The great part about all of this is that DC isn't pushing the idea of this replacement being permanent. It's a very interesting way of telling the story of a hero's death. As far as the characters like Dick, Alfred, and Tim know, Bruce is dead. But we the readers know he's alive--and not in that "comic-book-deaths-are-never-permanent" nudge nudge wink wink kind of way; DC has actually committed the fact that Bruce is alive to the page (specifically the LAST page of Final Crisis). They even said definitively before Batman RIP started that "Batman isn't going to die."
Knowing that Bruce will eventually return may ruin it for some people; "what's the point?" they ask. But I think of it as a blessing. We can enjoy the story of this "succession war" without letting the whole "BRUCE WAYNE IS THE ONLY BATMAN HNNNNGH" idea ruin it.
And linkspast, if you want to read it, hit up your Local Comic Shop and pick it up. If you don't have an LCS, check a local bookstore like Borders or Barnes & Noble; they often have a comicbook rack near the magazine section.