I’ll admit I didn’t expect a lot out of this book, but I was very very very pleasantly surprised by just how compelling and beautiful it is. There’s a heckuva lot to like here, topped by the really incredible art. Complex compositions mix with a shifting color palette for different scenes, from the eerie, almost Sin City-like scenes with Batwoman in costume, to the more down-to-earth civilian life colors.

If I have any complaints, it’s that some of the scene transitions are really abrupt: frequently I found myself flipping back, convinced I’d missed a page. And I’ll admit there are a few times that I feel the book edging toward what I feared it might be: an opportunity to have two scantily-clad chicks in an intimate scene together. But I’ll reserve judgment on that for now.

All in all, a really great start.