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Title: Batman: No Man's Land - Volume 5 by Greg Rucka, Devin Grayson ISBN: 1-56389-709-1 Publisher: DC Comics Pub. Date: 01 April, 2001 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.38 (74 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Very, very impressive
Comment: Imagine it: in the time it takes for one breath, Gotham City splits apart under the jaws of a massive earthquake. Half the population dies instantly; others succumb to the aftermath's crime explosion or lack of medical help. As the mangled city is lost to crime and disease, the United States cuts the island off, believing the city beyond recovery. Most people flee to the mainland before the connnecting bridges are destroyed, but several brave folks stay behind to protect those who aren't leaving. Some of these include Barbara and Jim Gordon, Detective Montoya, Robin, and a mysterious young lady masking as the Batgirl. No supplies, no back-up, no medicine, no electricity. The infamous citizens of Arkham Asylum, including Two-Face, Harley Quinn, and the Joker, are free. But that ain't the worst of it, folks.
Batman is missing.
While I haven't had the chance yet to peruse the Batman comics, I've been a longtime fan of the Animated Series (brought to life by the talented Bruce Timm, Michael Reeves, and many others). Here, Greg Rucka imbues Gotham with the Joker's ferocity. Nothing's sacred, and that's what makes this book a page-turner. Gangs, madmen (both in Arkham and on the police force), rapists, baby-nappers... it's all here, shown through the eyes of the cops and Bat gang who stay behind to defend their home. It feels like Rucka climbed into each character's skin. Barbara Gorden, in a wheel chair from a Joker attack, has developed a bitter drive to succeed, and I loved her attitude!! Harley is mad, Two-Face exudes grief with his homicidal rages, and the Joker keeps you laughing ... even as he shoots you 'tween the eyes.
It's all here, it's all real, and it's a definite read.
Rating: 4
Summary: A true Batman epic
Comment: Taking place over the course of a whole year, with a huge cast of characters and multiple subplots, No Man's Land is the perfect Batman story to be turned into a novel. Greg Rucka manages to take over fifty separate comics, by many different writers and artists, and not only effectively translate them into prose, but also into one consistent, cohesive narrative. He seems to do a good job introducing the various characters for readers who aren't familiar with all the members of the Batman Family, but I'm probably not the best judge, since I read the comics regularly.
Make no mistake: this is a Batman novel for folks who enjoy the character. The whole No Man's Land premise is pretty extreme, but no more so than the idea of a guy dressed as a flying rodent fighting a clown. But who goes looking to stories about costumed superheroes for naturalistic documents of society?
In a lot of ways, this is the ultimate Batman story: How does a man who decides to work outside the law function when the system of law breaks down? As a fictional examination of how society would behave if all the traditional infrastructures disappeared, featuring familiar characters from popular culture, this book works just fine. Call it science fiction, call it a metaphor, call it a fantasy or a comic book without pictures. It's still a lot of fun.
Rating: 4
Summary: Batman - "Survivor" Style!
Comment: The premise of this novel and the original comics are really quite simple (albeit quite a stretch, I have to admit). Gotham City is ravaged by an earthquake, the U.S. Government refuse to repair the damage and the citizens are ordered to move out. All bridges and entry-points are detonated - only the insane and hopeless stay back. Batman decides to stay on as the protector of his city - whatever is left of it!
Now once you've suspended your disbelief over the unlikely premise, you'll find that this story actually works on many levels. Especially in our times - we are seeing daily how people in Afghanistan and Iraq are working hard to bring order and a semblance of sanity back into their lives. And it works especially well for Batman. Batman, after all, is a Bruce Wayne's method of "forcing" his existence to make sense after witnessing his parents' brutal murder as a kid all those years back. Now, Batman is "forcing" a hopeless city back to order and meaning.
The original comics (now collected neatly into five tradepaperback) were great. Greg Rucka's novel is better. Somehow, seeing this story in prose makes it that much more "serious". Rucka, in this novel, decides to write more from the point of view of Gordon, Montoya, Essen and the GCPD rather than emphasizing the role of the costumed-vigilantes the way the comics do. Each section of the novel is prefaced by the journal entries of the crippled Barbara Gordon (the former Batgirl and now Oracle). The 'personal' touch of Barb's diaries makes the story just that much more potent and emotional. Even the exploits of Batman, the new Batgirl, Nightwing, etc. are seen through her eyes - driving home to the readers once more just how closely knitted the Bat-family really is and how much they really care/understand/emphatize with each other.
In my opinion, Rucka's comicbook writing is hit-and-miss game. Sometimes, he's great ("Wonder Woman: The Hikketia", "Huntress:Cry For Blood", "Queen & Country") and sometimes he just doesn't do it for me. He is still first and foremost a novelist and this book, "Batman: No Man's Land" is further proof that the man can craft a fine novel.
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Title: Batman: Cataclysm by DC Comics ISBN: 1563895277 Publisher: DC Comics Pub. Date: 01 June, 1999 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title: Batman: Bruce Wayne Fugitive Vol.2 by Greg Rucka, Devin Grayson ISBN: 1563899477 Publisher: DC Comics Pub. Date: 01 March, 2003 List Price(USD): $12.95 |
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Title: Batman : Dark Victory by Jeph Loeb, Tim Sale ISBN: 1563898683 Publisher: DC Comics Pub. Date: 01 October, 2002 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title: Batman: Contagion by Various ISBN: 1563892936 Publisher: DC Comics Pub. Date: 01 April, 1996 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title: Batman: Hush Vol. 2 by Jeph Loeb, Jim Lee, Scott Williams ISBN: 1401200842 Publisher: DC Comics Pub. Date: 01 January, 2004 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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