Batman Confidential #24 - DC

I know it's inevitable, but in comics . . . no one ever really ages. If they did, they'd eventually lose all their good characters. Clark & Bruce would be like 70 or 80. Jay Garrick and Allen Scott would probably be over 100. What kind of serious adventure could they have? Anyways, that's basically what this story is about. This is supposed to be one of the first times Batman and Joker have crossed. Hell, they don't even call him the Joker yet. It doesn't appear that Batman has Robin yet. And the Commissioner and Batman are still working out their relationship. But while the Mayor is reaming Gordon for the way the trial is being handled, he makes the comment "You people are making the Saddam trial look like Inherit the Wind." Now, while the movie is from the 50's, Saddam's trial took place in 2004. Then he also makes the comment, "I want that freak in a prison cell. Not in some glorified rest home watching the View between art therapy and nap time." So basically they're saying that this story probably took place within the last 5 years. Now, like I said, while I can appreciate the necessity for these types of stories, the problem I have is that unless it's an all-sweeping action . . throughout the entire DC Universe . . there's going to be contradictions in other titles. Dick Grayson may make a comment about Kramer vs Kramer, or something, when according to this he probably shouldn't have even been around yet. And, on top of that, Batman goes into the jail to try to get close to the Joker and see if he can figure him out a bit. The problem is, he goes in as Matches Malone. Of course the Joker sees right through the disguise and calls him out. But now Batman has lost that identity for future use should he need it to infiltrate Joker's gang or something. It doesn't seem like a very wise choice to me. Now that's not to say that I didn't enjoy the book. I always love a good Joker story. And, except for the few bad references, I thought that Andrew Kreisberg did a good job with it. Scott McDanial always makes a story look good with the interior art. And Stephane Roux, yet again, delivers a fantastic cover. Like I said, I know a story like this is necessary sometimes. I just don't know, with everything that's going on in the DC Universe right now, that now is the time.