Its funny that this comic was released the same day as Batman and Robin 14 as after reading them, both comics left me with the feeling of "what the hell is going on?" Unfortunately I was thinking that about Batman Odyssey 3 for all the wrong reasons.

Without a doubt writing is not Neal Adams strong point. Or if it is, it hasn't been showcased well in this story. Personally I found the story easier to follow using only the artwork and ignoring the writing and dialogue altogether.

The main problem is that Adams is not taking the time to explain how the plot is moving forward. Events just seem to happen without context and Batman seems to jump to amazing conclusion based on nothing and this has led to 3 issues later where I am still not sure whats happening or how the characters got here.

One of the other major flaws with this story is the apparent out of character moments. Batman is acting like a whiny child to the point that Robin looks like the mature one. I get that this is an out of continuity story and as such is able to show a more human and emotional Batman than what could be done in mainstream continuity. However this Batman doesn't resemble anything like a normal person, having over the top mood swings every two pages.

Other characters don't come across much better either. Talia Al Ghul appears to come across as Batmans lovesick lover and appears to care for children so much she seems to become a mutated Angelina Jolie/Madonna/Mother Terasa combination squeezed together in a really revealing dress.

I guess in a way Adams is bringing the characters back to their most basic form with things like Bruce being an out of his depth adventurer with a bit of an ego, Robin as the youthful contrast to Batmans brooding presence and Talia is the woman torn between her duties to her father and her love for Batman. The problem is that Adams is appearing to bring out all their bad and over the top qualities making all of them unrelatable and unlikeable.

Thats not to say that the issue is without merit. Adams is still able to bring some very clever Batman-isms to the story. For example whenever Batman is with close friends or in the Batcave his eyes are visible through the mask, however when Batman is in action his eyes are lit up.

Also there is a very tense scene in the book later where Batman picks off a group of enemies one by one.

I am certain that if Neal Adams had worked with a better writer using only his plots/breakdowns this would be one of the finer Batman stories.

The one part where Neal Adams is still strong is in the artwork. Despite being more scratchy and rougher than his older stuff he still knows how to draw and it works despite a few awkward faces and the artwork is clearly more effective than the writing.

In conclusion there is a good story here. Unfortunately Neal Adams decided to bury it under a mountain of rubbish, so in conclusion your enjoyment is fully dependent on how far you're willing to dig.