Updated on: 10/15/2026
Reader rating: 4.8/5Source: Amazon · 544 ratings · checked on 10/15/2026
Batman: The Long Halloween: DC Compact Comics Edition is a 376-page paperback by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale, according to Amazon. It tells a murder mystery that unfolds over the holidays of one year. Whether it is worth reading comes down to your taste for noir, your tolerance for a smaller page size and which edition you want.
Content warning: this work deals with murder, according to the description on the listing.
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This analysis is based on the description and edition details on the Amazon listing and on reader reviews, checked on 10/15/2026; our team has not read this book.
- Volume: Batman: The Long Halloween, DC Compact Comics Edition, by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale (DC Comics, paperback)
- What it’s about: a killer who strikes only on holidays, and Batman’s attempt to find out who it is, set in his early days
- Best for: readers who want a noir-style mystery in a pocket-sized paperback
- Watch out for: a smaller page size, packaging complaints and a murder-centered plot
- Basis: Amazon listing and reader reviews as of 10/15/2026 (our team has not read this book; 376 pages)
This is the compact edition of a story many Batman readers know by name. The Amazon author bio lists it among several collaborations between Loeb and Sale, including Batman: Dark Victory.
We can’t judge the writing or the art, because nobody on our team has read it. What we can do is show what the listing says, what 16 readers report and where the format may or may not fit you.
This edition tends to suit readers who want a murder mystery with Batman as the detective, in a paperback that is easy to carry. It may not suit anyone who collects mainly for large-format art. The main point to check is packaging: three of the 11 U.S. reviews we read raise it.
What It’s About
According to the listing’s description, a killer nicknamed Holiday strikes only on holidays in Gotham City. Batman teams up with Harvey Dent, the district attorney, and James Gordon, a police lieutenant, to learn who it is before the next victim.
The description also says the story ties into the events that turn Harvey Dent into Two-Face. The listing doesn’t say which individual issues this edition collects, or whether you need earlier Batman reading first.
Book Details
| Book Details: Batman: The Long Halloween: DC Compact Comics Edition (paperback) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Feature | Detail | Source |
| Creators | Jeph Loeb (author) and Tim Sale (illustrator) | According to Amazon |
| Publisher and series | DC Comics; part of DC Compact Comics (42 books, per the listing) | According to Amazon |
| Collects | The listing does not list the collected issues | According to Amazon |
| Edition, format and release date | Compact edition, paperback; this edition was released on October 7, 2025 | According to Amazon |
| Pages and dimensions | 376 pages; 5.58 x 1 x 8.48 inches; weight 1 pound | According to Amazon |
| Language and ISBN | English; ISBN-13 978-1799502883; ISBN-10 1799502880 | According to Amazon |
| Age rating and content warnings | No age rating on the listing; the description mentions murder | According to Amazon |
Details are for the format shown above, according to the Amazon listing. We did not check the publisher’s own page. Other editions may differ in pages, ISBN and release date.
Graphic novels to read anywhere: DC Compact Comics collect DC’s bestselling, most iconic stories in a new size!
Experience Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale’s incredible Batman epic in a brand-new format for the first time!
Christmas. St. Patrick’s Day. Easter. As the calendar’s days stack up, so do the bodies littered in the streets of Gotham City. A murderer is loose, killing only on holidays. The only man that can stop this fiend? The Dark Knight. In a mystery taking place during Batman’s early days of crime-fighting, Batman: The Long Halloween is one of the greatest Dark Knight stories ever told.
What Customers Are Saying
Source: Amazon · checked on 10/15/2026 · 544 ratings, 4.8 out of 5. We read 16 reviews (11 from Amazon.com and 5 from other countries). This is a small sample, mostly 5-star, and it does not represent all readers. Store reviews are biased (shipping, print quality) and do not measure the quality of the story.
Pros and Cons
- The description frames it as a month-by-month whodunit that also connects to Harvey Dent’s path to Two-Face.
- Nine of the 16 reviews we read praise the story, the art or both.
- The compact size is easier to carry, according to two of the 16 reviews.
- Three of the 16 reviews present it as a way into Batman comics; that is reader opinion, not a publisher claim.
- Two of the 16 reviews say the smaller page shrinks the art or some double-page spreads.
- Three of the 11 U.S. reviews raise packaging; copies reportedly ship without shrink-wrap.
- According to one reader, the text can sometimes lose some color, though it stays readable.
- The listing does not say which issues are collected or give an age rating.
- Our team has not read the book, so story quality, art, pacing and ending were not evaluated.
Who Is It For?
The listing and the reviews point to readers who like detective-style Batman stories and want a book they can carry around. It may also suit someone new to comics, since a few readers describe it that way.
Who it’s not for: anyone who avoids stories built around murder, and readers who collect mainly for large, showy art pages, since two reviewers note the smaller size.
Is It Worth Reading?
It depends on what you want from the book. If you like mysteries and a portable paperback, the reports are mostly positive, with the caveats above. If you want the biggest possible page, a larger edition may suit you better, though we haven’t compared other editions.
The edition and the current price can change the answer, so check both on the store page. To see how another title in the same line is handled, see our page on Batman: Arkham Asylum in DC Compact Comics.
See also: Best Graphic Novels for Beginners
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it a good first Batman comic?
Three of the 16 reader reviews we read describe it as a way into Batman comics, and one of them says the story introduces its characters. The listing does not say whether earlier reading is needed, so treat that as reader opinion, not a publisher promise.
Does this edition collect the whole story?
The listing does not name the issues it collects. One German reader calls it the complete story, but a single review is not a confirmation, so check the publisher’s page before you buy.
Does it have a content warning or age rating?
The listing shows no age rating. Its description mentions murder, so we flag that. Check the publisher’s age guidance if the reader is young.
How does the compact size affect reading?
Two of the 16 reviews say the smaller page shrinks the art or makes some double-page spreads harder to read, while one U.S. reader says the loss in the gutter was not bad. Another reader calls the size easier to carry.
Do buyers report shipping damage?
Two of the 11 U.S. reviews we read report a creased or scuffed copy, and a third warns that copies ship without shrink-wrap. These are shipping complaints, not a judgment of the story.
- Amazon.com product listing for Batman: The Long Halloween: DC Compact Comics Edition, edition details, description and reader reviews (data supplied by the site editor, checked 10/15/2026)
Notice: this article is informational and is based on the description and edition details on the store listing and on the reader reviews cited, as of the dates given. Our team has not read the book unless this article says so explicitly, so it does not retell the story or judge the writing and art. Prices, stock, ratings and reviews change often, so check the current edition and price before you buy. This article contains affiliate links, and the site may earn a commission from purchases made through them, at no extra cost to you. Illustrative images, when created with artificial intelligence, are representations and do not show the cover, the characters or the book reviewed. Hero and Villain World is an independent fan site and is not affiliated with or endorsed by DC, Marvel or any other publisher. Character names are used only to identify them.
