I bought the deluxe hardcover edition of this book, and it's the best decision I've ever made. The pages are brilliantly filled with stark black and white images. The details and shadows are excellently done--simply put, I love the noir style of the book.

The stories are the best part though. "Scars" was an intriguing look into the psyches of Zsazz and Batman, contrasting the ways in which these two interlocked characters perceive life. The biggest draw, of course, is "Broken City", which takes a deep, dark look into Batman's inner workings. The story has its fair share of twists and turns, but they all come together in the end and are wrapped up in a nice bow. More than that, though, is Batman's personality. It shines through the darkest pages and makes you empathize with a broken man.

Following that is "Knight of Vengeance", which takes us to the Flashpoint universe where Thomas Wayne carries the mantle of Batman (he kills!). I especially loved this story because it's so different from what I'm used to. It's not that Batman kills his villains or is best friends with Gordon--or anything else like that. It's outstanding because of the way it deals with loss and desperation. Plus, the ending was exceptional with the symbolism.

Finally, the "Wednesday Comics Batman" was a decent way to wrap up the book. I quite enjoyed and liked it, for it was a simple story about love and loss for Bruce Wayne.

Overall, I'd highly recommend getting the book. It was money well spent for me. ( )

Fantastic art in glorious black and white combined with satisfyingly noir stories. ( )