Rating: 
Summary: Great art, great story, what else do you want?
Review: A sequel that delivers for a change! The art is just fantastic. Tim Sale is one of the few artists with whom the "less is more" school of art actually works. A lot of empty spaces and exaggerated grotesque characters give the story its mood, which is admittedly influenced by Frank Miller's Year One. Jeph Leob also isn't afraid to give Sale the use of full and two-page spreads for dramatic effect. Leob is one of the few writers who actually seems to tailor his writing style to fit the artist he is working with. Its totally different here from the style he uses with Ed McGuinness on Superman and with Jim Lee on Batman: Hush. One more thing: If you are a Catwoman fan, you'll like this.
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Rating:
Summary: Stunning Victory
Review: After reading and enjoying author Jeph Loeb/artist Tim Sale's Batman epic, The Long Halloween, I found out that there was a sequel. I was surprised how hard it was to find a copy. Every time I tried to purchase the follow up, it was either on order or, completely sold out. My months of frustration are now done, having just completed Dark Victory, I can safely state that the tale is a worthy follow up to what came before.
The story follows an intricately woven series of challenges for the Dark Knight of Gotham. Shortly after the events of The Long Halloween, a cop killer, known only as Hangman strikes and plunges Gotham into further chaos. The populace is being over run by a gang of villianous freaks, as the cops are determined to catch this brutal killer, led by the city's new police commissioner, James Gordon. The Falcone crime family takes advantage of the situation and decides to rebuild their now decimated empire. We also meet a new District Attorney, Janice Porter, following Harvey Dent's fall from grace to become the evil Two Face. In the midst of all of this, Batman meets an orphan, that will change his life forever. If it sounds like a "crowded" story, it is, but Loeb, who's also a consuting producer for the Superman as a teen series Smallville, is able to tell a story in such a way, as to draw readers right in. All of these plotlines work well off each other and never bogg down the book. Sale, who also wrote the trade paperback's intoduction, gives the story some fine contasts, using darker shades with burts of color, for the art. Matching the style created for TLH, his layout is one of tradition and innovation. Betweem the words and pictures, Dark Victory is a feast for the eyes of every comic book fan. The 392 page book also includes a Falcone "family tree" and some of Sale's character sketches. ****1/2 stars and of course, the book is recommened.
Rating: 
Summary: Know your Loeb
Review: Current readers of the "Hush" storyline told in Batman might want to do some research on Jeph Loeb's past Batman series. If you thought the end of the last Batman issue was a shocker, hold onto your seats because the ride ain't over yet! Dark Victory is the sequel to Loeb's previous story "The Long halloween," which focused on the war between Batman, DA Harvey Dent and Comissioner Gordon against the crime family of the Roman "Empire." During this war, a serial killer named Holiday was picking off key members of the Roman crime family or peopel associated with them, all around a certain holiday each month (Thanksgiving, New Year's, etc.) In the end, the head of the Roman Empire dies, Holiday is caught and revealed (or is he?), but at the cost of Harvey Dent, who is now Two-Face. DV brings back a lot of key characters from LH, but also introduces Dick Grayson, the first Robin. Another serial killer stalks the streets of Gotham: the Hangman. Only this time, the police are being targeted. Who is this Hangman, and what's with the new DA? When it comes to Jeph Loeb, it's always the person you'd least expect that reveals themselves in the end. This is a great read, whether you like mysteries or comics or if you're just bored. However, I'd recommend reading Long Halloween first to gain a better understanding of events prior to DV.
Rating:
Summary: Nice follow up to "The Long Halloween"
Review: I had purchased Joph Loeb and Tim Sale's "Batman: The Long Halloween" and bought "Dark Victory" because it continued a great story. The book centers around a new set of murders connected to the original "Holiday Killings." I liked this book because of all of the characters involved. Batman's most notorious villians all had parts to play. It also recounted the origin of Bruce Wayne's relationship with Dick Grayson, or Robin. The only problem that I have with this book is that the parts involving Robin are touched upon only briefly. Other than that, the storytelling is again fantastic and Tim Sale's art is perfect for the dark and gritty setting of Gotham City.
Rating:
Summary: Batman at his best
Review: I had read many great things about this book and was not even slightly dissapointed. My only previous exposure to the creative team was Daredvil: Yellow, which was good, but it left me completely unprepared for what I was about to read. Batman, in my opinion, has the most potential of any comic book character. His combination of physical prowess and mental acuity, partnered with a deep, lenghty history and top notch supporting cast place him at the top of the super-hero food chain. The problem has always been in execution. Done properly, he is fantastic. Unfortunately, he is so rarely done in away that plays to the characters strengths and makes use of his long and deep history. This story got everthing out of his rogues gallery and made the most of his detective skills. What could have been a typical slugfest with the cream of his rogues gallery was instead a well paced, rivetting detective thriller. Two face had depth I have never seen before. Writers usually beat you over the head with his crimes based on the number two, but here we were given a much deeper view of what drives Harvey Dent. The same can be said of all of the other characters, hero and villian alike. The artwork was perfect for Batman. It was dark and gritty, which is what Batman artwork should be. I also like how the story was retro-fitted to blend with Batman continuity, introducing Robin into the Batman mythology. I didn't want to give away any plot elements with my review, but I hope it gave an idea of the style and flavor of the story. It was Batman at his best, in my opinion as good a story as The Dark Knight Returns.
Rating: 
Summary: Major disappointment
Review: I loved Frank Miller's Batman: Year One AND The Long Halloween. Unfortunately this book doesn't measure up, nearly, to either of those. Despite a few absurd plot twists (like Sofia Falcone NOT being dead and the plot twists twist around her from there) this is just too much a retread of the much better TLH. And this time around I couldn't ignore the plot holes. Perhaps the disappointment is unfair comparing this story to the previous two but, frankly, I expected better than Sofia Falcone being the new killer in this story. There's no reason she couldn't have died at the end of Halloween. Instead of going with the Sofia surprise ending this story could have become a fantastic Two-Face story, especially since the Two-Face origin was such an important element of The Long Halloween. And while I think Loeb and Sale are a good creative pair I found the sexual innuendo more stupid than funny and that Catwoman's design looked like something that would get lampooned at Sequential Tart online. If you want to read Loeb and Sale at their best read The Long Halloween and Superman for all Seasons. This book isn't the best this team can do.
Rating:
Summary: A page turner, yes, but there's more to it...
Review: I ordered this book, thinking it would be a words-only novel. Although I was disappointed with the short read, it was nonetheless fun. I enjoyed the entire book and every illustration. The book curtails a nice joyride back to the good old days when batman wasn't so confusing and solves a very cunning murder-sequence mystery. I was surprised to find out who the killer was, and enjoyed the end. Buy a used copy if you can(for those who aren't committed batman fans), or if you're a collector, buy the hard cover. Also recommed Diane Duane's novels on Spider-Man, they're said to be awesome.
Rating: 
Summary: Has action, has mystery, has flaws!
Review: I think this goes for Long Halloween and Dark Victory: Cool, but characters not well enough developed. The whole mystery thing is cool because that is what Batman is really about, man. It would have been nice to not see the mob families again, though. After like 300 pages of them in the last book, I got bored with them. They're not even likeable! I mean, they're bad guys, I get it, but Joker could be even cooler than Batman himself. Plus, Robin sucks plenty in this book. He's on the cover and junk but he's only in the last two issues. Loeb tries to reinvent the Robin story, but fails miserably. He tried to make Robin mad about his parents but I just don't feel bad for Dick Grayson like I should. Someone in the reviews said that this was better than anything Frank Miller has done. Don't believe it! Batman Dark Victory: Don't believe the hype. It is page turning, hence at least three stars, but that could just be denial from paying 20 bucks talking.
Rating:
Summary: Loeb & Sale have done it again!
Review: If you have never read anything by Jeph Loeb & Tim Sale, you truly are missing out on the dynamic duo of comic book storytelling. I read Batman: The Long Halloweeen a few years ago and was totally blown away by the writing and artwork. It is, hands down, one of the best Batman stories of all-time and is right up there with Batman: Year One and The Dark Knight Returns in my book. I read Dark Victory last week and it is just as much a page-turner as The Long Halloween. Few people can write Batman/Bruce Wayne, Jim Gordon, Catwoman/Selina Kyle and the wealth of supporting characters that make up the Batman universe like Jeph Loeb. The man has a gift. And Sale's artwork, while not for everyone, has grown on me over the years and is definately appropriate for Bats and company. I would also highly recommed Daredevil: Yellow by Loeb and Sale. They bring the same high level of quality to The Man Without Fear that they've done with the Dark Knight Detective. I am anxiously awaiting the softcover release of Superman: For All Seasons, as well as the tpb version of Spider-Man: Blue, so that I can add to my Loeb/Sale library.
Rating:
Summary: Loeb & Sale have done it again!
Review: If you have never read anything by Jeph Loeb & Tim Sale, you truly are missing out on the dynamic duo of comic book storytelling. I read Batman: The Long Halloweeen a few years ago and was totally blown away by the writing and artwork. It is, hands down, one of the best Batman stories of all-time and is right up there with Batman: Year One and The Dark Knight Returns in my book. I read Dark Victory last week and it is just as much a page-turner as The Long Halloween. Few people can write Batman/Bruce Wayne, Jim Gordon, Catwoman/Selina Kyle and the wealth of supporting characters that make up the Batman universe like Jeph Loeb. The man has a gift. And Sale's artwork, while not for everyone, has grown on me over the years and is definately appropriate for Bats and company. I would also highly recommed Daredevil: Yellow by Loeb and Sale. They bring the same high level of quality to The Man Without Fear that they've done with the Dark Knight Detective. I am anxiously awaiting the softcover release of Superman: For All Seasons, as well as the tpb version of Spider-Man: Blue, so that I can add to my Loeb/Sale library.
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