4. The Long Halloween
Published: 1996-1997
Author: Jeph Loeb
The Big Bad: Holiday
The Premise: Another story that takes place early in Batman's career as a crimefighter, the Long Halloween introduces a killer known as Holiday whose modus operandi sees him murder on holidays once each month. Holiday is elusive and Batman must console former enemies in order to determine his identity and put a stop to his murderous spree.
Why it Would Work: The story of The Long Halloween takes place over a year which could make for a long story arc throughout an entire season or be watered down to fit but a few episodes. Either way, the story is far too excellent to be ignored. We once again step into the early days of Batman as he forms a brotherhood with Jim Gordon and Harvey Dent in order to fight crime. Batman becomes caught up in a feud between two mafia families as a mysterious killer called Holiday begins offing members of one side each month on an important holiday. This Long Halloween is perfect for introducing the origin of Two-Face while showcasing a variety of Batman's rogues gallery as they evolve from simple criminals into the super villains we know of today. The story so excellently breaks Dent's character down and his descent into madness when half of his face is horribly burned. A previously mocked character - the Calendar Man - has his cool factor enhanced as he becomes Gotham's very own Hannibal Lecter offering clues to Batman's Clarice. This isn't just an action adventure - it's a real mystery that will leave viewers wondering throughout each episode and shocked when the identity of Holiday is finally revealed.