Batman: The Long Halloween #1

Batman: The Long Halloween #1, published in December 1996, marked the beginning of a critically acclaimed thirteen-issue limited series written by Jeph Loeb with iconic noir-inspired art by Tim Sale. The project emerged from a desire to bridge the gap between the grounded crime drama of Frank Miller's Batman: Year One and the more fantastical elements of the Caped Crusader's rogues gallery. Loeb and Sale crafted a mystery set in the early days of Batman's career, focusing on the mob wars between the Falcone and Maroni families while documenting the tragic descent of Harvey Dent into the villainous Two-Face.

The visual identity of the series is defined by Tim Sale’s moody, cinematic approach, which utilized deep shadows and dramatic silhouettes to evoke the atmosphere of classic detective films. This stylistic choice proved highly influential, grounding the story in a dark, atmospheric Gotham City that felt both timeless and urgent. Upon its release, the issue—and the series as a whole—was received as a modern masterpiece, eventually serving as a significant primary influence for future live-action depictions of the character, most notably Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy and Matt Reeves' The Batman.