Having lived through a major natural disaster myself and witnessing the chaotic aftermath firsthand, Batman: No Man’s Land Volume Two really struck home. It chronicles how society breaks down further in many ways as the survivors dig into their respective territories throughout the ruins of Gotham City.
Read my review of Batman: Road to No Man’s Land Volume One here.
However, the book isn’t all doom and gloom. Many realize there has to be some order, a code of conduct, if anyone is to really survive. In other words, a type of society emerges from the anarchy, proving that the latter is always a temporary and unsustainable state.
While the different factions keep vying for more control of the city, including Batman and his allies, there are outside forces looking to take advantage of the situation in more creative ways. Among them is a mysterious figure backing Bane, who has returned with a dangerous new plan. Lex Luthor is also looking to personally profit from the misfortune of others, while of course trying to play off his involvement as pure philanthropy.
Read my review of Batman: Road to No Man’s Land here.
A number of moral struggles are chronicled in the Batman omnibus. One of my favorites follows Dr. Leslie Thompkins running a neutral medical care camp. Everyone tolerates her operation because they all need the help, but when Mr. Zsasz is brought to her in critical condition, it tests the limits of others’ understanding.
Another plot involves someone exploiting illegal immigrants to generate electricity for a certain portion of the city, making it the enviable place to live. That moral issue is just as relevant today as it was back when this was published in the late 90s.
There’s also an interesting “trial” put on by Two-Face and other villains as they examine the actions of Commissioner Gordon and Detective Montoya.
Another of the many highlights of this omnibus is the introduction of Cassandra Cain as Batgirl. Nightwing strikes things up with Oracle again, which is a nice touch in the series. Azrael has his own struggles in Gotham, while Robin faces Killer Croc on his own, plus deals with the criminal plots of the Rat King and Mr. Freeze in the city’s sewers.
Always offering a different perspective, Catwoman deals with the lawless city in her unique way. She fills more of an anti-hero role in this series, which I think is where she truly shines.
But the culminating event, called End Game, finally reveals why the Joker has been laying low. What he has in store could derail the final redemption of Gotham. Unlike the ending in some of these large narrative arcs, where things get too ridiculous or just fizzle out, this one ends with enough tension to keep you turning the pages.
As I’ve said before, No Man’s Land is one of my favorite Batman storylines. It shows just what Batman and his allies are made of, putting them in a situation where the main antagonist can’t be punched or outsmarted, because forces of nature are unstoppable. I think it does a great job of showing how different people react in a chaotic, high-pressure situation where traditional resources and societal norms have been stripped away.
While reading this, Batman: No Man’s Land Volume One, and Batman: Road to No Man’s Land is quite the undertaking, it’s one I highly recommend.
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Images via DC Comics
Steven Symes 