Product Description

Gotham has been sealed off from the rest of the country after a devastating earthquake, but still Batman remains its stoutest defender; adamant that justice can still prevail on its ruined streets. Batman's lone, bitter struggle against the forces of chaos that have seized power in Gotham receives an unexpected boost, as his former allies Nightwing, Catwoman and Robin return to fight by his side. But the intervening months have left Batman scarred and remote, and more isolated than ever. No Man's Land has taken its toll on the Dark Knight, and Robin and the others may have arrived too late. Plus, Poison Ivy and Mr. Freeze return, and the new Batgirl's origin is revealed.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #398555 in Books
• Published on: 2000-10-27
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 208 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
As the body count rises and the balance of power constantly shifts, events in Gotham City take a decisive turn for Batman and Co. In this third collection, the Dark Knight struggles to restore order, finally recognising the enormity of a task that he cannot possibly accomplish alone. As he battles the likes of Mr Freeze and Clayface, the mystery of Batgirl's identity is solved, and from this, a new alliance is forged. With an event of this magnitude, it was unlikely that it could stay contained from the rest of the DC universe, and, sure enough, Superman turns up to offer aid. The resulting story is enjoyable, with Batman (smugly?) offering harsh proof that not even the Man of Steel can solve such relentless human misery. While the identity of Batgirl may not be a total surprise, Batman's choice of replacement is intriguing and exciting, introducing a strong, unpredictable element. In fact, if there is one downside to No Man's Land, it's that, with Batman's call to his comrades for assistance, a "team atmosphere" now dominates proceedings, which may alienate those who favour the "lone detective" angle of Batman. Despite this, the strong writing has ensured that this Bat adventure is sufficiently edgy. --Danny Graydon

Customer Reviews

a triumph of good in desperate times
This is the third book in a trilogy, focusing on Gotham City after an earthquake. The town has been closed off to the rest of the country, and with martial law being declared in the city, a virtual civil war has erupted between the citezens of Gotham and the authorities. With Commisioner James Gordan and Batman trying to keep order in the city and vowing not to leave, it is up to them and a renegade bunch of cops and vigilates to try and claw back the Gotham city that they have faught for all this time. As usual Batman is joined by Robin, NIghtwing, The Huntress and Batgirl. Undoubtedly facing one of the hardest battles in their vigilante careers, our caped crusaders are fighting for their lives and their city. The story is fantastic as we watch Batman and his team combat all that has turned bad. The artwork is superb, with all charcters showing the strain of battling from within a minority group, trying to keep order in a city that doesnt want to know. I reccomend that you read the first two before picking up this book, as this is the grand finale in a story of good versus evil.

A disappointing follow-up to a so far excellent series.
The ongoing No Man's Land series breathed some life into a comic that was starting to lose its way due to too many colourful supporting characters and unrealistic baddies. Batman was returned (ironically through the use of one of the most drastic changes ever to occur in Gotham city- a devestating earthquake and the city's subsequent write-off as a wasteland) to his roots- operating alone and fighting mortal enemies committing real-life crimes. A leaf was taken from the book of the inspirational Year One in concentrating heavily on Jim Gordon and the Gotham police force, and their relationship with the Batman once again became a mistrustful one, leaving only Alfred as support for the Dark Knight. However, after two fantastic volumes, No Man's Land 3 bows to the pressure caused by sustaining an often highly alternative stance on DC's most popular character, and the edge is lost. Trouble is evident from the very start, as Superman makes an appearance, heralding an onslaught of over-the-top science fiction- Clayface, Poison Ivy, Mr Freeze: all the ridiculous super-powered characters that belonged in the more fantastical Marvel comics and detract from Batman's gritty realism are dropped randomly into the once promising gang war context, destroying the intense atmosphere of urban trauma. Most offputting is the sheer number of allies Batman suddenly has on his side: Robin, Nightwing, Batgirl, Huntress, Oracle and Azrael all enter the fray and turn the normally dark and insular caped crusader into a benign scoutmaster leading an array of shallow, overly-colourful, gung-ho heroes into an arena they are not suited to. There are good points, such as Batman's menacing proof to Superman that his help is useless in Gotham, while the mystery surrounding the new Batgirl's identity is finally resolved. If you prefer team-based books such as X-Men or Avengers, this is perfectly suited to you, but the atmosphere of a series that was at times some of the best Bat-literature ever published is unfortunately lost.

Not worthy
Much awaited but disappointing sequel. Think aliens 3. Good art but the story was disjointed, and the villians mere fantastical cameos. This should have been pared down, much more 'realistic', and stuck to its focus;the collapse of a modern society and its subsequent attempts to recivilise itself.