I also found the first couple of issues actively bad, though it might have been me getting used to O'Neil's style again. By the last few issues, I felt like I was reading about a variant of The Question , which was interesting, but not necessarily good for the collection. Overall, I was surprised how good the whole volume was.
There were quite a few good writers working on No Man's Land, and though the plot didn't do much that was interesting, there were still piles of interesting character stories here. Feb 21, Shad rated it it was amazing. I read a lot of Batman stuff, in fact most of the top shelf of my bookshelf is dominated by Batman trades mostly paperbacks but I have scored a few hardcovers and I would rank this amongst my favorites. It was unlike any Batman story I have read up to this point. I found most of the book to be captivating as it wove the story of a post-quake Gotham that has been cut off from the world.
The various gangs and factions, some led by various villains or the remnants of the GCPD, carving up the city. Overall though I simply have to give the book high marks and label it mandatory reading for Batman fans. Feb 21, Katie rated it it was ok Shelves: I'm not sure what exactly it was that kept me from enjoying this as much as I thought I would. I've loved all the other work by Greg Rucka that I've come across The compilation of stories in this aren't all by Greg Rucka.
That explains why it just didn't seem to mesh very well. Different writers, different illustrators; just didn't work all that much for me. Gotham City has been hit by an earthquake. The government tried to evacuate the populace, but not everyone left For some reason, Gotham has been isolated. When Batman returns, he finds that the people have changed. Freedom isn't the most important thing in their lives. Another gripe is the storyline about Azrael.
I honestly don't know this guy, but we're thrown into the apparent? I found it frustrating. I'm going to give the subsequent editions a chance Feb 15, Caroline rated it really liked it Shelves: A sprawling storyline involving Gotham being shut down from the rest of the world after a series of cataclysms, with this picking up a few months after the borders have been shut down. An interesting way to get Batman to have to operate in new ways--since gang warfare breaks out, his usual tactics just don't work in here.
Fantastic character work in here--Bruce Wayne, Barbara Gordon a A sprawling storyline involving Gotham being shut down from the rest of the world after a series of cataclysms, with this picking up a few months after the borders have been shut down. Fantastic character work in here--Bruce Wayne, Barbara Gordon and Jim Gordon all get some character building and introspection in here, it's not just action sequence after action sequence.
I rather enjoyed Huntress' storyline and the way that panned out. I was dreading Azrael when I realized he was included in here, but luckily I really like what they've done with his character. He's still not a favorite, and doubtful he ever will be, but after his stint as a homicidal and self-righteous Batman really anything is going to be better. Even Azrael has some excellent character development in here. May 06, Suzy rated it liked it.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. There were some parts that seemed to drag a bit but I did enjoy it and find it worth the money. I am pretty upset that DC still did not include nor collect "The Road to No Man's Land" which, in my opinion, is a crucial part to the story line. You can read the story without it but I certainly enjoyed it a lot more. The story is about an earthquake that hits Gotham. All the buildings, except those own by Bruce Wayne, are destroyed. This story is about life afte Overall, I really enjoyed this book. This story is about life after the quake and the hell Batman and the citizens of Gotham go through.
It is a long book about pages and it continues in four other books. Be prepared to wait a bit for the other newly collected books to come out. Dec 21, Maria Kramer rated it really liked it Shelves: A series of disasters renders Gotham unfit for habitation. The federal government cuts it off and it's survival of the fittest. Since this is a big crossover event, the quality of the stories goes up and down.
Still, this is a landmark in the history comics - inspiring The Dark Knight Rises, among other things. The one issue that absolutely floored me - the one with the Death Dancer. A villain who - no joke - tap dances in front of you, then kills you with his sharpened shoe.
Did the writer A series of disasters renders Gotham unfit for habitation. Did the writer's realize how hilarious that was, or were they just sleep-deprived and running up against a tight deadline? The world may never know. May 09, Heath Lowrance rated it liked it. City sealed off from the rest of the world. Bats and his crew take the city back, block by block.
This goes on for a year. Some good stuff from Rucka, some tedious stuff from everyone else. Still, it's nice to see the status quo get shaken up from time to time, and No Man's Land certainly signaled the beginning of a solid few years of Batman stories after that. Sep 27, Nephyo rated it did not like it Shelves: Wow batman writers in the late 90s were absurdly cynical about humanity. This volume uses its "story" aa a thin veil for an ideological rant and forgets to deliver believable characters, interesting events, or an engaging plot.
I don't know what the writers were thinking in those years but it wasn't pretty. Jan 23, Martijn Van rated it liked it. There are some really great stories and some weaker ones. But overal i am expecting more. And with three more volumes of No Man's Land to go i am getting more. Now let's hope there are no more weak short stories and let the earlier ones evolve into the intresting aspects of the main story arc. Jun 24, Ronnie Jones rated it really liked it. A long book which shows the aftermath of the earthquake following cataclysm. A good book but a slow burner Full review here.
Mar 23, Joe Crawford rated it really liked it Shelves: Almost an anthology, the stories all occur after Gotham has been demolished by an earthquake and cut off from the rest of the world. Some stories definitely hit harder than others. Mixed bag, but more good than bad. Oct 22, Patrick rated it really liked it. I don't think these are necessarily in the proper order, making it kind of a mishmash.
Dec 30, Curt Matzenbacher rated it really liked it. IMO, Batman is at his best with some philosophy and social commentary mixed in. This book has it in spades. Aug 31, Frank M rated it it was amazing Shelves: One of my favorite Batman stories of all time. Feb 03, Justin rated it liked it. Gotham abandoned after cataclysm and contagion. Interesting issue when they go into jokers place. Azreal stupid, two fake issue not bad where he helps. Good issue with joker and azreal. Nov 27, Oscar rated it liked it. Over the years I've read a lot of praise for this particular Batman event, so when I saw the new collected trades on sale I snatched them up right away.
Even while not really being a Batman fan. After reading the first few chapters I got my hopes up that the praise was indeed deserved, however this collection includes stories from at least 6 different Bat titles that were running at the time. Each with their own creative teams, so the quality could differ pretty drastically. Which unfortunately i Over the years I've read a lot of praise for this particular Batman event, so when I saw the new collected trades on sale I snatched them up right away.
Which unfortunately it does. The 2 starting chapters by Bob Gale, who seems to have left the Bat titles during this event, are also the best part of this book. And the quality goes downward pretty quickly. So No Man's Land is about Gotham after it has been decimated by an earthquake - which I assume happened in the Cataclysm event before this - and how the residents who remain there deal with this situation.
As for some reason or other, the American government has blockaded all roads to the city and revoked the city's part of the United States. So the Gothamites are stuck there. The ones left behind include most of the Gotham police department, Oracle, Huntress, Azrael and Batman. As mentioned, the first 2 chapters by Bob Gale are pretty good.
They introduce the setting, and reveal the new world order of the city in terms of who controls what part of town. And of course this outlawed Gotham, is mostly run by outlaws. So expect appearances from most of Batman's rogue gallery. Azrael felt out of place because we enter it mid-story of his own title, he's fighting guys we know nothing about with references that aren't in this trade.
All because at the very end of the issue it shows why he goes to Gotham. And following that is Grayson's story about Scarecrow I don't want to put any spoilers here, but there's a conversation between the Penguin and a priest where they are only using literary quotes to each other as arguments in a discussion; which was cringeworthy. These 2 stories somewhat set the tone for the rest of the trade. As the quality doesn't really change much after that, and we don't get close to how the introduction was.
Despite Greg Rucka being one of the writers featured in this trade. So I don't really understand the love this event got from readers over the years I have finished reading all 4 trades the quality is so-so and some genuinely stupid things and bad charaterisation happens over the course of the story. An apt example being the Superman chapter in this very trade: I'd rather see my people suffer than accept your help". I could honestly not recommend getting No Man's Land unless you find these books on sale.
And even then, it would be a minor recommendation as some chapters really were a chore to get through. Buy at your own risk. Feb 27, Lindsay Stares rated it really liked it Shelves: Collects 21 Issues under 7 different titles that were part of the No Man's Land crossover. See Issue List at the end of the review. Gotham has been struck by a massive earthquake. Despite the efforts of Bruce Wayne, the government has decided to pull out of the city and evacate the population. Of course, not everyone leaves.
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- Batman No Man\'s Land Vol. 1 (New Edition) : Various : ;
These are the stories of those who stayed in No Man's Land. Furthermore, Batman is made somewhat ineffectual right at Premise: Furthermore, Batman is made somewhat ineffectual right at the start in what felt like a rather arbitrary manner, and I was often frustrated at him doing awkwardly dumb things in order to draw out the drama. However, this mostly isn't a book about Batman, and that's just fine.
The main stories revolve around Barbara Gordon Oracle , the Gotham police, Helena Bertenelli Huntress , Azrael, and the villains of Gotham who have divided the city amongst them, with Bruce as a supporting character throughout. It's from the 90's - which has its plusses and minuses. It's fairly melodramatic throughout, which I think sometimes works and sometimes doesn't. The art is up and down, and is done in a vast range of styles, some of which I like and some of which I hate.
However, I'm really happy to be reading this straight through. This new graphic novel collects the Azrael issues, which apparently weren't in the earlier collection, and they've turned out to be some of my favorites. For a character stuck into Batman as an object lesson on how not to do Batman, I was surprised how much another writer was able to run with him, and make him sort of cool. Yes, he's a Vertigo-style tortured hero, but I really liked his stories. Despite how silly they were at times.
I especially liked how many of these stories focused on the women of Gotham. Oracle creates new low-tech networks of informants and helps wherever she can. Huntress keeps her neighborhood safe and doubles as a new Batgirl fyi: Gotham cop Renee Montoya starts the long journey toward her larger role in the DCU here with some nice supporting moments and a great short arc in which she works with Two-Face, who is helping rescue people trapped in the rubble - for now anyway. Physician Leslie Thompkins works with the sick and injured, and tries to stay neutral so she can help as many people as possible.
There's a complex arc about Huntress and Scarecrow battling for the spirit and safety of a refugee center in a church, a slightly silly two-parter in which Batman fights Penguin's whole operation, an awesome sequence when Bruce sends Azrael after the Joker, a one-shot when Superman tries to help, and more. This book is huge; it's full of stories.
Batman No Man's Land Vol. 1 ( New Edition)
I don' t love all of them, and I only like about half the art, but overall I really enjoyed reading this, and I'm looking forward to the rest of the repackaged graphic novels. No Man's Land 1 Batman: Agent of the Bat Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight Batman Chronicles Oct 27, Ravenswan rated it really liked it. Like a lot of people my age, I saw all the movies from the 90's and also the new Nolan trilogy, so my introduction to Batman was not in it's original medium! I really enjoyed vol 1 of No Man's Land, I liked the survival elements and that a lot of realities of such a situati I'm just starting to read Batman trades after years of reading non-superhero stuff except for a bit of Spiderman in the 90's So far I've read The Long Halloween, Batman, year One and I have The Killing Joke ready and waiting.
I really enjoyed vol 1 of No Man's Land, I liked the survival elements and that a lot of realities of such a situation are well thought out. Obviously as it's a comic not everything is realistic but it's no worse than any survival show out there like Walking dead for instance. I'm enjoying the characterisation of the villains so far and also Jim Gordon not being such a goody two shoes. I also think it's a good examination of his feelings towards Batman and some of his pent-up hostility.
I quite liked the Huntress and Azrael issues in the crossover but as I'm unfamiliar with those characters I don't know their backstories and I'm not as invested in their characters as much. I'm really looking forward to the next volumes in the series and will also check out the storyline which comes bfore this one. Mar 03, Ariel Marie rated it really liked it. To my disappointment, I learned Vol.
Nonetheless, I was surprised to enjoy the collected issues in this volume as each fell into each other nicely. One of my favorite genres is slice of life, which was the focus of each issue. My favorite arc involved Helena just as Huntress rather than Batgirl as she handled a religious community who took in Scarecrow. The main highlight of the first volume was that the women of Gotham City seemed to take the main role in recovery. Helena worked double time as Batgirl and Huntress.
Batman: No Man's Land, Vol. 1 review | Batman News
Babs continued to fight as Oracle even though she was high tech in a low tech city. Then of course, Renee Montoya takes the spotlight at one point in the way she handles Two Face. Montoya is hands down one of m yfavorite characters, and it was a nice surprise to come across her in this Gotham wasteland. Now off to the rest of the series Nov 25, Adam Spanos rated it it was ok Shelves: So i jumped into the no man's land story, thinking that it will be worth it but eventually i got utterly disappointed.
I'll start with the art. There are plenty of different artists involved in this but overall it is mediocre at best. At some points the art was really hideous. Next one is the plot. So many plot holes and a boring to death pacing.
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Also it is like an old school comic, clustered with dialogues, monologues etc, something that is really annoying to me personally. Seeing how Gothamites and all the villains would react to an utter destruction of their city was something new and fresh for its time. Unfortunately it is so poorly written and penciled. May 06, Julia Naab rated it really liked it Shelves: I first heard about this storyline from reading Batman and Philosophy and it sounded intriguing. I picked it up from my local comic book store and have not regretted it one bit. Bored, Joker finally decides to pick up some orphans and see if putting them in danger will attract Batman.
Now where are the kiddies? She looked at him, suspected he was the most heinous killer in the world and then less than a minute later agreed to take him to where all the children are. All the tension built up around the Joker is gone after the Azrael stories are told. I never had the chance to read this series when it was originally published. Instead, I read the novelization by Greg Rucka and although its been years since I flipped through that thing I remember it being a far better and far more focused story. The comics waste too much time trying to please everyone and connect the event to the rest of the DC universe.
All you other superheroes stay out. But by occasionally showing Superman come in and screw up here in NML it keeps the Batman fans happy who love to see him outdo the super-folk. The other two kinds of Batman fans are appeased as well throughout the NML run.
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See, in order to get all those other side-kicks out of the way, Batman had to turn into Jerk-Batman and tell everyone to leave. Of course, the solo-fans still have to put up with Azrael in this volume. Azrael…where do I begin? When the common people have devolved into warring tribes in a crumbling city, seeing a colorful hero jumping off rooftops to beat-up thieves looks very silly. And look at this from my perspective, I just read volumes 1 and 2 of Knightfall in the past month for you guys so psycho Jean-Paul Valley is still fresh in my mind as was Arnold Wesker being, well, dead!
At this point in DC history they tried to save the character and reinvent him. Sure, the last Azrael story in the book is entertaining because it has heart but it also has a terrible villain Lord of the Dance, kills people with knives on his dancing shoes that makes for a rather unsatisfying end.
As I said before, the Grayson, Gale, and Rucka stuff is the best and that basically makes up the first half of the book. The first half of the book is a great read. All of the stuff about Gordon struggling to survive and lead his gang is really fascinating. Seeing average citizens turn on each other or lift one another up to survive is a refreshing break from the norm as well and guess what, some of the people are black!
Hard to believe, right? Not enough artists portray people of color in Gotham. Blacks, Asians not portrayed as ninjas , and Latinos are all a part of this Gotham City and it makes it all feel a lot more real. This raises an interesting question: The more tech he has, the less detective work he does and the more super-human he becomes as well.