Batman: The Long Halloween – The Last Halloween #3: Snowbody’s Perfect

Just as readers enter the holiday season, things are escalating quickly in Gotham City. It is Christmas Eve in Batman: The Long Halloween – The Last Halloween #3 and that means the new Holiday Killer will try to kill their next victim: The Riddler. Unsurprisingly, Riddler survives and is transported to Arkham. Batman: The Long Halloween – The Last Halloween #3 is written by Jeph Loeb, and lettered by Richard Starkings, with the legendary Mark Chiarello taking over art duties this time around. Chiarello is a former editor and Art and Design Director at DC and has had a hand in some of the most beloved projects to hit stands. He is also an incredibly talented artist with a distinct style that pairs well with the tone and atmosphere created by Loeb and Tim Sale. Storywise, this issue doesn’t do anything remarkable or exciting and feels like a rehash of Batman: The Last Halloween and Batman: Dark Victory, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It isn’t innovating or breaking new ground but the original series is so beloved that it is always a pleasure to return to. 

What saves this series from feeling like a diluted version of its predecessors are the artists guesting on each issue. It gives so many talented creatives a chance to jump into this saga and contribute while paying tribute to Sale. Chiarello does a great job of this throughout this issue. He does an excellent job emulating certain character designs like Calendar Man and Alberto Falcone. Chiarello makes some interesting choices in the first half of this issue that feel fresh and stand out from previous issues. The second half of the issue leans more into Sale’s style and influence utilizing negative space and the foreground.

One thing that feels missing from this series is the sense of the associated holiday. Other than the mention of it being Christmas Eve, the only things that indicate the holiday are a few red and green lights on the streets and a single Christmas tree in a house. However, the focus of this series isn’t the actual holidays, and at this point, this is the third Holiday Killer. Another aspect of this issue that should be praised is Richard Starkings’ lettering and design. Starkings ensures that every issue feels like an entry in the same series. Sale’s influence is all over these issues, but Starkings’ designs for all of the Long Halloween series are just as recognizable. Every guest artist is adding their twists so solid lettering and design are a huge factor in this series’ cohesiveness.