Batman: The Long Halloween Animated Film Voice Actors Cast!

[Frontier]

I'd still have preferred a different art-style - I just don't feel the bold line style, I don't like it. But I don't dislike it either. More indifferent to it I guess. I'd much rather prefer something closer to the comic book, or something more like the Year One more, or...something else. On the other hand, it could be worse. It's not bad, so eh.

It's not Tim Sale's art but it feels very in-line with the aesthetic of Year One, and I feel like the retro noir style of the designs is appropriate for the story.

Outside my art nitpick, it looks okay. It looks good. But then, so does the trailer for every DC movie ever. Even the bad ones. Even the real bad ones. I liked the trailer for The Killing Joke, a that movie was a turd on ice. But there's no red flags here. What little we see is faithful to the comic book as far as I can tell. Still not sure how I feel about the voices just yet, like most of these new projects I got to give it a moment for my brain to reset on what Batman/Catwoman are supposed to sound like. But it seems like Jensen Ackles is trying out his own Batvoice instead of just sounding like Red Hood as Batman, so that's great.

I'm actually kind of surprised that Ackles didn't just sound like himself in the role .

[Vakanai]

It's not Tim Sale's art but it feels very in-line with the aesthetic of Year One, and I feel like the retro noir style of the designs is appropriate for the story.

I'm actually kind of surprised that Ackles didn't just sound like himself in the role .

I don't know - just looks the same as Man of Tomorrow and JSA WWII, and the lines are too big.

And yeah, I really appreciate that Ackles is doing a voice. Gonna need more before I can say how well he does it/if I like it, but it's a promising sign from the voice acting angle.

[Frontier]

I don't know - just looks the same as Man of Tomorrow and JSA WWII, and the lines are too big.

I get that, but it still feels appropriate to the story and characters .

[godisawesome]

Ackles sounds like he’s going for a mood and personality instead of a “voice” - which is probably the right approach for someone who’s not a voice actor by trade, and basically what he did with Red Hood.

The thing I’m interested in is how much they modify the story as they have other adaptations - because I’d say there’s room for improvement regarding the central mystery’s conclusion, and there is definitely room for making things a bit more focused. Under The Red Hood and Gotham By Gaslight were genuine improvements, while The Killing Joke and Hush...weren’t.

[Frontier]

The thing I’m interested in is how much they modify the story as they have other adaptations - because I’d say there’s room for improvement regarding the central mystery’s conclusion, and there is definitely room for making things a bit more focused. Under The Red Hood and Gotham By Gaslight were genuine improvements, while The Killing Joke and Hush...weren’t.

I don't think a huge change to the mystery would be received that well in this instance, ala Hush.

So hopefully if they make any changes it'll be more additive than, say, completely changing the entire story.

[godisawesome]

I don't think a huge change to the mystery would be received that well in this instance, ala Hush.

So hopefully if they make any changes it'll be more additive than, say, completely changing the entire story.

And for The Long Halloween, that could be as simple as just clarifying who, in this movie, is Holliday or the Hollidays, and how many Batman Identifies.

[SiegePerilous02]

Trailer is decent. I think the broad plot of TLH is a good one for an epic Batman story, but hopefully the adaptation can fix some of the specifics.

Chiefly by stretching it out over a couple movies they can better characterize the rogues they use (if they don't use all of them). Every rogue under Loeb has a "tic" that gets old real fast (Scarecrow speaking only in nursery rhymes, Mad Hatter speaking only in Carrol verse, Ivy reminding everyone that no man can resist her, the Joker is just generally annoying, etc). Would be VERY nice if they could come across as actual people

There is also the problem of the World's Greatest Detective needing a year to solve a really obvious murder mystery, but that one might not be able to be helped.

[godisawesome]

Trailer is decent. I think the broad plot of TLH is a good one for an epic Batman story, but hopefully the adaptation can fix some of the specifics.

Chiefly by stretching it out over a couple movies they can better characterize the rogues they use (if they don't use all of them). Every rogue under Loeb has a "tic" that gets old real fast (Scarecrow speaking only in nursery rhymes, Mad Hatter speaking only in Carrol verse, Ivy reminding everyone that no man can resist her, the Joker is just generally annoying, etc). Would be VERY nice if they could come across as actual people

There is also the problem of the World's Greatest Detective needing a year to solve a really obvious murder mystery, but that one might not be able to be helped.

The Holiday Killer Mystery actually has several components that can be used well to make a good mystery - red herrings, multiple killers/copycats, and possible interference by a chief investigator.

The best way to do it in an adaptation, in my opinion:

- Gilda starts the killings, but is surprised when Alberto gets “killed.” She mainly targets Falcone associates, but one of the targets she nails is associated with both the Falcones and Maronis.
- Alberto picks up the killings himself, bringing the focus more on the Maronis.
- Harvey suspected it was his wife, and as an early sign of Two-Face’s corruption, fed the idea of their being one single killer. Then upon becoming Two-Face, deliberately stages some of his own rampage as Holiday style killings.

But most importantly...

- Bruce catches onto Gilda as an early suspect, is temporarily waylaid by Harvey’s misleading “one killer” theory when it seems to clear Gilda, identifies and sets a trap for Alberto that’s a little bit more cunning and deductive, realizes that Two-Face is blowing smoke as Holiday, and even when Two-Face tries to take credit for it, turns back to Gilda... and then she either escapes or he catches her.

[Vakanai]

I get that, but it still feels appropriate to the story and characters .

Well, I think that's why they're using it - it a generic art style, so it safely feels appropriate to ever story and every character. It worked in MoT, looks like it'll work in JSA, it's the sort of alright style that'll work for whatever story they throw at it. So it's not that it's really tailored for this story or tone, just that it's plain enough to work for whatever you need it to do. Which is the point if it's an art style that's got to cover their whole universe I guess. I get you want to spin it into a positive or defend it, but I'm not really attacking it or calling it bad. I just feel indifferent to the style - it's generic, it works alright, and I don't like the too big lines. And that's fine. It's serviceable, it doesn't need to be sold as more than that.

Ackles sounds like he’s going for a mood and personality instead of a “voice” - which is probably the right approach for someone who’s not a voice actor by trade, and basically what he did with Red Hood.

The thing I’m interested in is how much they modify the story as they have other adaptations - because I’d say there’s room for improvement regarding the central mystery’s conclusion, and there is definitely room for making things a bit more focused. Under The Red Hood and Gotham By Gaslight were genuine improvements, while The Killing Joke and Hush...weren’t.

What was wrong with the conclusion of the comic? I thought it worked great.

And for The Long Halloween, that could be as simple as just clarifying who, in this movie, is Holliday or the Hollidays, and how many Batman Identifies.

Uh...the comic already did that though. I clearly remember that.

[godisawesome]

Well, I think that's why they're using it - it a generic art style, so it safely feels appropriate to ever story and every character. It worked in MoT, looks like it'll work in JSA, it's the sort of alright style that'll work for whatever story they throw at it. So it's not that it's really tailored for this story or tone, just that it's plain enough to work for whatever you need it to do. Which is the point if it's an art style that's got to cover their whole universe I guess. I get you want to spin it into a positive or defend it, but I'm not really attacking it or calling it bad. I just feel indifferent to the style - it's generic, it works alright, and I don't like the too big lines. And that's fine. It's serviceable, it doesn't need to be sold as more than that.



What was wrong with the conclusion of the comic? I thought it worked great.



Uh...the comic already did that though. I clearly remember that.

The comic is actually somewhat infamous for the fact that Bruce never actually clues in on Gilda, and on how little deduction Bruce does even though it’s a mystery.

Alberto’s return is meant as a pure shock, and Bruce doesn’t figure out its him, but instead catch him in a trap that the Holiday Killer would fall into regardless of who he is... and only after he kills the bait.

Two-Face then has to be the one to alert Gordon and Bruce to the fact there were two killers, not one.

Bruce catches Alberto and Two Face, and Gilda stops, and we know she was a killer... but it’s not because Bruce figured it out with detective work, and Gilda still “gets away with it.”

[Vakanai]

The comic is actually somewhat infamous for the fact that Bruce never actually clues in on Gilda, and on how little deduction Bruce does even though it’s a mystery.

Alberto’s return is meant as a pure shock, and Bruce doesn’t figure out its him, but instead catch him in a trap that the Holiday Killer would fall into regardless of who he is... and only after he kills the bait.

Two-Face then has to be the one to alert Gordon and Bruce to the fact there were two killers, not one.

Bruce catches Alberto and Two Face, and Gilda stops, and we know she was a killer... but it’s not because Bruce figured it out with detective work, and Gilda still “gets away with it.”

I don't see the problem. It's a mystery that stumped Batman and "a" killer got away. You might not like it from a personal taste standpoint, but I don't see where it's an issue?

[godisawesome]

I don't see the problem. It's a mystery that stumped Batman and "a" killer got away. You might not like it from a personal taste standpoint, but I don't see where it's an issue?

Stylistically, I don’t mind it as much... but plot wise and in terms of it being a Batman story, I do find it flawed and less good than it should be. He's the World’s Greatest a detective; that doesn’t mean he should get every mystery right, but it does mean there’s often far more reward for him doing the deduction and dealing with the fallout.

Plus, it’s a little shakey because Loeb basically pulled two separate “cheats” on the audience, turning what was ostensibly a “fair-play” mystery into a more “shocking twist” tale; Alberto is more forgivable because we don’t see his body, but Gilda is literally shown immobile in a hospital bed during a killing. The Alberto reveal alone, I think, is actually fine... but the Gilda reveal is just an unnecessary flourish without any clues or foreshadowing.

Of course, I’m also the weirdo who doesn’t like Year One all that much because it feels more like a “Gotham story” than a “Batman” one, so I’m weird like that.

[Vakanai]

Stylistically, I don’t mind it as much... but plot wise and in terms of it being a Batman story, I do find it flawed and less good than it should be. He's the World’s Greatest a detective; that doesn’t mean he should get every mystery right, but it does mean there’s often far more reward for him doing the deduction and dealing with the fallout.

Plus, it’s a little shakey because Loeb basically pulled two separate “cheats” on the audience, turning what was ostensibly a “fair-play” mystery into a more “shocking twist” tale; Alberto is more forgivable because we don’t see his body, but Gilda is literally shown immobile in a hospital bed during a killing. The Alberto reveal alone, I think, is actually fine... but the Gilda reveal is just an unnecessary flourish without any clues or foreshadowing.

Of course, I’m also the weirdo who doesn’t like Year One all that much because it feels more like a “Gotham story” than a “Batman” one, so I’m weird like that.

Eh, I can understand the complaint from a pure mystery story fair play angle, since no one could see the Gilda twist, but as for Batman not catching it and Gilda getting away, I just ultimately like that better. I don't think making it a more traditional win would improve it at all. I hope the movie still has that bit from the comic. It just gives it more weight.

I get that about Year One - it's not really a Batman origin story, much less the "definitive" Batman origin story - it's Gordon's origin story. We're given a Jim Gordon origin story featuring Batman, and somehow that's the uber Batman origin that must not be changed. I like Zero Year and Earth One better, at least they're actually Batman stories.

[Frontier]

Chiefly by stretching it out over a couple movies they can better characterize the rogues they use (if they don't use all of them). Every rogue under Loeb has a "tic" that gets old real fast (Scarecrow speaking only in nursery rhymes, Mad Hatter speaking only in Carrol verse, Ivy reminding everyone that no man can resist her, the Joker is just generally annoying, etc). Would be VERY nice if they could come across as actual people

I feel like that's kind of common in round robin stories that set out to feature as many Rogues as possible.

Well, I think that's why they're using it - it a generic art style, so it safely feels appropriate to ever story and every character. It worked in MoT, looks like it'll work in JSA, it's the sort of alright style that'll work for whatever story they throw at it. So it's not that it's really tailored for this story or tone, just that it's plain enough to work for whatever you need it to do. Which is the point if it's an art style that's got to cover their whole universe I guess. I get you want to spin it into a positive or defend it, but I'm not really attacking it or calling it bad. I just feel indifferent to the style - it's generic, it works alright, and I don't like the too big lines. And that's fine. It's serviceable, it doesn't need to be sold as more than that.

I don't think it's generic, it has its own style, I feel like it's more versatile in how it can be applied and I think it works surprisingly well here.

But that's just my own personal opinion .

Of course, I’m also the weirdo who doesn’t like Year One all that much because it feels more like a “Gotham story” than a “Batman” one, so I’m weird like that.

The story of Gotham is the story of Batman though.

I get that about Year One - it's not really a Batman origin story, much less the "definitive" Batman origin story - it's Gordon's origin story. We're given a Jim Gordon origin story featuring Batman, and somehow that's the uber Batman origin that must not be changed. I like Zero Year and Earth One better, at least they're actually Batman stories.

I feel like Year One, despite being as much if not moreso about Jim Gordon coming into his own as it is about Bruce becoming Batman still has the major hallmarks necessary for a major Batman origin story and I feel like it's in a more streamlined, impactful, way compared to other origins.

But that's just my take.

[Vakanai]

I don't think it's generic, it has its own style, I feel like it's more versatile in how it can be applied and I think it works surprisingly well here.

But that's just my own personal opinion .

As they say, art is in the eye of the beholder, and my eyes just aren't impressed with this style.

I feel like Year One, despite being as much if not moreso about Jim Gordon coming into his own as it is about Bruce becoming Batman still has the major hallmarks necessary for a major Batman origin story and I feel like it's in a more streamlined, impactful, way compared to other origins.

But that's just my take.

Agree to disagree, or to each their own, or however you want to say it, but Year One while a great story, just doesn't feel like a great Batman origin to me. I'd prefer an origin story that is actually more focused on the character named in the title, but that's just me. After 30 years, I wish they'd reboot it and stick with the reboot. Or something.