From 1993 to 1995, Loeb and Sale collaborated on three Batman one-shots: “Fears,” “Madness,” and “Ghosts.” These three, collectively known as “Haunted Knight,” became a beta run for their 13-issue miniseries, “Batman: The Long Halloween,” which has become one of the most influential Batman stories since its 1996-1997 publication.

Sale’s art in this book is definitely some of his darkest; there’s consistent use of shadow, complementing the noir mood. Sale’s drawings of Batman himself is one of the most distinctive Dark Knight designs; long ears, a blue cowl so cool its color fades into the gray body-suit, and a flowing cape that often looks like it’s engulfing the Caped Crusader. Typically comic “splash pages” are overstuffed, with multiple heroes/villains slamming into each other like when a child plays with action figures. Sale, though, often focuses on just one subject, whether it be Batman perched atop a skyscraper or the Scarecrow riding horseback. This results in cleaner, more memorable images.

Now as for the story: Set in the second year of Batman’s career, an alliance between Batman, Harvey Dent, and James Gordon to bring down the Gotham mob is complicated by a serial killer, “Holiday.” Each of the 13 issues is set on a particular holiday when the killer claims a new victim. 

“The Long Halloween” was one of the main story inspirations for Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight.” The comic and film share many story beats, from the Batman/Dent/Gordon triumvirate, to Dent’s tragic transformation into Two-Face, to the Gotham mob being eclipsed by super-villains. The serial killer mystery and the exploration of how the death of Bruce Wayne’s parents weighs on him also influenced Matt Reeves’ recent “The Batman.”