Batman: The Long Halloween

Batman: The Long Halloween is a series of 13 issues (1996-1997) written by Jeph Loeb with art by Tim Sale. It basically picks up in the Batman universe after Batman: Year One (Miller & Mazzucchelli), the origins of Bruce Wayne/Batman and Jim Gordon. The Long Halloween tells the story of Batman, Gordon, and Harvey Dent's relationship towards each other and their attempts to save the rotting city of Gotham.

The story is at it's core a murder mystery or a "who done it?" It examines the bond between men with the same wants, but different ideas on how to achieve goals. The characters are fleshed out very well. From the examination of Bruce Wayne's connection to his deceased parents, to the Gotham city mobsters' connection to family and power; Loeb and Sale craft a tale that keeps you in suspense and keeps you guessing.

Going into this graphic novel I had only read one Loeb & Sale collaboration: Daredevil: Yellow (also really good). I liked Sale's art in Yellow, but it was still new to me...it was growing on me. By the time I got through The Long Halloween I became a full on fan. Not a crisp style like a Steve McNiven (amazing artist), but rather a slightly exaggerated form of quick-hand drawings that give the characters personality through their visuals: a large Batman, shadowy Harvey Dent, and sleek Joker are some examples.

I am planning on picking up more of Loeb & Sale's work including their other Marvel "color" books such as: Spider-Man: Blue, Hulk: Grey, and Captain America: White. Along with The Long Halloween, Batman: Dark Victory won the duo an Eisner Award for best Graphic Album reprint.

Being 13 issues long, The Long Halloween is quite the read. Affordable at no more than $20, it feels like you are reading an actual novel (non-graphic) which you must set down from time to time to catch your breath. I recommend this read for a rainy Sunday when you have no plans. It will make your weekend.

I believe in Batman: The Long Halloween.

Owned by Hulu

Last month I did a post about how much I enjoyed the Marvel Spider-Woman motion comics. You can re-read that post here. This statement is still true, however, I do like Marvel a little less now.

The way to obtain these motion comic episodes it to purchase them through iTunes. They are $1.99 (less than what an average comic costs) and you keep them in your iTunes player. Currently, The Astonishing X-Men motion comics are being sold, and are the newest of Marvel's motion comic line. I am currently buying those episodes. But should I be?

The Hulu-loop

For awhile Marvel let viewers watch the first episode of Spider-Woman for free on their site or through an embedding on other's sites, like my own. Now, Marvel has released all of the episodes for free through Hulu. It may be for a limited time, but I still feel cheated in some way. I paid for the episodes and now they are just giving them away!

• Hulu may just be showing them for a limited time only.
• I do have the download to watch on the go if I choose.
• I did get to watch the episodes when the first came out.

...But Still!

Oh well, at least by showing them for free this can expand the awareness of the Marvel motion comics line. Feel free to watch from the Marvel Hulu page, or the Hulu show page.


Enjoy...you freeloaders.

The Always Fashionable Marvel

Though Disney has recently purchased Marvel, the 2 companies will not affect each other for quite awhile. Once all of the final contracts our worked out and signed the creative teams of Disney and Marvel will start to meet.

Disney, well known for it's animation division, may be surprised by the wide array of current animated projects Marvel has operating. Without getting into straight to DVD animated features, Marvel currently produces Ironman: Armored Adventure, Wolverine and the X-Men, and The Super Hero Squad Show. Marvel also has other shows currently on television and in pre-production, but these three are maintaining excellent ratings in the youth market.


Of the previously mentioned shows, The Super Hero Squad Show is doing quite well in the under 10 years of age demographic. I sat in on a viewing of two of the upcoming episodes and recognized right away that the target demographic was a young child (it was painful). Unlike Wolverine and the X-Men target market of young teens (and comic lovers of all ages), The Super Hero Squad Show has very basic plots and slapstick comedy. There are hidden bits of info only Marvel comic fans will understand and appreciate, but the show is made to be loud and quickly paced for the current A.D.D. culture of children television.

When I was young shows like The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the 90's X-Men animated series were made in a different style. TMNT was fun for kids because there was action, but they could also understand what was going on differently. The characters talked slower and the show was not one dramatic scene followed by another. Attention spans have changed and with the advent of so many program choices and recorded television, loud noises and constant intensity is often needed to keep the channel from changing.

The Super Hero Squad Show is not only fashionable on TV these days...it is also keeping up with the community of the growing amounts of children on the Internet. The show has it's own section on Marvel's animation page, and includes some very cool interactive features. The coolest feature: the create your own comic section.

Using a simple type of Flash, you are able to either create a mini comic strip of a couple panels or a full comic book with several pages! The give you backgrounds, characters, dialog balloons and many other options to create your own original stories...using the Super Hero Squad Show characters, of course.

You may recognize "My Lovin' " strip inspired by En Vogue.

Create your own comic here. Have fun with it. Oh and one more thing...

A'Woo Woo Wooo!

Spider-Woman & Motion Comics

Yesterday, the final iTunes episode of Spider-Woman: Agent of S.W.O.R.D. was released by Marvel. Spider-Woman: Agent of S.W.O.R.D. is a comic book written by Brian Michael Bendis (New Avengers, Dark Avengers, everything Marvel) with art by Alex Maleev (Daredevil). This comic is a motion comic in that the backgrounds and images move, the lighting changes, and there are voice actors speaking the lines that would normaly be read in a comic book.

This first attempt at an original series debuting as a motion comic has gone quite well for Marvel. The first installment debuted as the #2 top selling television show purchased on iTunes. There are 5 episodes in all and they run between 10 to 12 minutes. Watch the first episode below to get a feel for what a motion comic looks like.



After completing the series I was quite impressed. The look alone, largely due to Alex Maleev's art, is worth the $1.99 price on iTunes. A standard printed comic book cost $2.99...a dollar more. Plus, at a run time of at least 10 minutes, it takes longer to watch the motion comic then it does to read a traditional comic book.

Story wise I like the idea of the motion comic because you hear the tone the writer is going for when penning the story. The pace of the book is set, the inflection of vocal moments are hit, and the settings literally come to life.

For traditionalist Marvel still offers the comic book in print. It generally comes out well after the episodes, but the art and story is the same. I personally do not like reading comics online (Marvel Digital Comics), but i thoroughly enjoy the motion comics for their mini-motion picture feel.

Though Spider-Woman: Agent of S.W.O.R.D. has completed it's motion comics run Marvel still has some upcoming stories in motion comic form. On October 28th Marvel is starting a run on Astonishing X-Men. Astonishing was written by Joss Whedon with art by John Cassaday. Their 25 issue run is considered one of the best X-Men runs ever written. Check out the trailer for Astonishing's motion comics below.