Batman Terra De Ninguem Hq

Contents SynopsisGotham is a War Zone had suffered the results of a magnitude 7.6 earthquake in an event commonly referred to as the '. With hopes for rehabilitating the broken city, the United States government declared it a No Man's Land, which effectively quarantined the entire island city. Bridges were destroyed, and any other means of entering or leaving was guarded by the U.S. While the did not assist in the quarantine for ethical reasons, they were so occupied keeping outside forces from conquering the city, that the situation inside was left to Batman and his allies;, semi-relatedly, offered his help in the city but Batman refused.Inside the city, the freed inmates of battled for control, as did various gangs. Fighting to reduce the chaos were the members of Gotham's Police Force who chose to stay behind, as well as heroes like and, who adopted the Batgirl persona in Batman's absence. As Bruce Wayne, had left the city to try and solve the problem politically, using his name and money to convince the federal government to belay closing off Gotham.

Unfortunately, his efforts failed, arguably because he appeared to the government as Bruce Wayne-an air-headed billionaire with little concern for serious issues-of which the No Man's Land was exemplary. Some one-hundred days after the Federal Declaration of the No Man's Land, Bruce returned to Gotham to reclaim the Batman title and his people, many of whom had long since given up on him. Even his former partner, believed that Batman had abandoned Gotham to the Arkham escapees.What Batman returned to was a system of anarchy on a grand scale. Since there was no longer anywhere to spend it, money became worthless; people would barter anything from batteries to services to protection for daily necessities.

It seemed the only person to have any use for cash was the, who had nightly events where those few with cash left spent it all on such rare and simple items as an apple. The Penguin, despite his riches and implicit opportunities to flee the city, instead opted to stay. He had his own mysterious leak to the outside and apparently enjoyed taking advantage of the dire situation in Gotham.A new BatgirlWith Batman being gone for so long, and his very existence debatable in the Gotham underworld, the Huntress was able to pass herself off as not only Batgirl, but Batman himself, as she faced off against many of Gotham's criminals. Following the example of the gangs in town, she even tagged her territory with the bat symbol. When Batman returned to Gotham she began operating as both Batgirl and Huntress, but after a confrontation with the Dark Knight, Helena returned to her Huntress identity full-time.

Arrived in Gotham City during this time and, with Oracle's blessing, took up the Batgirl mantle, beginning a lasting friendship between them.In an effort to redeem herself, the Huntress went to the aid of a church that was open as a hospital and sanctuary to anyone desiring it in Gotham. Having no protection because of their benevelent intentions, the church and its kind staff were sitting ducks.

The Huntress' desires to use her expertise to protect them was seen more as an unnecessary and warlike show of force than as help, even when she was trying to halt the 's machinations to sabotage the church's efforts. It seemed to the Huntress that no matter what she did, she could never earn the approval of the Batman.Several members of Batman's Rogue's Gallery were there to help maintain the terror, though even they still had to improvise and had difficulty surviving, as did everyone else. Two-Face became a major warlord, acquiring and losing territory every so often, and caused problems for the police and in a daring move kidnapped Jim Gordon for breaking a previous alliance.

No Man’s Land? More like No BATMAN’S Land, given that the dude is absent for much of the story (hey-oh!). Still, the first half of this volume—penned by Back to the Future scribe Bob Gale—is pretty engrossing, even if the premise is absurd.(That premise? Gotham City, after a series of disasters ranging from contagion to earthquakes, has been sealed off by the United States government and is no longer considered part of the country; in other words, everyone who remains within its borders are No Man’s Land? More like No BATMAN’S Land, given that the dude is absent for much of the story (hey-oh!). Still, the first half of this volume—penned by Back to the Future scribe Bob Gale—is pretty engrossing, even if the premise is absurd.(That premise? Gotham City, after a series of disasters ranging from contagion to earthquakes, has been sealed off by the United States government and is no longer considered part of the country; in other words, everyone who remains within its borders are trapped without access to the outside world and are on their own.

We haven’t even done that with Detroit, and downtown Detroit denizens would sh@t Batman pellets for breakfast. Come on now.)Watching the various factions—including one led by Commissioner Gordon—fight for control of the city is entertaining in a Lord of the Flies kind of way. The second half of the book, written by Devin Grayson, is less beguiling, but has its moments (particularly watching Batman trying to figure out how to reclaim his reputation in this brutal new world; who knew dude could spray paint such a nice tag?).Not the world’s greatest Batman tale, but sufficiently interesting to spur interest in the next volume. When Hell goes to war with itself, only the devil is declared the winnerDC comics has brought together two of my favorite things; Batman and post-apocalyptic fiction.

I almost feel as if this series has been made for me.So, here’s the deal. A massive earthquake has rocked Gotham City to its core – combine that with an outbreak of a deadly disease not unlike the Ebola virus and you have a recipe for disaster. Rather than send aid or attempt to rebuild Gotham, the government has sealed it off When Hell goes to war with itself, only the devil is declared the winnerDC comics has brought together two of my favorite things; Batman and post-apocalyptic fiction. I almost feel as if this series has been made for me.So, here’s the deal. A massive earthquake has rocked Gotham City to its core – combine that with an outbreak of a deadly disease not unlike the Ebola virus and you have a recipe for disaster. Rather than send aid or attempt to rebuild Gotham, the government has sealed it off from the rest of the civilized world, proclaiming it no longer part of the United States.Those that wanted to leave were initially given the choice; however, the gangs, the sick and the released criminals from Arkham Asylum decided to hang around. Also staying put are several dedicated members of the GCPD; an effort to bring order to the once powerful city.Watching Gordon struggle over how to enforce the law really grabbed me.

Not only is he dealing with anarchy on a massive scale, he’s realizing that he has no one to tell him the “right” and the “wrong” way of doing things. Suddenly, he’s in the shoes of the Batman. Gordon knows that he needs to implore drastic measures to restore order to Gotham; he just has to realize his own limits.I’ve always liked Scarecrow, I just didn’t realize how much until 2005’s Batman Begins. In No Man’s Land, 6 years before the release of Begins, Scarecrow is given a pretty prominent role.

Rarely using his fear induced chemicals; Scarecrow attempts to seize control of a sector of Gotham through the manipulation of already frightened people. Gale gives us Scarecrow in his most clever state; making the reader realize that he truly is a pretty strong villain in his own right.The end of the first volume finishes strong with a pretty cool reveal. I’m glad I have the 2nd volume already on deck! No Man's Land was utterly massive. This trade 'only' collects eight issues (two full storylines). I've heard that DC will be releasing a new series of No Man's Land trades, that will collect every issue that tied into the overall storyline. A collection of doorstoppers, to be sure.

If you've never read the No Man's Land storyline before, I'd suggest getting your hands on the new editions instead.The first storyline in the book concentrates on setting the scene, and it does a great job of it. No Man's Land was utterly massive. This trade 'only' collects eight issues (two full storylines).

I've heard that DC will be releasing a new series of No Man's Land trades, that will collect every issue that tied into the overall storyline. A collection of doorstoppers, to be sure. If you've never read the No Man's Land storyline before, I'd suggest getting your hands on the new editions instead.The first storyline in the book concentrates on setting the scene, and it does a great job of it. Gotham has been leveled by an earthquake, and the government has decided that it's better to just leave the city to self-destruct than to do anything to help. (Yes, this does read a bit differently post-Katrina than it had in 1999.) The city has been divided into factions controlled by rival gangs, some of them headed by Arkham inmates that were set free after the earthquake.

The GCPD is little more than another gang here, and Batman is nowhere to be found. It is bleak, and done well.The second storyline is a Scarecrow story, and I was surprised at how much I liked it. If Scarecrow is without his fear toxins, what harm can he do?

Plenty, once he gets welcomed into a church safe house. Watching him cheerfully manipulate people and events into the complete meltdown he hopes for made my skin crawl.I try not to expect too much from these big event books, but this was really a solid offering. It helps that the event itself was such promising ground for telling stories like this.

A major earthquake hits Gotham (chronicled in 'Cataclysm') and the US Government takes the unprecedented (not to mention highly unlikely) approach to the disaster by quarantining the city and annexing it from the USA - the result? No Man's Land.The plot is familiar to those who've played the recent 'Arkham City' game which takes a similar approach though it only segregates part of Gotham rather than the entirety of it. But the supervillains of Arkham roam Gotham freely now and recruit gangs A major earthquake hits Gotham (chronicled in 'Cataclysm') and the US Government takes the unprecedented (not to mention highly unlikely) approach to the disaster by quarantining the city and annexing it from the USA - the result? No Man's Land.The plot is familiar to those who've played the recent 'Arkham City' game which takes a similar approach though it only segregates part of Gotham rather than the entirety of it. But the supervillains of Arkham roam Gotham freely now and recruit gangs which fight for territories of Gotham like in 'Arkham City'.If you can get past the improbability of the scenario - I mean it would be like the US abandoning New Orleans after Katrina - then you're in store for a helluva first book. Bob 'Back to the Future' Gale does a fine job of writing the first story arc in this massive series, setting the stage for what is to come. He establishes the wasteland Gotham becomes and the lawless, terrifying place it descends to without regular food or supplies coming through.

He introduces the mysterious figure of Batgirl and doesn't introduce the Batman until the very end, focusing instead on the rival gangs run by Penguin and the other rogues, Barbara Gordon, who creates a new network of information without the aid of computers, and the fight back to restore the city led by Commissioner Gordon.The second story arc is less impressive as the Batman plays a big part in it and he always overcomes any obstacles, but it's interesting to see Scarecrow appear and try to create chaos out of a fragile peace created by a couple of Christian priests. Huntress also shows that she's going to play a large role in this series.The series puts a confident first step forward in this book and breathes new life into the Batman series by turning Gotham into an even more scary and desperate place than it was prior to the earthquake, and putting these familiar characters into new situations, giving them more facets to their characters.I loved reading it and can't wait to read the others in the series. If you're a Batfan you'll find plenty here to appreciate in this well written, well told tale of when the world turned its back on Gotham and a handful of heroes stood up to raise her back onto her feet. Finally I'm reading Batman: No Man's Land, the Batman's story that The Dark Knight Rises is partly based on, and it doesn't disappointed!After a huge earthquake, Gotham is abandoned by the USA government, most civilians had escaped from the disaster zone, those who are left behind have to fend for themselves and the city is divided into different zones by the powerful criminals, yada, yada,The human dramas are nice, the artwork is super cool in a dark, gloomy and befitting way! I'm jumping to Finally I'm reading Batman: No Man's Land, the Batman's story that The Dark Knight Rises is partly based on, and it doesn't disappointed!After a huge earthquake, Gotham is abandoned by the USA government, most civilians had escaped from the disaster zone, those who are left behind have to fend for themselves and the city is divided into different zones by the powerful criminals, yada, yada,The human dramas are nice, the artwork is super cool in a dark, gloomy and befitting way!

I'm jumping to read vol. The no man's land saga has finally begun, as people leave Gotham there are still many who opt to stay at the city, now named No Man Land. However having lost faith in the Justice system and having his face smeared with defeat Bruce Wayne or Batman is away from Gotham. Batman's absense spreads chaos around the City.

Until Batman returns to find the way of living in Gotham has changedThe book isn't entertaining, if you are looking for that, this book isn't for you. But it gives a new The no man's land saga has finally begun, as people leave Gotham there are still many who opt to stay at the city, now named No Man Land. However having lost faith in the Justice system and having his face smeared with defeat Bruce Wayne or Batman is away from Gotham. Batman's absense spreads chaos around the City. Until Batman returns to find the way of living in Gotham has changedThe book isn't entertaining, if you are looking for that, this book isn't for you. But it gives a new outlook on how the world can work when savages rule it.

How sometimes a fruit matters more than a costly digital deviceThe whole system of villains and cops taking over lands and fighting over there sector is fascinating. There is a lot of action but for most part Batman isn't present in them.Over all it's a dark story that displays primitive nature of Gotham's occupants. I really enjoy this series, both for the story and the art. The story is interesting for the way it resets the status quo for the different characters in Gotham City. I actually find the stories that don't involve Batman directly to be the most interesting. We get a really good look at Jim Gordon as he tries to find a place for the police in a city with no laws and it's really great whenever an old villain crops up and we see what they have made of the situation.

As for the art, it's great to I really enjoy this series, both for the story and the art. The story is interesting for the way it resets the status quo for the different characters in Gotham City. I actually find the stories that don't involve Batman directly to be the most interesting. We get a really good look at Jim Gordon as he tries to find a place for the police in a city with no laws and it's really great whenever an old villain crops up and we see what they have made of the situation. As for the art, it's great to see so many different styles collected into one storyline and in the collected trades, the shifts in style serve as effective chapter marks. This series would be a good place to start for comics newcomers looking to learn about different ways of portraying movement and imagery in comic book art.

The set up for this batman 'event' is so comic booky. There is a massive earthquake that has totally devastated Gotham City, so much so that the United States removes Gotham from the republic making the city a 'No Man's Land'.

Ok, so because of that you get a destroyed Gotham that is now only populated by criminals that want to take advantage of the city with no rules, the sad citizens that were too poor/sick/confused to get out of the city before it was sealed off, and the heroes that The set up for this batman 'event' is so comic booky. There is a massive earthquake that has totally devastated Gotham City, so much so that the United States removes Gotham from the republic making the city a 'No Man's Land'. Ok, so because of that you get a destroyed Gotham that is now only populated by criminals that want to take advantage of the city with no rules, the sad citizens that were too poor/sick/confused to get out of the city before it was sealed off, and the heroes that want to protect them all.And it's really good stuff. I've read the novelization of this story before, but it's really fun to see this story from another angle. Interesting concept, the previous Batman I read (Cataclysm) was the intro to this series. Gotham, previously destroyed by an earthquake, becomes a demilitarized zone and the remaining citizens have to fend for themselves and it becomes a sort-of Gotham Lord of the Flies.

(Complete side note: Brian Wood's DMZ doesn't seem so original anymore).Great Scarecrow story. How does he create fear without access to chemicals? Good old fashioned mind manipulation aided by religious superstitions.Let's see Interesting concept, the previous Batman I read (Cataclysm) was the intro to this series. Gotham, previously destroyed by an earthquake, becomes a demilitarized zone and the remaining citizens have to fend for themselves and it becomes a sort-of Gotham Lord of the Flies. (Complete side note: Brian Wood's DMZ doesn't seem so original anymore).Great Scarecrow story. How does he create fear without access to chemicals?

Good old fashioned mind manipulation aided by religious superstitions.Let's see if the next four volumes can measure up. 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 and then abandoning and isolating those who chose to remain in the city – A No Man's Land.Batman: No Man's Land, Vol. 1 collects: No Man's Land #1, Batman #563–564, Batman: Shadow of the Bat #83–84, Detective Comics #730– 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 and then abandoning and isolating those who chose to remain in the city – A No Man's Land.Batman: No Man's Land, Vol. 1 collects: No Man's Land #1, Batman #563–564, Batman: Shadow of the Bat #83–84, Detective Comics #730–731, and Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #116.Gotham City suffers the results of a magnitude 7.6 earthquake ( Batman: Cataclysm) and before that an infestation not once, but twice ( Batman: Contagion and Batman: Legacy). In response, the United States government declares Gotham a 'no man's land,' destroys all bridges leading to the island and sets up a military blockade to prevent people from entering or exiting.Within the city, gangs and various super villains Batman had battled over the years swiftly carve up the city.

Commissioner James Gordon, and several members of his department, who dub their gang the Blue Boys stay behind to protect civilians. Oracle and Huntress also end up on the inside, while Bruce Wayne leaves the city to lobby the government to continue aid to Gotham, but fails.Meanwhile James Gordon and his men wait for Batman's return, but he disappears for months, leading the police to believe that he has abandoned Gotham City. A bitterly disappointed Gordon denounces Batman and refuses even to speak his name.Bob Gale and Devin Grayson wrote the majority of the trade paperback and for the most part, I rather enjoyed the narrative. It is an interesting premise, if not a tad convoluted, but interesting nevertheless. There were also two main pencilers throughout the series Alex Maleev and Dale Eaglesham and for the most part, they mesh rather well with each other and flowed rather well.All in all, Batman: No Man's Land, Vol.

1 is a rather strong beginning to what I hope would be an equally wonderful story arc. In the wake of a massive earthquake that leaves Gotham City isolated and abandoned by the government, residents who haven't left must find a way to survive. Trades and shady dealings are around every corner as desperate people cling to anything they can find of use. Gone are the days of electricity and phone lines, and anything that can't be eaten or burned for warmth are almost without value. For anyone remaining in this new world, finding refuge is tough; best to have a skill to back you up In the wake of a massive earthquake that leaves Gotham City isolated and abandoned by the government, residents who haven't left must find a way to survive. Trades and shady dealings are around every corner as desperate people cling to anything they can find of use.

Gone are the days of electricity and phone lines, and anything that can't be eaten or burned for warmth are almost without value. For anyone remaining in this new world, finding refuge is tough; best to have a skill to back you up (ie: mechanics to fix bicycles, etc). Everyone else either finds protection from another or is left dodging the numerous gangs occupying the city blocks.Jim Gordon and what remains of the Gotham City Police Department work diligently to secure as many blocks as they can just to maintain a foothold to the south of the city, in Tricorner. Meanwhile, Batman has been nowhere to be seen, and Oracle keeps a low profile gathering intel within Old Gotham.

With crime at an all time high, how can Gotham overcome these lawless times? Hard to tell as the story unfolds in No Man's Land. Devastated by a cataclysmic earthquake, Gotham is abandoned by the government and left to its own devices. It becomes a place without law or structure and those left in the once great city are forced to survive by any means necessary.No Man's Land Vol. 1 is divided up into two stories by two different creative teams. Up first we have.No Law and a New OrderThis is easily the strongest of the two stories. What is essentially an introduction to the current state of affairs in Gotham turns out to Devastated by a cataclysmic earthquake, Gotham is abandoned by the government and left to its own devices.

It becomes a place without law or structure and those left in the once great city are forced to survive by any means necessary.No Man's Land Vol. 1 is divided up into two stories by two different creative teams. Up first we have.No Law and a New OrderThis is easily the strongest of the two stories. What is essentially an introduction to the current state of affairs in Gotham turns out to be a very entertaining tale of survival. I really enjoyed watching the citizens of Gotham adapting to their new and hostile environment. Narrating duties fall primarily on to Oracle's shoulders and her voice is a good choice as a guide through the ruins of a once great city. While her building may be intact, the luxuries of technology she once enjoyed are not.

She can't rely on her old methods of gathering information and has to employ comparatively primitive means. Her character is used as a good example of someone who's lost her accepted norm, but who still moves forward and puts one foot in front of the other. Figuratively.)While a large portion of the story is dedicated to Barbara, her father also gets a good bit of attention in the story as him and what's left of the GCPD attempt to reclaim their old headquarters from the different gangs who all claim their own slice of post-quake Gotham. A good job is done showing how Jim struggles with the moral ambiguity of the world he now inhabits.

There are no more 'law abiders' and 'law breakers', because there's no law. So how do you enforce what isn't their?

What is there for a cop to do in that type of world?Those two elements combine to create a great story that I ate right up. It's an incredibly strong starting point for the story arc that left me really excited to read.Fear of FaithUnfortunately, that excitement didn't last very long. The second story in Vol. 1 focuses on the psychological experiments the Scarecrow conducts on a group of refugees holed up in a church. It's interesting enough to start, but it just lasts too long. There's not enough genuine material to fill up the pages it occupies. Much of what is there feels like filler that just doesn't need to be there.

To give an example: The GCPD could have been completely removed from this story with only a few, if any, changes to the script needed to compensate for there absence. Yet we spend a good portion of the tale with them.In addition to the story being full of unnecessary parts, what actually belongs there is just boring. It seems to me that there are just too many players involved.

I'm fine with narrative balancing acts, and love them when they're handled well, but this story tries to juggle too much and lacks focus because of it. You can only cover so much in 100 comic pages and when you've got 6 different groups/characters playing major roles in the story, it's easy for things to get cramped.Have you ever been reading a comic book and realized that you've missed something important to the current events? Ever find out that the important something was a visual piece of a panel with no dialogue attached to the peice that you missed because you've only been paying attention to the speech bubbles? If you have, that's a pretty good sign that the book you're reading has really boring art, and I'd have to take my shoes off to count how many times I found myself doing that while reading this book.Batman is a hard character to make visually eye-catching (but not impossible). Our eyes like contrast. It makes things visually appealing, easy to identify, and attention grabbing.

It's hard to make contrast with a character who dresses up in dark clothes and patrols a city at night. Now, I'm not saying that Batman should start running around Rainbow Land in bright pink tights, but attempts should be made to liven up the art surrounding him. If everything's dark, dull, and uninteresting, a reader is less likely to pay attention to the visual aspect of the story. Something that can be incredibly harmful to their experience and something that's very prevalent in this book.Just like, No Man's Land Vol. 1 is a mixed bag, but at least it's more consistent about it. The first story is great, highlighting what people are willing to do to survive; the second story is a mess, incorporating too much and losing focus as a result. Also like Cataclysm, this volume is worth checking out simply for the sections that are great, though those moments couldn't make the volume itself great.

Good lord, what a mess. I had high expectations, here. An earthquake rocks Gotham City, destroying its infrastructure. It's cut off from the rest of the United States, and turns into a wasteland run by gangs that mark their territory with graffiti.

Batman, at first, is nowhere to be seen.A few things bothered me. I'm not sure if they're actual problems with No Man's Land, or with the edition I just happened to buy. But I was really confused half the time. Is Batgirl the Huntress?

Batman Cataclysm Reading Order

Who are they? Good lord, what a mess. I had high expectations, here. An earthquake rocks Gotham City, destroying its infrastructure. It's cut off from the rest of the United States, and turns into a wasteland run by gangs that mark their territory with graffiti. Batman, at first, is nowhere to be seen.A few things bothered me. I'm not sure if they're actual problems with No Man's Land, or with the edition I just happened to buy.

Batman No Man's Land Audiobook

But I was really confused half the time. Is Batgirl the Huntress? Who are they?

I'm not as well-read in Batman lore as I'd like to be, but, c'mon guys, throw me a little exposition here. If they're the same person, why do they wear different costumes and names? If they're different. Who are they? Why am I reading about Azrael all the goddamn time?

I don't care about him. Half of his adventures don't even really explore the No Man's Land theme going on. They're about his personal growth. It's not that it's not interesting, but, I don't like Azrael. In a graphic novel called 'Batman: No Man's Land,' there are two things I'd like to see explored (hint: they're in the title).The art jumps all around the place. Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's interesting, and sometimes it sucks. There's two styles in particular I really did not like.

One of them looked like a bad attempt to replicate the style of Batman: The Animated Series. The other style was just. I literally couldn't tell who any of the characters were. The name 'Black Mask' got thrown around in that one, but I never saw him (or, if I did, could never tell what I was looking at). Two-Face gets the most atrocious art I've ever seen on him before.Batman is very rarely seen.Gotham is explored in great detail, more than any other graphic novel I've read before. A lot of of time is spent exploring the ramifications of it becoming a sort of black-out zone.

This is the sort of thing I usually like, and at first I was really happy to see some time and pages devoted to it. But it just draaaaaagged. Too much time can be spent on such a topic, in my opinion, and NML really dug its heels into it.

It got to the point where Nothing Happened(TM). I kept waiting for the plot to move forward, which it almost never did.There's a good plotline with Scarecrow which I was really happy with - he did his thing intelligently, and without his fear toxin, and I was pleased to see him as an effective villain with a bit of spotlight.I might get Volume 2, with my fingers crossed that something actually fucking happens (maybe even involving Batman!), but, it's not high on my list of priorities. I'm writing this review having read the entire series, including Cataclysm, so that perspective will be heavy throughout.just FYI.One of the things I've become increasingly interested in as I have become a more experienced reader (read: gotten older.I just didn't wanna say it) is non-linear storytelling.

I'm growing to appreciate when a larger story is told through the amalgamation of smaller stories. A great example of this is World War Z. Another is the complete and uncut edition of The I'm writing this review having read the entire series, including Cataclysm, so that perspective will be heavy throughout.just FYI.One of the things I've become increasingly interested in as I have become a more experienced reader (read: gotten older.I just didn't wanna say it) is non-linear storytelling.

I'm growing to appreciate when a larger story is told through the amalgamation of smaller stories. A great example of this is World War Z. Another is the complete and uncut edition of The Stand. The nature of allowing a larger narrative to just happen in the place of one you are lead through is really interesting to me, and feels more true to the way we glean stories from life. Essentially, that's what this book is.No Man's Land is Gotham becoming human to those of us who have only ever known it as the dangerous and shadowy backdrop on which we get to read about Batman. It has always been looming and violent, with it's citizens only ever brought into the light to kill or be killed. In NML we see the citizens struggle for survival in a very real way because Gotham is broken.

The city is left wounded, and has lost the grandeur that brought so much of that intimidation. What we get in it's place is a mix of stories where people either fight for their home, or attempt to exploit it's broken nature. Here in Vol 1 we don't see Batman mixed into those stories for reasons that are revealed later, but his presence lurks like a question over everything that happens. It really sets up some fantastic possibilities as those who had grown accustomed to his ability to hold back the wave of potential darkness that's always threatened to wash over Gotham now must fight their own battles on the same morally ambiguous ground that Batman himself has always operated on.

And those who have fought against Batman are left a playground to fill in the vacuum, which forces the reader to wonder whether Gotham has swung too far away to save. Vol 1 sets high stakes for the city and everyone involved. I found it created a very strong desire to read on because I was captured by the new faces in Gotham that I met, and I wanted to continue to follow their struggle to get through the NML not only alive, but with their sense of self still intact.