Graphic Novel Review
Batman Noir: The Long Halloween by Jeph Loeb & Tim Sale (DC Comics)
Today it’s the turn of Batman Noir: The Long Halloween by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale, where DC represents the acclaimed Batman story in a stark black and white hardcover.
There is a murderer killing criminals in Gotham and each murder has a holiday theme. Loeb has never been better, introducing rival crime families the Maronis and the Falcones while showing a city on the edge of an abyss.
We have seen tales of Gotham in its earlier incarnations but it has never been so magnificently realised before or since. Of course I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Sale’s brilliant simple but effective art, bringing the world of Batman to life with rare skill. The Long Halloween was a great read in colour but there’s something even more elegant about seeing it in pure black and white. It also cast a huge shadow over Batman stories in other media, like Nolan’s Batman Begins and the current Gotham TV series.
For people who have enjoyed the story before, reading it in monochrome lends a whole new dimension and for people who have never read it, this is a wonderful format to consume what is still a classic tale…
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