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Batman
Batman: No Man's Land, Vol. 5
GOTHAM CITY: a dark, twisted re ection of urban America. Overcrowded, overbuilt, and overshadowed by a continuous air of menace, this gothic nightmare is a breeding ground for the depraved, the indifferent, and the criminally insane. It's also the object of one man's obsession. Witness to the brutal murder of his parents, Bruce Wayne has dedicated his life to protecting this city, taking a form to inspire hope in the innocent...and fear in the guilty. He is the masked vigilante known as the Batman.
Now the battlefield has changed. Leveled by a massive earthquake that left thousands dead and millions more wounded, Gotham City has been transformed into a lawless wilderness � a No Man's Land � where the survivors are turning against one another, and where the city's protectors are torn by a crisis that may consume them all.
Collects:
- Batman: No Man's Land #0
- Batman: #573-574
- Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #126
- Batman: Shadow of the Bat #94
- Detective Comics #740-741
208 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
6 people are currently reading
914 people want to read
About the author
Greg Rucka
1,426Ìýbooks1,875ÌýfollowersGreg Rucka, is an American comic book writer and novelist, known for his work on such comics as Action Comics, Batwoman: Detective Comics, and the miniseries Superman: World of New Krypton for DC Comics, and for novels such as his Queen & Country series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
April 12, 2019
I want to thank my GR friend Jayson for answering questions about Commissioner Gordon's marital status (and affairs) and Barbara's parentage, etc.
Back to the story itself. I think Batman: No Man's Land comes to a satisfying conclusion with this vol. 5, although at the very beginning, you just know Bruce Wayne had messed up big time when Talia had to come up and slap some sense back into him. XD
By the way, I love Tim Drake as Robin in this volume, the Robin v.s. Two Face scene is just.......too amazing! I also like the presence of Nightwing (glad to see he'd finally get rid of his horrible old custom), Batgirl, Huntress, and Co.
And here come the Joker and the long-suffering Harley Quinn! They are always a delight to behold, though the Joker always makes sure everything goes to hell really FAST but I still like it so much!
But......poor Commissioner Gordon! My heart broke alongside his when
The artwork is okay-ish although it's nothing outstanding, still I can live with it.Over all it's a surprisingly well thought out story, although sometimes I feel the characters (especially the Huntress) seem a bit OOC.
Last but not least...I'm a bit tired of Nightwing going back and forth between the Oracle and the Huntress, can you make up your mind already? I'm not saying he is actively toying with both girls...........but love triangle (no matter how slight it is) really isn't my thing!
*goes back to binge on Batman online fanfics*
Finally! I was beginning to think you don't love me...anymore...?"
Back to the story itself. I think Batman: No Man's Land comes to a satisfying conclusion with this vol. 5, although at the very beginning, you just know Bruce Wayne had messed up big time when Talia had to come up and slap some sense back into him. XD
By the way, I love Tim Drake as Robin in this volume, the Robin v.s. Two Face scene is just.......too amazing! I also like the presence of Nightwing (glad to see he'd finally get rid of his horrible old custom), Batgirl, Huntress, and Co.
And here come the Joker and the long-suffering Harley Quinn! They are always a delight to behold, though the Joker always makes sure everything goes to hell really FAST but I still like it so much!
But......poor Commissioner Gordon! My heart broke alongside his when
The artwork is okay-ish although it's nothing outstanding, still I can live with it.Over all it's a surprisingly well thought out story, although sometimes I feel the characters (especially the Huntress) seem a bit OOC.
Last but not least...I'm a bit tired of Nightwing going back and forth between the Oracle and the Huntress, can you make up your mind already? I'm not saying he is actively toying with both girls...........but love triangle (no matter how slight it is) really isn't my thing!
*goes back to binge on Batman online fanfics*
March 6, 2012
This series certainly finished strong.
Not that it was really all that necessary, I did enjoy the flashback in the beginning. An attempt to better fill in some backstory involving with Huntress and Batman's absence was appreciated.
A lot happens in this fifth and final volume but it never feels rushed or convoluted. The pacing is excellent and in all 5 volumes, this is easily the strongest. While I had a small problem with the way Lex Luthor was used, he was sorely needed in an attempt to bring No Man's Land to an end. While his plan was pretty devious, he should know better that you can rarely get something like that by The Batman.
Volume 5 has one hell of a Joker appearance; one of the best I've ever read. Despite the fact that this has been repeatedly cemented within the Batman mythos, Joker is clearly Gotham's most dangerous villian. Joker not only wreaks havoc here, he throws Gordon's world upside down once again with a pretty shocking event. It totally makes up for the lack of Joker throughout the five part arc.
There was something I read not too long ago that basically concluded that Batman is not Bruce Wayne's alter ego; it's the other way around. It becomes evident in this collection when Bruce is seen muttering, "I don't want to be here. I need to be there. I hate this". He uses Bruce as a means to an end and only when necessary. If he could live in that costume, he would.
Great, great series.
Not that it was really all that necessary, I did enjoy the flashback in the beginning. An attempt to better fill in some backstory involving with Huntress and Batman's absence was appreciated.
A lot happens in this fifth and final volume but it never feels rushed or convoluted. The pacing is excellent and in all 5 volumes, this is easily the strongest. While I had a small problem with the way Lex Luthor was used, he was sorely needed in an attempt to bring No Man's Land to an end. While his plan was pretty devious, he should know better that you can rarely get something like that by The Batman.
Volume 5 has one hell of a Joker appearance; one of the best I've ever read. Despite the fact that this has been repeatedly cemented within the Batman mythos, Joker is clearly Gotham's most dangerous villian. Joker not only wreaks havoc here, he throws Gordon's world upside down once again with a pretty shocking event. It totally makes up for the lack of Joker throughout the five part arc.
There was something I read not too long ago that basically concluded that Batman is not Bruce Wayne's alter ego; it's the other way around. It becomes evident in this collection when Bruce is seen muttering, "I don't want to be here. I need to be there. I hate this". He uses Bruce as a means to an end and only when necessary. If he could live in that costume, he would.
Great, great series.
April 6, 2013
And so we come to the end of (what is in my opinion) the worst Batman event book ever, No Man’s Land, Volume 5.
No Man’s Land’s basic setup fails to convince me so throughout the series I’ve never really believed any of this could happen anyway: a massive earthquake destroys Gotham so the US Government abandons it, leaving the remaining citizens to fend for themselves for over a year. I know Bush 2 and FEMA abandoned those devastated by Katrina for a week but they ended up helping those people eventually and helped get Louisiana and surrounding states back on their feet. So abandoning one of the biggest (fictional) cities in America because of earthquake damage for a year never made sense to me.
That’s the first big boo-boo - the second is that Bruce Wayne would abandon Gotham too! The Dark Knight of Gotham would just wander off and bum around Monaco while his city - HIS city - was in ruins? Makes no sense at all. But that’s how Book 5 starts off, with Bruce shooting craps in Monaco. Ok, whatever Greg Rucka. Oh and Greg Rucka is one of the most overrated writers in comics today - I’ve yet to read something of his I’ve enjoyed unreservedly and NML stands as one of his worst achievements to date. It doesn’t help that this Bruce in Monaco sequence is illustrated by the godawful Greg Land.
But while the US government have abandoned Gotham, Lex Luthor hasn’t and he shows up doing what the government should’ve been doing on Day 1, and sets about rebuilding the wrecked city. But Lex being Lex, he’s got more sinister plans... and here’s a perfect example of why Rucka is such a piss-poor writer - his depiction of Luthor is of the cackling, hand-rubbing cartoonish villain sort that hacks resort to when they’ve got no ideas of their own. So rather than a nuanced Lex like Morrison or even Azzarello would write, we get the crappy Lex, a rather dull-witted, transparently “evil� baddie which makes the book that much more boring to read.
Bane makes a pointless cameo and then Joker finally makes an appearance and totally fails to make an impression. Here’s a good rule of thumb when reading Batman books with Joker in - if the Joker isn’t creepy or disturbing or even interesting, then the writer is probably Greg Rucka. I mean, terrible. But yes, the same thing in my book. Joker is an amazing character and, in the right hands, can elevate the story exponentially - in the wrong hands, he’s basically playing off of his reputation rather than doing anything new. Such is the case here. His “plan� involves babies (gasp! the monster!) but he doesnt� actually kill any, and then he kills a really minor (not in age, just relevance) character which Rucka probably thought gave this book emotional weight it doesn’t have.
Huntress is another character who for some reason is totally out of character as well. She spends the book hanging around a nutjob who’s basically acting like a tyrant and then begins executing his men one after the other - because he’s a nutjob! And her response? Standing there, hopelessly. That isn’t Huntress. If it were, she wouldn’t be called a hero of any sort to permit such behaviour. She eventually acts but not before half a dozen men or more are dead. Useless.
As for the ending, which basically closes with the death of a character who, even the most hardcore of Batman fans will have trouble remembering, it is disappointing and dull. It kind of ends with a shrug like “I guess it’s over? Back to normal then�. Really, what a terrible event - it was so meaningless and boring. I’m having a go at Greg Rucka (partly because I’ve read other books by him so know he’s no good in general) but I’m sure any other writer, no matter how capable, would have a dickens of a time trying to squeeze anything good out of this awful setup.
Be warned if you’re setting off on reading this bloated, overwrought affair - NML starts off very ordinarily and quickly loses steam until all drama and tension is long gone by the end and you’re left wondering why you bothered in the first place. NML is the worst!
No Man’s Land’s basic setup fails to convince me so throughout the series I’ve never really believed any of this could happen anyway: a massive earthquake destroys Gotham so the US Government abandons it, leaving the remaining citizens to fend for themselves for over a year. I know Bush 2 and FEMA abandoned those devastated by Katrina for a week but they ended up helping those people eventually and helped get Louisiana and surrounding states back on their feet. So abandoning one of the biggest (fictional) cities in America because of earthquake damage for a year never made sense to me.
That’s the first big boo-boo - the second is that Bruce Wayne would abandon Gotham too! The Dark Knight of Gotham would just wander off and bum around Monaco while his city - HIS city - was in ruins? Makes no sense at all. But that’s how Book 5 starts off, with Bruce shooting craps in Monaco. Ok, whatever Greg Rucka. Oh and Greg Rucka is one of the most overrated writers in comics today - I’ve yet to read something of his I’ve enjoyed unreservedly and NML stands as one of his worst achievements to date. It doesn’t help that this Bruce in Monaco sequence is illustrated by the godawful Greg Land.
But while the US government have abandoned Gotham, Lex Luthor hasn’t and he shows up doing what the government should’ve been doing on Day 1, and sets about rebuilding the wrecked city. But Lex being Lex, he’s got more sinister plans... and here’s a perfect example of why Rucka is such a piss-poor writer - his depiction of Luthor is of the cackling, hand-rubbing cartoonish villain sort that hacks resort to when they’ve got no ideas of their own. So rather than a nuanced Lex like Morrison or even Azzarello would write, we get the crappy Lex, a rather dull-witted, transparently “evil� baddie which makes the book that much more boring to read.
Bane makes a pointless cameo and then Joker finally makes an appearance and totally fails to make an impression. Here’s a good rule of thumb when reading Batman books with Joker in - if the Joker isn’t creepy or disturbing or even interesting, then the writer is probably Greg Rucka. I mean, terrible. But yes, the same thing in my book. Joker is an amazing character and, in the right hands, can elevate the story exponentially - in the wrong hands, he’s basically playing off of his reputation rather than doing anything new. Such is the case here. His “plan� involves babies (gasp! the monster!) but he doesnt� actually kill any, and then he kills a really minor (not in age, just relevance) character which Rucka probably thought gave this book emotional weight it doesn’t have.
Huntress is another character who for some reason is totally out of character as well. She spends the book hanging around a nutjob who’s basically acting like a tyrant and then begins executing his men one after the other - because he’s a nutjob! And her response? Standing there, hopelessly. That isn’t Huntress. If it were, she wouldn’t be called a hero of any sort to permit such behaviour. She eventually acts but not before half a dozen men or more are dead. Useless.
As for the ending, which basically closes with the death of a character who, even the most hardcore of Batman fans will have trouble remembering, it is disappointing and dull. It kind of ends with a shrug like “I guess it’s over? Back to normal then�. Really, what a terrible event - it was so meaningless and boring. I’m having a go at Greg Rucka (partly because I’ve read other books by him so know he’s no good in general) but I’m sure any other writer, no matter how capable, would have a dickens of a time trying to squeeze anything good out of this awful setup.
Be warned if you’re setting off on reading this bloated, overwrought affair - NML starts off very ordinarily and quickly loses steam until all drama and tension is long gone by the end and you’re left wondering why you bothered in the first place. NML is the worst!
October 31, 2021
Finalmente encerrei a saga "Terra de Ninguém" e que saga IncrÃvel!!! Uma das melhores leituras que fiz do Batman e da Batfamily sem dúvidas.
Esse arco me fez rir, chorar e admirar ainda mais o universo do morcego e a moral/ética de cada membro da Batfamily.
Fiquei um pouco decepcionado com o final, porque estava construindo um plot muito bom com Luthor e o Coringa surpreendendo como sempre, mas encerraram de uma maneira que achei simples de ser resolvida. Aconteceu algo absurdo com o plano do Coringa porém a parte do Luthor que estava em bom desenvolvimento acabou que se resolveu muito rápido e de maneira simples, achei que poderiam ter aproveitado melhor.
Esse arco me fez rir, chorar e admirar ainda mais o universo do morcego e a moral/ética de cada membro da Batfamily.
Fiquei um pouco decepcionado com o final, porque estava construindo um plot muito bom com Luthor e o Coringa surpreendendo como sempre, mas encerraram de uma maneira que achei simples de ser resolvida. Aconteceu algo absurdo com o plano do Coringa porém a parte do Luthor que estava em bom desenvolvimento acabou que se resolveu muito rápido e de maneira simples, achei que poderiam ter aproveitado melhor.
November 24, 2024
I was really impressed with this whole story. I liked that they went over the basics that started the 5 book story so I could understand how they got to book 5. The artwork was magnificent throughout. A great one for any Batman fan.
December 3, 2022
(Zero spoiler review for the omnibus, with the score for this volume) 3/5
When a Batman event... scratch that. When what is possibly the greatest Batman/Gotham event on paper manages to fumble the ball over and over, taking what was an absolute sure fire hit into a middling, rollercoaster of quality, then you know that the comics event rulebook needs to be torn up, burnt and scattered to the wind.
As I said, this was a great idea. An outstanding one in fact. But because 'comics have to comic' with pointless, pathetic tie ins, and a seemingly in-exhaustive laundry list of writers and artists all get a turn writing or drawing this event, as if Batman (who should be the pinnacle of DC quality) is now the town bike and anyone can have a ride, regardless of quality or merit. They took an easy slam dunk, tripped over their own ineffectiveness and avarice, and stumbled awkwardly into an increasingly apathetic crowd. How could you screw this up? Oh yeah... comics event. My bad.
Now in fairness, there is some good stuff here, and because its Batman, the average is always made a little bit better, and at the same time, the disappointment hurts a little bit more at the same time. The few decent writers turn in some decent writing. The few decent artists turn in some decent art, apart from Jim Balent on the Catwoman tie in, who singlehandedly is bringing sexy back to comics. Or at least he was two decades ago. God help us all now.
I will never understand who was calling the shots here, who kept putting overly stylised, cartoonish artists on a Batman book, about the dystopian destruction of Gotham. Cause nothing says the darkest days of Gotham like kiddy-ish cartoons and bright colours. Fuck off with that garbage! The revolving door of writers didn't help matters either, with the lacking a consistent narrative feel and direction. Instead, you feel like you're being pulled in a dozen directions at once, and most of them are inane and unnecessary, and not executed very well. What we got, was pretty average, and what we didn't get, could have been awesome. This should have been the story of one or two very talented, very committed writers. Instead, it was the equivalent of letting a five year old bake a cake when given the ingredients but allowed to determine their own quantities. This should have been brilliant, and if you skip about half of it, it's pretty good. But pretty good isn't good enough, and again, that's if you know which half of it to avoid. Though it is usually pretty obvious a few pages in. I gave up halfway through and began skipping the issues that made my brain hurt and my eyes sad.
So is it still worth reading? I mean, yeah... kind of, I guess? It's not offensively bad for the most part, and the opening third is pretty damn good. Just bring a big pair of gum boots, cause you'll definitely be wading through some shit to get to solid ground. 3/5
OmniBen.
When a Batman event... scratch that. When what is possibly the greatest Batman/Gotham event on paper manages to fumble the ball over and over, taking what was an absolute sure fire hit into a middling, rollercoaster of quality, then you know that the comics event rulebook needs to be torn up, burnt and scattered to the wind.
As I said, this was a great idea. An outstanding one in fact. But because 'comics have to comic' with pointless, pathetic tie ins, and a seemingly in-exhaustive laundry list of writers and artists all get a turn writing or drawing this event, as if Batman (who should be the pinnacle of DC quality) is now the town bike and anyone can have a ride, regardless of quality or merit. They took an easy slam dunk, tripped over their own ineffectiveness and avarice, and stumbled awkwardly into an increasingly apathetic crowd. How could you screw this up? Oh yeah... comics event. My bad.
Now in fairness, there is some good stuff here, and because its Batman, the average is always made a little bit better, and at the same time, the disappointment hurts a little bit more at the same time. The few decent writers turn in some decent writing. The few decent artists turn in some decent art, apart from Jim Balent on the Catwoman tie in, who singlehandedly is bringing sexy back to comics. Or at least he was two decades ago. God help us all now.
I will never understand who was calling the shots here, who kept putting overly stylised, cartoonish artists on a Batman book, about the dystopian destruction of Gotham. Cause nothing says the darkest days of Gotham like kiddy-ish cartoons and bright colours. Fuck off with that garbage! The revolving door of writers didn't help matters either, with the lacking a consistent narrative feel and direction. Instead, you feel like you're being pulled in a dozen directions at once, and most of them are inane and unnecessary, and not executed very well. What we got, was pretty average, and what we didn't get, could have been awesome. This should have been the story of one or two very talented, very committed writers. Instead, it was the equivalent of letting a five year old bake a cake when given the ingredients but allowed to determine their own quantities. This should have been brilliant, and if you skip about half of it, it's pretty good. But pretty good isn't good enough, and again, that's if you know which half of it to avoid. Though it is usually pretty obvious a few pages in. I gave up halfway through and began skipping the issues that made my brain hurt and my eyes sad.
So is it still worth reading? I mean, yeah... kind of, I guess? It's not offensively bad for the most part, and the opening third is pretty damn good. Just bring a big pair of gum boots, cause you'll definitely be wading through some shit to get to solid ground. 3/5
OmniBen.
October 27, 2020
It's about time for a look back into the first few days after Gotham was declaredÌýNo Man's LandÌýby the US Congress. How Bruce felt helpless to help the city. How Huntress took up the mantle of Batgirl and impressed Batman. How to draw a comic better than all the other artists so far... The quality of theÌýartwork drops back to mediocre for the main story.
Batman follows Lex's rebuilding closely, but doesn't act directly against him. Joker is far less discreet, attacking Lex's guards, destroying his supplies and equipment. Batman is working against Lex through Lucius Fox to aquire rights for the land in Gotham.Ìý
After being apparently scared into hiding by Bane, Joker is planning a big comeback. He appears on Christmas Even in a soup kitchen protected by Pettit and his remaining men.
Everyone now focuses on Gotham. Lex wants to buy off as many areas of the city as possible and few can oppose him.
Batman follows Lex's rebuilding closely, but doesn't act directly against him. Joker is far less discreet, attacking Lex's guards, destroying his supplies and equipment. Batman is working against Lex through Lucius Fox to aquire rights for the land in Gotham.Ìý
After being apparently scared into hiding by Bane, Joker is planning a big comeback. He appears on Christmas Even in a soup kitchen protected by Pettit and his remaining men.
Everyone now focuses on Gotham. Lex wants to buy off as many areas of the city as possible and few can oppose him.
June 22, 2019
So I have read all the No-man's-land storyarc as single issues , that's a Whopping 80 issues and this is my review for the whole NML (no man's land) story arc .
Gotham was a dark place from the beginning but following an earthquake and a nefarious celebrity with a magical power of persuasion , Gotham is now declared a No-man's-land by the US govt . Meaning no one is allowed inside , no one is allowed outside of the city , the city is abandoned by US
What follows is criminals trying to conquer the NML and hence occupying sectors of the city , enter Batman who tries to restore order , but it's not the same as before , many don't believe in him , and many are willing to be under the rule of their criminal overlords for protection and resources like clean water and food .
The world created is fascinating with one medical camp with an overworked Dr Leslie Thompson and a Church with orphans the only regions in the whole city declared war free .
There's a lot of events involving almost all of rogue gallary of Batman , and at times it feels like a Modern day tale of warring kingdoms , and even the cops aren't spared they form their own faction that tries to conquer other areas.
Double crosses , bribery , hunger , it's all there . Admittedly one of the darkest books ever to come out , if you can swallow the dark , this comes out as a fantastic and entertaining book giving a peak into the psyche of people living in a world with law or order . And in between all that many Batman Adventure take place, One character's reputation takes a big hit - and a surprising character death .
I thoroughly enjoyed it , my only complains would be the art style and how in the end none of the heinous or criminal acts done by some characters are forgiven without any jury
Gotham was a dark place from the beginning but following an earthquake and a nefarious celebrity with a magical power of persuasion , Gotham is now declared a No-man's-land by the US govt . Meaning no one is allowed inside , no one is allowed outside of the city , the city is abandoned by US
What follows is criminals trying to conquer the NML and hence occupying sectors of the city , enter Batman who tries to restore order , but it's not the same as before , many don't believe in him , and many are willing to be under the rule of their criminal overlords for protection and resources like clean water and food .
The world created is fascinating with one medical camp with an overworked Dr Leslie Thompson and a Church with orphans the only regions in the whole city declared war free .
There's a lot of events involving almost all of rogue gallary of Batman , and at times it feels like a Modern day tale of warring kingdoms , and even the cops aren't spared they form their own faction that tries to conquer other areas.
Double crosses , bribery , hunger , it's all there . Admittedly one of the darkest books ever to come out , if you can swallow the dark , this comes out as a fantastic and entertaining book giving a peak into the psyche of people living in a world with law or order . And in between all that many Batman Adventure take place, One character's reputation takes a big hit - and a surprising character death .
I thoroughly enjoyed it , my only complains would be the art style and how in the end none of the heinous or criminal acts done by some characters are forgiven without any jury
November 5, 2021
A decent enough conclusion to No Man's Land that suffers from most of the story being resolved in the previous volume. While it's interesting to follow Lex Luthor's plotting after his entrance in volume four and witness the final push to return Gotham City back to normal, there wasn't a whole lot for me to get excited for in this final entry. After the threat of Two-Face and Gordon's dispute with Batman have been resolved, Joker's last minute appearance feels more tacked-on than a fitting end to this saga. This isn't to say I disliked this volume - there are a couple standout moments, especially revolving around Huntress and Bane - but since it's only here to bridge the gap between NML and the return to Batman's status quo, it's definitely the weakest of this storyline. Sadly, while I appreciate the attempt to leave permanent repercussions of NML, the final consequence our heroes suffer didn't feel earned to me (if you know, you know). Also, Greg Land's tracing is evident in issue zero, and it's really distracting. If you're reading NML you should still read volume five to complete the story, just don't expect a lot out of it.
August 11, 2008
Highly satisfying conclusion to a great arc. The inclusion of Luthor was a genius idea, and while I would have liked to see more of the faceoff between LexCorp and Wayne Enterprises, his attempt to buy Gotham was exactly how you'd expect him to respond to the No Man's Land situation.
It was also nice to explore the immediate aftermath of Cataclysm, finally seeing what Bruce Wayne was up to and why Huntress became Batgirl (and the new mask, which previously just looked cool, actually makes a whole lot of sense).
As far as the Joker plot goes, I actually liked how he ended up being responsible for the transition from No Man's Land back to Gotham City. If it was still No Man's Land, Gordon would have pulled the trigger, but his refusal to do so marked the moment when Gotham became a city once more.
It was also nice to explore the immediate aftermath of Cataclysm, finally seeing what Bruce Wayne was up to and why Huntress became Batgirl (and the new mask, which previously just looked cool, actually makes a whole lot of sense).
As far as the Joker plot goes, I actually liked how he ended up being responsible for the transition from No Man's Land back to Gotham City. If it was still No Man's Land, Gordon would have pulled the trigger, but his refusal to do so marked the moment when Gotham became a city once more.
November 6, 2011
Such epic moments. All of No Man's Land came together in this book for an epic conclusion that just makes my love for Batman and his universe that much stronger. The complexity of all the relationships alone is so fascinating that I just want to read more and more and watch them all evolve without the backdrop of surviving a horrific earthquake.
February 5, 2009
The Joker is evil. I'm still in awe, I thought Two-Face was bad in Vol 3 and 4 but this is another level of evil. A great read for any Bat fans.
May 12, 2011
Good finish to a riveting series. You do need your hankies though, because the Joker reminds us all why he's the worst villain in the Batman world.
May 31, 2018
Quinto tomo del segundo coleccionable de Batman de Planeta.
August 15, 2017
So, apparently, "No Man's Land" is trying to go out on a Joker crescendo, but what it really does is just fall flat.
December 1, 2018
Batman: No Man's Land is a massive story arc that ran through the various Batman family comic book series that was published by DC Comics. The storyline centers on Gotham City after a massive earthquake, which resulted in the United States government officially evacuating Gotham, then abandoning, and isolating those who chose to remain in the city � A No Man's Land.
Batman: No Man's Land, Vol. 5 collects: Batman: No Man's Land #0, Batman #573�574, Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #126, Batman: Shadow of the Bat #94, and Detective Comics #740�741.
Batman and his allies continue their quest to save Gotham City. Through the efforts of Lucius Fox, Batman succeeds in getting the attention of Lex Luthor, who arrives in Gotham with plans to completely rebuild the city. Bowing to intense pressure from the people and the media, the government reverses the No Man's Land order and allows Gotham to re-join the United States.
However, Luthor's philanthropy is revealed as a cover for his true intentions: to destroy the deeds to much of the property in Gotham and claim it for himself under false names. Lucius Fox, acting on a tip, discovers copies of the original documents and notifies him. Luthor, feigning ignorance, attempts to kill Fox, but Batman intervenes and reveals that he is the one who anonymously tipped the Wayne Enterprises' CEO and tells the President that Gotham City is not for sale and warns him to leave.
Jordan B. Gorfinkel, Greg Rucka and Devin Grayson were credited as the main writers of the trade paperback. The concluding narrative sees Gotham City going back to the status quo, has President Lex Luthor reversing his decision on Gotham City, and helps to rebuild it, albeit for ulterior purposes. Greg Land, Sergio Cariello, Dale Eaglesham, Damion Scott and Pablo Raimondi did the penciling for the trade paperback. For the most part, their penciling styles mesh rather well with a few exception and just minor disturbance in the artistic flow.
Overall, Batman: No Man's Land is a rather massive crossover event that was somewhat wonderfully conceived and somewhat well planned, albeit a tad too convoluted. It was interesting reading how Batman dealt with the aftermath of the earthquake and the chaos ensue when Gotham City is declared off limits and no longer apart of the United States.
All in all, Batman: No Man's Land, Vol. 5 is a rather strong conclusion to a wonderful story arc.
Batman: No Man's Land, Vol. 5 collects: Batman: No Man's Land #0, Batman #573�574, Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #126, Batman: Shadow of the Bat #94, and Detective Comics #740�741.
Batman and his allies continue their quest to save Gotham City. Through the efforts of Lucius Fox, Batman succeeds in getting the attention of Lex Luthor, who arrives in Gotham with plans to completely rebuild the city. Bowing to intense pressure from the people and the media, the government reverses the No Man's Land order and allows Gotham to re-join the United States.
However, Luthor's philanthropy is revealed as a cover for his true intentions: to destroy the deeds to much of the property in Gotham and claim it for himself under false names. Lucius Fox, acting on a tip, discovers copies of the original documents and notifies him. Luthor, feigning ignorance, attempts to kill Fox, but Batman intervenes and reveals that he is the one who anonymously tipped the Wayne Enterprises' CEO and tells the President that Gotham City is not for sale and warns him to leave.
Jordan B. Gorfinkel, Greg Rucka and Devin Grayson were credited as the main writers of the trade paperback. The concluding narrative sees Gotham City going back to the status quo, has President Lex Luthor reversing his decision on Gotham City, and helps to rebuild it, albeit for ulterior purposes. Greg Land, Sergio Cariello, Dale Eaglesham, Damion Scott and Pablo Raimondi did the penciling for the trade paperback. For the most part, their penciling styles mesh rather well with a few exception and just minor disturbance in the artistic flow.
Overall, Batman: No Man's Land is a rather massive crossover event that was somewhat wonderfully conceived and somewhat well planned, albeit a tad too convoluted. It was interesting reading how Batman dealt with the aftermath of the earthquake and the chaos ensue when Gotham City is declared off limits and no longer apart of the United States.
All in all, Batman: No Man's Land, Vol. 5 is a rather strong conclusion to a wonderful story arc.
November 29, 2021
So all this leads up to no resolution about Nick Scratch, a tasteless bit of fridging at its very worst (what is it about Jim Gordon and fridging?), some incredibly ropey art and a plot that doesn’t so much as stick the landing as career wildly off the tracks into the long grass. There are excellent moments, but they’re muted and spoiled by careless plotting and this almost palpable desire to return to the status quo from some of the creative team. The one thing that can be said about whenever 2000AD decides to trim down Mega City One, those repercussions are always felt because for all their fault the many faces of Tharg realise that half the point of Dredd is that beyond the SF noir goofiness, there’s a reality there inherent in the fact Dredd himself ages and slowly begins to doubt his place in the world. Batman feels like this uncomfortable attempt to emulate some of that - hence why so many 2000AD creators feel at home in the Gotham world - but never too much and never enough to disturb the absurdist edges of the D.C. universe. For all the flaws of Marvel, they do tend to at least plot out these arcs properly even if the status quo is eventually returned to. Batman feels like a world acting in opposition to itself and when it works that’s a fascinating tension, and when it doesn’t it’s an ugly mess. This is sadly more the latter than the former
April 8, 2024
A sufficient conclusion to an adequate story arc. The story could have been really good, but it just wasn't.
The flashback, although slightly helpful, arrived 4 volumes too late and was too short to provide any additional background.
The Luthor saga was a magnificent addition to the storyline, even though it was a little rushed at the end.
The Pettit arc was also well done, and I have new admiration for Huntress too.
The Joker's final scheme was a little out-of-the-blue at the end of the No Man's Land story, which definitely deserved more pages in the comic and more build-up. Instead it felt like "Oh no, the Joker's up to something random again; oh well..."
The last couple pages were poignant but also deserved more words to satisfyingly close out the No Man's Land story.
Series Review:
3/5 Stars
The No Man's Land storyline was a great idea with an interesting storyline and a unique way to look at the characters. Unfortunately, the execution was mediocre at best. The novelization of the storyline (listed below) was actually slightly (though, not much) better than the comics. It filled in some of the plot holes and made for a more unified story.
Novel Review:
Now that I have read the comics for Batman: No Man's Land, I have updated my review for the novel.
/book/show/1...
The flashback, although slightly helpful, arrived 4 volumes too late and was too short to provide any additional background.
The Luthor saga was a magnificent addition to the storyline, even though it was a little rushed at the end.
The Pettit arc was also well done, and I have new admiration for Huntress too.
The Joker's final scheme was a little out-of-the-blue at the end of the No Man's Land story, which definitely deserved more pages in the comic and more build-up. Instead it felt like "Oh no, the Joker's up to something random again; oh well..."
The last couple pages were poignant but also deserved more words to satisfyingly close out the No Man's Land story.
Series Review:
3/5 Stars
The No Man's Land storyline was a great idea with an interesting storyline and a unique way to look at the characters. Unfortunately, the execution was mediocre at best. The novelization of the storyline (listed below) was actually slightly (though, not much) better than the comics. It filled in some of the plot holes and made for a more unified story.
Novel Review:
Now that I have read the comics for Batman: No Man's Land, I have updated my review for the novel.
/book/show/1...
June 11, 2024
The conclusion to the No Man's Land arc sees Gotham on the brink of redemption as public opinion pressures the US Government to reinstate the ruined city's position in America. However, Batman and his allies will have to contend with both the machinations of Lex Luthor and the diabolical plots of the Joker before they can reclaim their city.
I think what I like most about this book is the way that, in the absence of the rule of law and government, the heroes of the city come to embody the hope of the people.
It's a surprisingly uplifting message for such a bleak story arc overall, but it's very well done.
However, despite some more positive themes throughout the book, this story also does go to some surprisingly dark places and we're given a real reason to understand why, totally lacking in superpowers, Luthor and the Joker are among the most dangerous of DC's pantheon of villains.
* More reviews here: *
I think what I like most about this book is the way that, in the absence of the rule of law and government, the heroes of the city come to embody the hope of the people.
It's a surprisingly uplifting message for such a bleak story arc overall, but it's very well done.
However, despite some more positive themes throughout the book, this story also does go to some surprisingly dark places and we're given a real reason to understand why, totally lacking in superpowers, Luthor and the Joker are among the most dangerous of DC's pantheon of villains.
* More reviews here: *
September 29, 2024
The final volume to the No Man’s Land series, and what a finale! Despite the fact the book starts off with some boring issues (one of which involving poison ivy), the book really picks up afterwards with some Lex Luthor stories and then gets down to business with the Joker’s plans.
Overall the artwork and writing was good, and the highlights for me were the last few Joker issues and the ending. In fact, something happens in the book (which I already knew about in the Batman lore) but had no idea it was during the events of No Man’s Land - so that was a pleasant surprise and I really enjoyed it!
This isn’t the best volume in the series, but it’s definitely up there and the last few issues/ending really save the book.
I thoroughly enjoyed the entire Batman: No Man’s Land series and would highly recommend it. It goes down as one of my favourite comic storylines and I will look forward to reading it again someday in the future!
Overall the artwork and writing was good, and the highlights for me were the last few Joker issues and the ending. In fact, something happens in the book (which I already knew about in the Batman lore) but had no idea it was during the events of No Man’s Land - so that was a pleasant surprise and I really enjoyed it!
This isn’t the best volume in the series, but it’s definitely up there and the last few issues/ending really save the book.
I thoroughly enjoyed the entire Batman: No Man’s Land series and would highly recommend it. It goes down as one of my favourite comic storylines and I will look forward to reading it again someday in the future!
December 21, 2018
So each story had a different artist. It was really neat to see how each artist drew the characters. This story is about how Gotham City is cut off from the rest of the United States and the people that were stuck there had to survive by any means. Each criminal had territory in Gotham. Kind of funny how all of Batman's villains were stuck there, anyway...Batman doesn't show up until like 100 days have past and to be honest, I thought he was kind of a jerk to everyone who was trying to help (Superman, "batgirl" etc) Saving Gotham had to be on his terms, ok then, ego much lol. But it was an interesting read since the last Batman movie (that was good) this scenario almost happened and also in the TV show Gotham this almost happened (Gotham cut off from the world)
September 19, 2024
Ends solidly, though I will admit to this perpetual feeling that each arc could have had more nuisance and more punch. To which you respond, "Andrew... you're reading a stinkin' Batman comic: where do you conceal subtlety when all you have on is skin tight leather?"
There's some stuff that lands.
And these older volumes of No Man's Land don't include some of the bits in other collections. I don't know if that helped or lessened the experience.
End of the day, a worthwhile little event in the comics. It's better than the Dark Knight Rises version.
There's some stuff that lands.
And these older volumes of No Man's Land don't include some of the bits in other collections. I don't know if that helped or lessened the experience.
End of the day, a worthwhile little event in the comics. It's better than the Dark Knight Rises version.
April 9, 2019
Um fim anticlimático...
Finalmente sabemos quem é o misterioso empregador com dinheiro para investir na Terra de Ninguém... o que ele espera ganhar? Caçadora decide assumir um lado. Mulher-Gato, após a ajuda ao Batman, firma uma parceria perigosa contra o empregador endinheirado. E, mais uma vez, o pior manÃaco de todos desgraça a vida de Gordon.
Infelizmente, tenho de falar sobre escolhas da EaglemossBr, como "Mas se houvesseM lojas..."
Finalmente sabemos quem é o misterioso empregador com dinheiro para investir na Terra de Ninguém... o que ele espera ganhar? Caçadora decide assumir um lado. Mulher-Gato, após a ajuda ao Batman, firma uma parceria perigosa contra o empregador endinheirado. E, mais uma vez, o pior manÃaco de todos desgraça a vida de Gordon.
Infelizmente, tenho de falar sobre escolhas da EaglemossBr, como "Mas se houvesseM lojas..."
May 24, 2022
Un terremoto destruye la ciudad de Gotham City, lo que provoca que el gobierno de Estados Unidos ordene la evacuación inmediata de la ciudad y se desentienda de aquellos que decidan quedarse. Los villanos más memorables de Batman aprovechan la situación y se hacen con el control de varias zonas para gobernar Gotham. Batman y sus aliados harán todo lo posible para recuperar su ciudad. Tierra de Nadie fue una gran etapa, de lectura muy aconsejable para los fanáticos del murciélago.
September 18, 2017
Mes de Batman 16/23
August 18, 2018
[REVIEW TO COME LATER UPON RE-READING.]
October 18, 2019
It ended pretty strong but overall this crossover event was very mediocre.
March 15, 2020
A city closed - no one can get in and no one can get out... Feels like an accurate tale of what is happening in the world at the moment...
January 25, 2021
Me están empezando a gustar mucho los comics.. :)
October 4, 2023
hey um what the fuck
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