It seems like many of the discussions we are having lately involve questions of continuity and coherence in the BatVerse, particularly how storylines cohere from book to book and how well different creative teams are doing acknowledging and adapting to events in the greater shared mythos. It strikes me that the BatVerse seems to have a hard time striking a healthy balance in this regard. Early in the New 52, continuity was arguably a great strength of the Bat Books, indeed it was arguably too strong. With Court of Owls, Death of the Family, and Requiem many complained that the Batman title was becoming the One Book to Rule them All, with most of the other books forced to pin their story arcs to required crossover points in Snyder's epics.
Then it seemed as if everything melted down. Batman went off into Zero Year and lingered for a very long time. Forever Evil, with its interminable delays and late developing major plot twists threw a wrench into the works. Now we have a situation where each title almost seems to exist in its own universe. Batman is still in Zero Year. Grayson is not yet launched. Batgirl, RHATO, Batwoman, Catwoman, and Batwing are each doing their own thing without much regard for greater continuity, although Batgirl did make a nod toward Forever Evil. Tec likewise seems to have very little to do with anything else. Batman and Robin (let's call it by its true name) is the strangest of all, seemingly caught in a parallel universe where Requiem never ended and the issues of Damian' life and death are rehashed over...and over...and over...and over. And Eternal, which is supposed to tie everything together, really isn't.
So, it seems like the Batman line veers strongly first one way and then the other, first with an emphasis on continuity and coherence that was arguably too strong, only to suddenly disolve into a continuity so tenuous it is nearly non-existant. Perhaps the line simply needs the flagship title to be strongly in the present to provide the anchor point and time-keeping function. Or maybe it is just the unfortunate playing out of specific events. Anyway, the reversal is striking. Your thoughts?