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BATMAN #700

Grant Morrison returns to BATMAN with this oversized special! And he’s brought an all-star roster of artists along with him including Andy Kubert, Tony Daniel and Frank Quitely to celebrate this milestone 700th issue featuring stories spotlighting each of the Batmen from different eras – Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson and Damian Wayne.

You won’t want to miss this blockbuster story that paves the way for the return of Bruce Wayne and sports mind-boggling covers by superstars David Finch (BRIGHTEST DAY) and Mike Mignola (BATMAN: GOTHAM BY GASLIGHT, Hellboy)!

Written by GRANT MORRISON
Art by TONY DANIEL, ANDY KUBERT, FRANK QUITELY, DAVID FINCH & RICHARD FRIEND
Cover by DAVID FINCH
"DC 75th Anniversary" variant cover by MIKE MIGNOLA
"DC 75th Anniversary" variant black and white cover by MIKE MIGNOLA

Price: $4.99
iFanboy Community Pick of the Week Percentage: 3.9%
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Avg Rating: 3.9
 
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Comments

  1. stuclach stuclach says:
    June 7, 2010 at 2:12 pm

    I’m excited about this issue.  Those are some wonderful artists.

  2. HuntresSThompson HuntresSThompson says:
    June 7, 2010 at 2:22 pm

    wonderful artists indeed! I am totally making my mom buy this. She says she is down for collecting issues that will gain some value…

  3. drakedangerz drakedangerz says:
    June 7, 2010 at 2:34 pm

    sweet!

  4. USPUNX USPUNX says:
    June 7, 2010 at 2:37 pm

    This could be awesome

  5. misterckent misterckent says:
    June 7, 2010 at 2:43 pm

    I love these types of milestone issues.  I’ve not been reading Batman, but I’m sure this’ll be fun.

  6. TheNextChampion TheNextChampion says:
    June 7, 2010 at 3:02 pm

    Oh god…..never have I been so orgasmic over a cover….Both covers actually! I hope both of them become posters and fast.

    Oh and yeah the comic, good lord an extraordinary amount of great talent in this. This is gonna be POTW already… 

  7. AmirCat AmirCat says:
    June 7, 2010 at 3:35 pm

    I am glad Golden Boy Finch (term of endearment) will finally do some interiors for DC now. Looking forward to that.

  8. DarkKnightJared DarkKnightJared says:
    June 7, 2010 at 3:41 pm

    Can’t freaking WAIT for this issue. :D

  9. WheelHands WheelHands says:
    June 7, 2010 at 4:05 pm

    Excited for this, especially after #698 and #699. Milestones are always fun, and Morrison milestones are even better.

  10. ibagree ibagree says:
    June 7, 2010 at 4:27 pm

    I’m there. I’ll buy anything with the names Morrison and Quitely on it. The rest is gravy.

  11. edward says:
    June 7, 2010 at 5:17 pm

    hey! i remember buying Batman 500 when i was a kid. it was the issue when Azreal beats Bane and you finally got to see that sweet new costume.

    Where’s the time go, hey, kids?

  12. JimBilly4 JimBilly4 says:
    June 7, 2010 at 5:31 pm

    That Finch cover is nice, but the Mignola is sweet (and its homage-a-tude may make it even sweeter).

    http://dcu.blog.dccomics.com/2010/05/17/celebrate-75-years-of-dc-comics-on-the-source/

  13. cromulent cromulent says:
    June 7, 2010 at 5:54 pm

    Anyone know how long Morrison will be on Batman, so I can decide whether to stick it on my regular pull list or not?

  14. HailScott HailScott says:
    June 7, 2010 at 6:05 pm

    I’m psyched for the art, but bummed about Snorrison. Wordplay!

  15. vadamowens vadamowens says:
    June 7, 2010 at 7:10 pm

    Good to see Grant back on the book.

  16. player1 player1 says:
    June 7, 2010 at 7:14 pm

    This looks worth a look, mostly for the "event" nature of the purchase.

  17. wallythegreenmonster wallythegreenmonster says:
    June 7, 2010 at 7:44 pm

    i’m really curious to see some of the interiors on this one…

  18. Conor Kilpatrick conor (@cskilpatrick) says:
    June 7, 2010 at 7:48 pm

    @JimBilly4: You must have missed this.

  19. WinTheWonderboy WinTheWonderboy says:
    June 7, 2010 at 7:51 pm

    Yay, a good writer on Batman again!!!!!!!

  20. NathanNicdao NathanNicdao says:
    June 7, 2010 at 8:05 pm

    Congrats, Batman. 700 issues. Amazing.

  21. Reform Reform says:
    June 7, 2010 at 8:26 pm

    Love me some Batman, I like the Batmen from different eras idea too.

  22. OnASunday OnASunday says:
    June 7, 2010 at 9:45 pm

    Does anybody know how rare the Mignola cover is? I hope it’s not marked up to $20+ at my store. I think I’ll pay $15 for it though.

  23. robbydzwonar robbydzwonar says:
    June 7, 2010 at 9:56 pm

    I’m gonna end up reading this so many times.  IS IT WEDNESDAY YET!??

  24. Hexsas Hexsas says:
    June 8, 2010 at 12:10 am

    Glad to see Morrison on Batman at the top of the list, this snuck up on me, have been reading B & R and Red Robin instead of this title, but morrison is back for a reason, I’d excited.

  25. NathanNicdao NathanNicdao says:
    June 8, 2010 at 1:54 am

    @OnASunday: my LCS sells it for $20, the b&w for $60

  26. mikeandzod21 mikeandzod21 says:
    June 8, 2010 at 4:32 am

    Thank God, a real writer! Now we can have at least one good solo Batman book. Detective as of late and the last year or so of Batman have just been awful

  27. cubman987 cubman987 says:
    June 8, 2010 at 9:53 am

    Love, love, LOVE that cover.  Can’t wait for this.

  28. DarkKnightJared DarkKnightJared says:
    June 8, 2010 at 5:36 pm

    "Anyone know how long Morrison will be on Batman, so I can decide whether to stick it on my regular pull list or not?"

    He’ll be on until at least #702, telling a "lost chapter" between RIP and Final Crisis, with Tony Daniel doing the art. 

  29. drdeeeznutz drdeeeznutz says:
    June 8, 2010 at 9:35 pm

    Im gonna wait until batman comes back before I jump on the band wagon…$4.99…shit man

  30. robbydzwonar robbydzwonar says:
    June 8, 2010 at 9:38 pm

    56 story pages though, and I can be down with some Morrison Batman in any situation!!

  31. NawidA NawidA says:
    June 8, 2010 at 10:46 pm

    This week is so fucking good. I wonder what we’re getting here.

  32. Crippler Crippler says:
    June 8, 2010 at 11:09 pm

    Excited, very very excited, to read this. 

  33. mickmac59 mickmac59 says:
    June 9, 2010 at 4:53 am

    This reeks of awesome!

  34. MoodSmoothie MoodSmoothie says:
    June 9, 2010 at 8:18 am

    That cover is sweet. Totally getting this today.

  35. TheNextChampion TheNextChampion says:
    June 9, 2010 at 3:23 pm

    Other then the transition from Quitely to Kolins; this issue was about as perfect you can get.

    Fantastic artwork in this, a great time travel story (of sorts) to connect all three stories, and overall just a fun comic to read. Also great back matter in this with beautiful pages by more artists and a detailed look into the Batcave. My POTW (as I predicted correctly!) and I cannot wait to read the next two issues by Morrison on this title. 

  36. AquaPimp82 AquaPimp82 says:
    June 9, 2010 at 6:36 pm

    Great issue! I like to think that Tim Drake will also wear the cowl one day too. I also liked the the info on the Batcave.

  37. dryan dryan says:
    June 9, 2010 at 7:16 pm

    Took a second read to make sense of the earlier parts but a POTW in the end.

  38. ntn1015 says:
    June 9, 2010 at 10:17 pm

    I have no idea what happened. Grant strikes again. I don’t know why I buy books he writes :(

  39. comicBOOKchris comicBOOKchris says:
    June 9, 2010 at 10:28 pm

    I loved the surprise Terry McGinnis cameo at the end!

     

    This was a fun done-in-one story, I really enjoyed the epic scale that this was told in. My favorite part was at the very end, and you saw all the future Batmen in all their respective crazy futures. And not to mention the Batcave layout, as I’m totally gay for those types of things.

  40. WadeWilson WadeWilson says:
    June 9, 2010 at 11:26 pm

    @ntn1015- good to know I’m not the only one who feels that way.

    Now on to google to try to decipher this issue …

  41. TheNextChampion TheNextChampion says:
    June 9, 2010 at 11:58 pm

    I want to read a comic involving the Futuristic Japanese Batman and his robot Robin. Now THAT’S a comic!

  42. Slockhart Slockhart says:
    June 10, 2010 at 12:26 am

    So…. that Terry McGinnis Joker Baby is the creepiest thing ever…

  43. Slockhart Slockhart says:
    June 10, 2010 at 12:26 am

    @TNC

    I’m pretty sure that was the Batman and Robin from The DC One Million event. 

  44. WadeWilson WadeWilson says:
    June 10, 2010 at 1:24 am

    OK, after re-reading the issues & reading a bunch of message boards & blogs about this issue, there’s still one major question I have:

    — SPOILERS –

    Why did Professor Nichols kill his future-self?

     

  45. Soma Soma says:
    June 10, 2010 at 1:26 am

    A little speculation but I’m hesitant to think that what Morrison’s getting to with the Joker is that it’ll be revealed that he’s Bruce Wayne effected by the omega sanction or a lost relative.

  46. WadeWilson WadeWilson says:
    June 10, 2010 at 1:30 am

    @TNC – Yep, what @Slockhart said, that was from Batman #1,000,000.

    After reading all those message boards, the thing that baffles me (apart from the issue) is the huge amount of people who say they loved this issue, yet didn’t get it.

    How something can be so unclear (especially a mystery with no clear answer) with so many different theories of what this is issue is about, can be so popular amazes me. 

  47. DarkKnightJared DarkKnightJared says:
    June 10, 2010 at 1:41 am

    SPOILERS:

    "Why did Professor Nichols kill his future-self?"

    From what I understood, Nichols had plans to do other things, and his taking the older body and putting it in current times so that he could be legally dead from then on.  

  48. WadeWilson WadeWilson says:
    June 10, 2010 at 1:53 am

    SPOILERS 

    Cheers, dude. But, a time-machine is already a pretty solid escape from the law; why does he need to be "legally dead"?

    *shrug*

    And, the answer to the riddle is "Time", right? I’ve seen about 3 or 4 different answers online … 

     

     

  49. stuclach stuclach says:
    June 10, 2010 at 8:17 am

    That Kolins transition was like a punch in the face.  If that doesn’t make you appriciate the quality of Frank Quietly’s work, nothing will.

    The story was interesting, but felt a bit more scattered to me than it needed to be. 

  50. SamMorgan SamMorgan says:
    June 10, 2010 at 8:53 am

    The Mignola B&W cover was selling for £50!!! That’s £44 extra for less colour! Varient covers can fuck right off!!

  51. WheelHands WheelHands says:
    June 10, 2010 at 9:06 am

    Yeah that is some of the worst Kolins stuff I have ever seen. Normally I’m a fan but that was pretty vile. Did he draw these pages while driving down a bumpy street in the dark? Daniels’ pages seemed kind of rushed to me as well. Quitely and Finch really owned this issue. Can we get Finch on a Batbook please?

    Enjoyed this all in all. It was a fun one-shot. Whether you like him or not, ya can’t deny that Morrison loves Batman. This issue was a celebration of the character and his many incarnations. LOVED the Terry McGinnis twist. Loved the nod to DKR’s mutant gang even more. 

    Were we supposed to assume that Old Man Wayne from the Batman Beyond bit was supposed to be Damian? That’s how it read to me.

  52. boostergold4 says:
    June 10, 2010 at 10:10 am

    My head hurts!

  53. WadebeforeSlade WadebeforeSlade says:
    June 10, 2010 at 11:03 am

    Wasn’t this billed as being the beginning of the return of Bruce Wayne?  You know, so that we could see the end of Prodigal 2? I am right there with ntn1015 and Wade Wilson – this grandiose tapestry of cleverness (sarcasm) that has been brewing since Batman & Son belongs in another book.  I really feel like I missed something – but why is everything Grant Morrison does supposed to be so fantastic and you "won’t understand it, but that means its deep"? Batman 700 – FAIL.  To paraphrase Craig Ferguson – I look forward to your comments.

  54. drakedangerz drakedangerz says:
    June 10, 2010 at 11:31 am

    I enjoyed this quite a bit. POTW at the moment, but have to go through my books a second time to be sure.

  55. TheNextChampion TheNextChampion says:
    June 10, 2010 at 1:24 pm

    So does anyone know what the other futuristic takes on Batman were? The Japanese one is confirmed as DC 1,000,000 version. Not sure about the other two.

  56. WheelHands WheelHands says:
    June 10, 2010 at 2:05 pm

    @TNC: I’m at work so I don’t have this issue in front of me, but I only remember four future Batmen; Damian Wayne from #666, Terry McGinnis and Old Man (Damian?) Wayne from Batman Beyond, some post-apocalyptic Batman, and the 1,000,000.

    I can’t say whether or not the post-apocalyptic Batman was a creation of Morrison’s just for this issue, or some other reference. I was curious about that one too.

  57. Mangaman Mangaman says:
    June 10, 2010 at 3:29 pm

    @HuntresSThompson: LMFAO!!!

    Morrison is the secret word of the day! 8D.

  58. WheelHands WheelHands says:
    June 10, 2010 at 4:50 pm

    @TNC: I forgot about the Batman from Nugothtropolis. As far as I know, he and the post-judgement-day Bats are new creations.

  59. NathanNicdao NathanNicdao says:
    June 10, 2010 at 8:45 pm

    Anybody noticed on that Frank quitely missed a Batman Chest Logo?

  60. DarthDuck DarthDuck says:
    June 10, 2010 at 9:03 pm

    Did no one else get the screwed up double printing for the first and last pages?  Or am I just the only one feeling the need to bring it up?

  61. DarthDuck DarthDuck says:
    June 10, 2010 at 9:06 pm

    And I’m pretty sure I’m missing pages in the middle too

  62. OnASunday OnASunday says:
    June 10, 2010 at 11:30 pm

    Scott Kolins suuuuuuuucks. What’s up with sneaking him into bat books with completely unrelated artists? Detective comics with Jock and now this with Quitely? C’mon. I haven’t been reading the main Batman title. If Wayne from Batman Beyond is Damian consider my mind blown. Loving all the BB love lately.

  63. DamonS23 DamonS23 says:
    June 11, 2010 at 12:44 am

    This was fun and made me realize just how much I miss Bruce.

  64. Zeppo Zeppo says:
    June 11, 2010 at 7:49 am

    @OnASunday

    It seems like Kollins is DC’s go to go when an artist is late. I agree with you I’ve never liked his art. It’s just not for me.

    Terry’s appearance is shock me. More BB – yes please.

  65. horrorofsorts horrorofsorts says:
    June 11, 2010 at 8:41 am

    just amazing

  66. edward says:
    June 11, 2010 at 10:34 am

    i never watched Batman Beyond and now with all the interest i can’t help but think about what a silly name Terry McGinnis is. that dude is so irish

    anyhow, this was way better than the batman 500 issue i mentioned earlier. if i had read this when i was 12 i would have been over the moon

  67. PraxJarvin PraxJarvin says:
    June 11, 2010 at 3:26 pm

    I haven’t a chance to reread the issue. I really enjoyed it on first read, but it just didn’t *love* it on first read. Still in contention for my POTW, we’ll see how it goes.

  68. NathanNicdao NathanNicdao says:
    June 11, 2010 at 7:27 pm

    I think the main story is quite simple when it finally makes sense, I don’t know why it confuses me and everyone else. Maybe the art? I don’t know.

  69. mikeandzod21 mikeandzod21 says:
    June 12, 2010 at 1:36 am

    I think well see what this issue was all about down the line, and that this is setting up Morrison’s next epoch of Batman. When his initial run was going on, there were many issues where I didn’t know what the fuck was going on, but then I later went back and read his whole run all at once and it all makes sense and is actually amazing.

  70. NathanNicdao NathanNicdao says:
    June 12, 2010 at 2:32 am

    What can we beat but never defeat?

    My answer is : HEART

    ?

  71. edward says:
    June 12, 2010 at 3:37 am

    @nathan: Tomorrow. the answer is tomorrow. that answer fits thematically with the issue.

  72. Cedric Cedric says:
    June 12, 2010 at 6:14 am

    @edward hey, thanks, I wanted to know that answer:). You figured it out yourself?

  73. edward says:
    June 12, 2010 at 6:21 am

    yup

  74. NathanNicdao NathanNicdao says:
    June 12, 2010 at 6:49 am

    @Edward: Could be. Good One.

  75. edward says:
    June 12, 2010 at 7:14 am

    no. it is

  76. GloriousGodfrey GloriousGodfrey says:
    June 12, 2010 at 8:44 am

    wait, surely the answer is time…?

     

    i thought tomorrrow, but that doesn’t really make as much sense.

     

    hmmm. 

    Overall, interesting fun issue, some great great art, ruined somewhat by quitely not finishing his story, and that horrid kollins art.

    i liked how the issue ended, and all the confusing timetravel nonsense, but it didn’t feel special enough for a 700# celebration. couldn’t we just have had a good long bat-story, without all the continuity stuff?  i dunno. i’m in two minds about this. in someways its a little disappointing as a special issue.

  77. edward says:
    June 12, 2010 at 7:07 pm

    ok, i’ll go with that

  78. stuclach stuclach says:
    June 12, 2010 at 8:02 pm

    I assumed the answer was Batman.

  79. drakedangerz drakedangerz says:
    June 12, 2010 at 9:59 pm

    I went with a drum, because that’s infinitely funnier than any of your answers.

  80. Revalk Revalk says:
    June 13, 2010 at 4:04 am

    I’m a new batman reader, and I chose #700 to jump on.

    I’m supposed to be confused as hell, right?

    I’ve read Grant Morrison before in a few books, but this was obviously the worst jumping on point ever.

  81. edward says:
    June 13, 2010 at 4:13 am

    oh, revalk, revalk, revalk… you, my friend, have proberly picked the worst time in last 10 years to start reading batman. Wait until Bruce wayne comes back to being batman in the regular title. that willl be a good jumping on point. You might have trouble with the book as it is now

  82. deadspace deadspace says:
    June 13, 2010 at 1:21 pm

    Never read a Batman issue before. Picked up #700. There were probably bits I didn’t get but this was still my potw. No one is more surprised than me. 

  83. deadspace deadspace says:
    June 13, 2010 at 1:28 pm

    Also, I think "Clock" is a better answer than "Time" for the riddle.

  84. Revalk Revalk says:
    June 13, 2010 at 2:55 pm

    @Edward: I figured! Haha. I’m just going to dive in and say screw it. I’ll catch on sooner or later.

  85. jobob247 jobob247 says:
    June 14, 2010 at 2:44 am

    Man , it always amazes me to see the unabashed sackriding of gmo on this board. Never fails, every other board I participate in hated this… but come here and this guy can do no wrong. This was god awful, i mean just awful. Then I get shanked when Quitely can’t even finish up a MINI project like this for a big "milestone" event? Come on.

    And no, I don’t hate on all of gmo’s stuff. Batman and Robin has been spectacular….. I’m even very much liking the return of Bruce Wayne…

    I too love the "i don’t get it, but it was the best thing I’ve ever read" line. This has become the mantra for gmo sackriders since final crisis….. UGH 

  86. jlddlj11 jlddlj11 says:
    June 14, 2010 at 3:40 am

    Really disappointing.  I’m tired of gun slinging Batmen since it goes against the fundamental core of Batman, regardless of what Morrison and Didio say about Final Crisis (no exceptions!)

  87. cromulent cromulent says:
    June 14, 2010 at 9:05 am

    I might be the only one, but I kinda want more Damian Batman….

  88. Rustyautoparts Rustyautoparts says:
    June 14, 2010 at 12:07 pm

    @jobob247 Please, tell us how you really feel.

    I loved this, and I have no idea what Morrison’s sack looks like. Multilayered storytelling, a reflection of Batman throughout the ages in his various permutations. Guns + Batman = Win for me. Gorgeous art from all involved (sans Kolins). Typical Grant Morrison craziness. What’s not to love?

  89. thescimitar thescimitar says:
    June 14, 2010 at 2:05 pm

    The art in this book was spectacular.  I’m not sure why everyone has a hate on for Kollins’ art in this issue, I thought his work was very different than what I am use to from him but still very cool.

     The story was another Morrison mind-fuck that had me leafing back through the pages looking for any subtle clues for whatever it was I thought I was missing.  I never found it, but I still loved it.

  90. BCDX97 BCDX97 says:
    June 15, 2010 at 1:48 pm

    Not enough in this book for 5 bucks.  :(

  91. CelticHart81 CelticHart81 says:
    June 16, 2010 at 12:53 pm

    Awesome concept…..but Morrison always has a way of screwing up a good thing.  I am not your run-of-the-mill Morrison hater.  I have like some of his stuff…..but this was just confusing.  I felt like pages were missing…some things just don’t add up.  But that’s just Morrison. 

    That’s a bad BAD Morrison. You do that outside!  Not on the pages of a legacy IP!

  92. kennyg kennyg says:
    June 22, 2010 at 11:39 pm

    Extremely disappointed. Great idea, poor execution as others noted. I agree with the previous poster, it almost seems like Morrison skips over important things that would make the story flow and make sense. He did this crap on Final Crisis, which was unforgivable on such a high-profile event. Not to mention the fact the the same ground was covered in a cartoon years ago! Not an original idea by far. The art was decent. Quietly’s work looked better than normal, but I hate the way he draws faces – they all look the same. Not a fan, don’t understand why everyone’s on his d*ck all the time.

  93. JimBilly4 JimBilly4 says:
    July 8, 2010 at 4:49 pm

    That seemed an unseemly number of allegations of people standing about on comic creator genitalia. I think we can all agree that we should not ride, hang, or stomp about on anyone’s twigs and berries.

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