BATMAN #698
What did the
iFanboy
community think?
Pulls
Art by GUILLEM MARCH
Cover by TONY DANIEL
Size: 32 pages
Price: 2.99
Tony Daniel has officially made me “Skip It” list. This Batman arc just gets murkier and murkier. And not in a pleasing mystery way. As much as I criticize Morrison for his “Cliff Notes” approach to writing, I am always certain that Morrison knows precisely what is going to happen next. Daniel? I’m not so sure.
I don’t think they’ve said yet who the writer is for Batman #700, but I hope they don’t fuck it all up by giving it to Daniel. I’d much rather see Winnick or Morrison or a seven year old from the Make-A-Wish foundation.
Art-wise this is ok. I like March’s style, but he has some definite perspective issues. Unlike Daniel, though, he seems to be improving over time. (I know I’ve said Daniel was improving a few months ago, but it seems as though he’s taken a turn for the worse these past few months.)
Art: 3 - Good
Find us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
Subscribe to our RSS Feed
Some rights reserved.
Batman 700 is going to be three stories all by Grant Morrison. One will be of Bruce-Batman, one of Dick-Batman, and one of Damian-Batman. Though since it’s a special issue, the real question is who will be writing #701?
@Slockhart: Thanks. I don’t read solicitations so that stories aren’t spoiled, but I am very pleased to hear that Morrison is doing #700.
Yeah Batman 700 is going to be bananas.
Glad I decided to drop this title. I thought Daniel was improving as a writer for a while as well, but the end of the previous arc was dipping back into Battle for the Cowl-level bad. At least his art was still okay, but now we don’t even have that. I also got the impression that after the first few issues he didn’t have enough time to keep up with the art schedule AND polish his dialogue and plotting so they didn’t seem clunky.
Not sure why you say Morrison writes "Cliff Notes", though. I think you’ve got the metaphor backwards. Cliff Notes explain everything right up front in a logical manner. Morrison is the total opposite of that. I’ve actually heard multiple people say they wish there were Cliff Notes for Morrison comics. But I haven’t looked at any Cliff Notes in years. So if the Cliff Notes they make these days read like Grant Morrison comics, then I need to start reading more Cliff Notes.
Cliff Notes are used by students who want to get all of the important information out of the book without investing the time to experience the book. It bullet points the events, as opposed to developing them. That’s what I mean by he is a Cliff Notes writer. All the plot points are there. The metaphors are completely spelled out. As are the themes: dominoes, dominoes, dominoes. But you don’t get to see the characters breathe. You only know their motivations because you’re told "their motivation is this".
I totally understand why people love Cliff Notes. And why people love Grant Morrison. Personally, I’d rather have more depth.
I don’t wanna break my run on Batman, but this issue just doesn’t seem worth my three bucks. Thanks for the review, I’m skipping.
akamuu: as usual, love the reviews.
I actually thought this was OK. Not great, but not a "1." Right now I am reading Rucka’s Batman: No Man’s Land novel, and I can’t see anything topping that.
@HailScott: Yea, I gave the book a one because on this site, two equals average, and I found this sub-average. I’m also rating it harder because it’s not Gotham City Sirens or Streets of Gotham, it’s Batman, and Batman comics should be top-notch. Was it the worst comic ever? No. Not even the worst comic this week, just, for me, the biggest disappointment.
As for No Man’s Land, yea, it’s fantastic. I just finished reading all the modern age Batman and Batman related trades I could get my hands on from Year One to Morrison’s Batman & Robin(including Robin, Nightwing, Batgirl, Birds Of Prey, Gotham Central, Catwoman, the JLA books that feature Batman, the big crossover events that feature Batman, Teen Titans, Outsiders, and other DC characters whose books somehow lock into Batman). No Man’s Land was one of the best thought out, and most impactful of the big crossovers. Rucka nailed it like a drunk sorority pledge during Rush week.
@akamuu: Of all of those you read, what volumes of Robin and Nightwing would you suggest picking up? I’ve just gotten into Batman since Dick took over, and I find him and Tim to be very interesting characters- I’d like to read some more of their stories. (By the way, in my stereo, every week is Rush week- haha!)
@HailScott: To Kill A Bird & Days of Fire and Madness is a cool two prong Tim Drake story arc. There isn’t a particular storyline of Nightwing that grabbed me, apart from Nightwing Year One. Grayson is much better in the Batman arcs, and in the Teen Titans storylines, particularly The Judas Contract and Terror of Trigon, which include Grayson’s transition from Robin to Nightwing. Those are the ones that are closer to the heart of the characters.
Thanks a LOT! I am going to look into these.
@HailScott: Also, I know the iFanboys plug it a lot, but it needs to be reiterated, Gotham Central is one of the best Batbooks out there, even though it barely involves Batman & friends. It’s Rucka & Brubaker writing noir in Gotham. Can’t praise it enough. Dead Robins is particularly good.