The long awaited sequel toBatman: The Long Halloweenhas begun, and I already know who the killer is.Batman: The Long Halloween - The Last Halloween#1 by Jeph Loeb and Eduardo Risso concludes the tale started by Loeb and Tim Sale inBatman: The Long Halloweenand followed byBatman: Dark VictoryandCatwoman: When in Rome. As this story reaches its conclusion, I believe that the copycat version of the Holiday Killer is secretly Mario Falcone, Carmine Falcone’s only surviving son.
Batman: The Long Halloween - The Last Halloweenfeatures the return of Mario Falcone to Gotham - after he burned his own home down inBatman: Dark Victory- and depicts him talking with Catwoman while she robs Carmine Falcone’s old penthouse. When Catwoman asks why Mario has returned to Gotham,he only answers that Catwoman, as well as Gotham, will know in due time. Shortly after, Catwoman flees the scene and is chased by Batman and Robin before seemingly being killed at the hands of a killer copying Holiday.
While very little is known about this third Holiday Killer,I am reasonably sure that Mario Falcone is likely the newest Holiday Killer. He has a pre-existing criminal past as well as the motive to take up the mantle of the Holiday Killer. In addition, Mario serving as the main antagonist of the series will bring the themes ofBatman: The Long Halloweenfull circle, bringing the narrative started in the original series to a satisfying close.
The History of Batman’s Holiday Killer Goes Back to the FirstLong HalloweenStory
Who Is This Strange Villain?
First seen inBatman: The Long Halloween,the Holiday Killer terrorized both Gotham and the Falcone Crime Family over the course of a year, killing off Carmine Falcone’s associates on a holiday. By the end ofBatman: The Long Halloween, the Holiday Killer is revealed to be Carmine’s son, Alberto. But at the end of the story, Harvey Dent reveals that there were two different people acting as the Holiday Killer, with Alberto only being one of them. 2021’sBatman: The Long Halloween Specialseemingly confirms Harvey’s wife Gilda as the second Holiday Killer.
Mario being the newest Holiday Killer brings the story full circle.
The thematic core ofBatman: The Long Halloweenand its subsequent sequels has always been theexploration of how traditional organized crime lost its foothold in Gotham, giving way forBatman’s more colorful roguesto take control over crime in Gotham. Over the course of the text, multiple characters note this change occurring before their eyes, with Gordon even noting that he doesn’t know if his and Batman’s victory will be worth it for a long time. The climax of the story, Two-Face killing Carmine Falcone, creates a power vacuum in Gotham’s underworld which Batman’s villains quickly fill.
Batman’s New Holiday Killer Absolute Has to Be Mario Falcone
It Makes Perfect Sense for This Story
Mario being the newest Holiday Killer brings the story full circle.Alberto became the Holiday Killer because he wanted to prove to his father he could be a part of the criminal world,but Batman’s roguesstill took control of the Gotham underworld, killing Carmine. Mario taking up the mantle, and using it to exact revenge on the supervillains he sees as responsible, returns the narrative to the idea of the Holiday Killer being motivated by the Falcones, as well as bringing back the idea of the Holiday Killer being one of Carmine’s sons who kills in the interests of the family.
In addition,Mario Falcone has the most motive to serve as the newest Holiday Killer. Despite having previously given up a life of crime, Mario has had to witness his family lose everything they had built up at the hands of Batman’s rogues gallery. In addition, Mario had to watch the events of bothBatman: The Long HalloweenandBatman: Dark Victorytear his family apart, resulting in Alberto’s death at the hands of his sister, Sophia. Gotham’s more unrestrained criminals have taken his life and family as he knew it, giving him the motivation to take revenge on them.
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The Falcones have always been a key pillar in this era of Batman’s history. WithBatman: The Long Halloween - The Last Halloweenset to conclude this story, it only makes sense that the story of the Falcones will end with it, and Mario being the newest Holiday Killer will make for a satisfying ending, tying back to the original story that started it all and seeing the themes reach their natural conclusion. While it is entirely possible that Mario’s scene with Catwoman is a red herring, the possibility of him being the Holiday Killer would make for a thrilling climax to theLong Halloweensaga.
Batman: The Long Halloween - The Last Halloween#1is available now from DC Comics.
Batman The Long Halloween
Christmas. St. Patrick’s Day. Easter. As the calendar’s days stack up, so do the bodies littered in the streets of Gotham City. A murderer is loose, killing only on holidays. The only man that can stop this fiend? The Dark Knight. In a mystery taking place during Batman’s early days of crime fighting, Batman: The Long Halloween is one of the greatest Dark Knight stories ever told.
