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26th out of 290 books
—
473 voters
Batman: No Man's Land (Batman: No Man's Land Novel)
by
Greg Rucka
GOTHAM CITY: a dark, twisted reection 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 thi...more
Mass Market Paperback, Novelization, 468 pages
Published
March 1st 2001
by Pocket Star
(first published 2000)
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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This is the novelization of the Batman graphic novel "No Man's Land". I have not read the graphic novel, so I cannot comment on how close the novel followed the events in graphic novel.
In a nutshell, an earthquake devastates Gotham. The U.S., not wanting to face the cost of a clean-up, makes Gotham a "no man's land", essentially abandoning the city and those who refuse to leave it. Lawlessness descends upon the city and Batman (plus his allies) are left to restore civilization to Gotham.
It took...more
In a nutshell, an earthquake devastates Gotham. The U.S., not wanting to face the cost of a clean-up, makes Gotham a "no man's land", essentially abandoning the city and those who refuse to leave it. Lawlessness descends upon the city and Batman (plus his allies) are left to restore civilization to Gotham.
It took...more
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Judging from a glance at other reviews of this book, my reaction was similar to that of a lot of other people: I did't think I'd like this book as much as I did.
To be honest, I had many doubts regarding the novelization of a comic book. I've been reading Batman comics for over a year now (and what I lack in terms of time I surely made up in volume), and I admit I doubted that could translate into the novel format. If it hadn't been for the recommendation of a friend, I wouldn't have picked it up...more
To be honest, I had many doubts regarding the novelization of a comic book. I've been reading Batman comics for over a year now (and what I lack in terms of time I surely made up in volume), and I admit I doubted that could translate into the novel format. If it hadn't been for the recommendation of a friend, I wouldn't have picked it up...more
batman no man's land was a very suspenseful novel that included a wide variety of super villians and heroes. when the government can no longer handle Gothem city and abandons it by destroying all connections to the islands by destroying bridges and allowing no one to go in or out. All the criminals are running lose and gangs rule the streets. the police department is doing its best to maintain the city and the batman has returened and helps clean up Gothem city along with batgirl and other heroe...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
After an earthquake destroys Gotham, the government has declared it separate from the United States and it has become known as No Man's Land. Only a few remain behind to help restore the city to what it once was, but first they have to fight against Gotham's most notorious villains, who now have free rein over the city...and Batman is nowhere to be seen. This was given to me to read, otherwise I probably would have never read it since I'm not very fond of books adapted from other sources nor hav...more
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As always these days, this was an audiobook. Though it was more audio drama than it was audiobook. All the characters were voiced by different actors. They did a really good job of casting the parts, though Tim Drake sounded a little weird to me.
I don't know (and don't care to take the time to research) if the movie The Dark Knight Rises was informed in any way from this movie, but there were a lot of parallels. Gotham gets cut off from the outside world after a major earthquake and is declared...more
I don't know (and don't care to take the time to research) if the movie The Dark Knight Rises was informed in any way from this movie, but there were a lot of parallels. Gotham gets cut off from the outside world after a major earthquake and is declared...more
(3.5) I had heard that Rucka's adaptation of his excellent graphic novel series was good and this one did not disappoint. Although I wished it had focused a little more on Gotham (it does in the beginning then just kind of waffles), it's still a well-written tale with great usage of Batman's rogues gallery.
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This was quite an enjoyable read, a great story and also a great chance to learn more about some of the characters in the Batman universe. As someone whose primary exposure to a lot of the characters has been through the recent Batman video games, I really appreciated getting to know these characters better, especially what makes them tick. The book is quite well-written, and the story quite interesting. This book would have gotten 5 stars were it not for the rather disappointing ending. (view s...more
What a great book! It was interesting to read because I've only seen the movies and as usual with a book you get the character depth and development that films have a hard time bringing out. I was talking to a friend and he said that Christopher Nolan and his brother began reading the Batman comics when he started working on Batman Begins. I could really see where he drew his inspiration. Specifically with Bruce Wayne and Batman and the complex layers of their personnas. Other than that though a...more
Gotham City has been laid to ruin by a massive earthquake. The federal government has decided that the damage is so massive that rebuilding the wrecked city just isn't worth the effort and declares the ruined area a "NoMan's Land". The remaining citizens are told that they have a deadline to leave or be stranded on the island city. Arkham Asylum is unlocked in the course of the damage, and every arch-criminal it once held is now turned loose upon a now (officially) lawless Gotham, although Commi...more
This is great! It's clear the author has a firm handle on all of the characters. I'm not crazy about the Superman tie-ins but it was executed well and didn't really seem out of place. If you haven't read many Batman commics and want a greater familiarity with the "modern" developed universe; characters like Oracle, Robin2, Harlequin and so on, then this will also provide you a fantastic introduction to all of that. The over-all arc suffers from the episodic nature of the source material, and I w...more
This book was surprisingly good. I was a bit wary of reading a novelization of a comic, but Greg Rucka pulls it off with great aplomb.
Having read the comics as well, on thing that really strikes me about the novel is how Rucka pulls out all of the more cartoonish aspects of the story and focuses on writing a gritty, realistic (as Batman can get), tale of crime and justice.
If you even slightly like Batman, this is a must-read. I've bought the book in both hardcover and softcover (multiple times f...more
Having read the comics as well, on thing that really strikes me about the novel is how Rucka pulls out all of the more cartoonish aspects of the story and focuses on writing a gritty, realistic (as Batman can get), tale of crime and justice.
If you even slightly like Batman, this is a must-read. I've bought the book in both hardcover and softcover (multiple times f...more
When i first saw this book sitting on the shelf in the public library i thought it would be stupid and a waste of time. But the next time that i went i found it catching my attention again. I picked up the book and read the back. suddenly i found myself curious and interested, i was going to get it. THen i realized i fogot my stupid card at home!
The next time i went i was sure to bring the card and check out the book. Once i started reading i fell in love. The book was like nothing i thought it...more
The next time i went i was sure to bring the card and check out the book. Once i started reading i fell in love. The book was like nothing i thought it...more
I loved the crossover event on which this book is based. No Man’s Land was a year-long story which occupied the Batman comics for about a year, involving Gotham City being declared no longer part of the United States of America. Lawlessness ruled the land and for 12 months, Batman and his extended family worked to bring Gotham under control from both the tinpot dictators who had taken over the streets and Batman’s rogues gallery.
It’s a fairly good novelization which I suspected, considering Ruck...more
It’s a fairly good novelization which I suspected, considering Ruck...more
Bought this book because I love everything Greg Rucka writes (especially Queen & Country, which is AMAZING!) This novel is a serialization of a 1999 comic series when Gotham was wracked by earthquakes and written off by the US Gov't as a No Man's Land.
The most awesome thing about this Batman book is that Batman is barely in it! It is much more focused on the great cast of supporting characters (who will be familiar to Batman readers - especially Rucka/Brubaker's awesome Gotham Central series...more
The most awesome thing about this Batman book is that Batman is barely in it! It is much more focused on the great cast of supporting characters (who will be familiar to Batman readers - especially Rucka/Brubaker's awesome Gotham Central series...more
I read this both because I'm a Batman fan and because it was one of the inspirations for The Dark Knight Rises. Despite being a 430 page novel, it felt both overlong and incomplete. Too many characters and too many story lines. Some of them don't really go anywhere. Some characters appear to be major players in the early going and then fade into the background or disappear completely. Batman himself doesn't get to do enough interesting things. Lastly, the climax felt anticlimactic. It's more des...more
Batman Fans will enjoy this book. The weird thing is that it's NOT a Graphic Novel but an actual book, ha! I have read a ton of Batman in comic book form but never a "book". But I gotta say that once you get into it, it's a great experience.
The story in this book was actually a comic book storyline that existed in 1999. This was a period of my life when I was not reading comics anymore so finding this book later was a treasure. Greg Rucka is a very decent Writer, especially with the superhero ge...more
The story in this book was actually a comic book storyline that existed in 1999. This was a period of my life when I was not reading comics anymore so finding this book later was a treasure. Greg Rucka is a very decent Writer, especially with the superhero ge...more
This book is a comic book adaptation. An earthquake has hit Gotham and the governement has washed his hands of Gotham. It is has cut off access to and from Gotham and anarchy ensues. This was a great book. The author did a fabulous job depicting the grittiness of Gotham and the personas of the characters. Everyone is here. Joker, Penguin, Bane, Two-Face along with Nightwing, Robin, and Batgirl have roles in this book. By the end of the book, I forgot that I was reading a comic book adaptation. T...more
Really, really good book. No Man's Land has always been a particularly interesting part of the Batman arc for me. This wasn't even my book but my boyfriend's and after listening to him propound it's awesomeness for the umpteenth time, I decided to read it. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this novel, how well the characters, especially Arkham's favorite psychopath The Joker and Two-Face were depicted. All the characters, even Barbara Gordon, are realistic and well written and the book has g...more
Let me start by saying that this is the best Batman novel I've ever read (probably the best out there considering the limited number of Batman novels that have been written and the general quality of said novels). Honestly, I can't explain why No Man's Land is better than other Batman novels, all I know is that, for some reason, Rucka's Batman (and Bruce Wayne) worked for me. This book is heads and tails ahead of the novels within the same class, namely because of its realism, plotting, and shee...more
I really wasn't sure what I was going to get when I picked this book up. Then I started reading the first few words and was hooked. Really hooked.
Rucka does what I can only call a stunning job writing about Gotham and Batman. He takes things such as the Joker and gets inside their head, and manages to capture every single point about them. He turns them into a believable character, one that comes alive on the pages despite there being no art around to assist. Out of all the characters Rucka wrot...more
Rucka does what I can only call a stunning job writing about Gotham and Batman. He takes things such as the Joker and gets inside their head, and manages to capture every single point about them. He turns them into a believable character, one that comes alive on the pages despite there being no art around to assist. Out of all the characters Rucka wrot...more
I thought I was a Batman fan until I read this book and realized just how deep the rabbit hole is. I had only watched the animated series and movies from the 90's. I didn't realize how rich a world had been built by the comics and graphic novels. This novel left me curious and hungry for more, leading me to read the comic. Aside from the incredible action, Batman: No Man's Land delivers complex characters and a unique story line. For those interested, this novel is an incredible gateway into Bat...more
I learned from Phoenix: End Song that Greg Rucka is skilled at turning characters I dislike into human beings. (Or in that case, back into human beings). In No Man’s Land, he managed to come close with Batman, by allowing him so many moments of weakness before his friends and enemies, but unfortunately, there’s only so far you can go with Batman’s character, (or any of the main DC heroes). In all their time, these characters are largely unchanged, remaining untouchable, inhuman gods. I’ve realiz...more
Dark. Atmospheric. Chilling. And that was just the ride home on the metro last night. It was made all the more creepy by this gem of a book, 'Batman: No Man's Land'.
I love it when the potential of a character is fulfilled and it has blossomed into what you knew it could be. For too long Batman has been tainted with the shadow of Adam West's portrayal on the 60s tv show and then there were the campy movies of which only 'The Dark Night' offered any redemption. In this novel by Greg Rucka the read...more
I love it when the potential of a character is fulfilled and it has blossomed into what you knew it could be. For too long Batman has been tainted with the shadow of Adam West's portrayal on the 60s tv show and then there were the campy movies of which only 'The Dark Night' offered any redemption. In this novel by Greg Rucka the read...more
Actually, I would probably give this book a 3.5 if I could. To me, novelizations of comic book heroes,rpg universes, t.v. shows, movies and etc are fun when you are "jonesing" for those particular characters. But, though I enjoy reading them, they never quite payoff as "great books". I tend to judge them differently then I would something by a "respected" author. I never expect much, so if it satisfies my "batman, star wars or Forgotten Realms" appetite,on almost any level, I would give it a 3....more
One of my absolute favorite superhero books ever. It's one of the two Batman novelizations that made me want to start writing fanfic.
I really love the way the author portrays Batman in this - it feels real to me, like this is how Batman was always supposed to be. And although a lot of my friends dislike this version of Barbara Gordon, I really like her a lot in this.
This is one of the rare books I own that I would (and do) read over and over again, it's really just THAT good.
I really love the way the author portrays Batman in this - it feels real to me, like this is how Batman was always supposed to be. And although a lot of my friends dislike this version of Barbara Gordon, I really like her a lot in this.
This is one of the rare books I own that I would (and do) read over and over again, it's really just THAT good.
Wow! I really enjoyed this novel! I was never really into Batman comic books or comic books in general, but this novelization of a graphic novel story line really hits a home run. Greg Rucka really keeps the pace up beat and I think that the novel form is better as you use your imagination more. I burned through reading this one in a little over a weeks time; it was just hard to put it down! The characters are very well written and it was easy to connect with them even if you never saw a Batman...more
In the book Batman: No Man's Land by Greg Rucka, Gotham city, batman has sworn to protect, is destroyed by a earthquake and is cut of from the United States. With batman no where to be seen, the citizens of Gotham have to fight for survival and wait for their savior. This book is very good. It is written well, and the characters are interesting and fun to read about. The message of the story is to always have hope in the worst of situations.
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Greg 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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Dec 13, 2011 07:04pm