Absolute Batman: The Long Halloween
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