Batman: The Long Halloween
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Batman: The Long Halloween is a comic book limited series of 13 issues written by Jeph Loeb, pencilled by Tim Sale and published by DC Comics originally from 1996 to 1997.
The story fill some gaps in the Batman's continuity by elaborating on the relationship of Batman / Bruce Wayne, Police Commissioner James Gordon, D. A. Harvey Dent, allies against organized crime and city corruption, Catwoman / Selina Kyle and Gotham City's cappo di tutti cappi, Carmine "The Roman" Falcone, 10 months later and almost as left in Batman: Year One (in which, in contrast, only the first two were protagonists), as well as adding new characters to the conflict like Sal "the Boss" Marony, the Roman's rival, a number of insane super criminals like the Joker and Holiday, a serial killer that is targeting the Falcone and Maroni crime families and as consequently triggering the a war among all of the mentioned characters that explains the power transcition fom the Italian mob to the super criminals eventually lead by Two-face.
Every issue focuses on a holiday in which the killer murders key elements of the Italian mob, starting with the first Halloween after Year One with the Roman's nephew Johnny Vitti and finishing the next Halloween a year later, with the leaders. The story is characterized by its heavy references to The Godfather, by mirroring the Vito and the Corleone boys with the Falcone family, and The Silence of the Lambs, by having Batman recurring to the Calendar man for advise to prevent the crimas of Holiday.
The story continues in Batman: Dark Victory its parallel Catwoman: When in Rome, both also by Loeb.
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[edit] Characters
- Batman / Bruce Wayne - He allies with Gordon and Dent bring down the organized crime and stop Holiday while dealing with his rogues gallery. As Bruce wayne he is st up by Poison Ivy to aid Carmine Falcone to get a bank account.
- Two-face / D. A. Harvey Dent - Allied with Gordon a Batman, he is obsessed with destroying Gotham City's organized crime more than he is to stop Holiday. His war against the mob reaches a climax, turning him into Two-face.
- Commissioner James Gordon - He allies with Batman and Dent. He and his wife are good friends and confidents of the Dents.
- Gilda Dent - She is the ever supporting wife of Harvey Dent. They have troubles derivated of Harvey's obsession with his work destroying the mob, and their inability to have a child.
- Alfred Pennyworth - He supports and aids his master against the acusations of the police and the D. A.'s office.
- Barbara Eileen Gordon - She is a good friend and advisor to Gilda Dent his has similar marriage troubles. At this point in the continuity she is still supportive of her husband.
- Thomas Wayne - Being a good samaritan, he aids Vincent Falcone save his son, Carmine from bullet wounds result of an incident with the Maronis, even though he know who they all are. This action gives trouble to Bruce in the present.
- Martha Wayne - It is revealed that she wears the pearl nechlace that caused the incident in which the Wayne couple died, at request of Bruce, which explains much of the guild he feels.
- Carmine Falcone - Head of the falcone family, he is strugling to save his empire from the threads of the Holiday killer, the Batman / Gordon / Dent alliance, Catwoman, the Maroni family and his own sister and in consecuence turn to "freaks" like The Scarecrow, Poison Ivy and the Riddler.
- Alberto Falcone - With an Oxford education he is expected to succed aoutside the family bussiness, which makes him feel useless and unwelcomed.
- Sophia Falcone Gigante - She is the right hand of her father, Carmine while havin an affair with Sal Maroni. She is aparently accidentally killed by Catwoman.
- Carla Vitti - She is a controling mother who watches out for the best interests of his son Johnny, and his share of the Falcone power.
- Johnny Vitti - He becomes an important member of the family after desiding not to confess against his uncle Carmine.
- Vincent Falcone - Carmines Father, asked Thomas Wayne to save his son from five bullet wounds, creating ties between the Waynes and the Falcones.
- Salvatore Maroni - He is Carmine's main rival for the control over Gotham City's organized crime. After the early Holiday killings he becomes the main suspect of Carmine, which starts a war.
- Luigi Maroni - Father of Salvatore. He is retired but advises him to kill Carmine while he is weak right before he becomes vitim of Holiday.
- Holiday - A mysterioys killer that eliminates several members of the Falcone family mob.
- Selina Kyle / Catwoman - While parting with Bruce Wayne as Selina, she steals from Carmine Falcone always coinciding with Batman when he enters. As a result, Carmine puts a price on both. Having her own mysterious agenda and being on her own side she teams with various antagonist of the Falcones.
- The Joker - He doesn't like the competition from Holiday and creates havoc while trying to kill him. Then he strikes against the Falcones.
- Calendar Man - Since he also commits crimes on holidays, he becomes Batman's modus operandi advisor against the Holiday killer. He becomes obsessed about Holiday's crimes.
- The Scarecrow - Hired by Falcone to rob the City Depository along with the Mad Hatter. They both betray him in favor of Two-face.
- The Riddler - Hired by Falcone to deduce the identity of Holiday. He betrays him in favor of Two-face.
- Poison Ivy - Hired by Falcone to control Bruce Wayne's mind in order to get him to open a bank accout for the Falcone family. She succeds but is stopped by Catwoman from doing further damage. She later betrays Carmine in favor of Two-face.
- Solomon Grundy - Wanders in Gotham City's sewers attacking people crossing his path. He befriends Two-face and aids him against the Falcones.
- The Mad Hatter - Hired by Falcone to rob the City Depository along with the Scarecrow. They both betray him in favor of Two-face.
- The Penguin - He shows up to suppot Two-face's final hit on the Falcones.
