Batman: The Long Halloween, Part Two (Check out our review of Part 1 here) is an American animated direct-to-video superhero film produced by Warner Bros. Animation and DC Entertainment.

This adaptation is part of the DC Universe Animated Original Movies line and is based on the DC Comics storyline of the same name.

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Batman: The Long Halloween is a 13-issue American comic book limited series written by Jeph Loeb with art by Tim Sale. It was originally published by DC Comics in 1996 and 1997.

Part Two continues as the Holiday Killer is still at large and, with Bruce Wayne under the spell of the venomous Poison Ivy, Batman is nowhere to be found. Liberated by an unlikely ally, Bruce quickly uncovers the real culprit: Poison Ivy’s employer Carmine Falcone. The Roman, his ranks decimated by Holiday and his business spinning out of control, has been forced to bring on less desirable partners – Gotham City’s rogues’ gallery. In the meantime, Harvey Dent is confronting battles on two fronts: attempting to end the mob war while also dealing with a strained marriage. And, after an attack that leaves Harvey hideously disfigured, the District Attorney unleashes the duality of his psyche that he’s strived his entire life to suppress. Now, as Two-Face, Dent decides to take the law into his own hands and deliver judgment to those who’ve wronged him, his family and all of Gotham. Ultimately, the Dark Knight must put together the tragic pieces that converged to create Two-Face, the Holiday Killer, Batman and Gotham City itself.

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Jensen Ackles (Supernatural, Batman: Under the Red Hood) leads an all-star cast as the voice of Batman/Bruce Wayne alongside the late Naya Rivera (Glee) as Catwoman/Selina Kyle, Josh Duhamel
(Transformers, Las Vegas) as Harvey Dent/Two-Face, Billy Burke (Twilight, Revolution, Zoo) as Commissioner James Gordon, Katee Sackhoff (The Mandalorian, Battlestar Galactica, Batman: Year One) as Poison Ivy, Titus Welliver (Bosch, Deadwood) as Carmine Falcone, Julie Nathanson (Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, Suicide Squad: Hell To Pay) as Gilda Dent, David Dastmalchian (The Suicide Squad, Dune, Ant-Man,) as Calendar Man & The Penguin, Troy Baker (The Last of Us, Batman: Arkham Knight) as The Joker, Amy Landecker (Your Honor, Transparent) as Barbara Gordon & Carla Vitti, Fred Tatasciore (American Dad!, Family Guy) as Solomon Grundy, Alyssa Diaz (The Rookie, Ray Donovan) as Renee Montoya, and Alastair Duncan (The Batman, Batman Unlimited franchise) as Alfred.

In addition, Robin Atkin Downes (The Strain, Constantine: City of Demons) voices both Scarecrow & Thomas Wayne, John DiMaggio (Futurama, Disenchantment) is the Mad Hatter, Laila Berzins (Genshin Impact) is Sofia Falcone, Jim Pirri (World of Warcraft franchise) is Sal Maroni, and Zach Callison (The Goldbergs, Steven Universe) is Young Bruce Wayne.

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Part 2 continues the strong visual style and slow-burn storytelling of Part 1 although with a slight increase in action sequences as the story reaches it’s conclusion. The animation style continues to be excellent and there are some dream-like sequences with an anime feel. A soaring score from Michael Gatt builds on themes started in part one but used to greater effect here.

We also see a shift in focus on the characters here where Josh Duhamel’s Harvey Dent/Two Face as we see the Characters ‘one bad day’ rapidly change the course of his life and those around him; something that was foreshadowed in Part 1; it is a well written, developed and throughly enjoyable performance.

Part 2 also see’s a shift in the characters with the introduction of Katchee Sachoff’s seductive yet deadly Poison Ivy playing a key role alongside Mad Hatter & Scarecrow with smaller appearances from Penguin, Joker, Calendar Man and the rest of Rogue’s Gallery. This second part is also a show case for Naya Rivera’s moving performance as Catwoman/Selina Kyle in what is sadly one of the final roles.

Tim Sheridan’s script predictably makes some key changes from the original story which will keep viewers guessing but the ending may be hard for some fans of the comic story to swallow but it is an undeniably successful attempt at an ambitious adaption which will also open up this classic story to new audiences.

4/5 – Taken as a whole The Long Halloween is one the best-executed animated adaptions in DC’s history.

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Batman: The Long Halloween, Part Two will be released on Blu-ray on August 9, 2021.

Batman: The Long Halloween, Part Two – Special Features (Blu-ray and Digital).

● DC Showcase – Blue Beetle (New Animated Short) – Sufferin’ Scarabs! Silver Age Blue Beetle is back! And, had he ever starred in a 1960s Saturday-morning limited-animation cartoon with its own jazzy earworm of a theme song, it would have been just like this! Welcome to the adventures of Ted Kord, alias the Blue Beetle, as he teams up with fellow Super Heroes Captain Atom, The Question and Nightshade to battle that nefarious finagler of feelings, Doctor Spectro.

● A Sneak Peek at the next DC Animated Movie – An advanced look at Injustice.

● DC Universe Movies Flashback
o Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 2
o Batman: Hush

● From the DC Vault
o Batman: The Animated Series – “Two-Face, Part 1”
o Batman: The Animated Series – “Two-Face, Part 2”

Parts 1 & 2 will be released as a compilation film on 4K in 2022

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Pre-order your copy of Batman: The Long Halloween Part 2 [Blu-ray] on Amazon now.

Order your copy of Batman: The Long Halloween Part 1 [Blu-ray] on Amazon now.

Preorder your copy of Batman: The Long Halloween Deluxe Edition Hardcover on Amazon now.

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Check out our review of Part 1 here.

Review: The Killing Joke

Batman 89 comic now available to order as trade Hardback

Batman: Caped Crusader – Animated Series coming to HBO Max from JJ Abrams/Matt Reeves/Bruce Timm