Stylish but unconvincing.

It gets an extra point for the art, which is the visual equivalent of slurring over pages and really quite effective, but the story leaves me cold. This edition has the script reproduced in the back, footnoted to illustrate the mythological inspirations, but clever doesn't necessarily equal compelling, I'm afraid. It feels as if a number of (admittedly myth-connected) elements are thrown at the wall and intended to produce an effect of madness, but the book's just too short for Batman's journey into insanity to be at all credible - and I say that knowing he's not the most stable character in the first place. I'm aware that length is a limitation of the graphic novel format, but the story went too quickly for me to take any of it seriously, especially as it was occasionally studded with elements that were so simplistic that they didn't work for me either. I'll never like fridging - it's a terribly overused shorthand to motivate characters - and the word association technique that Dr. Adams uses on Batman is presented as something shocking and deeply revealing of his character. It's not. It's blatantly obvious low-hanging fruit; I have to admit that my reaction was "No shit, Sherlock."

This has got such a good reputation, so clearly other people find it compelling and good for them. I was glad when it was over, though.