Tim SaleRecensioni

My review of this book can be found on my YouTube Vlog at:

https://youtu.be/tc2FumxFVHA

Enjoy!

decent little story. i think the main issue here is that it doesn't really make the reader understand why peter liked gwen so much or why this was a special relationship, unless they were already very familar with spider man comics.

1649

Superman For All Seasons tells of a shy, unconfident Superman instead of the typical all-American Boy Scout that pervades the understanding of the most famous superhero. Each chapter is a season, starting with Spring and ending in Winter. The first three are fairly average, there’s nothing too special here, but the art is fine and the coloring is unique.

The fourth chapter is where this book shines. Superman, alias Clark Kent, may be the most powerful being on earth, but he’s without confidence. He can’t save everyone, and that depresses him. It’s not just depression, but a sense of being lost in the responsibility of the world that I share with this fictional hero. We never hear the thoughts of Clark in this comic, but we see what his friends and family think about him. The final chapter is told in the voice of Lana, Clark’s childhood sweetheart. She slowly realizes that he can’t love her not because of her, but because Superman has to love everyone. He can’t belong to her. His powers, unasked for, give him a greater responsibility: Superman belongs to the world.

Batman: The Long Halloween (2011) by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale. Christopher Nolan, while preparing for his Batman trilogy, was heavily influenced by Batman: Year One and this book. You can feel traces of Jim Gordon and Harvey Dent, not to mention more than a little of Catwoman, pulled from these books and strewn throughout the Nolan’s movies. The very feel of the one echoes the other so well.
But this book should doff it’s hat at the same extent to Mario Puzo’s The Godfather as well as the brilliant movies made from the novel. No matter, what happens in The Long Halloween is a far different story than what came before. Here is Batman pitched against some of Arkham’s worst prisoners. The Joker is free about town and is looking for the serial killer the papers have dubbed “Holiday.” The murders begin on Oct. 31 and continue to occur on the following holidays.
This is a dark tale, crammed full with mob bosses and hit men, revenge, insanity, most of Batman’s worst enemies, and more than one surprise. While the story covers a long period of time, the urgency of the hunt for the killer only intensifies. And we can see both Gordon and Dent as they prepare for insertion within the Chris Nolan world of The Bat.
For fans of The Dark Knight or newcomers alike, this is yet another great adventure for the World’s Greatest Detective.

This was a fantastic look at the origins of Daredevil. I was recommended that this should be read after Kevin Smith's Daredevil: Guardian Devil, and while it does take place after that mini-series, I don't think it's necessary to read the other first.

The art absolutely makes this book, in my opinion. Tim Sale's art and monochrome ink washes, colored by Matt Hollingsworth, creates the perfect nostalgic mood for this story. Jeph Loeb's script works well for me, explaining what drove Matt to finally don the Daredevil costume and go out and fight.

My one complaint is that Karen feels more like a prize for Matt and Foggy to fight over--that's definitely how they both treat her--rather than a character in her own right.

I think I would have appreciated the artwork more if the subject matter wasn't bad. I can stomach a lot but, if you're going to write about child abuse then the storyline needs to be good, and it can't feel like exploitation. This seemed like torture porn. I don't know the purpose of the plot and I don't care to read more about "Grendel" to find out.

It's a nice homage to the early Spider-man comics wrapped in color theme (feeling blue on Valentines' Day). It's an intriguing concept, so it's pity that the story doesn't really deliver its promise and feels kind of dull.

The Spidey part is very generic - we get a series of encounters with (almost) a random selection of villans building up to Kraven the Hunter. But there is no threat or sense of stakes anywhere, just "business as usual". Happy to see, tough, that Spiderman uses not only muscles but also his brain to defeat his opponents. The final fight with Kraven is underwhelming and doesn't live up to be the climax of the story... which makes it obvious that all of this didn't really matter in this comic book.

The Peter Parker part opens with him coming to terms with Gwen's death and flashbacks to how their relationship had started. I love this premise! However, the story doesn't show us their relationship or what Gwen meant to Peter and why. It was disappointing at all levels. The feeling of "blue" comes from the reader knowing what happens outside of this comic, there is nothing that could spark this on the pages of this book. Stripped of the context and read literally - Peter is attracted to 2 sexy girls just because they look good, no one knows or understands why they are attracted to him, for some reason he feels obliged to choose one of them "for life", finally he spends a night with Gwen on the Valentines' Day which makes her the one. But it doesn't really matter to the reader, because there is almost no difference between Gwen and MJ, so he could choose whatever and be happy :/

I enjoyed the style for most of the book. I really like the coloring - it plays great to the theme of this book and references old comics style with a bit of modern flair. Artists really put down some work on Gwen and MJ - both look amazing... which in contrast makes everyone else boring. I wish there was more meaningful content here to provide more impactful art.

it's not awful, but there's a reason this one is forgotten

cool ideas and art. not as innovative as dark night rises or year one or anything, but its fun reading for batman fans

This is the first Superman graphic novel I've read that really delves into his life in Smallville, as a result, it feels distinct, cozy and emotional, moreso than most Superman stories.

I wasn't a fan of the artstyle at first, it's nowhere near as flashy or detailed as Red Son or Kingdom Come, but it ties in so well with the story that it works perfectly. Less is more, and every panel and piece of dialogue feels meaningful.

It's very fresh, despite being an "origin" story, which I'm usually bored of at this point. I like there isn't really a big bad in this one, and Clark seems more like a young man would - capable, but hesitant and confused about his direction in life. Very poignant. Excellent Superman story.½

High quality rework of the Hulk's origins and early days.

As always, Loeb & Sale have a great approach that always respects the original material but adds a new layer of understanding and depth. Glad to see their best work isn't limited to the Batman mythos.

Hauntingly beautiful artwork. The stories are great too, especially the last one where Bruce Wayne realizes he should be giving back to the city, not just fight it.

The art is breathtaking at times. It has a very different feel from regular comics. It's lush and seems to jump out from the pages. The story was quite good, too, especially in the way it showed Catwoman's vulnerability and cunning at the same time.

The best Batman graphic novel I've read so far. I was hooked from the beginning to the end. The twists that come at the end are impressive as well.

USA, Gotham City, ca 1990
Indeholder "En samtale med Christopher Nolan og David S. Goyer", "1. Kriminalitet", "2. Thanksgiving", "3. Jul", "4. Nytårsaften", "5. Valentinsdag", "6. Skt. Patricks dag", "7. 1. april", "8. Mors dag", "9. Fars dag", "10. Uafhængighedsdagen", "11. Romerens fødselsdag", "12. Labor day", "13. Straf".

"En samtale med Christopher Nolan og David S. Goyer" handler om hvordan den her tegneserie er meget "filmisk".
"1. Kriminalitet" handler om at Gotham City's underverden styres af forbryderkongen Carmine "Romeren" Falcone med Salvatore Vincent "The Boss" Maroni som primær rival. Stormillionæren Bruce Wayne modarbejder Falcones forsøg på hvidvask af penge og hans alter ego Batman modarbejder det endda særdeles aktivt. Falcone's kontor får besøg af først Catwoman og så Batman. Falcone bliver sur nok til at udlove en dusør på en million dollar på hver af dem.
Senere på natten mødes den offentlige anklager Harvey Dent og politimanden Jim Gordon med Batman. De erklærer fælles krig mod Romeren og Batman taber en lille gave til de to andre. En regnskabsbog taget fra Romerens kontor. Nogen tid efter stikker Batman endnu en kæp i hjulet for Romeren ved at "foreslå" bankdirektør Richard Daniels at droppe Falcone og hans venner som kunder. Daniels vælger at tilbringe mere tid med familien og går af. Ny leder bliver Bruce Wayne. Falcones søn, Alberto, har en MBA fra Harvard og er en Oxford Rhodes legatmodtager. Falcone holder Alberto ude af den mere aktive del af forretningen og det er Alberto lidt muggen over. Richard Daniels bliver skudt ned og dør på stedet. Senere bliver Falcones nevø, Johnny Viti, skudt i sit badekar og dør på stedet. Falcones sorte penge hober sig op og Catwoman har fundet nogle af dem og giver Dent og Batman et tip. De hælder benzin over og sætter ild til. Falcone ler ikke til denne Halloween. Harvey og Gilda Dent får en bombe med posten.
"2. Thanksgiving" handler om at Batman og Gordon har fingrene i Mickey "The Mink" Sullivan, der afleverede bomben. Batman har reddet Mickey ud af kløerne på en spøjs person, Solomon Grundy, der holder til i byens kloaker. Mickey tilstår. Imens har Falcone lidt bøvl med sin søster; Carla, der er ret sur over at Johnny er blevet skudt. Harvey og Gilda overlevede, men det holdes skjult. Mickey og hans slæng af irere, "Donny Boy" Sullivan, "Dapper Kevin", "Jimmy Slick" og "Willie Two Times" kommer ud på kaution i løbet af meget kort tid, men nogen skyder dem alle fem ned. Hvem er Holiday morderen?
"3. Jul" handler om at Jokeren har stjålet julegaverne ved en familie. En spøjs fange, Kalendermanden, ved navn Julian Day, remser alle helligdagene op. Det er ikke til den store hjælp. Imens truer Jokeren Maroni for at få at vide om han kender Holiday morderen? Indtil nu er det nemlig kun Romerens folk, der er døde. Harvey Dent flytter ind i et nyt hus, men her er Jokeren allerede på besøg. De slås, men Dent taber og Jokeren går igen efter at være næsten sikker på at Dent heller ikke er morderen. På vejen væk driller Jokeren også Romeren og dennes livvagt Milos. Måske ikke så klogt for Milos er den næste, der bliver skudt. Så Batman mistænker Jokeren.
"4. Nytårsaften" handler om Jokeren, der er efter Holiday morderen og vil forgifte en masse mennesker med gas for det kunne jo være at Holiday morderen var iblandt. Batman forhindrer det dog. Alberto forsvinder fra dækket på en stor båd og hans forsvinden har sikkert noget med Holiday morderen at gøre, for endnu en revolver bliver fundet liggende der.
"5. Valentinsdag" handler om at Harvey Dent mistænker Bruce Wayne. Maroni har plantet en ung kontormand Vernon Fields i Dents kontor. Endnu en flok af Maronis folk bliver skudt af Holiday morderen.
"6. Skt. Patricks dag" handler om at Poison Ivy har charmet sig ind på Bruce Wayne og påvirker hans handlinger. Han godkender store bankforretninger med Romeren. Og Romerens datter Sofia Falcone Gigante bliver løsladt fra fængslet og slutter sig til ham. Catwoman befrier Wayne for Poison Ivys giftige plantedække. Og Holiday morderen befrier Gotham for endnu flere af Maroni's folk.
"7. 1. april" handler om at Gækkeren sjovt nok ikke bliver skudt af Holiday morderen, selv om han er tæt på. Holiday morderen anbringer små billige souvenirs på hvert mordsted foruden den anvendte 22 mm pistol, som han sætter en plastiksut på som lyddæmper.
"8. Mors dag" handler om at Fugleskræmslet alias Jonathan Crane får hjælp til at slippe ud fra Arkham. Sofia finder adressen på Holiday morderens våbenleverandør. Men han er desværre lige død af skud fra en 22 mm pistol og med en lille Mors Dag kurv efterladt ved liget.
"9. Fars dag" handler om at Bruce Waynes far var kirurg og engang hjalp Romerens far med at frelse Romerens liv. Maroni opsøger sin far Lou for at få råd. For alle hans mænd er døde. Men selvfølgelig bliver Lou skudt ned og dør. Harvey Dent besøger sin far og får en sølv dollar mønt af ham. Romeren forsøger sig med at få Jonathan Crane og Jervis Tetch alias Hattemageren til at arbejde for ham. Maroni opsøger Dent for at tilbyde sin hjælp med at få has på Romeren.
"10. Uafhængighedsdagen" handler om at Holiday morderen slår til mod en retsmediciner. Sal Maroni og Sofia Falcone har noget kørende. Og Catwoman og Batman slår ned på Fugleskræmslet og Hattemageren.
"11. Romerens fødselsdag" handler om at Maroni af Dent bliver brugt som hovedvidne mod Romeren, men Vernon tager en flaske vitriol med som Maroni kan smide i hovedet på Dent. Ætsningen får Dent til at skifte side. Han stikker kirurgen ned og flygter fra hospitalet. Holiday morderen skyder Carla Viti.
"12. Labor day" handler om Dent, der flygtede ned i kloakkerne, hvor han mødte Solomon Grundy og kommer til forståelse med ham. Batman opsøger Romeren. Gordon opsøger Maroni, men da han vil flytte Maroni, bliver denne skudt af Holiday morderen, der viser sig at være Alberto Falcone. Batman overmander Alberto.
"13. Straf" handler om at Alberto har gjort det for at få faderens opmærksomhed. Harvey Dent viser sin foragt for loven ved at skyde Romeren to gange i hovedet. Sofia begår selvmord ved at hoppe ud af vinduet. Harvey Dent kalder sig Two Face og opsøger Vernon, som han også slår ihjel. Romeren er død. Den lange Halloween er slut.

Batman, anklageren Harvey Dent og kommissær Gordon er oppe imod Jokeren og Romeren og Holiday morderen. De vinder, men det koster dem Harvey. Eller måske var det Gilda, der slog nogle af ofrene ihjel?

Smukt tegnet album.

Do you love Batman? Are you a fan of the "Detective Comics"? Do you enjoy a good mystery novel? Would you like to know more about Harvey Dent and his alter ego? If you answered yes to most of those questions, stop wasting your time reading this review and go pick up a copy of the book. You won't be sorry.
Still need a little more convincing? [b:Batman: The Long Halloween|106069|Batman The Long Halloween|Jeph Loeb|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1350137101s/106069.jpg|680248] is, for me, one of the "must read" Batman graphic novels. It has a classic storyline that will appeal to fans both new and old alike.
If you're a new fan, I'm going to assume that is mostly, in part, due to Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy. Good news for you, this particular graphic novel was one of the biggest inspirations for The Dark Knight. (The edition I own even includes an interview with Christopher Nolan and David Goyer discussing that very point.) If you're looking for a place to begin your descent into Batman comics, I would recommend you start with [a:Frank Miller|15085|Frank Miller|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1335457016p2/15085.jpg]'s [b:Batman: Year One|59980|Batman Year One|Frank Miller|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327940389s/59980.jpg|2501570] just to familiarize yourself with his origin story and the darker version of Batman he introduced. That being said, if you've never read a Batman comic before The Long Halloween won't give you any trouble. It offers up a classic Batman detective story spanned across 300 plus pages that is sprinkled with appearances from Batman's long cast of villains and allies.
If you're not new to the world of the caped crusader and just haven't gotten around to reading this, what have you been doing? I highly recommend that you put this one high on your "to-read" list.
Now to get along to my actual review. The story is enthralling and keeps you second guessing yourself until the very end. The artwork is not my favorite, but even saying that I acknowledge that it fits the story very well. It isn't polished like the art in many of the newer comics, but then again Batman has never really been a clean lines kind of guy. Please do yourself a favor and go pick up a copy so that you can rejoice in the kickassery that is Batman.

A very good follow-up to The Long Halloween. Includes a large selection of Batman's rogue's gallery, plus a healthy dose of gangsters and police intrigue.

I want to hug this comic (and Batman) and never let them go. This is one of the best Comics I have ever read.

I'm not much of a super-hero fan. Don't really go for all those super power kind of things, which is probably why I've always gravitated to Batman. Sure there are fantastical elements, but for a guy with unlimited funds, sure. Having said that, I haven't picked up a Batman book in probably 20 years. So with that intro, take this for what it is. This was just OK. The artwork is nice, but the story really wasn't anything to keep me interested. I'll stick to the Dark Knight series.½

Tim Sale's art is still really nice, but Jeph Loeb's scripts are weaker than ever. Combined with some off-putting skeeviness by the Riddler, I can't really recommend this one.

A much more dark graphic novel this is one I would recommend for an older audience. Most likely best for an end of middle school or young adult audience. It follows Batman early on in his career as a killer murders someone on a holiday every month. Batman is trying to find who the killer is. The images are incredible, and it has a strong message of right and wrong. Very entertaining. Graphic Novel, Superhero, Comic.

I think I'd really love this story more as an animated feature. The visual style, much like in Long Halloween, is a bit jarring at times. It can be really effective, but I'm not a huge fan of the style itself and I think that detracted from my enjoyment a bit. Which is odd, I thought the style fit Long Halloween perfectly, I may just be getting Batman'd out. That being said, all the Noire greatness is here; femme fatales, backstabbing, the mafia, secrets, murders, etc. It's definitely a different type of Batman story, probably should have right this directly after Long Halloween.

Borrowed as well from the local public library.

See my short note on the book here:

[http://gypsylibrarian.blogspot.com/2006/12/short-notes-on-graphic-novels-8.html]