Though it’s not widely discussed, ranks among the greatest self-contained Batman storylines of all time. Its run was short, but the series has continued to shape the Batman mythos in countless ways — especially in live-action adaptations. Both Christopher Nolan and Matt Reeves pulled select elements from The Long Halloween when building their respective versions of Gotham: Nolan adapted Two-Face’s (Harvey Dent) origin story from it, while Reeves returned Batman to his roots as a sharp detective.
However, beyond the presence of a serial killer and Selina Kyle’s (Zoë Kravitz) connection to Carmine Falcone (John Turturro), The Batman has only faint ties to Halloween — but that could change with its upcoming sequel, The Batman Part II. Reeves seems to be following Nolan’s lead by introducing Harvey Dent to his Epic Crime Saga: as Gotham’s District Attorney, and another Marvel alum, , has been cast to play Dent’s wife Gilda.
While Reeves previously stated that The Batman II would feature something “never really done in a movie before,” reimagining Two-Face’s origins must have been too tempting to pass up. It’s one of the most iconic parts of The Long Halloween and one of the most familiar — but with Gilda set to appear in The Batman II, Reeves might adapt more of The Long Halloween than any live-action project has before.
The Long Halloween depicts a chaotic year in Gotham, where the city’s corrupt mob bosses are slowly replaced by “freaks” like Joker, Poison Ivy, and Two-Face. Batman is swamped with each villain in his rogues’ gallery, but none trouble him more than Holiday — a serial killer who strikes on every holiday throughout the year. Though a culprit is eventually unmasked and convicted for all the crimes, he isn’t the only one behind the “Holiday” identity.
The true Holiday is actually Gilda: in a twisted attempt to ease Harvey’s burdens, she orchestrates the murder of every major criminal he’s been fighting in court. She escapes Gotham before anyone can implicate her, but her true nature is an open secret between Batman, Two-Face, and a small group of other villains.
It’s hard to imagine The Batman II exploring this exact aspect of Gilda’s story, as The Batman already repurposed the Holiday storyline for a new origin of the Riddler (Paul Dano). That said, Gilda is sure to play a major role in the sequel: you don’t cast Scarlett Johansson as a background character. Reeves and his co-writer Mattson Tomlin will likely draw inspiration from The Long Halloween for their take on Harvey Dent — but they may look to the comic’s sequels, or even , to build out Gilda’s character.
Will Gilda be a sympathetic villain who resorts to unthinkable measures to protect Harvey? Will she have a hand in his transformation into Two-Face? Will The Batman II reveal she was in league with the Riddler? Time will tell, but Reeves’ Batman duology is poised to continue its unique take on The Long Halloween — maybe even finish the story.