A little over 10 years ago, when I decided to break down and finally start an official "hold slot/subscription" dealie, the Batman titles were my main interest. I even subscribed to junk like "Batman: Jazz" and "Azrael". My hold list has been modified countless times since then, but I've always kept “Detective Comics” and “Batman” as my two bread n’ butter titles. In short, I’ve bought those two titles on an uninterrupted monthly basis since the whole “KnightsEnd” event.

But now I’m beginning to wonder why I should keep buying “Detective”. I’m a completionist on some titles and don’t want to break my streak simply because I have EVERY issue (Avengers and GI Joe for instance). I’ll never own all 804 issues of “Detective”, so when crap like the current “City of Crime” arc runs for 12 issues, it raises doubt in my mind.

Set OUT of continuity, “City of Crime” is another mismashed romp in Batman’s world by some outside creator. In this case, David Lapham. I’m not familiar with his work...but it seems to me the whole premise of this 12 part shit-pot is so DC can create a trade paperback done by a supposedly “hot and critically acclaimed writer”.

Like the recent “Hush” and “Dark City” arcs, Batman’s world has suddnely become someone’s sandbox. Wouldn’t be so bad if the writer had been around Batman or even DC for a bit. However, the recent job-screening process for a Batman writer seems to consist of ONE question” “have you EVER see the Batman cartoon”? if the answer is “YES”, then the writer is hired.

I’m big on continuity. It ties things together and makes you feel like you haven’t wasted your time and money on something inconsequential. I’ve just spent the last few months following the supposed “big changes that will re-define Batman and his place in the DCU” in the Batman titles with the “Wargames” arc. In that story, a few villains were knocked off, Batman became an outlaw to the Gotham City police, plus Robin, Oracle and Batgirl left town. Almost immediately following this “redefining moments”, “City of Crime” starts up with the tag “a PRE-Wargames Batman story”. Bascially, it doesn’t matter what just happened..we’ll be spending the next YEAR fulfilling some writers’ wetdream.

It’s not just the time-jump...the villains appear out of “pre-Wargames” continuity as well. Penguin’s base of operations and even demeanor are completely different. Before, he seemed like an arrogant slimey club owner with his hands in all the shady dealings about town. Here, he’s more Burgess Meredith and hangs out in a skyscraper topped with a birdcage. He alledgedly “dies” in Part 3 of “City or Crime”..but where’s the drama, since we KNOW that he'll live to pop-up in “Wargames”?! Robin's also back and Batman's insignia changes at the artist's whim.

The story just doesn't seem to "flow", either. I don't need everything to be spelled out for me, and having small plotlines all tie together can be rewarding. But that's not happening here. Batman's run into some random domestic crimes, and it's tough for the reader to suddenly slow down and study the stupid details of a child abduction, when we're told 12 pages later that it's suddenly earthsaking. There's also a dead teenaged girl..and a domestic violence situation..and a burning building...and the random muggers.

Scarface and the Ventriloquist, who died a few years back, have returned (again). They're one of my favorite Bat-villains, but there's that fact of continuity and DEATH. It looks like Blackmasks' "False Face Society" which broke up and ended in 1999's "no Man's Land" is back as well....but didn't they return to prominence with "Wargames"? Uhhh... oh yeah, and Mr. Freeze is around, too.

This type of story is why "Legends of the Dark Knight" was allowed to be born. Creator-driven stories that may or may not be set in continuity. "Detective" and "Batman" are supposed to be the two mainstream, current comics. Alot of people whined about Denny O'Neil's tenure as Batman editor. I like O'Neil and I appreciated how he ran a tight ship around the Batman corner of DC. For example: when the Batmobile blew up and Batman got a new one... the SAME vehicle appeared in EVERY Bat-title. Today, the Batmobile changes at the artist's whim. DC needs an editor to actually EDIT, now.

(...and no, I don't buy the "oh, he has HUNDREDS of Batmobiles, like Jim Lee drew in HUSH" defense. )

But hell...they'll get a TRADE PAPERBACK out of this crap.