Although Halloween may have passed, there’s still one final story left in Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale’s spooky Batman trilogy. What made the first two stories – Choices and Madness – good was that they managed to be similar and different at the same time. While they both focused heavily on character and explored the mentality of characters like Batman and Barbara Gordon, each story focused on a different aspect of their lives. In Choices, it was about Batman and whether he should abandon his life fighting crime, while in Madness, the focus shifted to family. However, one problem I had with the previous two is that any focus on the villains felt cloudy. Although the Scarecrow is good in Choices, he didn’t have much of a plan, while the Mad Hatter in Madness is too plain. Well, if you like villains, then the third one in this series might be up your street.
Legends of the Dark Knight Halloween Special 3 was published in 1995. It was written by Jeph Loeb with art by Tim Sale. I’ve read this final special in the series in its original square-bound format book.
Even before a reader gazes their eyes on the first page of Ghosts, something feels different about this book. With the other stories – especially the first one – I was amazed and surprised by how lengthy the plots were. Readers would be treated to seventy pages of gothic action that breezed along while leaving us with a good impression. However, Ghosts is far thinner. Sure, it may still be fifty pages, but the quality of the book feels slightly cheaper. Could the length and quality be a sign of a disappointing end to this trilogy? Perhaps, but with Loeb and Sale present, something good can be found on almost every page. Unlike the other stories, it doesn’t begin on Halloween. Instead, it’s the night before the festive day. At a Halloween party organised for the rich and famous of Gotham City, Bruce Wayne bumps into Lucius Fox, an old colleague of his. In the mainstream comics, Fox is known for supplying Batman with his gadgets and tools, but this story goes further back than that when the two characters have barely met. Bruce has a proposition for Lucius, but before a scene of dialogue can emerge, the action begins. Oswald Cobblepot – better known as the Penguin – crashes the party. Attempting to steal the riches of Gotham’s most wealthy, the Penguin meets his match when Bruce sneaks away to transform into Batman. The Penguin himself flees from the scene only to be chased and captured by the Dark Knight. What a flash of a start! The structure of the story may be nearly identical to the start of the other two stories, but pacing is incredible and moves the story along brilliantly. But from there, a plot begins to emerge as Batman arrives home feeling ill and tired. He wakes up in the night to witness the ghost of his father appear in front of him, warning him about the dangers of life as Batman. The theme here is very similar to the one in Choices, but I really didn’t expect a ghost a turn up. No wonder this story has its title. Regardless, this is obviously revealed to be a dream since Bruce is experiencing some kind of fever – one which sends him on a journey until the story’s end. He quickly finds himself trapped by Poison Ivy as she summons a plague of leaves and thorns to tie him down. Despite Batman’s prediction, she is not behind this strange experience. The real Poison Ivy is behind bars – this is another dream. Batman is witness to a memory from his youth featuring his mother. A young Bruce is dressed as Zorro to head out for Halloween, but his father was too busy to take him out. Bruce was a lonely child – he had no friends to enjoy the night with. However, that memory is jettisoned almost immediately as we’re witness to another scene from the past. Batman watches as his younger self rescues Lucius Fox from attack on the streets of Gotham. The two become close, but Bruce decides not to reveal his future plans to Lucius – a regret which nicely sets up the introduction in this story. Poison Ivy asks Bruce whether or not his parents would want Bruce to become Batman. With that piece of dialogue, Ghosts is shown to be the least unique of the three stories. It’s perspective while interesting is standard and sadly predictable. Loeb played up this kind of story in Choices. Sure, Ghosts may do in a more explicit manner, but does this idea feel unique enough for a prestige format book? Regardless of this, the dream takes some interesting turns as Batman then finds the Joker in his house.
After trying to fight his mortal enemy, Batman learns to listen as he watches yet another flashback to when a group of children look upon Wayne Manor one Halloween as uninviting and perhaps even haunted. This leads the children to run away, knowing that Bruce wouldn’t be giving them sweets that Halloween. The world then transforms again as Batman witnesses an elderly Alfred visiting the grave of Bruce in the future. The haunting message here (delivered wonderfully by Tim Sale) is that Batman will kill Bruce. While the idea is – again – common as muck, the way Loeb tells it is especially haunting and twisted. With the grim lighting, a silent Alfred and a dark grave in the rain, thunder and lightning, the prospect of Batman’s death is a particularly powerful one. With that moment, the dream end as Bruce wakes on the morning of Halloween. With everything returned to normal and only two pages of the story left, Bruce learns from his dreams about what he must do next. While realising that he cannot kill Batman, believing it still to be the best way to honour his parents, he seeks the help of Lucius Fox in his war on crime. Meanwhile, when night falls, Wayne Manor is decorated to attract dressed up children to the old mansion. With that, Bruce Wayne emerges as a slightly warmer and public figure, and all is well. I suppose by the end the point of the story is Batman cannot always dominate the scene. Sometimes, Bruce Wayne needs to be present, and he can’t be absorbed by his heroic side. But this theme only emerges towards the end. If this idea was carried right from the start, then perhaps Ghosts would be a better and more clearly defined story. But when it comes down to it, the reasoning behind the cause of Batman’s dream appears missing and hard to detect. Throughout, I thought it was some kind of hallucination rather than a dream. Due to one random panel early on after Batman has captured the Penguin, it suggested that a piece of jewellery stolen by Cobblepot caused Batman to feel ill and hallucinate. If that’s not the case, then obviously the story needs some clarity – maybe Bruce did just drink too much? Nevertheless, Ghosts is very similar to the previous two stories mainly because of his plotting and pacing. If you thought that Choices and Madness were quick, just wait until you read Ghosts. It really is a breeze, and while not as substantial as the others, it is still very enjoyable, and the action doesn’t feel too pointless. The lack of verbose dialogue actually helps this story in most instances. Sure, there can be more explanations to do with the causes of Bruce’s dream, but everything else appears fine. Also, I find it strange that the villains aren’t as important here as they were in other stories. Previously, the Scarecrow and the Mad Hatter played crucial parts in the story, but here, the Penguin, Poison Ivy and the Joker really could be anyone. Sure, there’s more impact I suppose with these three, but the reasoning for why this trio is rather nebulous. Despite these problems, I still find Ghosts to be both good fun and chilling at the same time. Not only does Loeb deliver some shocking moments and scenes which are genuinely memorable, but the pacing of the story is excellent and it’s a real page turner.
Over time, the style of every artist changes in different ways. But with Tim Sale, there does appear to be a change in his artistic visuals between all three of these stories. With Choices in 1993, it was good but unpolished and a bit ordinary. In 1994 with Madness, Sale experimented with his definitive style and told a gothic story with superb attention to lighting. With Ghosts in 1995, the stylistic appeal of Sale has moved on even more. If anything, it feels like things have taken a step too far. Don’t get me wrong – the lighting is great, the storytelling is dramatic, and his art meshes flawlessly with the grim writing of Loeb.
However, some details are slightly bizarre and strange. For instance, the Penguin’s teeth are especially tiny while the Joker’s face appears even longer than usual. I know for some these points may be clutching at straws, but I just feel the stylised art is a bit too extreme here. Despite that, it’s still a masterful piece of work.
VERDICT
Overall, Batman: Ghosts can be considered the weakest of the three stories in the Halloween trilogy. Unlike Choices and Madness, it lacks a deep plot and explores well-trodden territory that doesn’t feel unique any longer. However, Jeph Loeb still delivers some brilliant moments, and the pacing here is incredible. Tim Sale’s art may be far more stylised here, but it still powerfully conveys a memorable tale. When readers think about the Batman stories by Loeb and Sale, they often just remember The Long Halloween and Dark Victory. Don’t get me wrong, those stories are great and deserve to be remembered. But it was these three Halloween stories that defined these two creative giants and proved that they could not only handle a titanic character like Batman, but they could actually create stories which would stand the test of time. Choices, Madness, and Ghosts must be remembered…
Story: 8/10
Art: 8.5/10
Next Week: Flashpoint (Flashpoint (vol 2) 1-5). Written by Geoff Johns with art by Andy Kubert, Sandra Hope, and Jesse Delperdang.
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