Batman: The Long Halloween – The Last Halloween #2 Review: A Fascinating Experiment

Batman: The Long Halloween - The Last Halloween #2 cropped

We’re all two issues in, but Batman: The Long Halloween – The Last Halloween has thus far been a fascinating, laudable experiment. Whereas the original DC series The Long Halloween was written by Jeph Loeb with art by Tim Sale, as was the sequel Dark Victory, Sale sadly passed away in 2022. So this finale is being drawn by a different artist every issue.

This issue? It’s Klaus Janson’s turn in the hot seat. Whereas Eduardo Risso’s art was a natural extension of Sale’s that fit neatly into the aesthetics of The Last Halloween‘s Gotham for issue one, Janson’s art really couldn’t be more different. He’s probably best known as an inker, and in particular for his association with Frank Miller. Surprisingly, Janson never inked Sale (they were friendly, but didn’t work together), so his inclusion here is curious — though not unwelcome.

It’s just that Sale’s style is exaggerated cartooning, and Janson — who has also been a prolific penciler — is far more realistic in his styling. His Batman is reminiscent of Neal Adams, as is a lot of his work here in the issue. The exceptions are the villains, particularly the Mad Hatter and Penguin, who both veer more into Sale’s cartoon style, while not 100% embracing it. There are panels that look Miller-esque (one panel of Batman from the side yelling comes to mind), and others that are laid out like Sale’s.

And in all that, you have Loeb, who is writing the script as if Sale was drawing it. That, perhaps, is the most curious part of the exercise here, that Leob isn’t augmenting his style for the artists, the artists are augmenting their style for someone who isn’t here anymore.

With all due respect to everyone involved, I’m not 100% sure it works in this issue… Janson’s realism seems to be at odds with the noir take on Batman that has been cultivated in these series so far. It still looks good, and the mystery is interesting. But the two halves of the book don’t quite gel.

That said, in future issues, we’re getting Cliff Chiang, Bill Sienkiewicz, and more. Perhaps Chiang’s more cartoony style will embrace Sale’s. I’m fascinated to see what Sienkiewicz brings to the project. Overall, while this issue doesn’t quite work, that’s the point of an experiment – to test, prod, and move on to the next option. Everyone is bringing their A-game here; but the results don’t quite pan out.

Batman: The Long Halloween – The Last Halloween #2 Rating:

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Batman: The Long Halloween – The Last Halloween #2 Official Synopsis:

Hoping to bring an end to the terrible tragedy that has struck Gotham, Batman and Robin descend into the hellish depths of Arkham Asylum seeking answers and come face-to-face with some of the city’s most nefarious criminals.

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