Writer Jeph Loeb explains the timeline for Batman: The Long Halloween Special in relation to Batman: Dark Victory and Catwoman: When in Rome.
Batman: The Long Halloween Special writer Jeph Loeb recently revealed when his and Tim Sale’s upcoming release will take place in relation to the overall Batman comics timeline.
“Without giving anything away, the special takes into account some of the original mystery,” Loeb revealed during a roundtable event attended by CBR. “It’s part of what fascinates me about that time in Batman’s career. It also takes into consideration everything that happened in Dark Victory as well, which happened afterward.”
Loeb further teased “it’s a progression of time,” noting “…I think the fans will tell us what year it takes place.” “For all intents and purposes, The Long Halloween comes first, then Dark Victory and Catwoman: When in Rome takes place at the same time, right afterward,” he continued. “The events of the special happen after those stories.”
Batman: The Long Halloween was originally released as a 13-issue limited series in 1996. The murder mystery series told the story of how Gotham’s criminal underworld evolved from mobsters to supervillains and took place after the conclusion of Batman: Year One. The series served as the follow-up to three Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight Halloween Specials and spawned two official sequels: Batman: Dark Victory and Catwoman: When in Rome.
Loeb previously addressed the legacy of his and Sale’s Last Halloween series when the special was first announced in July. “Twenty-five years ago, Tim Sale and I set out to tell a mystery tale of how Gotham City went from crime to freaks,” Loeb said in a statement shared by DC Comics. “The result was Batman: The Long Halloween. We’re thrilled to be back at DC revisiting some of our favorite characters all the while revealing that you may not know the whole story…”
Sale added, “We have been blessed to have the mighty talents of Comicraft’s Richard Starkings with us every step of the way, and are very fortunate to welcome colorist, Brennan Wagner, to help shape our latest venture.”
Additionally, Batman: The Long Halloween served as inspiration for Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Trilogy, which featured a similar storyline about Harvey Dent’s transformation into the villainous Two-Face. A two-part direct-to-video film adaptation of the Batman: The Long Halloween comic was also released as part of the DC Universe Animated Original Movies line in Summer 2021.
DC Universe Infinite members can read the original Batman: The Long Halloween series as part of their paid subscription. Featuring a story by Jeph Loeb and pencils and inks by Tim Sale, the 48-page Batman: The Long Halloween Special features will be available for $7.99 on Oct. 12.
Source: DC Comics
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