moth_meg's reviews
155 reviews

The Long Halloween is a classic arc that inspired a powerful legacy of Batman stories. To name a few, The Batman (2022) and The Dark Knight (2008) pull strongly from both the narrative and atmosphere of this comic. Reading the source material that went on to influence so much future work was really interesting, and I liked being able to make connections between the comic in front of me and the other Batman content I've enjoyed over the years.

I like the characterization of Batman as gritty but not without heart (I particularly liked

Batman sharing Thanksgiving dinner with Grundy in the sewer because he feels bad about punching him in the face

). I much prefer this take on the character to iterations that focus on brutality and isolation.

The Long Halloween is a noir detective story- a setup in which both the characters and the city of Gotham shine. I liked the resolution of the mystery overall.

The multiple killers reveal is a cliche, but it works in the story. As in any Two-Face origin story, we see an emphasis on the theme of duality, having "good" killers and "bad" killers conveys this and makes the reader question whether intention actually makes any difference.

This plays into the larger conflict in the Batman story - is Batman making Gotham worse or better? Ultimately this is left as an open question to the reader (teased when Gordon begins to ask Batman this question and is cut off).

I enjoyed the artwork, especially how the panels showing the murders were stylized differently from the rest.

There were a few things I didn't love about the comic that impact my rating:

1. Since the story is so quickly paced and takes place over such a long time, there are things that I wanted more info on that we just don't get to go into. Specifically, deeper exploration of Catwoman’s relationship with the Falcones and how Holiday committed the murders, especially

more insight into how Gilda was able to pull something like this off without her husband or Batman catching on at all

.

2. I know this is early-era Batman so he isn't in beast mode yet, but I'm surprised that his detective skills are that lacking

(+ he gets tricked by Ivy so easily )

3. Because the story is laser-focused on the action, we don't get as many lighthearted character moments (banter, Bruce Wayne antics, Alfred, etc) that I think are fun to have in Batman.

I find it hard to love any Batman adaptation as much as I love Batman the animated series, which so elegantly balances the noir setting of Gotham and the genuine grief of the Batman character with witty one-liners and the inherent fun of the superhero genre.

It would be inaccurate to say that I found The Long Halloween too serious since I enjoyed the high stakes and grit of the story. There were just certain moments that struck me as one note that could’ve been handled in a more nuanced way. Batman can be serious AND funny, and that is the version of the character I like to watch/read best.

Overall, a worthwhile and entertaining read that I'd recommend to any Batman fan.

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

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dark emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Juniper & Thorn by Ava Reid

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dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.75

Content Warnings

The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

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adventurous dark sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The Fifth Season is an exemplary entry in the fantasy genre and exactly what I hope for from a Hugo Award winner. This book is a compelling examination of tragedy on a macro and micro level; the death of a son and the fall of a civilization.

Jemisin draws the reader in with a conversational omniscient narrator, fluctuating between third and second person. This unique narration style builds intrigue by providing context and foreshadowing without giving too much away, ex:

In fact, these days no one really pays much attention to the things at all, though they are huge and beautiful and a little terrifying: massive crystalline shards that hover amid the clouds, rotating slowly and drifting along incomprehensible flight paths, blurring now and again as if they are not quite real—though this may only be a trick of the light. (It isn’t.)

The narrator’s personality and occasionally irreverent tone also provide some much-needed lightheartedness to balance out some of the extremely dark moments in the book.

This is not a horror novel, but some scenes are so visceral and disturbing that they're almost too painful to read. However, these scenes never feel gratuitous or disrespectful. Jemisin is very intentional- each of these graphic moments serves to hammer home the injustice of the world and the traumas that have shaped the characters.

The Fifth Season is both a compelling story in its own right as well as an exploration and critique of revisionist history. The story strikes cutting parallels with real-world issues like institutionalized injustice, imperialism, and climate change. Jemisin seamlessly delivers this pointed commentary without taking the reader out of the fictional narrative.

This book is a master class in world-building and character study. Jemisin leverages nonlinear storytelling in a way that I haven’t seen anywhere else.

The reveal that our three protagonists are ALL the same character is so good. This serves as a great exploration of how identity evolves throughout life.

My only complaint would be that this book really does feel like the first entry in a series.

It’s interesting that the climax of the book takes place in the middle of the timeline, but the reader definitely does not get closure for the majority of threads in the “present” timeline.

I’m curious to see how the story will unfold and if the author will continue to use the same narration style or switch it up now that we know Essun’s backstory.

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

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fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No

2.0

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

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medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

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reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

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moth_meg's reviews 155 reviews

moth_meg's reviews
155 reviews