9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Batman - "Survivor" Style!, May 9, 2004
This review is from: Batman: No Man's Land (Mass Market Paperback)
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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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great Book, December 15, 2005
This review is from: Batman: No Man's Land (Mass Market Paperback)
This is a great story about justice in a forgotten city, destroyed by an earthquake and overun with crime Batman and several others try to bring justice. This story alternates points of view many times through out the story from Batman to Penguin and everyone in between. Action and adventure fill the story with few dull moments through out it.
This story isn't a tough read and once you get into it its hard to put it down. The book can be confusing at times with all the different points of view but than again that is also what makes the story so interesting. The story is told from the first person by all of the many characters. Batman along with Batgirl and what is left of the Gotham Police Deparment fight villians such as Two Face, Penguin, Poisen Ivy and many more. It is a great read and i higly suggest it.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Batman Rocks, July 24, 2005
This review is from: Batman: No Man's Land (Mass Market Paperback)
As a teen i loved Batman comics. I came across this book on vacation around the time the Batman Begins movie come out. I enjoyed this book thoroughly. Definitly a must read for fans, however if you read the No Man's Land comic series then you will know how this book plays out. Otherwise, it a great book.
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