“I made a promise to my parents that I would rid the city of the evil that took their lives. No matter what that evil looks like or becomes. I believe someday I will make good on that promise. I have to. I believe in Batman.”
In this very special (and very long) episode, Mike and Alex are pleased to welcome their good friend Drew (aka the person we’re pretty sure is responsible for getting Mike into comics in the first place) to the show to discuss the first entry in their Jeph Loeb and Tim sale deep dive, Batman: The Long Halloween (issues #1-13). They start by getting a little backstory on Drew’s history with both Loeb and Sale and The Long Halloween, and then jump right into discussing the comic. They break down Sale’s iconic and unique art style and character design, and how combined with the use of color and shadow (and the lack of color) by colorist Gregory Wright, it created a storytelling atmosphere that so many Batman creators have chased in the years since. The trio also breakdown the mystery whodunit aspect of the story and delve into how Loeb’s storytelling style holds up to multiple re-reads of this comic. in general, it’s a love-fest for one of the best Batman stories every told, one that’s been evergreen on the store shelves for the past 25+ years and will continue to be as long as there are comics to be sold.
Next up, we go from Gotham City to Smallville and Metropolis as we pick up our next Loeb and Sale collaboration, Superman For All Season (issues #1-4). A beloved Superman story, go find it wherever you read your comics and join the conversation with us next week as we dive into it!