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Warning: Spoilers for Batman: The Long Halloween – The Last Halloween #3DC is teasing the death of a major Batman villain, as a preview for Batman: The Long Halloween – The Last Halloween #3 sets up the Riddler meeting his ultimate fate. The sequel to the all-time classics The Long Halloween and Dark Victory – both by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale – sets up another lengthy mystery for Batman to solve, but this time it’s not a series of murders, but rather the kidnapping of Commissioner Gordon’s son.
Coming from the creative team of Loeb, Mark Chiarello, and Richard Starkings, The Last Halloween #3 continues the story of the kidnapping of James Gordon, Jr. With no ransom note or contact with the kidnapper, Batman is at a loss for what to do, which leads him to seeking out the Riddler for help.
As seen in the preview, things aren’t looking good for Mr. Nigma. After taking a bullet to the shoulder and knee by thugs in Batman masks, they gather around the Riddler, ready to finish the job as a “BLAM” sound effect plays out above a splotch of blood and flying teeth.
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Since The Last Halloween takes place in the past, it’s highly unlikely that this is the ultimate end for the Riddler. Edward Nigma will go on to torment Batman for years to come, but the creative team is smart in how they involve the Riddler in The Last Halloween. Batman suspects that Nigma knows who is behind the kidnapping of James Gordon’s son, so even if the Riddler isn’t dying, he could be taken out of the picture for the rest of the story due to his wounds. Of course, it’s also equally possible that the very next page after the preview sees Batman swooping in to save the Riddler.
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Aside from finding out the Riddler’s ultimate fate, The Last Halloween #3 is special due to the beautiful painted artwork provided by Chiarello. The Long Halloween and Dark Victory artist Sale sadly passed away in 2022, so The Last Halloween has become something of a tribute book, with various high-profile artists providing pages in Sale’s stead. Chiarello’s contribution here is significant, as it’s the first work the artist has done for DC after serving as Senior Vice President, Art & Design Director for the company from 1992 to 2019.
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The Last Halloween #3 also marks the first time that Chiarello has illustrated the interiors of a comic book since 2007, when he drew the origin of Two-Face in Countdown #27. Working as a colorist for most of his career, Chiarello has rarely provided the full artwork for comics projects, with his Elseworlds title Batman / Houdini: Devil’s Workshop #1 (with writers Howard Chaykin and David Tischman) being a career highlight. Whether the Riddler survives The Last Halloween or not, fans won’t want to miss the upcoming issue to see how the Batman: The Long Halloween saga wraps up.
Batman: The Long Halloween – The Last Halloween #3 is available November 27th, 2024 from DC Comics.
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