A DC Comics Milestone: Batman #700

Title: Batman #700

Author: Grant Morrison

Artist: Tony Daniel, David Finch, Andy Kubert, and Frank Quitely

Publisher: DC Comics

Rating: 13+

Release date: June 9, 2010

Verdict: 9/10

Another big time comic book reached a milestone issue number this month, and that book was the adjective-less Batman title, which hit the big number 700. This landmark issue makes Batman one of the longest running titles in all of comic book history. The book featured a sweet cover by David Finch, and also featured the return of Grant Morrison to these pages for the first time in over a year. Morrison has been making “Batman & Robin” his sole Batman story telling outlet.

The issue featured four separate but inter-related stories from four separate eras of Batman’s career. The first story, titled “Yesterday” features a tale starring the original Batman, Bruce Wayne, with art by current Batman writer/artist Tony Daniel. The second story “Today” features a story with Dick Grayson, the current Batman, and art by oft-Morrison collaborator Frank Quitely. The third story, “Tomorrow” features Damian Wayne as the caped crusader in the not too distant future. A future that was first investigated by Morrison and Andy Kubert back in Batman #666. Kubert returns to pencil this cool little tale. Last but not least, issue #700 also features a glimpse of various Batmen from the future such as Terry McGinnis, aka Batman Beyond, a Batman from a post-apocalyptic era, and a Batman from a Utopia-like society. All with gorgeous art by David Finch. The issue is then topped off with a pin-up gallery featuring pieces by Shane Davis, Juan Doe, Dustin Nguyen, Guillem March, Tim Sale, Bill Sienkiewicz, and Philip Tan. All in all it was a very packed anniversary issue, but that’s okay. Nothing is better than really getting a big bang for your buck with these special issues.

The story that runs through the book was really an interconnected time travel story wherein each part of the issue tied into the other parts via the overall meta-story. Some things about a particular case from when Batman and Robin were Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson seem off. Bruce is not able to understand why everything happened in the way that it did. The case they were working seemed to have some holes. Some of those holes are worked out in the next story, and even more comes to light with each successive story. This is Grant Morrison doing what he does best. At first the story was confusing me, but it made more and more sense as I went on. By the end, I really loved this book J !

As a single issue, this is totally accessible to the fair-weather fan of Batman. We get a 30 page story with a bunch of pin-ups and a few sweet diagrams of the current incarnation of the Bat-Cave for only $5, and in today’s comic book landscape, that is in fact a deal. I would go so far as to say that this is one of the Top 5 Batman issues by Mr. Morrison. EVERYONE SHOULD CHECK IT OUT! What did you all think? Sound off below in our handy comments section J .