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A review by caitcoy
Batman: No Man's Land, Vol. 1 by Greg Rucka
3.0
No Man’s Land is one of those essential Batman stories that I’ve been meaning to read forever and now that my life is finally slowing down a bit, I can get to it. Even this first volume comprises a fair number of stories so I’ve put a mini review in for each. If you’d rather read the short version, I put a tl;dr review in at the end. :P
No Man’s Land takes place in the aftermath of a massive earthquake which devastates Gotham. Despite the warnings of a seismologist, no one (besides Bruce Wayne) seriously considers an earthquake as likely to happen in Gotham so only the Wayne buildings are built to withstand that kind of disaster. The federal government decides it’s easier to abandon Gotham than to try to provide the massive aid necessary to rebuild the city. Instead, they order an evacuation, leaving the city to the criminals, the stubborn and the destitute. This means that there is no law and order in Gotham and with the disappearance of Batman, different factions fight for control.
No Law and a New Order - ★★★★★
Writer: Bob Gale
Artist: Alex Maleev
The collection starts off strong with a fantastic intro story, gorgeously illustrated by Alex Maleev, which introduces the idea of Gotham as an abandoned no man’s land populated by criminals and those few people who either refused or were unable to get out in the evacuation. Batman has disappeared and is assumed by most to have abandoned the city so the story deals with the attempts of the people who are struggling to survive amid the ruins. We get to see what Oracle, Penguin, Joker, Huntress and others have been up to since the quake but the story really focuses on the few remaining members of the GCPD and Jim Gordon in particular. It poses some interesting questions about just how far they’ll go to maintain some semblance of law and order and I’ll be very interested to see how Gordon moves forward.
Miracle Run! - ★★
Writer: Dennis J. O'Neil
Artist: Roger Robinson
I’ll admit right now that since first meeting him in Knightfall, I’ve never been a fan of Azrael. He has at least toned down his brainless jackassery since then but this still isn’t an impressive story. Basically, Batman has given Azrael the mission of tracking down a charismatic cult leader named Nick Scratch who all but ensured Gotham would be declared a no man’s land. It verges from just plain to silly to tolerable but the artwork is awful. I’d like to see someone make Azrael interesting but this isn’t it.
Fear of Faith - ★★★
Writer: Devin Grayson
Artist: Dale Eaglesham
This story has Jonathan Crane (aka Scarecrow) manipulating a group of refugees who are hiding out in a church under the care of a naïve and benevolent man named Father Chris. I will admit that I’m really not religious so this felt a little preachy. That aside, I do like that it focuses on Huntress and the struggle with her darker, violent side so I felt it was one of the better stories in the volume.
Devil Down Below - ★½
Writer: Dennis J. O'Neil
Artist: Roger Robinson
This is basically Azrael comes to Gotham. Azrael tails Scratch to Gotham and ends up helping an old woman attempt to reach her daughter who is stranded in Gotham. This is the same writer/artist duo from “Miracle Run!” and while the art is a little better, the story definitely isn’t. I’m not sure if it’s worse but the ending definitely left me wondering, “WTF?!”
Bread and Circuses - ★★★
Writer: Ian Edginton
Artist: D'Israeli
This story focuses on the black market set up by Penguin and results in a Penguin vs Batman showdown. The art style is…different but I actually liked how it worked with the story. Not bad and it totally feels like something Batman would do.
Mosaic - ★★★
Writer: Greg Rucka
Artist: Frank Teran
This story follows Batman’s conflict with a group assembled by an even crazier than normal Blackmask. I’ve liked Greg Rucka since reading Gotham Central and he crafts a pretty interesting story here, especially with the conflict between Oracle and Batman. I don’t think he handles Gordon’s personality as well but still pretty good. I have to say that I’m really not a fan of Teran’s dark, messy artwork but I think that might be more a matter of personal taste than lack of quality.
Two Down - ★★★½
Writer: Greg Rucka
Artist: Jason Pearson
This is one is a very interesting Two Face story that is best because it’s Montoya struggling with how to handle him rather than Batman. Montoya has a helluva history with Two Face (figures pretty largely into Gotham Central as a matter of fact). Rucka does an absolutely fantastic job with this story and it definitely had me glued to the page all the way through. I’m not a huge fan of the way Pearson illustrated it but still one of the better stories.
Comforts of Home - ★★
Writer: Scott Beatty
Artist: Damion Scott
Man this couple deserves a fucking Darwin award. If I lived in Gotham and I got even the HINT of an idea that I was in Joker’s house, I would GTFO in a heartbeat. But apparently the lure of loot is too much for them and of course shit gets crazy. But seriously, dude?! Joker’s house?! What. The. Fuck. The artwork is pretty decent though.
Harold - ★★
Writer: Dennis J. O'Neil
Artist: Chris Renaud
Meh. This story centers around Batman's little mechanic/fix-it-guy Harold. I think I may have to accept that I'm just not impressed by O'Neil because I have yet to read a story of his that really interested me. Basically this just tells you what happened to him after he and Alfred got stranded in the ruins of Wayne Manor and what he's up to now.
Jellybean Deathtrap - ★★
Writer: Dennis J. O'Neil
Artist: Roger Robinson
And...another mediocre Azrael story. This one involves Azrael filling in for Batman against the Joker. The results were better for Azrael than I expected, there was an interesting moment with Batman at the end and for once with Azrael the artwork wasn’t awful. Probably the best of the Azrael stories in this volume but I still wasn't a huge fan.
Balance - ★★★★★
Writer: Greg Rucka
Artist: Jason Pearson
Bless you Rucka for writing an adorable Alfred story. This gives you insight to what happened to Alfred from Cataclysm to the current point and I loved seeing the bond between him and Batman. Much, much shorter than "No Law and a New Order" but I loved it just as much.
Home Sweet Home - ★★★
Writer: Lisa Klink
Artist: Guy Davis
This one was actually pretty good. It's about an older man who's lived on the same street in Gotham for his entire life and refuses to evacuate. He's a fixture in the community and even with all the chaos and unrest tries to help out his neighbors. Things get predictably dark and violent with the entrance of some villains and their gangs but overall it's a good story despite not great artwork.
Visitor - ★★
Writer: Kelley Puckett
Artist: Jon Bogdanove
This is Superman comes to Gotham and tries to fix everything with boy scout cheer. Not gonna lie, this was a perfect illustration of why I can’t stand Superman. The artwork is good but the story is just okay.
Shades of Grey>/u> - ★
Writer: Bob Gale
Artist: Phil Winslade
This was awful. It’s like a morality tale with Batman. Basically, he finds two women arguing over who a baby belongs to and then has to figure out how to deal with it. It’s just incredibly stupid. I don’t really have anything else to say about it, other than that I wasn’t any more impressed with the artwork than the story.
Step Into the Light & Misery Dance - ★
Writer: Dennis J. O'Neil
Artist: Roger Robinson
Holy shit. Someone please take Azrael away from O'Neil. I don’t care if he created him, he clearly can’t do him justice. In this one, Azrael goes up against a serial killer who dances for his victims to “ease their suffering” and then cuts their throats. Turns out that's exactly as terrible as it sounds. And still the same unimpressive artwork.
The tl;dr version of this review is that it’s a really interesting concept whose execution varies from outstanding to mediocre depending on the writer(s)/artist(s). I’m giving it three stars but honestly there’s a lot of terrible stories in here so it’s not one I can wholeheartedly recommend. I do think the idea of Batman being somewhat at sea in an atmosphere that is constant chaos is a really interesting one. I like seeing how Batman's skillset isn't really geared towards the kind of trouble that Gotham is in and the moral quandaries that presents.
No Man’s Land takes place in the aftermath of a massive earthquake which devastates Gotham. Despite the warnings of a seismologist, no one (besides Bruce Wayne) seriously considers an earthquake as likely to happen in Gotham so only the Wayne buildings are built to withstand that kind of disaster. The federal government decides it’s easier to abandon Gotham than to try to provide the massive aid necessary to rebuild the city. Instead, they order an evacuation, leaving the city to the criminals, the stubborn and the destitute. This means that there is no law and order in Gotham and with the disappearance of Batman, different factions fight for control.
No Law and a New Order - ★★★★★
Writer: Bob Gale
Artist: Alex Maleev
The collection starts off strong with a fantastic intro story, gorgeously illustrated by Alex Maleev, which introduces the idea of Gotham as an abandoned no man’s land populated by criminals and those few people who either refused or were unable to get out in the evacuation. Batman has disappeared and is assumed by most to have abandoned the city so the story deals with the attempts of the people who are struggling to survive amid the ruins. We get to see what Oracle, Penguin, Joker, Huntress and others have been up to since the quake but the story really focuses on the few remaining members of the GCPD and Jim Gordon in particular. It poses some interesting questions about just how far they’ll go to maintain some semblance of law and order and I’ll be very interested to see how Gordon moves forward.
Miracle Run! - ★★
Writer: Dennis J. O'Neil
Artist: Roger Robinson
I’ll admit right now that since first meeting him in Knightfall, I’ve never been a fan of Azrael. He has at least toned down his brainless jackassery since then but this still isn’t an impressive story. Basically, Batman has given Azrael the mission of tracking down a charismatic cult leader named Nick Scratch who all but ensured Gotham would be declared a no man’s land. It verges from just plain to silly to tolerable but the artwork is awful. I’d like to see someone make Azrael interesting but this isn’t it.
Fear of Faith - ★★★
Writer: Devin Grayson
Artist: Dale Eaglesham
This story has Jonathan Crane (aka Scarecrow) manipulating a group of refugees who are hiding out in a church under the care of a naïve and benevolent man named Father Chris. I will admit that I’m really not religious so this felt a little preachy. That aside, I do like that it focuses on Huntress and the struggle with her darker, violent side so I felt it was one of the better stories in the volume.
Devil Down Below - ★½
Writer: Dennis J. O'Neil
Artist: Roger Robinson
This is basically Azrael comes to Gotham. Azrael tails Scratch to Gotham and ends up helping an old woman attempt to reach her daughter who is stranded in Gotham. This is the same writer/artist duo from “Miracle Run!” and while the art is a little better, the story definitely isn’t. I’m not sure if it’s worse but the ending definitely left me wondering, “WTF?!”
Bread and Circuses - ★★★
Writer: Ian Edginton
Artist: D'Israeli
This story focuses on the black market set up by Penguin and results in a Penguin vs Batman showdown. The art style is…different but I actually liked how it worked with the story. Not bad and it totally feels like something Batman would do.
Mosaic - ★★★
Writer: Greg Rucka
Artist: Frank Teran
This story follows Batman’s conflict with a group assembled by an even crazier than normal Blackmask. I’ve liked Greg Rucka since reading Gotham Central and he crafts a pretty interesting story here, especially with the conflict between Oracle and Batman. I don’t think he handles Gordon’s personality as well but still pretty good. I have to say that I’m really not a fan of Teran’s dark, messy artwork but I think that might be more a matter of personal taste than lack of quality.
Two Down - ★★★½
Writer: Greg Rucka
Artist: Jason Pearson
This is one is a very interesting Two Face story that is best because it’s Montoya struggling with how to handle him rather than Batman. Montoya has a helluva history with Two Face (figures pretty largely into Gotham Central as a matter of fact). Rucka does an absolutely fantastic job with this story and it definitely had me glued to the page all the way through. I’m not a huge fan of the way Pearson illustrated it but still one of the better stories.
Comforts of Home - ★★
Writer: Scott Beatty
Artist: Damion Scott
Man this couple deserves a fucking Darwin award. If I lived in Gotham and I got even the HINT of an idea that I was in Joker’s house, I would GTFO in a heartbeat. But apparently the lure of loot is too much for them and of course shit gets crazy. But seriously, dude?! Joker’s house?! What. The. Fuck. The artwork is pretty decent though.
Harold
Writer: Dennis J. O'Neil
Artist: Chris Renaud
Meh. This story centers around Batman's little mechanic/fix-it-guy Harold. I think I may have to accept that I'm just not impressed by O'Neil because I have yet to read a story of his that really interested me. Basically this just tells you what happened to him after he and Alfred got stranded in the ruins of Wayne Manor and what he's up to now.
Jellybean Deathtrap - ★★
Writer: Dennis J. O'Neil
Artist: Roger Robinson
And...another mediocre Azrael story. This one involves Azrael filling in for Batman against the Joker. The results were better for Azrael than I expected, there was an interesting moment with Batman at the end and for once with Azrael the artwork wasn’t awful. Probably the best of the Azrael stories in this volume but I still wasn't a huge fan.
Balance - ★★★★★
Writer: Greg Rucka
Artist: Jason Pearson
Bless you Rucka for writing an adorable Alfred story. This gives you insight to what happened to Alfred from Cataclysm to the current point and I loved seeing the bond between him and Batman. Much, much shorter than "No Law and a New Order" but I loved it just as much.
Home Sweet Home - ★★★
Writer: Lisa Klink
Artist: Guy Davis
This one was actually pretty good. It's about an older man who's lived on the same street in Gotham for his entire life and refuses to evacuate. He's a fixture in the community and even with all the chaos and unrest tries to help out his neighbors. Things get predictably dark and violent with the entrance of some villains and their gangs but overall it's a good story despite not great artwork.
Visitor - ★★
Writer: Kelley Puckett
Artist: Jon Bogdanove
This is Superman comes to Gotham and tries to fix everything with boy scout cheer. Not gonna lie, this was a perfect illustration of why I can’t stand Superman.
Spoiler
However, it does seem slightly contrived that he runs into a single group of depressed survivors and gives up. Pretty sure Superman would be the most useful guy in a crisis like this. And I gotta say though that I have a hard time buying that an earthquake would reduce people back to the feudal stage where they just pay tribute to anyone who solves a problem.Shades of Grey>/u> - ★
Writer: Bob Gale
Artist: Phil Winslade
This was awful. It’s like a morality tale with Batman. Basically, he finds two women arguing over who a baby belongs to and then has to figure out how to deal with it. It’s just incredibly stupid. I don’t really have anything else to say about it, other than that I wasn’t any more impressed with the artwork than the story.
Step Into the Light & Misery Dance - ★
Writer: Dennis J. O'Neil
Artist: Roger Robinson
Holy shit. Someone please take Azrael away from O'Neil. I don’t care if he created him, he clearly can’t do him justice. In this one, Azrael goes up against a serial killer who dances for his victims to “ease their suffering” and then cuts their throats. Turns out that's exactly as terrible as it sounds. And still the same unimpressive artwork.
The tl;dr version of this review is that it’s a really interesting concept whose execution varies from outstanding to mediocre depending on the writer(s)/artist(s). I’m giving it three stars but honestly there’s a lot of terrible stories in here so it’s not one I can wholeheartedly recommend. I do think the idea of Batman being somewhat at sea in an atmosphere that is constant chaos is a really interesting one. I like seeing how Batman's skillset isn't really geared towards the kind of trouble that Gotham is in and the moral quandaries that presents.