Batman: The Long Halloween, Dark Victory Retrospective

Support Thinking Critical at Ko-fi. Monthly subscriptions receive bonus content and early access to some channel content. Ko-fi.com/thinkingcritical Thank you for supporting the channel! Thinking Critical Discord:   / discord   Twitch Channel   / thinking_critical_yt   Batman: The Long Halloween https://thecanadianmustash.home.blog/... There really is something special about Tim Sale’s The Long Halloween artwork. I think it’s a blend of several things. The first, which pertains to his work on comics in general, is that he understands the stories that Loeb is telling and is able to brilliantly match the styling of his art to the themes of the story. This blending allows the art to feel perfectly in place and means that contradictions in the art or story don’t pull you away from either. This results in being fully emerged in the pages of each comic. Second, in regards to how Sale draws Batman, he really nails the character. Dark, physically imposing, and (at times) worn down. During “busy” parts of the story Batman will be seen recently unshaved and tired looking. The Long Halloween is absolutely canon and has set the tone for how all modern Batman stories are told. Not only that, but some of the most important character development for Batman, Jim Gordon, and Harvey Dent are contained within these pages. The Long Halloween takes place in Gotham City from around the second Halloween of Batman’s career to the third. Batman, Alfred, Jim Gordon, Harvey Dent, Catwoman, Scarecrow, the Mad Hatter, Poison Ivy, The Riddler, Calendar Man, Solomon Grundy, The Joker, Sal Maroni, and Carmine Falcone all make appearances throughout these issues. The artwork by Sale is some of the best ever done on a Batman title, if not ever. The plot is a well-told mystery that will keep you engaged throughout and the character development of Bruce, Dent, Gordon, and even Catwoman is top notch. Batman: Dark Victory   / batman-dark-victory-review   Like their last project, Dark Victory is definitely canon. It is a direct sequel to The Long Halloween and includes very key character moments for Two-Face, Catwoman, Jim Gordon, and Batman. The story takes place in Gotham City during the third or fourth year of Batman’s crimefighting career and also represents the end of Batman’s early years. Batman, Alfred, Jim Gordon, Two-Face, Catwoman, Dick Grayson, The Riddler, Calendar Man, The Joker, The Maroni Family and The Falcone Family all make significant appearances throughout these issues. In terms of impact on the Batman mythos, this might be the most significant collection that I have read yet. Dark Victory shows the readers just how important the fall of Harvey Dent was and the impact it has on Gotham. Organized crime is hanging by a thread and both Batman and Gordon have taken a gut-punch to their willingness to move forward. In addition, returning characters from Year One are given closure to their respective arcs. Dark Victory's artwork by Sale is always something to enjoy. The plot is another interesting mystery although I would say this collection relies a little more on it’s significance to the Batman mythos than being wholly original. #darkvictory #longhalloween #batman Contact Thinking Critical: Twitter:   / wes_from_tc   Email wesdigscomics@gmail.com