It’s been a rather long month waiting for the highly anticipated part two to Batman: The Long Halloween. This latest animated film from Warner Bros and DC brings to life that limited-run comic from Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale. In Batman: The Long Halloween Part One, we saw Batman (voiced by Jensen Ackles) tracked down the serial killer only known as Holiday. Things really heat up in Batman: The Long Halloween Part Two as key members flip sides and new villains join the fray.

DISCLAIMER: We will try and keep this as spoiler-free as possible, but just keep in mind there might be a few here and there!

RELATED: Check out our review for Batman: The Long Halloween Part One!

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. This run of Batman is by far one of my favorites and Tim Sheridan‘s adaption to the animated film has quickly become one of my favorites as well. The second film does start off a bit slow as we learn that Bruce Wayne is under the control of Poison Ivy (voiced by Katee Sackhoff) and the Holiday killer is still on the loose. Catwoman (voiced by the late Naya Rivera) is able to snap him out of this hypnotic trance and things get back underway.

Once I got past this part, though, things really hit the ground running. Carmine Falcone (voiced by Titus Welliver) has brought in some heavy hitters to help handle his lightwork, including Scarecrow (voiced by Robin Atkins Downes) and Mad Hatter (voiced by John DiMaggio). The amount of Batman villains that grace the screen is really one of the reasons why I have loved Batman: The Long Halloween so much. And they just aren’t thrown in just for fun. Each of them has a reason to be there and the way they play off each other is perfect.

Harvey Dent/Two Face in Batman: The Long Halloween Part Two.

Harvey Dent/Two Face in Batman: The Long Halloween Part Two.

Batman: The Long Halloween Part Two also dives into the changes within a few of the main characters as well. Most notably, we see the shift within Harvey Dent/Two Face (voiced by Josh Duhamel). Duhamel did a terrific job bringing Dent’s turmoil to the surface. Listening to how smoothly slipped between both sides of Dent was marvelous. And I can’t forget to mention just how fantastic Julie Nathanson is as Gilda in part two. I won’t spoil anything, but her character arc through the second half of this film is one of my favorite.

We also see a significant change in Batman/Bruce Wayne as he continues to grow throughout the second film. It dives into his past and the events that led to his eventual dawning of the cape and cowl. Normally with a character this well defined, I don’t like to see the backstory. But the way they incorporate and weave it into the current story works well. Ackles performance as the caped crusader has easily become one of my favorites next to Kevin Conroy and Michael Keaton.

In the end, this two-part film adaptation of Loeb and Sale’s run was fantastic. And while some liberties were taken in adjusting the source material (sorry, no spoilers here!), it still has the same impact overall. Everything from the art style, which calls back to the days of Batman: The Animated Series, a great script from Sheridan and beautiful performances by everyone involved has helped hit this out of the park. This is a must-watch in my book for any Batman fan. If you haven’t recently watched the first part, I highly suggest catching back up and then diving right into this.

Batman: The Long Halloween Part Two drops today, July 27, 2021, and on Blu-ray beginning August 10, 2021.

SDCC 2021: BATMAN: THE LONG HALLOWEEN PART TWO Panel Hypes Up the New Film

 

 

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