The story is pretty palatable, having an Elseworlds-esque feel. And the art has a different feel--not as much to push you away from the book but rather admire the look of every page. However it's the actual written dialogue (or at least trying to figure it out because of how it was displayed within the panels) that makes the book literally difficult to read.

Reads like a waking dream. Or would that be a nightmare? I purchased this hard cover back when it originally hit the stands (and I still go back to it from time to time) and it was the first time I really realized how great the comic medium can be. There is nothing I can say about Grant Morrison that has not already been said, and he does not disappoint here with a depiction of a very unstable Batman (well, relatively unstable). I mentioned that it was like a waking dream, and that is purely the result of Dave McKean's artwork. The artwork by McKean is what really elevates this book to a whole new level for me. At times the artwork reminds me of Bill Sienkiewicz, which, for me, is a great thing (art, like music, is so subjective).