Continuing from Batman: The Long Halloween, Part One, the film begins with Batman, aka Bruce Wayne, under the complete control of Poison Ivy.  Under Poison Ivy’s seductive control spell, Bruce makes large financial contributions. While months pass, Bruce lives like a walking zombie.  Thankfully, Catwoman decides to break into the Wayne manor to stop Poison Ivy once and for all.  Freed from the sinister spell, Bruce Wayne returns to a somewhat normal life. 

But for Bruce Wayne/Batman, there is lots of work to be done in Gotham.  The mysterious Holiday Killer continues their killing spree, and the tension between Falcone and Maroni’s crime families rises. To make matters worse, Batman will also have to deal with various characters, including Scarecrow and Mad Hatter, who have somehow escaped Arkham Asylum. Now the clock is ticking, and it’s time for Batman to save Gotham City once and for all.

If you have seen the previous instalment, you’ll generally know what to expect, and the prime focus is once again to uncover the murderous Holiday Killer’s face. Thankfully, this second instalment introduces several new villains who attempt to stand in Batman’s way.  Many key elements are pleasing, just as in the first instalment. Elements including voice work, especially from the villains, was most certainly a major highlight. Animation is again pleasing, but this second part feels as though the quality is ever so slightly lower, which I couldn’t understand.

The pacing is again great for the most part, and I was thankful that this sequel was quite different rather than just being a copy of the previous film. While I found Batman’s final journey with The Long Halloween highly pleasing, I can’t deny that the finale and reveals have some moments that feel slightly vague rather than direct.

Overall, as the second instalment in this animation series, I was left feeling fairly satisfied. It carries plenty of new elements and challenges for the Dark Knight to tackle while focusing on the Holiday Killer as a core mystery. Voice work is great again, but I felt the animation and visuals take a minor step down compared to the previous instalment. For the most part, pacing worked well, with only the finale delivering some moments that could disappoint viewers.  Those hoping for clear reveals and a conclusion will be disappointed by elements that feel slightly vague.

7.3/10

11th September 2021

Written by Peter Walkden

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