Batman: The Long Halloween, Part One Trailer Has Everyone Talking
It's that time of year again — Batman time. In the wake of Zack Snyder's Justice League, it seems fans haven't gotten enough of Batman's brooding, because the excitement for the upcoming animated film Batman: The Long Halloween, Part One is palpable.
The movie is an adaption of one of the most critically acclaimed and beloved Batman comic storylines: Batman: The Long Halloween, a 13-issue series that centers on a string of monthly murders in Gotham taking place on holidays. The series also tells the origin story of Two-Face, while Batman works with Captain James Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent to try and stop the mysterious killer, Holiday. Plus, several of the usual suspects make an appearance, including Joker, Catwoman, and the imprisoned villain Calendar Man — playing a dubiously helpful part reminiscent of Hannibal Lecter — from his cell in Arkham.
Batman: The Long Halloween has a killer voice cast, and it comes in two parts: the first releases in Summer 2021 and the second in Fall 2021, according to IGN. The trailer for Part One dropped today, to much excitement. It begins with Batman (Jensen Ackles) and Dent (Josh Duhamel) speaking about Dent's moral crisis before flipping quickly through footage of the Joker (Troy Baker) and Catwoman, played by the late Naya Rivera. The eerie sound of a coin flipping haunts the dark, violent trailer, as it teases Dent's transformation into Two-Face, conflict with the crime family, the Falcones, and of course, the oddly-timed murders.
Fans can't wait to see their favorite Batman comic on screen
While movie fans might be questioning why the trailer for something called The Long Halloween was released in April, DC comic fans are ecstatic about this storyline being adapted. On YouTube, user The Joker Productions took to all caps to express their excitement: "YES! MY FAVOURITE COMIC BOOK IS GETTING A FILM!" Many fans echoed the statement, claiming it as their favorite Batman comic and showing eagerness to see it come to life. In fact, several called out the animation style as particularly fitting for the dark story, while others compared it to the adult sitcom Archer.
For fans, there's a lot to be excited about here, but one thing on everyone's minds is the excellent casting of Ackles as Batman. He may be most well known as Supernatural's Dean Winchester, but to DC fans, he's the villain Red Hood from one of the best animated Batman movies, Batman: Under the Red Hood. User Jayson Barroqueiro wrote, "Bro Jensen voicing Batman is the best thing so far," while Alex 354 commented, "It's awesome Jensen went from Red hood to Batman." Plus, fans are happy to see Baker reprising his role as Joker, as he played the crazy clown in the video game Batman: Arkham Origins.
Ultimately, fans are looking forward to this new entry to the DC Universe Movies. As YouTube user Adam McDougan put it: "Oh boy, my blood's already pumping and I'm jumping up and down for some sheer thrills! YAY!"