Batman: The Long Halloween, Part Two

At a June wedding, Carmine Falcone pressures Bruce Wayne to launder his money, presenting the lure of power and protection. Bruce refuses, signaling a clear break with Falcone's control. The moment establishes the personal and moral stakes that drive the rest of the conflict.

Batman returns to Falcone's penthouse and encounters Catwoman, who is also digging into Falcone's operation. The two form a wary understanding as they uncover mutual interests. Batman, Catwoman, Dent, and Gordon eventually strike a pact to end Falcone's reign, bending but not breaking the law.

Bruce, on the Gotham City Bank board, helps oust the president, only for Johnny Viti to take over on Falcone's orders. Viti assassinates Richard Daniel to wipe away Falcone's money trail. The power shift tightens Falcone's grip and sows the seeds of later reckoning.

Johnny Viti is killed on Halloween by an unknown assailant, leaving behind a staged trail—a pistol, a nipple silencer, and a jack-o-lantern. The identity of the killer remains hidden, amplifying the aura of Holiday's reach. The loss destabilizes Falcone's inner circle.

Catwoman guides Batman to a warehouse where Falcone has hidden funds, a crucial cash flow that sustains his empire. Batman and Harvey Dent decide to burn the warehouse to destroy the money, sacrificing evidence in the hope of ending Falcone's financial power. This act intensifies the war between rival factions.

Falcone escalates the campaign by hiring the Sullivan family to bomb Dent's home, with Falcone and his wife Gilda surviving the attack. The assault marks a turning point in the mob war and deepens Dent's fragile trust in Batman. The city's violence escalates rapidly.

On Thanksgiving, the hitmen themselves are killed by an unknown agent who leaves behind the same pistol and silencer and a Thanksgiving decoration. This chilling pattern links the killings to Holiday and heightens the sense of an unseen mastermind at work. The city braces for the next target in the feud.

Milos Grapa, Falcone's bodyguard, is killed in a manner echoing Holiday's signature, signaling that the Holiday killings are expanding beyond early targets. The Christmas killings emphasize the reach and ruthlessness of the conspiracy. Batman and allies grow more determined to uncover Holiday's identity.

On New Year's Eve, Batman halts the Joker's plan to unleash deadly laughing gas on Gotham Square. The thwarted attack represents a rare moment of fragile order in a city at war with crime. The event also intertwines with the shifting loyalties within Falcone's faction.

Vernon Fields uncovers evidence seemingly tying Falcone to Wayne, triggering a high-profile confrontation. Dent pursues the lead and has Bruce arrested, accusing him of unwavering loyalty to Falcone. Alfred testifies that Thomas Wayne's report never reached the light of day, helping declare Bruce's innocence; a coroner's murder on Independence Day deepens the conspiracy.

Sal Maroni testifies against Falcone, and during the proceedings he throws acid at Dent, disfiguring part of his face. Dent escapes into the sewers and befriends Solomon Grundy, a development that reshapes his trajectory toward becoming Two-Face. Batman weighs the possibility that Holiday and Dent may be the same man.

Falcone's sister Carla Viti is murdered on Falcone's birthday in August, escalating the feud and complicating loyalties within Gotham's crime families. The killing intensifies Falcone's resolve and fuels the Maroni-Falcone rivalry. Batman and Gordon tighten their focus on Holiday's pattern.

On Labor Day, Holiday murders Sal Maroni during a transfer, despite Batman's planned safety measures. Batman and Gordon later recapture Holiday, recognizing the broad reach of Holiday's vendetta and its toll on both families. The city continues to spiral as investigations widen.

On Halloween, Dent surfaces as Two-Face and cuts a bloody path through Gotham, killing Carmine Falcone and Vernon. The wreckage reveals that Alberto Falcone is Holiday, though Batman remains cautious about whether there are multiple Holiday killers. The cycle of vengeance culminates in shocking revelations that reshape Gotham's crime world.

Months later, on Christmas Eve, Gilda Falcone begins to burn items tied to the Holiday killings. She suspects Alberto may have lied and entertains the possibility that Dent and Alberto are working together in secret. Her decision underscores the uneasy stalemate and the impossibility of fully untangling Gotham's web of deceit.