Batman: The Long Halloween, Part Two

Following on from the recently released Part One of Chris Palmer's animated adaptation of the famed Batman graphic novel of the same name, The Long Halloween Part Two continues on the good work before it too make a case for these two part feature length efforts to be regarded as some of the best examples of DC Comics staples when it comes to the animated game.

With a more Joker-fueled first part that was at times more like a darker version of the old Adam West starring TV show with the crazy clown running rampant around the mysterious murders at the hand of the Holiday Killer, Part Two differentiates itself in a neat way as we get far more time here with the unfortunate Harvey Dent as well as additions Poison Ivy and the Mad Hatter.

While so well handled in Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight masterpiece, the Josh Duhamel voiced Harvey Dent is here one of the most well-rounded representations of the aspiring political figure that is the eventual two-faced haunted soul and it's nice to see Palmer and the film allow Batman/Wayne to take a backseat at times here as Dent's journey from a bright-eyed figure to a disfigured shadow of his former self takes centerstage and adds layers to this tale that might not have existed without the confidence of the people in charge.

Coming in a brisk sub-90 minute running time, Palmer crams a lot into this second part of the Long Halloween tale and in some ways you do wish there was more time allotted to the continuation of the mystery surrounding the Holiday Killer's identity and their reasoning behind their spree of vicious murders, with it coming as somewhat of a surprise that in many instances the Holiday Killer is an afterthought, even if their killings and presence looms large over all characters involved in the story.

It's all nitpicks however as the wonderful old school animation and well-rounded bringing too life of some of the most famous figures in the Batman universe combine to treat die-hard and more casual fans alike too an entertaining and high quality Batman experience.

Final Say -

Continuing on the with the solid work of the first part, The Long Halloween Part Two is a fitting finale to this double-header that will likely be regarded as one of the best exponents of animated DC features for the years yet to come.

3 1/2 boardwalks out of 5.