Basic "filler" issue heading into the DC relaunch...
Well, this is it. There is only been one "Batman" #1 and that run ends with #713. Actually, DC could have ended the series after last issue with Tony Daniel's Two Face story but with a few days left in the month they had time to cram in one more book. This book almost serves as a semi-comprehensive look back at Batman, how he came about, and the people he encountered. It looks back on several key moments in the Batman timeline, seldom stopping to reflect on any of them. It's a nice little "This is Your Life" kinda thing but one that's really unnecessary and perfectly fits the description of a "filler issue".
Fabian Nicieza writes this from the perspective of someone telling a story. We do see at the end who it is and I found it to be pretty interesting considering this person's usual attitude. But there's just not a lot here for Batman fans with a reasonable amount of knowledge of the Batman Universe. There has been many retrospective books that have looked back on a series but the successful one's manage to incorporate an emotional twist or connection into their story. This one really didn't have any of that. It's not necessarily that Nicieza's story lacks heart, but it does seem as if he's going through the motions.
What really concerned me was the number of artists working on the book. A total of six people worked on the pencils and inks and that can sometimes spell disaster. While this isn't the best looking book, it wasn't nearly as bad as I feared. There's no jarring changes in style as the story progresses and that helps keep the it flowing. It's not the most polished book and there are a few character inconsistencies and bland action panels but it isn't overtly awful. It's a decent looking issue and the art serves it's purpose.
I didn't really need this issue but on the other hand it wasn't terrible. It clearly seems to be filling a space and really offers nothing heading into the upcoming relaunch. If you know nothing of Batman's history you may glean something from Batman #713. But don't feel as if you need to rush out to grab it.
