Anticipation is a bitch.  Often, Mark Millar’s bitch.  But, despite how much I enjoy his work, no title’s delay has bugged me more than the gap between parts one and two of “Whatever Happened To The Caped Crusader”.  The Alfred section of that story was so perfect to me, that I couldn’t wait to read the conclusion.  Except I could, and did wait, because I had no other choice. 

What I feared was that I wasn’t going to like part two as much as part one.  Not just because it would be a let down, in general, but because I’d waited so long.  I was Calvin waiting for the Chocolate Frosted Sugar Bombs beanie.  Of course, I’d be disappointed.

While I didn’t think the writing in this story was quite as cool as issue one, it was certainly no disappointment.  It was a bit more melodramatic than I usually like, but it’s the death of the goddamned Batman, so it’s allowed and expected to be a bit over the cowl.

But, while the story is just very good (as opposed to the transcendent wonderfulness that issue one was), the art in this issue is nothing short of spectacular.  The layout starts as very cluttered as the various characters tell their versions of Batman’s death (no spoilers in this, I promise).    But as we move from other characters’ stories to Batman, the panels grow until, about half way through the book, some of the most beautifully pencilled and layed out full page spreads appear.  A series of memories of Batman each contained in a different silhouette: the cowl, the Batman thinking pose, the cape.  And then the panels bend back into traditional panels, as the story gets back to being linear.  And then…and then the layout changes a bit, and you can read that part yourself.  It’s glorious.  One of the most unexpected, well-placed allusions I’ve ever seen in a comic.  Followed by a Bat signal transcending into (wow).  It really carries the story of this book from well-told to a work of fucken art.

It’s the first book I’ve read on the pile this week, but I can’t imagine how anything could possibly overtake it as a pick of the week.

Fuck DC for shorting our stores 20% of this amazing comic (something they have done with every Batman/Battle For The Cowl issue since RIP).  I don’t know whether they’re having problems counting, or whether they’re trying to create a shortage (a la Marvel’s lame Obama Spiderman ploy), but none of the Battle For The Cowl titles needed it, and this one CERTAINLY didn’t.  Even if I wasn’t going to recommend this to everyone, there is no doubt in my mind this will be sold out shortly after we open tomorrow.  It’s Neil fricken Gaiman writing the funeral of the goddamned Batman.  And it’s pretty near flawless.