How long has it been since ALL-STAR BATMAN & ROBIN #1 first hit the shelves? What, two years? Six issues in two years -- unbelievable! That’s like a new issue of this title every four months!

And that -- at least for me -- it not the kicker. This story has basically progressed at a snail's pace over these two years and six issues. I don’t know if I’ve ever read a comic book with so much dialogue, yet with very little happening in terms of story.

After a promising issue #5, ASB&R has again regressed back to a hodgepodge of nonsense. More of “The Goddamn Batman” being an asshole and spouting “damn” and “hell” whenever he gets the chance. Black Canary shows up again, but I’ve yet to find a reason for her being around in this title other than to provide a little eye candy.

Vicki Vale makes an appearance as she is obviously recovering nicely from her accident. During her short segment, she has 16 year old Jimmy Olsen of the GOTHAM GAZETTE bring her info on The Flying Graysons and Bruce Wayne. Jimmy Olsen? Shouldn’t Superman’s pal being working for that certain paper in Metropolis?

Captain Jim Gordon of the Gotham PD is included in issue #6 by writer Frank Miller, but he’s the secondary character during the two pages we see him. Why is that? Well, because his adopted daughter Barbara’s front and center as Batgirl!

Jim Lee’s art is fantastic, although I noticed the “splashpage syndrome” has returned. And I’ve yet to get a hold of exactly what Miller is doing. Are all these tangents -- Dick Grayson, Black Canary, Vicki Vale, Batgirl, The Goddamn Batman, etc. -- eventually going to come together? Is he set on keeping The Batman and asshole? Is -- as I once suspected -- an epiphany coming for The Batman? Who the hell knows?

Well, Frank Miller does -- I think. Perhaps one day we’ll find out if there is indeed method to his madness.

In like, 2012.