Batman: The Long Halloween, Part One

The first half of an animated adaptation of the comic by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale. The story is set in Batman's early years. In Gotham a murder is committed every month and the killer always picks a holiday. The victims are tied to Carmine Falcone's family and circle. Batman, Commissioner Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent form their three-man alliance and start looking for the killer. The source is counted as significant in the history of comics; it tells of Gotham's shift from a mafia order to costumed criminals, and of Harvey Dent's transformation. Tim Sale's drawing style is carried straight into the film's visual language: hard shadows, elongated figures and little colour. Jensen Ackles voices Batman and Josh Duhamel voices Harvey Dent. Naya Rivera voiced Catwoman; it was her last work. The film was made in two parts and this first half does not complete the story. A solid adaptation for anyone who likes Batman comics and animation in a noir register. For a viewer expecting a story finished in one sitting, it stays incomplete without the second part.