Batman: The Long Halloween Parts 1&2 (2021)

Released separately over the last six months or so, I've awaited the adaptation of one of my favourite graphic novels with bated breath. The last few animated Batman adaptations have been stuck in mediocre territory; The Killing Joke (2016) was badly let down by a perfunctory prelude that didn't feature in the source material and added nothing to the film, and Gotham By Gaslight (2018) made a mess of an ending which left a sour taste on what otherwise was a decent fist of an adaptation. Thankfully, The Long Halloween falls into none of these traps. It adds plenty to the original source, but it takes its time in doing so, and fully justifies its stretching over two eighty minute films. Gotham is hit by serial killer who murders his victims on calendar holidays, and appears to have something against the Falcone family, headed by mob boss Carmine, whose nephew is the first to be killed. Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale's graphic novel was a major influence on Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight (2008) and if you're not a comic book reader, this conversion of their tale is great proof of its cultural significance. The score of the films matches their excellent sheen, and although you can certainly make the argument that Marc Hamill is sorely missed as the voice of the Joker, this is one of the grandest Batman adaptations to date, certainly in the realms of its animated world. 7.8/10