@MattMcDonald I’m gonna go with “for the sake of the plot”.
We are in Discord. Although we try to keep the book of the week discussion here, there’s a lot of fun conversations to be had!
This was my first reading of Long Halloween #1-6, and I’ve heard some things here and there, but I really enjoyed it so far, and I didn’t expect it to be so similar to The Godfather. I have my theories as to who the killer is but I’m not sure, I have it narrowed down to like 2 people, but I love the depiction of Gotham and all of the clock towers.
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Isn’t there a series that follows the long Halloween? I thought I read years ago but can’t remember.
Yes @eagle-novels Catwoman: When In Rome
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And dark victory
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@Yazov
This book really does an excellent job of fleshing out the mobster aspect of Gotham. I love that.
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Art has already been brought up quite a bit. What does everyone think of the writing so far?
The writing for it so far is top notch. Can’t talk about the overall mystery because i might spoil things, but the characters are all top notch. Like others have said, The Godfather is a big influence (hell, the first line of TLH is a riff on the first line of The Godfather), not just in using of mobsters, but using them well. Loeb writes a very complex and complicated web of characters and Sale makes sure they all look distinct. The Good guys are also done very well. One of the big highlights for me, though, is Bruce and Selina, both in and out of the mask.
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Professor Matt my reports will be in I hope sometime by this afternoon Eastern. stay tuned same bat Time same bat Channel
I believe this is top notch Selina writing. It’s hard to strike that balance that Catwoman needs but Loeb pulls it off masterfully here, IMO.
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Thanks, Professor M!
Keep this puppy bubbling to the top
Book 1 of the Long Halloween (46 pp): Along with all of the above, the thing that stuck with me as I finished up the first book today was: the color. Pastels is the best way I can think of to describe the effect, or maybe watercolors. Gregory Wright, usually thought of as the writer of Deathlok, Silver Sable, etc in the ‘90s, also dabbled in coloring, and this is a super example of his astonishing work. Its rich and gorgeous, downright “artistic.” Here’s another example of his coloring for a Batman story, “Boneyard Blues.”
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I am a fan of what Tim Sale brings to the table, and I have been since his earliest work in the late ‘80s. He absolutely brings the cinema to this tale, with a genius for close ups, angles of the camera , etc, along with the usual pensive moodiness his work has. Here’s one of the earliest stories he illustrated in the late ‘80s, like almost nothing else being published then or even now:
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Wow. I’d never seen much of his non Batman work. That’s some impressive range. Doesn’t even look like the same artist.
Book 2 of the Long Halloween (25 pp): Tim Sale continues to show marksman level skill with the “camera” of the panel flow, close ups, action scenes and horror. Concerning what Jeph Loeb brings to the narrative feast, this is a very emotional issue; I found myself feeling compassion for Solomon Grundy the monster even as he was swinging at Batman. Tying in seasonal celebrations as a theme for each comic is brilliant! The juxtaposition of all we associate in our hearts with Thanksgiving in America with sewers, rooms full of dead criminals and bickering bad guys, again kinda makes you sad, like when relatives argue loudly at gatherings.
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Just read 1-6. This is my first time reading Long Halloween and I’m hooked. But, I really enjoy a good mystery and am hoping for a great payoff. I really appreciate a Batman story that is less about costumed villains, because the whole mob and crime aspect of Gotham can really set the Bats apart from other heroes.
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Book 3 / Long Halloween: Basically we get to see the classic Joker trounce through the fictional world that Loeb and Sale (and Wright) have built and shake the Christmas tree a little to see if anything falls out. The Joker looks plenty scary to me here, and as usual is portrayed as unpredictable. I’m including an example of one of the earliest drawings of the Joker in Batman from the early '40s (long before I was around btw).
It’s been more years than I want to admit too since I last read this, and I find myself leaning motivation-wise towards Harvey Dent’s wife or Jim Gordan’s wife as the chief suspects: they are jealous of their soul-mate’s time, and want to kill off the folks are that taking these guys away from the home hearth. But the drawings of the hands holding the gun don’t “point” that direction….
An aside, I love me a plate of spaghetti, so it was with deep sadness that I saw the one crook have his final faceful of the delicious entrée!!!
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