Review: Batman: The Long Halloween

Batman: The Long Halloween by Jeph Loeb
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

"The pen is mighty than the sword." Know what's that from? Don't feel bad if you didn't. I had to Google it. It's from Edward Bulwer-Lytton. Don't feel bad if that name doesn't ring a bell either. The thing is, you've probably know something he has written. The above example, "it was a dark and stormy night", "pursuit of the almighty dollar", etc. A writer who became more famous for his adages than his actual work. Humbling that he has became so ingrained into the world's zeitgeist, but sad that no one really remembers him in a fuller sense.

The reason I mention this is because I couldn't help but feel the same way with "Batman: The Long Halloween". Having read it for the first time, there is probably an sense among those who read it when it first came out, feeling that it stands up on it's own. But, from the view of a first timer, it's easier to see the influence it has had in other Batman media. Using "I believe in Harvey Dent" in Nolan's Dark Knight as a key example. The problem being, that taking something bit by bit like that makes it apart of a greater whole, but waters down the original work. Like taking a house a part and turning into building material for a large business complex.

This thought further drives home the Bulwer-Lytton comparison. The reason why EBL isn't remembered as well as his quotes is because his whole work is a little lackluster. If this review somehow makes you want to read his work, here's a piece of advice: Don't. The simplest reason is that it doesn't hold up well. I don't consider his work 'bad', but it's dated to the point it wears it on its sleeve in the form of a Victorian era tattoo. I kind of feel the same way about Long Halloween. Even though the work isn't nearly as old, I can't escape the feeling it isn't aging as well. That might also be because Loeb writes like Frank Miller doing a Raymond Chandler impression.

While it's influence is undeniable, being important doesn't equal being good. The pacing is uneven, many side characters are introduced over and over, the voice isn't consistent, Batman is mostly unimportant to the story, and the ending makes less sense the more you think about it. I still recommend reading it, but not because of its own merits. The thing about influence, it's always important to be familiar with the source material.

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