I've been a Batman fan since as long as I can remember, and longer. I stopped reading comic books on a regular basis just as The Dark Knight Returns and Batman: Year One were re-imagining the (then somewhat stale) caped crusader, adding further depth to what I'd argue is the most fertile superhero story and persona available for serious and mature writers/audiences.
The problem is, there's a shrinking pool of great Batman stories to draw from for a fan such as myself. Hearing that screenwriter/director Kevin Smith had tackled the Dark Knight, and running out of non-bubblegum options, I picked this up to read on vacation. I've had mixed success with Smith (Clerks = Cadillac, Mallrats = Steak Knives, Clerks II = You're Fired, etc.), but he's a geek through and through, and I figured he was a good fit to explore a different or novel dimension. (Note: I've since discovered that he's got a solid past writing for comics, notably for Green Arrow.) Smith is clear and upfront about the choice of artist for Cacophony, an old friend from pre-fame days. While laudable for being open about it from the get go, it's an unfortunate choice for the reader.
Both story and art were a *massive* disappointment. While Smith delivers a few notable moments (e.g. The Joker preparing to be sodomized - that's new), overall, it comes off as a juvenile, poorly drawn and written re-visitation of the emotional/character territory masterfully explored in Moore's The Killing Joke (i.e. there's a complex, delicate relationship between Joker and Batman's need for each other, evidenced by the inability or unwillingness of each to ultimately kill the other).
The close is open-ended, and I know the writer/artist team have another effort (presumably the same story arc) available now. Despite the completest in me, I'm going to avoid it like herpes.
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