The Batman Problem

Another week and another issue that seems to unravel the tightly-knit fabric that was DC continuity before and during Infinite Crisis. This time, the blame falls on another member of the holy trinity of DC superheroes, Batman.

This isn’t quite so major as the The Superman Problem. If you blinked, or just weren’t reading very closely, you very easily could have missed it. In fact, if you take it out, the story would have read just the same. But writer James Robinson felt the need to answer the question “Why would Batman put Harvey Dent in charge of protecting Gotham knowing Dent doesn’t have the skills he does?”

Personally, I never questioned Batman’s decision. Dent was an old friend of his, and I just figured Batman trusted him, despite his villainous past. Of course, I’m not a long-time Batman reader. Robinson probably wanted to explain to those fans why Batman would do it. And his answer was “Batman spent a month training Harvey Dent.”

Except Batman left town right after Infinite Crisis. Okay, so it was probably a few days after the big Metropolis fight, but it certainly wasn’t a month. Or else they’d have to call it 48. Two weeks and two flubs with two major characters. If the DC editors can’t keep track off their biggest guns, how do they expect to keep track of the little ones?

Tune in next week when Wonder Woman has coffee with Ted Kord and discusses the time Blue Beetle and Booster Gold had to work at a burger joint in hell.