I have now finished reading The Long Halloween & Dark Victory and let me preface all of my thoughts with it was a joy to read. I am so glad I read them. I do think every Batman fan should read it.
This was the first set of comics I have read in a long time where Bruce really earns that "Detective" Badge.
For many of the comics I've read, I feel he's more Superhero than Detective. For contrast, I am also reading the lead up to Knightfall. In one of those arcs, Batman has to save Commissioner Gordon from an assassin. Instead of having to search for the assassin or discover that there is an assassin after Gordon, Bruce is conveniently given information from various sources as the plot needs. In one case, this assassin that has not been in Gotham for a long time somehow has a "historical hunting ground" as if he's a serial killer. It was such an awkward justification for why Bruce would be there at the right time that I started laughing.
In comparison, The Long Halloween & Dark Victory has Bruce (and the audience) work for every clue, twist, and reveal. There are enough details that a dedicated reader can find the ending and guess who will do what. But even if you do figure out some things, I doubt you will be able to guess everything. And the tension building as we work through the case, the threats lurking around every corner as Bruce (and Jim) work to discover the identity of the Holiday killer is so much fun!
Two Face/Harvey Dent's growing madness and fall are set up beautifully. And you can feel the consequences. The loss of Harvey Dent hits Gotham hard and shakes Bruce and Jim. And the emotional fallout for Bruce in particular is fantastic to read.
The only, potential, issue I can find is that Robin is underutilized in Dark Victory. This is the arc that birthed Robin and you can start to see the roll Robin will play in the Batman lore in the last few pages: this small spark of hope as Bruce turns his head to the future. But while Robin doesn't get a lot of limelight, Dick Grayson gets to shine. The set up of Robin, his deep desire to help, and the echoing flashbacks to Bruce's first week as an orphan are fantastic and deeply moving.
And all of it elevated by Tim Sale's iconic art style.
I cannot sing enough praise for Tim Sale's character designs. His Ivy is officially my favorite character design. Her giant hair and inhuman beauty really set her up as this overwhelming, ethereal threat. Joker also looks fantastic! His giant crazy grin and long proportions are so scary. I wish modern Batman didn't make him look so human now. And of course, Two-Face's design is horrifying. In some panels, it looks like his brain is exposed!!
And while talking about rogues, we can't forget Catwoman!
I will be honest. I am not a huge BatCat shipper. They're fun, but they aren't my endgame for many reasons, and all those reasons are explored in The Long Halloween & Dark Victory! I love how messy they are. The constant push and pull between them is so fun to read. And Selina's secrets haunts the page whenever she is present. This alongside Lost City are probably my favorite portrayals of Selina so far!
Overall, 10/10. Please do read if you get a chance!
Wait I love the new Nightwing #111. I have a problem with comics overusing italics and bold (I never finished Red Robin because of this 💀) and Tom Taylor's writing (that started Issue #78 I believe) is so much more refreshing and straightforward imo..
