By: Greg Rucka Publisher: Pocket Star Average Rating: Binding: Mass Market Paperback Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 480 Publication Date: February 27, 2001 Studio: Pocket Star
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.
Batman's ultimate challenge ^ I really enjoyed this book. Greg Rucka did a a great job creating the world of Gotham in a story unlike any other. The city has been devastated by a massive earthquake, all the insane criminals from Arhkam Asylum including Joker and Two-Face are running loose, and Batman's nowhere to be found. The national government has declared Gotham a "No Man's Land," due to the fact that the cost to rebuild this large, crime-filled city. Batman: No Man's Land is filled with action and plot twists, and Rucka does a great job bringing the characters to life and developing them throughout this epic story. It's a really fun book to read that pushes Batman to his limits. He needs needs all the help he can get, and then some, in order to try restoring this city he loves so much and has worked so hard for so many years to protect from the forces of evil.
Batastic ^ I was skeptical of a Novelization of a Batman story. I have not read the original Graphic Novel for No Man's Land, but saw the reviews of this and decided to give it a shot. Perhaps the best decision I've made this year.
Greg Rucka's characters jump off the page at you in ways that the Graphics Novels simply cannot. The look inside the thoughts of the Joker are worth the price of this book alone. Never has the Clown Prince of Crime been more human, and more scary. Rucka takes you inside all of these supporting characters minds and the journey is nothing less than incredible.
He also paints the devastated post-cataclysm landscape of Gotham so well I could see it in my mind. As the Bat and friends pick their way through the ruin and rubble, I found myself both terrified and exhausted. Rucka proves that the imagination can be so much better than any artist depiction. I will undoubtedly buy the Graphic Novels now for the comparison, but I am glad I read this version first so that my vision of NML would be uninhibited by what the Artists will portray.
If you have even a passing interest in Batman, buy this book. If you enjoy stories of people surviving incredible hardship, this book is also for you even if you are not a Batman fan.
DC would be proud ^ This story isn't one you can find anywhere else; it's original, intelligent, and doesn't once compromise the integrity of DC comics.
A World Without Batman ^ With the modern love of all things batty this story from Gotham brings some of the finest characters of the cities elite together in the aftermath of a terrible tragedy. An earthquake has split the city, the world has abandoned it, and so to, has Gotham's pointy eared defender. Joining heroes, villains, and the citizens of Gotham Greg Rucka takes us on a wonderful story about the triumph of the human spirit, the strength of a city, and the power of who we place our trust in. A stunning read in both comic and novelization and well worth an addition to any fan's collection.
No Man's Land ^ I was a bit sceptical about how good a novelisation of an epic comic event could be, but I was pleasantly surprised. I bought this mostly out of curiosity to see how well batman went in a different medium, but I found it to be a very enjoyable book. By switching from comic to novel, there seems to be a bit more depth than what is usually found in most comics - and there are much deeper insights into the characters. To be fair, it's no great work of literature, but it's different and I'd easily rank it among some of my favourite books.
Rucka gets the settign and the characters just right - I particularly liked the scenes describing batman "playing" the Bruce Wayne persona. And I found myself reading with a huge grin at the end of part two. The book also has an emotional side, and the interactions particularly between Oracle and her father are well done.
If you like batman and want to try something different from a comic book, give this a go, you might enjoy the change like I did.
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