Bruce Wayne is insane! Oh sure, he's always been dark and disturbed, but now he's just completely bonkers. Batman is being tormented by the Black Glove and a group of super villains, who have just snagged The Joker to be the latest pawn in their game to completely warp and destroy The Dark Knight. The sad thing is they're winning. In this penultimate issue before the conclusion of the Batman R.I.P arc, truths are learned and Batman is closer to failing than ever before.

The Dark Knight is probably still in some theaters still, but that's not stopping Warner Brothers from wanting to greenlight a sequel and getting it out as soon as possible, potentially even ready for a showing in 2011. Nothing about the story is known or even if the Nolan brothers will be back for their respective roles, but word is Warner Brothers is already getting pre-production ready to begin work around February of next year.

When it comes to writers most associated with the Batman franchise, Frank Miller is always one of the first names thrown out, and rightfully so too. The relaunch of the Batman film franchise – Batman Begins – actually owes a lot to Miller's Year One, a book that shows the first year of not only Bruce Wayne wearing the Batman mantle, but also James Gordon's first year as a member of Gotham's finest. It's not an easy time for either of them, but it makes for a fantastic read for us.

It's been rumored before that the villains for Batman 3 were looking like The Riddler (Johnny Depp) and The Penguin (Philip Seymour Hoffman). Simply rumors...right? Based on what Michael Caine is saying, those rumors are straight from Warner Brothers' mouth and indeed the plan. Nothing set in stone yet, but if those are indeed the villains and actors playing them, Batman 3 looks like another winner.

Kevin Smith is an excellent writer, but when it comes to comics, there is a tendency for them to arrive late. I don't know if he ever finished his Spider-Man/Black Cat mini (or if he did I never received it for some reason). Still, the memories of that mini probably won't stop anyone from picking up his upcoming Batman mini called Batman: Cacophony. Here is a snippet from the MTV interview:

"For “Cacophony,” Smith will be bringing Onomatopoeia back to the mean streets of Gotham, this time setting his sights on the Caped Crusader, which Smith is quick to point out is the “apex” of non-superpowered heroes. “He’s just a dude in a suit, he’s not like Superman,” elaborated Smith. “Onomatopoeia would never go after Superman — what’s the point? You can’t take him down. But Batman is a prey he can get his head around, like, if I can do this it’d be great.”

Batman: The Long Halloween was a perfect Batman story, featuring the rise and fall of Harvey Dent into the villainous Two-Face, an intriguing murder mystery, plenty of classic Batman rogues, and an art style that was tailor-made for the Batman franchise. Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale are back once again, following up The Long Halloween with this sequel. The mystery isn't as solid as the first book, but it's still an excellent book, and a worthwhile follow-up.

I've always appreciated the character of Batman, but I never really followed him all that much, beyond seeing the movies and picking up an odd issue here or there whenever a seminal moment seemed to be happening or in the works. After seeing The Dark Knight, however, I found myself drawn into the world more than ever, and wanted to see just what kind of stories Batman was capable of producing. The first trade I picked up was Batman: The Long Halloween, written by Jeph Loeb and with art by Tim Sale. It's one of the best trades I've ever read and proves that Christopher Nolan isn't the only one who knows how to properly handle Batman.

I've never followed the Batman books for any given length of time, instead only picking up an odd issue here or there for truly landmark moments, such as when Bane broke Bruce Wayne. With the promise of Batman being potentially changed forever with the conclusion of the 'Batman R.I.P' story, I've been collecting the issues, trying to get caught up on all the action and story. Though the book is entertaining, I can't help but get the feeling I'm missing the boat on a lot of things, for one reason or another.

Who will be Batman's next foe? I mean, seriously, you don't reach $400 million and NOT entertain the thought of a third film. A third film is almost already guaranteed and set in stone. Personally, I think The Riddler would be a great villain, or either Ventriloquist or Clayface. And if David Goyer has his way, the villain might not be one of the main villains in Batman's rogue gallery. Sci-Fi Wire says:

DC released a teaser image at Comic-Con, featuring many Batman regulars in what looks to be a possible casting call for the end of the Batman: RIP story. Bruce Wayne probably won't die, but it does look like someone will takeover the role of Batman for a while. The leading candidate is Nightwing, but I'm going for Jason Todd as the replacement.

I'm a huge Kevin Smith fan, but when it comes to his comic work I've often been left more disappointed than anything. Oh, the comics are great, but he always falls behind and his books get delayed. Did the Spiderman/Black Cat series ever get finished? I'll probably still pick the new Batman mini up, but I'll just go into expecting for it not to be finished.