Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely kicked off their launch of the newest title in the Batman canon on Wednesday, Batman and Robin.

Morrison seems to be bringing in new villains to the mythos (which is quite refreshing) and we’re introduced immediately to a Mr. Toad riding about in a motor car, much like the Mr. Toad from The Wind in the Willows. Later in the issue, we were introduced to Mr. Pyg, a character straight out of the Twilight Zone, but we’ll get to that in a minute.

The major difference in this Batman and Robin book is who they are behind the masks. It’s not Bruce and any previous Robin. Dick Grayson has assumed the mantle of the Bat and is working alongside Bruce Wayne’s Damian, who’s proudly wearing the Robin suit. Tim Drake has taken off to be Red Robin, presumably, and we’re left with the bickering between the Dynamic Duo of days gone by.

It’s this relationship and matching of characters that makes me feel like this book belongs beneath an Elseworlds logo. Dick has taken the mantle before (in Batman: Prodigal), but there wasn’t the feeling of permanence that we get here. As much as I don’t like seeing the status quo changed from Bruce as Batman, I could get used to this for as long as this is the case. But when you’ve been reading Batman as long as I have, I think it’ll feel like an out-of-continuity tale for a little while, as our palates readjust to the new present.

It’s quite obvious that by the next issue, Dick and Damian will be facing off against Mr. Pyg. Like I said, he comes straight from the Twilight Zone. In fact, the whole scene he’s in does.

Don’t believe me? Check this out:

I don’t mind this.

I love the Twilight Zone and any attempts to tell cool stories in a world occupied by characters that Rod Serling might have dealt with makes me happy.

Though I’d love to see the Caped Crusaders played by Bruce Wayne and Tim Drake once more, it’s refreshing to see stories that would otherwise not be able to be told. Morrison has truly created a new era in Batman, much like the Azreal era, or the era of No Man’s Land. Who knows how long this continuity will last, but we’ll all instantly recognize it as uniquely Morrison’s, and to make a mark of that magnitude on a character with as much history as Batman is a hard thing to do.

My final word?  Go ahead and pick it up.  I don’t think you’ll regret it.