Batman: The Long Halloween – The Last Halloween #5

It’s official – after quite literally months of waiting, we are finally half way through one of the most anticipated sequel series of all time, The Last Halloween. It’s hard to say where the series is heading but the end is in sight. So much has happened and yet the suspense the ever comic brings is all too intense. Will The Dark Knight solve the the mystery of the new Holiday Killer? One things for sure, this issue steps it up a notch! So, without further delay, here is our review of Batman: The Long Halloween – The Last Halloween #5.

In Nerdy Nook fashion, this review will be spoiler free, but make sure you have read through the previous issues before continuing.

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The Review

Image by DC Comics

Last issue we saw Batman fight for his life, Robin take on the lead, and finally at long last… the arrival of Joker. Batman: The Long Halloween – The Last Halloween #5 picks up right where the long issue 4 left off, as we jump straight into the action as Batman and Catwoman fight Joker. But is this the lead that Batman has been looking for?

After such a long time of waiting I had almost forgotten where we left off, but after a quick refresher last night I felt myself more hyped than ever! I am going to come right out and say it, this issue did not disappoint. Long time readers will know, once Joker joins a series, things tend to get very wild very quickly – there is always a high expectation when this absolute legend joins the story, which gives the author an incredible amount of pressure to do it right. Jeph Loeb of course is always bound to get it right. Of course, Joker was in the first novel in the series The Long Halloween but up until now, we have only had mentions of the Clown Prince of Crime, so to have this issue heavily focused on his return was very well received.

As always, the artwork created by Bill Sienkiewicz and colourist Dave Stewart is so unbelievably reminiscent of Tim Sales, giving not only Joker the dark and truly terrifying look we have come to expect in The Long Halloween, and entire comic has the same look.

Image by DC Comics

The pacing of this comic felt incredibly fast, and yet at the same time it felt perfect! Most of Batman: The Long Halloween – The Last Halloween #5 felt like narration, but the issue still gave a good amount of insight and moved the story forward giving the illusion that the end is in sight.

Something about this issue makes The Last Halloween feel final. While Batman can be seen as quite weak and vulnerable, Robin is slowly becoming the hero he was set out to be, despite a few mistakes – it’s beginning to feel like this is the end of an era. This might simply be because, it is. With the loss of Tim Sale, I cannot imagine Loeb will visit this series again in the future so will likely end this in a way they both would have been proud of – which is so sad but strangely a beautiful thing to see play out.

I only have one issue with Batman: The Long Halloween – The Last Halloween #5, as a part of the series this issue feels like a pinnacle moment, with so much story and character development happening throughout it is a very important issue. However, it spent so much time building on Jokers story, I had almost completely forgotten about the more important character – Harvey Dent.

Image by DC Comics

Batman: The Long Halloween – The Last Halloween #5 is a creepy addition to the series which expands on key plot points and beloved characters in a unique and shocking way. The Last Halloween is shaping up to be such a special comic, I cannot wait to see where the creative mind of Jeph Loeb takes us next.

What are your thoughts on The Last Halloween? Is this series a good sequel to The Long Halloween or are we all blinded by nostalgia? Whatever your thoughts and feelings, share them with us in the comment section of this article!

See also: Previous issue review

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