Frank Miller Batman comic accidently gets 'R' rated

If you can manage to get your hands on a copy of one of the Batman comics that got published with the groovy swear words showing, you can get about $20 to $60 on EBay or the eternal envy of the guy who wrote it - Frank Miller.

Not that any of this is Mr. Miller's fault mind you. In the handful of days this brew has been cooking over the now recalled copies of "All-Star Batman and Robin The Boy Wonder" #10 there have been explanations aplenty about words printed with darker ink and black bars that are supposed to be covering them not being dark enough.

Whatever. You may still be able to see an example here.

Miller gave a response when interviewed over at Hero Complex four days or so ago and basically called it one of those "awful" things that happen. OK, he said it in Miller-speak. This little printing miscue was in his words "just one of those terrible and glorious things that happen time to time in publishing." Later in the interview he asked that DC Comics "not shred the copies."

Of course he would want one of those copies. So if you have an extra copy of All-Star Batman #10 in your pull stack or preorders out there, save one for Frank Miller.

This gets me to "All-Star Batman" which is illustrated by one of my fave artists, Jim Lee. This comic is not meant to be part of the regular Batman story line that goes on in DC universe proper for those of you who care about that. It is a comic that sparks a little debate among those who don't mind the wildly aggressive, violent, borderline-child abusive Batman depicted in this series and those who don't get the story or see its direction.

I don't hear the music on this comic either, but Frank Miller does and for some readers and fans that's good enough.

Miller wrote the script with all of the profanity and the letterer placed the words in the comic and they were meant to be covered while revealing just enough so we get the picture.

Admittedly, I chuckled when I heard about the printing error. Maybe without articulating it I was also thinking this is "terrible" and "glorious." "Terrible" because I wouldn't want some well-meaning preteen fan, who this book is not for, to pick up a copy and have this be his first Batman comic ever. And "glorious" because I've been asking and no one I know has a copy or has even managed to score one... yet.