By: Jeph Loeb, Tim Sale Publisher: DC Comics Average Rating: Binding: Paperback Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 392 Publication Date: October 01, 2002 Release Date: October 01, 2002 Studio: DC Comics
Loeb/Sale Victory ^ It's an outstanding masterpiece that every dark knight friend has to read it. It defines the hero and shows the beginning of a wonderful relationship with Dick Grayson, the first Robin. One of his worst enemies emerges, that is Two-Face of course, while his friendship with Commissioner Gordon is tested. It's a must for every fan, for it's a pure pleasure. So, what are you waiting for? I'll definitely go for the other two that complete the trilogy.
Great story for all DARK KNIGHT fans ^ Great story, incredible artwork, all your favorite villains and of course Batman. Nice little added bonus is the addition of Robin to the story line. I love the continuation of The Long Halloween and the refrences to Batman:Year One. You should definitley check out those two books before reading this one.
Riveting Chase and Mystery ^ Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale reunite for another run at the Batman in Dark Victory. This is a sequel to Long Halloween and packs a lot of the old noir feeling of the early Batman comics into the story and pacing. The time frame is just after Harvey Dent has been scarred forever and turned psychotic, emerging as the villainous Two-Face. Batman and Jim Gordon are struggling to accept their friend's loss, as well as figure out whether Dent can be saved from his madness.
I really liked the overall thread of Two-Face's possible salvation in this one. Dent has so long been one of those characters that was possible to root for or at least understand to a degree. However, on the flip side - and yes that was a joke dependent on his infamous two-headed coin - Two-Face has always been one of the most deadly villains Batman has ever encountered.
Tim Sale's art is fabulous. The darkness on the pages seems contagious and feels like it might leak off and infect everything that touches it. He does a lot with angles and points of view that are clever and cinematic, and the pacing of the story benefits by the way the action is often broken down. Although there are a tremendous amount of characters in this graphic novel, Sale does a good job at individual rendering. He also does a good job depicting all of Batman's rogue's gallery that's on scene in the story.
The see-saw ripple of personal lives is one of the best aspects of Dark Victory. Jim Gordon's estranged wife returns to him at a time when he's desolate and alone, especially while trapped in the corrupt Gotham City Police Department.
At the same time, Bruce Wayne is trying to figure out how to have a relationship with Selina Kyle (Catwoman) and dealing with the fact that he's in love with her.
The thing I loved most about the graphic novel is how the overall mystery of the Hangman is played out. The deaths of police officers on holidays of every month are grisly and filled with action, but it's the word games that really hooked me in. I figured the sayings out before they were revealed, but that was only part of the fun. Trying to figure out what the context was turned out to be something else.
The fact that Batman and Jim Gordon were trying to find out who the real killer was instead of allowing everyone to blame the murders on Two-Face was awesome. It was made even more dangerous by the fact that Two-Face was playing his own game and wouldn't hesitate to kill either of them.
I really liked the way Loeb spun the story into Dick Grayson's origin story as well. And true Bat-fans have known there was always something that bound Robin and Two-Face, and this is the story that gives us that spin.
Dark Victory is one of those well-done graphic novels that fans will read again and again. It also has to be read slowly to grasp all the nuances of the twisting plot and follow the devious turns. This is one of the stories that shows Batman at his detective best.
Perfect conclusion to "The Long Halloween" ^ ***If you haven't read "Batman: Year One" and "Batman: The Long Halloween", then this won't mean much to you (also, read "Catwoman: When in Rome (Batman)").***
Following the phenomenon of TLH, Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale return with a masterful sequel that closes the history of organized crime in Gotham City, the rise of the 'freaks', and the beginnings of the Dynamic Duo. Alberto Falcone was discovered to have been the mysterious serial killer Holiday from TLH, and is set to be released from Arkham Asylum at the behest of Gotham's new D.A. Janice Porter. Newcomer Mario Falcone (presumably the middle child of the family) returns from exile to serve as his brother's keeper and to try to legitimize his family name and business. Sofia Falcone survives her supposedly fatal final appearance in TLH and returns as a crippled fanatic Hell-bent on maintaining her dead father's criminal empire against the rising threat of the 'freaks', and most of all is out for the blood of his killer. Captain James Gordon has become the new GCPD Commissioner and continues to work with the Batman to rid Gotham of crime; a monumental task with enemies inside the department, and he tries to win back his wife and son who've left him and Gotham. Harvey Dent was transformed into the villainous Two-Face and has rallied every freak in the city (the Joker, the Scarecrow, the Mad Hatter, Poison Ivy, Solomon Grundy, the Penguin, Mr. Freeze, the Riddler, and the Calendar Man) to his as yet unknown cause. And back to her usual tricks is the fence-straddling Catwoman with an agenda all her own. Gotham is primed for a war that may well plunge it into chaos. Now a new player has entered the game: a mysterious serial-cop-killer dubbed the Hangman, after the way in which they kill their victims and by notes left pinned to the bodies reminiscent of the children's game and written on documents related to Harvey Dent. The Hangman's identity is one of many mysteries in this story, one that grows more complicated as the story progresses. Is it Alberto Falcone back to his old tricks with new victims, or is it the Calendar Man who's now taken up murder as his M.O.? (all the murders occur on holidays). Is it Two-Face, owing to the fact of the Hangman notes are written on documents relevant to Harvey Dent? Is it Catwoman, who's purpose is the most mysterious of all throughout the story? Is it a conspiracy by the other organized crime families to destroy the Roman Empire? Why are all the victims cops? What is the hidden clue that links them together? Who is the Hangman? With all this going on, the Batman has decided that after what happened to his former ally Harvey Dent, he can't risk involving anyone else in his war against crime; the fight must be his and his alone. Until a fateful day at Haly's Circus when a young boy is orphaned as a consequence of the broader mob war, and how his entering into Bruce Wayne/Batman's life will profoundly change it forever. DV is an excellent story that never fails to deliver on all the points that made its predecessor so spectacular. The only thing that really feels out of place is the small role of Catwoman (her intentions are not fully explained until the closing pages of the story and are further elaborated upon in "Catwoman: When in Rome"), but this is not a big enough issue to give this review less than 5 stars. Get this comic, you'll not regret it.
long halloween 2? ^ I anticipated this to be awesome, and as always I wasn't disappointing. The Jeph/Loeb team up is on point, like always. but I'll warn you, you should definitely read "The Long Halloween" first, considering this one picks up where Halloween left off. the only reason I gave it four stars is because Robin is a bitch. I'm sorry,let me rephrase that. I know Robin to be a bitch. I really have no room to complain about this book besides my own personal issues with Robin. In conclusion, the art is sick, the story is even better, but Long Halloween gets read first. trust me.
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
Trevor
