Holiday (comics)
Encyclopedia
Holiday or the Holiday Killer is a fictional character appearing in the Batman
story The Long Halloween
(1996-1997) by writer Jeph Loeb
and artist Tim Sale
as well as Dark Victory. The true identity of the killer is never definitively revealed in the story itself; both Alberto Falcone
and Gilda Dent
confess to being Holiday, with Gilda claiming she committed the first three murders and that her husband Harvey took over subsequently.
's Batman: Year One
, The Long Halloween follows the crusade of Batman, Captain James Gordon
and Harvey Dent
to topple mobster Carmine Falcone's
crime family. At the same time, however, a mysterious assailant begins killing mafiosi
members on holidays, starting with Halloween
.
The killer's identity remains a mystery for most of the story, but the method is always the same. The killer's weapon is a .22 pistol (using a rubber baby bottle nipple as a silencer) with the handle taped and the serial number filed off, which is left at the crime scene along with a holiday trinket representative of the holiday. This leads to the nickname "The Holiday Killer".
Holiday's crime spree occurs for 13 months, with the only holidays without a murder being April Fools' Day
, where the killer confronts the Riddler
but leaves him alive in the spirit of the holiday, and New Year's Eve
where the 'victim' later turns up alive). There are several red herrings that appear in the story to further deepen the mystery, but ultimately, Alberto Falcone is revealed to be Holiday on Labor Day, Gilda Dent later confessed to the first three killings, and Two-Face briefly assumed the role.
It becomes clear that Alberto faked his own death on New Year's Eve. A number of the killings after this point are to cover up that fact. Carmine Falcone's daughter Sofia
tracks down the Gunsmith with intentions of finding out who Holiday is, but finds him dead. Jasper Dolan, the Coroner, is killed because he knows that Alberto is still alive. Carla Viti is killed as she searches through the police files on Holiday, possibly because of some clue to Alberto being alive is held within. Although the lack of a body cast early suspicion on Alberto, unused Tim Sale-drawn panels cut in early drafts showed Carmine Falcone weeping over a badly-decomposed corpse after New Year's. These pages were published, in penciled form only, in The Long Halloween collected editions.
Alberto's reasons for becoming Holiday are also the subject of debate. In the final issue, he claimed to have been lashing out against his father for never taking him seriously or including him in the family business. Alberto also seemed to be addicted to the dubious fame of being a wanted serial killer
, as he appeared proud of his actions to the police in his confession. Also, one of the running themes of the story seemed to be the change in Gotham City from one plagued by mobsters to one ridden with "freaks" such as The Joker
, Poison Ivy, and Two-Face
.
Dent (before becoming Two-Face) is an early suspect of the Holiday murders. In the first issue, Batman provides Dent and Gordon with a ledger from Falcone's safe with a list of members of the family and it gives Dent information to track and kill the family members. Although the ledger is a crucial piece of evidence, Dent cannot use it, being inadmissible in court against the Roman because he would have to reveal that Batman had stolen it.
There is also a .22 pistol that Gilda finds in their basement, which Dent maintains was evidence. The killer is seen filing the pistol at a craftsman work area; Dent is also shown having a work area with the same layout later.
In addition, the murder of the Irish gang would seem to be an act of revenge, as they blew up Dent's house and injure his wife. After Dent becomes Two-Face, both the ledger and a Holiday-style .22 are found in his briefcase in his basement. This leads Batman and Gordon to conclude that Dent is Holiday since the beginning.
Dent is seen as a main suspect for a large portion of the story, notably for a number of enigmatic comments he makes such as saying of Johnny Viti's murder: "Two shots to the head. If you ask me, it couldn't have happened to a nicer guy", a phrase Two-Face says after Falcone's death.
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
story The Long Halloween
Batman: The Long Halloween
Batman: The Long Halloween is a 13-issue comic book limited series written by Jeph Loeb with art by Tim Sale. It was originally published by DC Comics in 1996 and 1997. It was inspired by the three Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight Halloween Specials by the same creative team...
(1996-1997) by writer Jeph Loeb
Jeph Loeb
Joseph "Jeph" Loeb III is an American film and television writer, producer and award-winning comic book writer. Loeb was a producer/writer on the TV series Smallville and Lost, writer for the films Commando and Teen Wolf and was a writer and Co-Executive Producer on the NBC TV show Heroes from its...
and artist Tim Sale
Tim Sale (artist)
Tim Sale is an American Eisner Award-winning comic book artist. He is primarily known for his collaborations with writer Jeph Loeb.-Early life:...
as well as Dark Victory. The true identity of the killer is never definitively revealed in the story itself; both Alberto Falcone
Alberto Falcone
Alberto Falcone is a fictional comic book villain appearing in books published by DC Comics, in particular the Batman books. In addition to being a mobster, he has also taken credit to be serial killer the Holiday Killer in Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale's series Batman: The Long Halloween and Batman: Dark...
and Gilda Dent
Gilda Dent
Gilda Dent , occasionally referred to as Grace instead of Gilda, is a fictional character who has appeared in Batman comic books since Detective Comics #66...
confess to being Holiday, with Gilda claiming she committed the first three murders and that her husband Harvey took over subsequently.
Fictional character biography
Set shortly after the events of Frank MillerFrank Miller (comics)
Frank Miller is an American comic book artist, writer and film director best known for his dark, film noir-style comic book stories and graphic novels Ronin, Daredevil: Born Again, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Sin City and 300...
's Batman: Year One
Batman: Year One
"Year One", later referred to as "Batman: Year One", is an American comic book story arc written by Frank Miller, illustrated by David Mazzucchelli, colored by Richmond Lewis, and lettered by Todd Klein...
, The Long Halloween follows the crusade of Batman, Captain James Gordon
James Gordon (comics)
James Worthington Gordon, Sr. is a fictional character, an ally of Batman that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane...
and Harvey Dent
Two-Face
Two-Face is a fictional comic book supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. and is an enemy of Batman. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #66 , and was created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger....
to topple mobster Carmine Falcone's
Carmine Falcone
Carmine "The Roman" Falcone is a fictional character in DC Comics' shared universe, the DC Universe, who made his debut in the four part story Batman: Year One written by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli in 1987.- Publication history :...
crime family. At the same time, however, a mysterious assailant begins killing mafiosi
Mafia
The Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...
members on holidays, starting with Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
.
The killer's identity remains a mystery for most of the story, but the method is always the same. The killer's weapon is a .22 pistol (using a rubber baby bottle nipple as a silencer) with the handle taped and the serial number filed off, which is left at the crime scene along with a holiday trinket representative of the holiday. This leads to the nickname "The Holiday Killer".
Holiday's crime spree occurs for 13 months, with the only holidays without a murder being April Fools' Day
April Fools' Day
April Fools' Day is celebrated in different countries around the world on April 1 every year. Sometimes referred to as All Fools' Day, April 1 is not a national holiday, but is widely recognized and celebrated as a day when many people play all kinds of jokes and foolishness...
, where the killer confronts the Riddler
Riddler
The Riddler is a fictional character, a comic book character and supervillain published by DC Comics, and an enemy of Batman. Created by Bill Finger and Dick Sprang, the character first appeared in Detective Comics #140 ....
but leaves him alive in the spirit of the holiday, and New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve is observed annually on December 31, the final day of any given year in the Gregorian calendar. In modern societies, New Year's Eve is often celebrated at social gatherings, during which participants dance, eat, consume alcoholic beverages, and watch or light fireworks to mark the...
where the 'victim' later turns up alive). There are several red herrings that appear in the story to further deepen the mystery, but ultimately, Alberto Falcone is revealed to be Holiday on Labor Day, Gilda Dent later confessed to the first three killings, and Two-Face briefly assumed the role.
Alberto Falcone
Although the youngest Falcone appears to meet his end on New Year's, Alberto Falcone turns up alive and well in September. After the murder of Sal Maroni, Falcone is captured by Batman and Jim Gordon, confesses to all of the Holiday murders, and is sentenced to death.It becomes clear that Alberto faked his own death on New Year's Eve. A number of the killings after this point are to cover up that fact. Carmine Falcone's daughter Sofia
Hangman (DC Comics)
The Hangman is a fictional character, a supervillain in the DC Universe and an early enemy of Batman featured in Batman: Dark Victory. The Hangman's identity was Sofia Falcone Gigante...
tracks down the Gunsmith with intentions of finding out who Holiday is, but finds him dead. Jasper Dolan, the Coroner, is killed because he knows that Alberto is still alive. Carla Viti is killed as she searches through the police files on Holiday, possibly because of some clue to Alberto being alive is held within. Although the lack of a body cast early suspicion on Alberto, unused Tim Sale-drawn panels cut in early drafts showed Carmine Falcone weeping over a badly-decomposed corpse after New Year's. These pages were published, in penciled form only, in The Long Halloween collected editions.
Alberto's reasons for becoming Holiday are also the subject of debate. In the final issue, he claimed to have been lashing out against his father for never taking him seriously or including him in the family business. Alberto also seemed to be addicted to the dubious fame of being a wanted serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
, as he appeared proud of his actions to the police in his confession. Also, one of the running themes of the story seemed to be the change in Gotham City from one plagued by mobsters to one ridden with "freaks" such as The Joker
Joker (comics)
The Joker is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain published by DC Comics. He is the archenemy of Batman, having been directly responsible for numerous tragedies in Batman's life, including the paralysis of Barbara Gordon and the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin...
, Poison Ivy, and Two-Face
Two-Face
Two-Face is a fictional comic book supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. and is an enemy of Batman. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #66 , and was created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger....
.
Gilda Dent
Gilda Dent, the wife of Two-Face, confessed (in a private monologue) that she was the original Holiday, who murdered the first three victims. While burning the supposed evidence of her crime, she claimed that she began the murders because Harvey could not settle down and raise a child with her until the Falcone crime family was finally destroyed. In Gilda's confession, she mentioned that on New Year's Eve, she had heard of Alberto's murder at sea. Afterwards, Harvey had returned home with wet hair, stating that it had been snowing even though he was wearing a hat. She took this as a sign that Harvey himself had taken up killing Falcone family members. As a result, she stopped killing and took a passive role, waiting for Harvey to finish the job so they could settle down. Whether or not Gilda's claims were truthful were never verified, as she left Gotham and was never brought to justice.Harvey Dent/Two-Face
Technically, Two-Face was the final Holiday, as he murders Carmine Falcone and Vernon Fields on Halloween, and while there was no 'marker' for the holiday, Two-Face leaves his double-sided coin.Dent (before becoming Two-Face) is an early suspect of the Holiday murders. In the first issue, Batman provides Dent and Gordon with a ledger from Falcone's safe with a list of members of the family and it gives Dent information to track and kill the family members. Although the ledger is a crucial piece of evidence, Dent cannot use it, being inadmissible in court against the Roman because he would have to reveal that Batman had stolen it.
There is also a .22 pistol that Gilda finds in their basement, which Dent maintains was evidence. The killer is seen filing the pistol at a craftsman work area; Dent is also shown having a work area with the same layout later.
In addition, the murder of the Irish gang would seem to be an act of revenge, as they blew up Dent's house and injure his wife. After Dent becomes Two-Face, both the ledger and a Holiday-style .22 are found in his briefcase in his basement. This leads Batman and Gordon to conclude that Dent is Holiday since the beginning.
Dent is seen as a main suspect for a large portion of the story, notably for a number of enigmatic comments he makes such as saying of Johnny Viti's murder: "Two shots to the head. If you ask me, it couldn't have happened to a nicer guy", a phrase Two-Face says after Falcone's death.
Victims
- HalloweenHalloweenHallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
- Johnny Viti (Carmine Falcone's nephew), who had threatened to testify against his uncle at one point. - ThanksgivingThanksgivingThanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
- The Irish (a gang of five Irish assassins hired by Falcone to murder District Attorney Harvey Dent) - ChristmasChristmasChristmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
- Milos Grapa (Falcone's personal bodyguard) - New Year's EveNew Year's EveNew Year's Eve is observed annually on December 31, the final day of any given year in the Gregorian calendar. In modern societies, New Year's Eve is often celebrated at social gatherings, during which participants dance, eat, consume alcoholic beverages, and watch or light fireworks to mark the...
- Alberto FalconeAlberto FalconeAlberto Falcone is a fictional comic book villain appearing in books published by DC Comics, in particular the Batman books. In addition to being a mobster, he has also taken credit to be serial killer the Holiday Killer in Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale's series Batman: The Long Halloween and Batman: Dark...
(Carmine Falcone's son) - Valentine's DayValentine's DaySaint Valentine's Day, commonly shortened to Valentine's Day, is an annual commemoration held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine, and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496...
- Mobsters hired by Maroni (Innocent patrons of rival mob boss Sal MaroniSal MaroniSalvatore "The Boss" Maroni is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, usually as one of Batman's first enemies, and among the toughest gangsters in Gotham City...
's restaurant were stunned but actually not killed by the shockwave produced by the explosion incidental to this particular Holiday killing. This is confirmed as we see them standing or trying to get up in a subsequent panel. If an innocent had really died then Gordon would not have later said, "This time it's a civilian." when Holiday murdered Coroner Dolan on Independence Day.) - St. Patrick's Day - A large number of Maroni's men.
- April Fools Day - The Riddler (shot at, purposely unharmed. A play on the theme of April Fools Day)
- Mother's DayMother's DayMother's Day is a celebration honoring mothers and celebrating motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on various days in many parts of the world, yet most commonly in March, April, or May...
- The Gunsmith (a shop owner who had been making Holiday's guns) - Father's DayFather's DayFather's Day is a celebration honoring fathers and celebrating fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society. Many countries celebrate it on the third Sunday of June but it is also celebrated widely on other days...
- Luigi Maroni (Salvatore Maroni's father) - Independence DayIndependence Day (United States)Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain...
- Jasper Dolan (Gotham CityGotham CityGotham City is a fictional U.S. city appearing in DC Comics, best known as the home of Batman. Batman's place of residence was first identified as Gotham City in Batman #4 . Gotham City is strongly inspired by Trenton, Ontario's history, location, atmosphere, and various architectural styles...
Coroner) - The Roman's Birthday - Carla Viti (Falcone's sister and Johnny Viti's mother)
- Labor DayLabor DayLabor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers.-History:...
- Salvatore Maroni - Halloween - Carmine FalconeCarmine FalconeCarmine "The Roman" Falcone is a fictional character in DC Comics' shared universe, the DC Universe, who made his debut in the four part story Batman: Year One written by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli in 1987.- Publication history :...
and Vernon Fields (corrupt assistant to District Attorney Harvey Dent)