4.35 avg rating — 112,011 ratings

"This book is in many ways superior to The Dark Knight Returns (in my opinion), especially if you are looking for a "real Batman story". (Miller's book being non-canonical) It has everything you can want (except for maybe Robin, who is reintroduced in this book's sequel), detective work, a dark and physical batman, a bit of romance, friends and betrayal, the major players from the rouges gallery, and realistic characters depictions. Batman and Catwoman / Bruce and Selina - there is role they play for each other. In fact, in The Long Halloween and its sequel Dark Victory, you get the most intimately portrayed necessity for Batman not to be alone (perhaps echoing "A Lonely Place of Dying")

While I'm not sure this is my favorite Batman story (because I love the whole bat family, the Robins, etc and this takes place before they are around) This is the still the best Batman book I've read."