Absolute Batman: The Long Halloween [Hardcover]

Jeph Loeb (Author), Tim Sale (Illustrator), Christopher Nolan (Introduction)

Book Description

Release date: April 7, 2007

ABSOLUTE BATMAN: THE LONG HALLOWEEN Written by Jeph Loeb Art and cover by Tim Sale Don't miss the latest ABSOLUTE EDITION from DC, collecting the landmark, award-winning 13-issue miniseries written by Jeph Loeb (BATMAN: HUSH) with art by Tim Sale (SUPERMAN FOR ALL SEASONS)! As the Dark Knight struggles to find an elusive, mysterious serial killer who strikes only on holidays, he discovers no shortage of suspects in a Gotham City beset by mobsters and freakish costumed criminals, any one of whom could be his prey. This volume includes a host of extras, including an interview with Loeb and Sale, a section on the LONG HALLOWEEN action figure line, and a look at the series proposal, plus sketches by Sale! Also, this edition will feature a 4-page sequence cut from the original miniseries and previously released only in script/breakdown format! Advance-solicited; on sale April 4 - 8.25" x 12.5" - 400 pg, FC, $75.00 US

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Loeb produces and writes for the hit TV series Heroes; Sale paints the prophetic paintings that figure prominently in it. Before their small-screen work, they collaborated on comic books that viewed with imaginative new eyes the early exploits of iconic superheroes. This ambitious Batman caper ran for 13 months, from Halloween 1993 to Halloween 1994. In it, the Caped Crusader joins with police captain Jim Gordon and district attorney Harvey Dent to get the goods on Mob boss Carmine Falcone. Meanwhile, a mysterious serial killer targets members of Falcone's gang. Contrasting with that Godfather-inspired story line are early appearances of such colorfully garbed Batman adversaries as the Joker and Catwoman. Long Halloween exemplifies the creative team's hallmarks: Loeb's intricate plotting and gift for updating the venerable characters while keeping true to their long-standing portrayals, and Sale's expressive illustration, with its gauntly elegant figures and attractively designed compositions. Here accorded DC's Absolute treatment—hardcover and board slipcase, accompanying creator interviews, original proposal, and early sketches—Sale's already impressive artwork becomes genuinely spectacular at oversize scale. Flagg, Gordon

About the Author

Jeph Loeb is a screenwriter/producer whose comic credits include Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight, Superman/Batman, and more. He often works with artist Tim Sale, whose renowned comics work includes Batman: Haunted Knight. Their work together to date includes Superman For All Seasons, Catwoman: When in Rome, and most recently, they have been part of the creative team behind the blockbusting new TV series Heroes. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: DC Comics (April 7, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401212824
• ISBN-13: 978-1401212827
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 2.1 x 12.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #99,768 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic Batman Story Gets the Absolute Treatment April 9, 2007

By Grant Waara VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

Released in 1996 to 1997, Batman The Long Halloween was one of DC's most popular titles in the year the mini-series was released in monthly installments. I vividly recall Wizard Magazine's enthusiasm as they ran many articles speculating on who "Holiday" was.

Now ten years after it's initial run, DC has given the story the "Absolute" treatment. The result is what you can expect from the Absolute editions. A first rate production, the color is crisp, the pages thick, the extras include an interview with creators Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale. Again, it would have been nice to see some of Loeb's scripts, but the inclusion of the series proposal and their discussion of the series striking covers makes up for the lack of scripts (for me it does anyway). If you are a fan of The Long Halloween, or Tim Sale's art, this is a must have. I wonder what the next Absolute Edition will be...Dark Victory perhaps?

28 of 32 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Woow, wooow, WOOOOOOOW!!!!! June 12, 2007

By Andre 2015

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

For any Batman fan - I needn't write this, but you should have it. It's amazing!
For those of you unfamiliar with the story, just a few words on that later on. But, to be honest, who is new to this?! It was one of the best Batman storylines ever, with the most awesome artwork. Tim Sale to me is the most "European" of the American artists, his images - each and every cell - can be framed and studied for ages for perfect composition, lighting, pencilling, inking and coloring. So much style and class, woooow!!!
I already read the series as it came out, then waited for the HC back in 98. So why bother? Man, am I happy that I got this. The printing is fabulous! Thick paper, not glossy but matt like the original, deep wonderful colors almost like serigraphies (a huge compliment to the folks at DC! You can see that to them it has also been a work of love to get this out to us)
Now to those unfamiliar with Batman (?!?!) or comics(?!?!?!) Buy this, please, just to get a feel for what is is that all these others are enjoying so much year after year after year.
Unlike many other Batman stories you don't need to know who is who. You can read it as the series' introduction. All the villains are present.
For those of you familiar with the usual suspects, don't worry, the storyline never gets boring. The introductions are perfectly woven into the tale without pausing it for a second.
It's a murder mystery to be read and watched over and over again.
Without spoiling anything, I'm just giving you the original DC introduction from 98:
A costumed hero learning he can trust no one.
A serial killer using the holidays to mark his handiwork.
A crime lord trying to hold onto a crumbling empire.
A city beset by gangsters becoming a haven for freaks.
An honest district attorney hiding a terrible secret.
A dark woman tempting the Dark Knight detective.
And a friendship that would be shattered forever.

P.E.R.F.E.C.T. !!!!! Buy this!!!!! And enjoy for ages.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Best Batman Comics Ever Written June 20, 2011

By GraphicNovelReporter.com TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:Hardcover

Batman: The Long Halloween may be the crowing achievement of Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale's career. It may be the crowning achievement of the Batman universe, depending on whom you ask. It is such an absolutely fantastic snapshot of the character of Batman, his rogues gallery, and storytelling that it's no wonder Christopher Nolan drew heavily from it in creating his universe for Batman Begins and The Dark Knight.

That alone makes it a book worth picking up nowadays for movie fans who want to learn more about where the character came from. More than that, it's just a fantastic story, with brilliant art, which has never looked greater than in DC Comics' Absolute release of the title.

For those unacquainted, Batman: The Long Halloween takes place in the early days of Bruce Wayne's time as Batman, in the Year: One universe, as it has become known. He is confronted by a criminal mastermind known only as Holiday, who murders on a holiday each month. At the same time, each of the 13 chapters brings in classic Batman villains, keeping things fresh throughout.

But at the core of the story, which is where The Dark Knight took from the most, is the three-way relationship between Batman, Lieutenant (and later Commissioner) James Gordon, and District Attorney Harvey Dent. The tragedy of the story comes in Harvey Dent's transformation into the villain Two-Face. And the Falcone crime family also plays a large role in the story. At the same time, Long Halloween is a noir-ish crime tale, with an archetypal Batman arc.

The Absolute edition is a perfect fit for any hardcore collector's bookshelf. Like the Absolute editions before it, Long Halloween comes in a hardcover slipcase, featuring a great Tim Sale Batman on a blue background, with an orange bar down one side for the title. Under the slipcase is a beautifully oversized hardcover. On the front, a matted section features the same Tim Sale illustration, but with an orange background. The back of the book has a more traditional hardcover feel, and is totally black save for a white stencil of Batman.

Inside, it's got the usual bookmark attached to the binding. But it is what's just under the cover that might be the most impressive. Over a two-page spread, readers get to see the Batman shot from the cover, but from left to right, it changes from early sketch material to full-blown color, finished product. Then comes a conversation between Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer about the influence the book had on them.

Over the course of the book, the oversized pages do incredible justice to the entire book and its art, but especially to the fantastic covers that were created for this series. The end of the book features two pages on the DC Direct figure concepts, an interview with Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale, the original proposal for the book, and an incredible gallery depicting the progression of cover art.

Batman: The Long Halloween is one of the best Batman comics ever written, an essential for any fan, presented in one of the best Absolute editions DC Comics has released to date.

-- William Jones