[Welcome to the EL Book Introductions series. These posts are all short (<180 words) introductions/reviews of books in the EL library. They focus on telling you what we think will be interesting for you, a college student and English learner, so use them to help you find the right book for you. You can also use the tags to find books about topics you might be interested in.]
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One of my favorite pieces of pop culture when I was a child was Batman: The Animated Series. Even as an adult, I think it is a high-quality television show. One thing that I forgot about it was how often Batman is just fighting the mob, not supervillains. In The Long Halloween, Batman works with the police to stop what seems to be a mob war. Think: Batman mixed with The Godfather.
Each of the 12 chapters is about a different murder on a different holiday. If you read all of the stories, you might feel like you have become friends with the three main characters as they investigate the crimes. That’s what makes the surprise ending even more powerful. I also think you will be surprised by the crazy, ugly drawing style in this book. You can choose a story in the middle to see if you like it. If you read from the beginning, you might find the first chapter a little confusing or too difficult.
My two cents: This is a classic American superhero comic, but I think it also stands on its own. I think this is a good introduction to Batman.
