Chin Music is one part The Maltese Falcon, one part Necronomicon, and all parts awesome.

Maybe the real villain in this issue, if you had to name one, is pain. Batmans pain and anger are his biggest enemies right now, and its going to take more than what is on his utility belt to defeat them. I certainly felt the effects for myself, getting a little uncomfortable watching how he dealt with his loss in this issue. The reaction, Im sure, is probably just what Tomasi wanted, and artist Patrick Gleason emphasizes that dark complexity perfectly with his flawless art. While Batman and Red Robin #19 is nowhere near the level of mastery as the previous issue, its a decent springboard into the mind of a grief-stricken father wrestling with evil-doers as well as his own emotions.

The one positive thing I can say about the book is that I foresee it being fairly popular during Free Comic Book Day, as it has a lot of superficial elements that would interest a lot of new readers and draw them in. I just hope those readers use it as a stepping stone to better, more original stories.

All-in-all, if you can get past the hypersexualization of our heroine, youll find that Aspen Comics has woven together a comic with the potential to be pretty good.

Paired with Fiona Staples art, with her watercolor-like backgrounds and crisp, clean character lines, Vaughan is knocking it out of the park with this series. It has the sci-fi fantasy of Star Wars and the gritty realism of a Spike Lee movie. I cant wait for more, and for Mr. Vaughan to get back to me on that marriage proposal.

All-in-all, I applaud this books efforts to try a new approach to the superhero genre. I just hope the following issues allow the reader to get to know the people behind the Spandex costumes.

If youve made the same mistake I did and have missed an issue or two, I suggest going back and catching up before tackling #24. At least it has rekindled my love for this series and has branded me a born-again devout fan. I swear I wont stray again.