dJeph Loeb and Tim Sale's 1996 maxi-series Batman: The Long Halloween, one of the most universally acclaimed Batman stories of all time, follows a younger Bruce Wayne during his second year as the Caped Crusader. The story saw Gotham City menaced by a serial killer that struck their targets on different holidays each month, complicating efforts to take down the local mob boss Carmine Falcone. A two-part adaptation of the fan-favorite tale serves as the latest DC Universe Animated Original Movies and faithfully follows the original source material while providing a fresh update to the story for modern sensibilities.
As Batman forms a tenuous alliance with Gotham City Police Captain Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, with the common goal of dismantling the Falcone crime syndicate, a shadowy gunman attacks a person of interest in the criminal investigation on Halloween night. As the year progresses, it becomes murderously clear that the Halloween incident was not a standalone event as the body count continues to grow with each passing holiday. While the Dark Knight scrambles to identify and apprehend the killer, his fiendish rogues gallery begins to steadily resurface across Gotham.
Director Chris Palmer and screenwriter Tim Sheridan really lean into the source material with the added real estate of having two feature films with which to tell their story, evoking plenty of scenes and lines straight from the comic book. With this in mind, the story has still been streamlined somewhat to instill a greater sense of urgency, evident with a brisk pacing that kicks in after the initial Halloween murder. With plenty of the comic story still to go, this suggests Part 2 will be even more rapidly paced, as it introduces additional players while moving towards its grand finale.
Though the animation does not overtly evoke Sale's distinct art style from the comic book, the visuals do share noir-tinged sensibilities with a Gotham City and character designs that bear a more subtle inspiration to the source material. In regards to the performances themselves, Jensen Ackles gamely leads an all-star voice cast, with David Dastmalchian particularly effective as the sinister Calendar Man. Troy Baker also delivers a reliably good performance as the Joker.
Aficionados of the original comic book will find lots to love with this adaptation. The changes made to the material are not glaringly different; the spirit of the story remains fully intact. Newer audiences are in for a ride once The Long Halloween's breakneck pace kicks in, and that doesn't appear to slow down as it positions itself for its sequel. With an atmospheric mood punctuated by thrilling set pieces, The Long Halloween is one of the most effective DC Universe Animated Original Movies yet, faithfully adapting what made the original story so great while quietly updating elements to better fit the times.
Batman: The Long Halloween, Part One stars Jensen Ackles as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Naya Rivera as Catwoman/Selina Kyle, Josh Duhamel as Harvey Dent, Billy Burke as James Gordon, Titus Welliver as Carmine Falcone, David Dastmalchian as Calendar Man, Troy Baker as Joker, Amy Landecker as Barbara Gordon, Julie Nathanson as Gilda Dent, Jack Quaid as Alberto, Fred Tatasciore as Solomon Grundy and Alastair Duncan as Alfred, along with Frances Callier, Greg Chun, Gary Leroi Gray and Jim Pirri. The film is scheduled for release on June 22. Batman: The Long Halloween, Part Two arrives digitally on July 27 and on Blu-ray on Aug. 10.
Batman: The Long Halloween
Held hostage by the powerful Falcone crime family, Gotham City is rife with crime and corruption. Adding to the chaos is the mysterious Holiday killer, who has been targeting the underworld and leaving a trail of terror - and body bags.
- Release Date
- September 20, 2022
- Director
- Chris Palmer
- Cast
- Jensen Ackles , Naya Rivera , Josh Duhamel , Billy Burke , Titus Welliver , David Dastmalchian , Troy Baker , Amy Landecker , Jack Quaid , Fred Tatasciore , Alastair Duncan
- Runtime
- 2 hours 48 minutes