Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale’s final foray into “The Long Halloween” continues to excite, as it’s one of the more cherished Batman tales ever. Sale is sadly not with us anymore, but it takes a village to bring a level of artistry we would have expected from him. Case in point, Batman: The Long Halloween – The Last Halloween #5 features the incomparable Bill Sienkiewicz on art, and it is, without a doubt, exceptional in this week’s issue.
To say Batman The Long Halloween: The Last Halloween #5 is trippy is an understatement. Not only is Sienkiewicz’s art a wild swing artistically, but the events of the issue are chaotic, and the plot progression quickens. Loeb needed to move a couple of subplots along much faster than in previous issues. That includes James Gordon’s marital situation, Batman’s health, and the number of supervillains back in Arkham.
The issue opens with Joker having a laugh and somewhat quickly taking Batman down. He’s been shot and is severely weakened, but Joker doesn’t know that. That is, until Catwoman shows up to let him know, which seriously pisses Joker off. He wants a fair fight and thus backs down. He also relates a clue as far as Catwoman’s status in Gotham, adding to the intrigue of her subplot.
The art is stunning.
Credit: DC Comics
Much of this issue is two dueling montages. One involves Joker scooping up villains and throwing them in Arkham, and the other is Batman healing up and preparing his body for what comes next. The latter involves Robin beating him with a club, which continues to show the rather harsh relationship they have in this universe.
The speed at which reveals happen in this issue is jarring, although it is welcome given how slow things progressed in previous chapters. This issue very much reads like Loeb needs to get a bunch of pieces in place for the next chunk of the story. For better or worse, it at least gets the job done.
Sienkiewicz’s art is insanely good, with multiple panels and pages that will have your jaw on the floor. A scene involving fear toxin sending Batman into a nightmare is stunning and horrific. Joker riding a horse and shooting a freeze ray at a car filled with FBI agents is incredible. Batman’s visage tends to get mixed up a bit, which can throw you off, but he’s mostly inhuman in ways that play up his supernatural weirdness. Sienkiewicz’s style brings with it a sense of chaos that can sometimes throw you off, but mostly, it’s awe-inspiring.
In this exceptional installment, Sienkiewicz’s visuals and Loeb’s rapid-fire storytelling combine to propel Gotham into surreal chaos and palpable intensity, laying the groundwork for even more explosive twists ahead. The narrative may get shaken up too much, but ultimately, it delivers an exciting continuation of the saga, keeping readers hooked.
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