that's how the original runs' covers were. This needs to be Harvey and Gilda's story. (I want a movie about that, not about Joker/Harley.)

It got a lukewarm reaction here, but I personally liked the Special from a few years ago. I've always wanted to see Harvey and Gilda together again. (Harvey/Gilda and Kirk/Francine will always be exponentially more interesting to me than the more famous couples of Joker/Harley or Victor/Nora.) And I hate how Gilda has been practically written out of existence when she was a recurring character in Harvey's life *before* TLH, but almost non-existent *after* TLH. Ironic, since that's the story that made her genuinely exciting as a character. Like anyone who cares about the Dents, I was nauseated by the way Johns used them to supply Thomas and Martha with a child. I also hated how Tamaki wrote Gilda in one of the Black and White comics, as a man-hating avenger of women. And who even knows what Gilda's fate is in the comics now, since DC won't tell you which Two-Face origin is canon? I'd like to see some justice done. I'm really hoping the big reveal will be that they have a baby. That was such an important part of the original TLH. It makes me so mad when people hate on it for being outdated. Many women want to get married and have children. Gilda was strong without being a hateful Strong Female Character.

I'm preemptively mad that the Joker will appear in here, but Loeb is one of the only writers who's shown Two-Face beat up the Joker. I didn't love Hush, but I loved that the Joker was afraid of Two-Face in it. Funny how the fanboys forget the way the Joker cringed like a whipped cur when Two-Face came to get him out of jail, but they fake-remember a beautified, fanonized version of the scene with the Joker in the alley. Part of me thinks the reason Two-Face was written out of the animated version was so that DC wouldn't have to deal with the manbabies crying over that scene if it got adapted.

Anyway, yeah. This sounds like it could be good.

Jackson Luken
May 25, 2024
Whoops, my bad. Yes, unfortunately Tim Sale is not returning from the grave to work on this series.
Robin MB
May 26, 2024
I'm sure it will definitely have Two-Face in it, based on what I've heard about the first part. I always did want to buy it but it was like $10 at the time or something like that. Hopefully at some point these are collected in their own trade
1. Sara
  May 26, 2024
  I own a copy of the Special. I like it. It stumbles a bit because Loeb was trying to set up a larger plot that at the time no one was sure was going to happening, but read carefully and sympathetically, it has all the elements of a classic, but too inconclusive, Two-Face story.
  I want to trust DC, but I just can't. I want to look forward to this innocently, but my brain is going to be seeking out details to uncover another breach of trust. For me, this is Harvey and Gilda's story. But DC has treated both of them horribly in the recent past.
  1. Robin MB
    May 26, 2024
    I understand the worry. But I feel like they'll just let Loeb do his thing. He's at that status of writer where the editors tend to back off I feel. The only thing that may hurt this is the long wait between parts which was of course unavoidable. One thing I'm not too clear on is if this is a maxi series or a one shot?
    Edit: Oh wait my bad it is a 10 part thing. I'll probably pick it up then. I wonder if they'll do anything with the frozen body of Falcone from the end of Dark Victory?
    1. Sara
      May 26, 2024
      Plainly I will need to re-read TLH and DV, because I have NO recollection of Falcone's frozen body. My memories of the plot are fuzzy.
      Boy, it's been a long time since I read these. Lol. Time does fly.

Wasp14

May 25, 2024

The name “The Long Halloween: The Last Halloween” is certainly a mouthful.

Kara
May 26, 2024
That’s what she said

da da da

May 25, 2024

"Batman, Robin, and DC’s most infamous Bat-villains face off against Holiday"
That sounds like a bad plot, considering what happened in TLH.

Madeleine

May 25, 2024

I'm in. I love The Long Halloween and Dark Victory.

Over the past two months we've had announcements for three new comic book sequels to classic stories, A Death in the Family: Robin Lives, The Long Halloween: The Last Halloween, and Gotham City Sirens. I have plans to read Robin Lives and The Last Halloween but DC looks lost and insecure with this retreat into the past. It's defined the last three years of Batman stories and the results have been very regrettable at times as they try to force old stories to fit new directives. I wouldn't want to see more classics tarnished...

Robin MB

May 26, 2024

I'm not sure how I feel about this tbh. I never bought the last one because of the price but I heard good things, and it's nice that Sales work gets to he finished. But on the other hand the air of ambiguity is one of the best parts of TLH to me. I feel like lately a lot of stories that are meant to have unanswered questions are suddenly getting new works in order to answer them. But I'm happy it's the original team behind this. Also it's been three years since the speical damn time needs to slow down please

jrvc

May 26, 2024

Great news, I love The Long Halloween and this seems to be a good send-off, especially as a tribute to Sale

ItzSilentStorm

May 26, 2024

why does it have to be called that? Just call it "The Last Halloween". It wasn't called "The Long Halloween: Dark Victory". It was just "Dark Victory"...

Jackson Luken
May 26, 2024
Recent printings of the Deluxe Edition actually title it as "The Long Halloween: The Sequel: Dark Victory"
1. ItzSilentStorm
  May 26, 2024
  just weird

Sara
May 25, 2024
"Now, Sale is returning to finish the trilogy."
Spooky if true. But I think you mean Loeb.
This sounds potentially really cool, but the absence of Two-Face on those covers is making me twitch, despite knowing that's how the original runs' covers were. This needs to be Harvey and Gilda's story. (I want a movie about that, not about Joker/Harley.)
It got a lukewarm reaction here, but I personally liked the Special from a few years ago. I've always wanted to see Harvey and Gilda together again. (Harvey/Gilda and Kirk/Francine will always be exponentially more interesting to me than the more famous couples of Joker/Harley or Victor/Nora.) And I hate how Gilda has been practically written out of existence when she was a recurring character in Harvey's life *before* TLH, but almost non-existent *after* TLH. Ironic, since that's the story that made her genuinely exciting as a character. Like anyone who cares about the Dents, I was nauseated by the way Johns used them to supply Thomas and Martha with a child. I also hated how Tamaki wrote Gilda in one of the Black and White comics, as a man-hating avenger of women. And who even knows what Gilda's fate is in the comics now, since DC won't tell you which Two-Face origin is canon? I'd like to see some justice done. I'm really hoping the big reveal will be that they have a baby. That was such an important part of the original TLH. It makes me so mad when people hate on it for being outdated. Many women want to get married and have children. Gilda was strong without being a hateful Strong Female Character.
I'm preemptively mad that the Joker will appear in here, but Loeb is one of the only writers who's shown Two-Face beat up the Joker. I didn't love Hush, but I loved that the Joker was afraid of Two-Face in it. Funny how the fanboys forget the way the Joker cringed like a whipped cur when Two-Face came to get him out of jail, but they fake-remember a beautified, fanonized version of the scene with the Joker in the alley. Part of me thinks the reason Two-Face was written out of the animated version was so that DC wouldn't have to deal with the manbabies crying over that scene if it got adapted.
Anyway, yeah. This sounds like it could be good.
1. Jackson Luken
  May 25, 2024
  Whoops, my bad. Yes, unfortunately Tim Sale is not returning from the grave to work on this series.
2. Robin MB
  May 26, 2024
  I'm sure it will definitely have Two-Face in it, based on what I've heard about the first part. I always did want to buy it but it was like $10 at the time or something like that. Hopefully at some point these are collected in their own trade
  1. Sara
    May 26, 2024
    I own a copy of the Special. I like it. It stumbles a bit because Loeb was trying to set up a larger plot that at the time no one was sure was going to happening, but read carefully and sympathetically, it has all the elements of a classic, but too inconclusive, Two-Face story.
    I want to trust DC, but I just can't. I want to look forward to this innocently, but my brain is going to be seeking out details to uncover another breach of trust. For me, this is Harvey and Gilda's story. But DC has treated both of them horribly in the recent past.
    1. Robin MB
      May 26, 2024
      I understand the worry. But I feel like they'll just let Loeb do his thing. He's at that status of writer where the editors tend to back off I feel. The only thing that may hurt this is the long wait between parts which was of course unavoidable. One thing I'm not too clear on is if this is a maxi series or a one shot?
      Edit: Oh wait my bad it is a 10 part thing. I'll probably pick it up then. I wonder if they'll do anything with the frozen body of Falcone from the end of Dark Victory?
      1. Sara
        May 26, 2024
        Plainly I will need to re-read TLH and DV, because I have NO recollection of Falcone's frozen body. My memories of the plot are fuzzy.
        Boy, it's been a long time since I read these. Lol. Time does fly.
Wasp14
May 25, 2024
The name “The Long Halloween: The Last Halloween” is certainly a mouthful.
1. Kara
  May 26, 2024
  That’s what she said
da da da
May 25, 2024
"Batman, Robin, and DC’s most infamous Bat-villains face off against Holiday"
That sounds like a bad plot, considering what happened in TLH.
Madeleine
May 25, 2024
I'm in. I love The Long Halloween and Dark Victory.
Over the past two months we've had announcements for three new comic book sequels to classic stories, A Death in the Family: Robin Lives, The Long Halloween: The Last Halloween, and Gotham City Sirens. I have plans to read Robin Lives and The Last Halloween but DC looks lost and insecure with this retreat into the past. It's defined the last three years of Batman stories and the results have been very regrettable at times as they try to force old stories to fit new directives. I wouldn't want to see more classics tarnished...
Robin MB
May 26, 2024
I'm not sure how I feel about this tbh. I never bought the last one because of the price but I heard good things, and it's nice that Sales work gets to he finished. But on the other hand the air of ambiguity is one of the best parts of TLH to me. I feel like lately a lot of stories that are meant to have unanswered questions are suddenly getting new works in order to answer them. But I'm happy it's the original team behind this. Also it's been three years since the speical damn time needs to slow down please
jrvc
May 26, 2024
Great news, I love The Long Halloween and this seems to be a good send-off, especially as a tribute to Sale
ItzSilentStorm
May 26, 2024
why does it have to be called that? Just call it "The Last Halloween". It wasn't called "The Long Halloween: Dark Victory". It was just "Dark Victory"...
1. Jackson Luken
  May 26, 2024
  Recent printings of the Deluxe Edition actually title it as "The Long Halloween: The Sequel: Dark Victory"
  1. ItzSilentStorm
    May 26, 2024
    just weird

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