Written by Jeph Loeb.
Art by Tim Sale; Gregory Wright; Todd Klein; & Android Images.
Collection Cover Art by Tim Sale.
SUMMARY:
Released in 1996 by DC Comics, this 192-page trade paperback compiles three Batman one-shots: Batman – Legends of the Dark Knight Halloween Special # 1 (referred to as “Fears”); Batman: Madness – A Legends of the Dark Knight Halloween Special; and Batman: Ghosts – A Legends of the Dark Knight Halloween Special. Reminiscent of novellas, these issues were each released a year apart from 1993 to 1995 exploring the timeline after Batman: Year One.
Note: Production of this Halloween trilogy preceded Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale’s mammoth Bat-projects: The Long Halloween and Dark Victory.
Fears: Set at an undefined point early in Batman’s career, Batman pursues the Scarecrow during the Halloween season In this instance, the villain gleefully destroys a series of Gotham power relay stations while mostly eluding capture. Meanwhile, a worried Alfred grows increasingly suspicious of a lonely Bruce’s romance with the enigmatic Jillian Maxwell.
Is possible that the Dark Knight has been tainted by a new variant of the Scarecrow’s fear gas?
Madness: Set during another Halloween, the Mad Hatter has been abducting children to play his wicked party games. Among them is pre-teen Barbara Gordon, who has run away from her adoptive parents. Meanwhile, Batman is tormented by poignant memories of his late mother, who had been sharing Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland with him the night of her death.
Aided by Dr. Leslie Tompkins, an injured Dark Knight re-doubles his effort to thwart the Hatter. More so, Captain Gordon won’t wait for him to rescue his adoptive daughter.
Ghosts: After a harrowing showdown with the Penguin, Bruce Wayne returns home the night before Halloween suffering from a strange bout of food poisoning. During a restless night, in a manner reminiscent of Ebenezer Scrooge, Bruce is warned by seemingly his father’s chain-rattling spirit of the Ghosts of Halloween Past (Poison Ivy), Present (the Joker), and Future (no spoilers).
Yet, is Bruce’s nightmare a series of ghastly hallucinations or something else entirely?
Note: This title was subsequently re-released as a trade paperback in 2018. Presently, it hasn’t been released in either hardcover or digital formats.
REVIEW:
Between Jeph Loeb’s articulate writing and Tim Sale’s reliable visual approach, this creative duo share undeniable chemistry. Yet, as compared to the excellence of both Long Halloween and Dark Victory, Haunted Knight is at most a good read. Sale’s artwork can only disguise that reality so much.
Specifically, these three Bat-capers fall short once they’re boxed in by their formulaic tone (i.e. the predictable outcomes). For instance, the maniacal taunting similarity between Scarecrow and the Mad Hatter is too much déjà vu when read together. The femme fatale cliché of Jillian Maxwell doesn’t bolster suspense either, as far as Bruce Wayne being inexplicably blindsided by false love (yet again). That’s a prime example of where Haunted Knight generally falters. While Loeb sports good Bat-intentions, the results here simply lack originality.
“Fears,” by relying too much on ts atmospheric Halloween vibe, is simply a standard-issue Bat-caper. Aside from creepy off-screen inferences, “Madness” is more reminiscent of quality storytelling from Batman: The Animated Series. The same might well have applied to “Ghosts,” considering it’s a straightforward adaptation of Charles Dickens’ source material. Loeb, unfortunately, lets “Ghosts” come off as too derivative to make a lasting impression. At least, its satisfying final page is the best of this book.
For faithful Bat-fans, Haunted Knight should prove worthwhile of their time. Yet, its most practical location is a library shelf.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
Loeb & Sale’s title page acknowledges their inspirations. Entitled “Trick or Treat,” editor Archie Goodwin pens a two-page introduction. Brief biographies for the creative team are included.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 5½ Stars
