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Batman: No Man's Land (1999-2001) #0
Batman: Cataclysm
It is a foe Batman can see and hear...
...but cannot touch.
It will strike only once...
...yet will change his life forever.
Already weakened by a debilitating plague, Gotham City is struck by a devastating force of nature - an earthquake that registers over 7.5 on the Richter scale.
In A Single Instant...
...The Batcave And Wayne Manor Are Left In Ruins...
...Thousands Are Dead...
...And The Batman Is Among The Missing.
From the writers and artists of Batman: Contagion and Batman: Legacy comes one of the most tragic and powerful Batman stories ever, as the Dark Knight and his allies try to save what is left of Gotham in the wake of a disaster from which the city may never recover.
Collects:
- Detective Comics #719-#721
- Shadow of the Bat #73, #74
- Nightwing #19, #20
- Batman #553, #554
- Azrael #40
- Catwoman #56
- Robin #52, #53
- Batman: Blackgate - Isle of Men #1
- The Batman Chronicles #12
- Batman: Huntress/Spoiler - Blunt Trauma #1
...but cannot touch.
It will strike only once...
...yet will change his life forever.
Already weakened by a debilitating plague, Gotham City is struck by a devastating force of nature - an earthquake that registers over 7.5 on the Richter scale.
In A Single Instant...
...The Batcave And Wayne Manor Are Left In Ruins...
...Thousands Are Dead...
...And The Batman Is Among The Missing.
From the writers and artists of Batman: Contagion and Batman: Legacy comes one of the most tragic and powerful Batman stories ever, as the Dark Knight and his allies try to save what is left of Gotham in the wake of a disaster from which the city may never recover.
Collects:
- Detective Comics #719-#721
- Shadow of the Bat #73, #74
- Nightwing #19, #20
- Batman #553, #554
- Azrael #40
- Catwoman #56
- Robin #52, #53
- Batman: Blackgate - Isle of Men #1
- The Batman Chronicles #12
- Batman: Huntress/Spoiler - Blunt Trauma #1
320 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1999
22 people are currently reading
1869 people want to read
About the author
Alan Grant
1,712 books144 followersAlan Grant was a Scottish comic book writer known for writing Judge Dredd in 2000 AD as well as various Batman titles during the late 1980s and early 1990s. He is also the creator of the character Anarky.
Alan Grant first entered the comics industry in 1967 when he became an editor for D.C. Thomson before moving to London from Dundee in 1970 to work for IPC on various romance magazines. After going back to college and having a series of jobs, Grant found himself back in Dundee and living on Social Security. He then met John Wagner, another former D.C. Thompson editor, who was helping put together a new science fiction comic for IPC, 2000 A.D., and was unable to complete his other work. Wagner asked Grant if he could help him write the Tarzan comic he was working on; so began the Wagner/Grant writing partnership.
The pair eventually co-wrote Judge Dredd. They would work on other popular strips for the comic, including Robo-Hunter and Strontium Dog using the pseudonym T.B. Grover. Grant also worked on other people's stories, changing and adding dialogue, most notably Harry Twenty on the High Rock, written by Gerry Finley-Day. Judge Dredd would be Grant's main concern for much of the 1980s. Grant and Wagner had developed the strip into the most popular in 2000AD as well as creating lengthy epic storylines such as The Apocalypse War. Grant also wrote for other IPC comics such as the revamped Eagle.
By the late 1980s, Grant and Wagner were about to move into the American comic market. Their first title was a 12-issue miniseries called Outcasts for DC Comics. Although it wasn't a success, it paved the way for the pair to write Batman stories in Detective Comics from issue 583, largely with Norm Breyfogle on art duties across the various Batman titles Grant moved to. After a dozen issues, Wagner left Grant as sole writer. Grant was one of the main Batman writers until the late 1990s. The pair also created a four issue series for Epic Comics called The Last American. This series, as well as the Chopper storyline in Judge Dredd, is blamed for the breakup of the Wagner/Grant partnership. The pair split strips, with Wagner keeping Judge Dredd and Grant keeping Strontium Dog and Judge Anderson. Grant and Wagner continue to work together on special projects such as the Batman/Judge Dredd crossover Judgement on Gotham. During the late 1980s, Grant experienced a philosophical transformation and declared himself an anarchist. The creation of the supervillain Anarky was initially intended as a vehicle for exploring his political opinions through the comic medium. In the following years, he would continue to utilize the character in a similar fashion as his philosophy evolved.
Grant's projects at the start of the 90s included writing Detective Comics and Strontium Dog, but two projects in particular are especially notable. The first is The Bogie Man, a series co-written by Wagner which was the pair's first venture into independent publishing. The second is Lobo, a character created by Keith Giffen as a supporting character in The Omega Men. Lobo gained his own four issue mini series in 1990 which was drawn by Simon Bisley. This was a parody of the 'dark, gritty' comics of the time and proved hugely popular. After several other miniseries (all written by Grant, sometimes with Giffen as co-writer), Lobo received his own ongoing series. Grant was also writing L.E.G.I.O.N. (a Legion of Super-Heroes spin-off) and The Demon (a revival of Jack Kirby's charac
Alan Grant first entered the comics industry in 1967 when he became an editor for D.C. Thomson before moving to London from Dundee in 1970 to work for IPC on various romance magazines. After going back to college and having a series of jobs, Grant found himself back in Dundee and living on Social Security. He then met John Wagner, another former D.C. Thompson editor, who was helping put together a new science fiction comic for IPC, 2000 A.D., and was unable to complete his other work. Wagner asked Grant if he could help him write the Tarzan comic he was working on; so began the Wagner/Grant writing partnership.
The pair eventually co-wrote Judge Dredd. They would work on other popular strips for the comic, including Robo-Hunter and Strontium Dog using the pseudonym T.B. Grover. Grant also worked on other people's stories, changing and adding dialogue, most notably Harry Twenty on the High Rock, written by Gerry Finley-Day. Judge Dredd would be Grant's main concern for much of the 1980s. Grant and Wagner had developed the strip into the most popular in 2000AD as well as creating lengthy epic storylines such as The Apocalypse War. Grant also wrote for other IPC comics such as the revamped Eagle.
By the late 1980s, Grant and Wagner were about to move into the American comic market. Their first title was a 12-issue miniseries called Outcasts for DC Comics. Although it wasn't a success, it paved the way for the pair to write Batman stories in Detective Comics from issue 583, largely with Norm Breyfogle on art duties across the various Batman titles Grant moved to. After a dozen issues, Wagner left Grant as sole writer. Grant was one of the main Batman writers until the late 1990s. The pair also created a four issue series for Epic Comics called The Last American. This series, as well as the Chopper storyline in Judge Dredd, is blamed for the breakup of the Wagner/Grant partnership. The pair split strips, with Wagner keeping Judge Dredd and Grant keeping Strontium Dog and Judge Anderson. Grant and Wagner continue to work together on special projects such as the Batman/Judge Dredd crossover Judgement on Gotham. During the late 1980s, Grant experienced a philosophical transformation and declared himself an anarchist. The creation of the supervillain Anarky was initially intended as a vehicle for exploring his political opinions through the comic medium. In the following years, he would continue to utilize the character in a similar fashion as his philosophy evolved.
Grant's projects at the start of the 90s included writing Detective Comics and Strontium Dog, but two projects in particular are especially notable. The first is The Bogie Man, a series co-written by Wagner which was the pair's first venture into independent publishing. The second is Lobo, a character created by Keith Giffen as a supporting character in The Omega Men. Lobo gained his own four issue mini series in 1990 which was drawn by Simon Bisley. This was a parody of the 'dark, gritty' comics of the time and proved hugely popular. After several other miniseries (all written by Grant, sometimes with Giffen as co-writer), Lobo received his own ongoing series. Grant was also writing L.E.G.I.O.N. (a Legion of Super-Heroes spin-off) and The Demon (a revival of Jack Kirby's charac
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews
April 26, 2021
3.5 stars
"An estimated 7.6 [on the Richter magnitude scale] earthquake struck Gotham just after seven this evening . . . More reports are coming in, and the news looks bad and getting worse . . . Initial reports include massive destruction, [and] power is out all over the city." -- a KGC-TV newscaster, on page 29
Much like one of those Irwin Allen disaster movies from the 1970's, Cataclysm places the various members and allies of the Bat 'family' in the midst of a devastating event. A particularly strong earthquake strikes Gotham City - first thought to be of a natural disaster origin, but later revealed to be the work of an unhinged villain from Batman's rogues gallery - in the opening pages, which causes catastrophic death and destruction. What follows is a vignette-based storyline, featuring the large ensemble cast (including Nightwing, Robin, Catwoman, Huntress, Spoiler, and Gotham PD detectives Montoya and Bullock) as they often work independently - although at times Barbara 'Oracle' Gordon, displaying a Jiminy Cricket-ish vibe in her early scenes as a steady voice of reason, helps coordinate things as their online ears and eyes - on several rescue missions or apprehending escaped convicts. Originally published in 1999, it reads a little differently now in a post-9/11 world - collapsing skyscrapers and people trapped in rubble don't seem quite as much 'fun' anymore - and a repetitiveness creeps into the narrative after awhile, but it had its moments, like Huntress and Spoiler debating their respective crimefighting ideologies in a ruined mall, or the villain's quasi-comeuppance (which caused me to laugh out loud) via a sharpshooting Gotham PD detective.
"An estimated 7.6 [on the Richter magnitude scale] earthquake struck Gotham just after seven this evening . . . More reports are coming in, and the news looks bad and getting worse . . . Initial reports include massive destruction, [and] power is out all over the city." -- a KGC-TV newscaster, on page 29
Much like one of those Irwin Allen disaster movies from the 1970's, Cataclysm places the various members and allies of the Bat 'family' in the midst of a devastating event. A particularly strong earthquake strikes Gotham City - first thought to be of a natural disaster origin, but later revealed to be the work of an unhinged villain from Batman's rogues gallery - in the opening pages, which causes catastrophic death and destruction. What follows is a vignette-based storyline, featuring the large ensemble cast (including Nightwing, Robin, Catwoman, Huntress, Spoiler, and Gotham PD detectives Montoya and Bullock) as they often work independently - although at times Barbara 'Oracle' Gordon, displaying a Jiminy Cricket-ish vibe in her early scenes as a steady voice of reason, helps coordinate things as their online ears and eyes - on several rescue missions or apprehending escaped convicts. Originally published in 1999, it reads a little differently now in a post-9/11 world - collapsing skyscrapers and people trapped in rubble don't seem quite as much 'fun' anymore - and a repetitiveness creeps into the narrative after awhile, but it had its moments, like Huntress and Spoiler debating their respective crimefighting ideologies in a ruined mall, or the villain's quasi-comeuppance (which caused me to laugh out loud) via a sharpshooting Gotham PD detective.
December 16, 2015
Hot on the heels of the just-as-terrible Batman: Contagion, this book serves as a set-up for the next bloated Batman event: "No Man's Land". Let me save you some time & frustration: while there are (somewhere in there) a few good moments, mostly it's uneven writing with uneven art.
Here's a brief summary of "Cataclysm":
- A monster earthquake hits Gotham City.
- Lots of people die, a lot more need help because they're stuck somewhere or under something.
- Batman & friends can't possibly save everyone, and that bums them out.
- The usual "how can we do this?" interior monologues / discussions follow.
- Some mostly unrelated stories about how "regular folks" cope with the aftermath of the earthquake, usually coupled with a cameo appearance by Batman or one of his buddies/sidekicks.
- Big downer all around.
That's really all you need to know. (You're welcome!)
Here's a brief summary of "Cataclysm":
- A monster earthquake hits Gotham City.
- Lots of people die, a lot more need help because they're stuck somewhere or under something.
- Batman & friends can't possibly save everyone, and that bums them out.
- The usual "how can we do this?" interior monologues / discussions follow.
- Some mostly unrelated stories about how "regular folks" cope with the aftermath of the earthquake, usually coupled with a cameo appearance by Batman or one of his buddies/sidekicks.
- Big downer all around.
That's really all you need to know. (You're welcome!)
October 30, 2024
Very entertaining tpb collecting the majority but not all tie-ins to the major earthquake Bat family event from decades back. My favorite story was early on with “Lifelines” by Moench dealing with the destruction of Wayne Manor and how Bruce and Alfred cope with the destruction happening around and under them.
But the whole event is all encompassing showing what happened in the city, Blackgate, GCPD, and pretty much the whole of Gotham minus one key location which would have made for a whole other trade if they had Arkham Asylum shown unless they did and it wasn’t included in this book.
But the whole event is all encompassing showing what happened in the city, Blackgate, GCPD, and pretty much the whole of Gotham minus one key location which would have made for a whole other trade if they had Arkham Asylum shown unless they did and it wasn’t included in this book.
June 9, 2018
3.5
some of the art was unbearable, some parts of the story repetitive. The parts I did enjoy were great though. My appreciation for the Huntress grew even more.
some of the art was unbearable, some parts of the story repetitive. The parts I did enjoy were great though. My appreciation for the Huntress grew even more.
December 22, 2018
Blockbuster bombast laden with perfunctory popcorn death. AKA Batman: Earthquake. Entertaining but it lacks greater depth and nuance.
April 26, 2019
Batman's goal in life is to protect Gotham , he does it on a nightly basis , with help of his allies , his brain and by punching the faces of his foes . What happens then if Gotham faces an adversary that can not be punched .
As part of the road to the No-man's-land tale , Batman:cataclysm features a Gotham city devasted by an earthquake , and Batman seeing the destruction can't really do much than save one person at a time .
This was a fantastic tale , grounded in reality , as super-villains may not exist but natural calamities do , and even caped vigilantes can do so much against them .
The anguish of Batman in being helpless and trying to help people and trying to rebuild the city is what makes this story so good. But there's so much more going on , as we see all facets of life , like Penguin agreeing to help , only saves those who can help him in some ways in future . Bane trying to convince Azarael that they are the same . Huntress deciding Batman's code is not for her , and spoiler gets star stricken with Huntress . There's simply a lot going on , and it's all entertaining albeit it's way too dark .
In the end the only flaws to this story that I can find are the darkness of the story and the inconsistent art style , which went from normal to awful with issues . But hey this was the late 80s- early 90s story so some leeway is warranted
As part of the road to the No-man's-land tale , Batman:cataclysm features a Gotham city devasted by an earthquake , and Batman seeing the destruction can't really do much than save one person at a time .
This was a fantastic tale , grounded in reality , as super-villains may not exist but natural calamities do , and even caped vigilantes can do so much against them .
The anguish of Batman in being helpless and trying to help people and trying to rebuild the city is what makes this story so good. But there's so much more going on , as we see all facets of life , like Penguin agreeing to help , only saves those who can help him in some ways in future . Bane trying to convince Azarael that they are the same . Huntress deciding Batman's code is not for her , and spoiler gets star stricken with Huntress . There's simply a lot going on , and it's all entertaining albeit it's way too dark .
In the end the only flaws to this story that I can find are the darkness of the story and the inconsistent art style , which went from normal to awful with issues . But hey this was the late 80s- early 90s story so some leeway is warranted
April 18, 2022
HOLY SHIT IT WAS VENTRILOQUIST ALL ALONG. Sorry I need to start with this because he's my little guy. My little dude! It's not him, it's Scarface that's making him do crimes!! It's Quakemaster!!! Thank god. I am so happy. I was so upset that they've added some other random villain to add to the basket, and I've never been happier to be wrong. The grin on my face at the reveal was the widest it's been in months. Best little dude. Scarface needs a hospital :(
How do I describe this comic besides perfect. I don't think I can. They took everyone's stories and intermingled them and wrote all the connecting tissue in a way that feels so perfect and personal. Every single story manages to touch a chord, none of them feel repetitive or redundant. They took all of our favourite characters and showed me how they fare in front of disaster.
Honestly, the Batfamily was actually of less interest to me in this one. And I think the writers felt the same way. They pretty much abandoned Bruce after allowing him to escape the cave, let him be the silent saviour of the city, which in itself is amazing characterisation. We didn't need to see Batman more than we did in this story. Small glimpses of him saving people, small glimpses of him talking to Dick and Tim, and that's about it. This wasn't Batman's story, it was Gotham's and once again we see how synchronous these two are, since through them showing less Batman we actually get to see Batman's Gotham. The myth. The small sparkle of hope.
Tim and Dick weren't that interesting to me either, besides that one scene where Tim gets to meet Oracle and it's the most adorable thing. Sure, they are the ones pushing forward the actual plot, but I cared so much more about the other stories.
Catwoman's little arc at the beginning was probably the moment I realised that this might become amazing. Selina is such an amazing anti-hero, she has a short temper and tries to only care about herself, and it never works out in her advantage. Her talking to the little girl about her cats absolutely wreked me. The way she's so in love with Gotham, more than any of the other characters, something that she's so bittersweet about but that also forces her to stay behind and help people encompasses her character so much. The Poison Ivy arc didn't feel like it really fit but it was still nice.
The Huntress and Spoiler duo was so interesting. We have two characters that get chaperoned by Batman and Robin put together in a dire situation, and we see how despite the fact that the first redundantly accepted these rules while the other vehemently tried to reject them, this situation makes their roles switch. Huntress becomes violent and murderous, her faith in Batman's morals never existant but her reluctance to accept them in order to gain his respect is completely gone. She only sees the bad in people in this situation, the looters and the escapees, and decides that she wants to purge the city of these people. Or as I would call it, the Jean-Paul syndrome. Spoiler on the other hand immediately falls in line with the Batman code. She wants to help the people rather than try and fight the villains. She also does not want to murder her dad, as most people do.
Ra's and Bane are also here. And even if I cannot stand their characters at all, I see the use of having them here. Ra's especially was very well placed because once again we get Batman's POV without actually following Batman. Ra's believes that this is what will push Batman to give up, but for once we can see him keep persevering more than he ever has. No heir for Ra's just yet. When it comes to Bane, he was only there to highlight Jean-Paul's character which is average at best, but this confrontation was needed and it might as well have happened here. As Batman, Jean-Paul would have agreed that him and Bane were the same person. However as Azrael, we see this lost person, that once thought he was on par with this man, and now, looking at him, nothing is clear in his life besides the fact that he is not. And honestly? I appreciate that.
But the stories that in my opinion are the best in this collection, are the ones that aren't based on any of the heroes or villains that we know. They're the filler stories of random people. The story of the guy convicted to death, a story about miracles and determinism. It was so amazingly built. We don't know what's real and what isn't, and we don't know what we want to believe. The story of the guns for hire hired by Bruce to help people escape, the entire fight over the contract? I honestly think that might be one of the best stories out there. Bad guys put together, bad guys that don't know how to be good, bad guys that have already been paid for the job so they could just run away but they don't, bad guys that have never actually seen a dead body, bad guys that are afraid, bad guys that have never had anyone believe in them, bad guys that keep hope alive. I don't think I'll ever get over this one.
How do I describe this comic besides perfect. I don't think I can. They took everyone's stories and intermingled them and wrote all the connecting tissue in a way that feels so perfect and personal. Every single story manages to touch a chord, none of them feel repetitive or redundant. They took all of our favourite characters and showed me how they fare in front of disaster.
Honestly, the Batfamily was actually of less interest to me in this one. And I think the writers felt the same way. They pretty much abandoned Bruce after allowing him to escape the cave, let him be the silent saviour of the city, which in itself is amazing characterisation. We didn't need to see Batman more than we did in this story. Small glimpses of him saving people, small glimpses of him talking to Dick and Tim, and that's about it. This wasn't Batman's story, it was Gotham's and once again we see how synchronous these two are, since through them showing less Batman we actually get to see Batman's Gotham. The myth. The small sparkle of hope.
Tim and Dick weren't that interesting to me either, besides that one scene where Tim gets to meet Oracle and it's the most adorable thing. Sure, they are the ones pushing forward the actual plot, but I cared so much more about the other stories.
Catwoman's little arc at the beginning was probably the moment I realised that this might become amazing. Selina is such an amazing anti-hero, she has a short temper and tries to only care about herself, and it never works out in her advantage. Her talking to the little girl about her cats absolutely wreked me. The way she's so in love with Gotham, more than any of the other characters, something that she's so bittersweet about but that also forces her to stay behind and help people encompasses her character so much. The Poison Ivy arc didn't feel like it really fit but it was still nice.
The Huntress and Spoiler duo was so interesting. We have two characters that get chaperoned by Batman and Robin put together in a dire situation, and we see how despite the fact that the first redundantly accepted these rules while the other vehemently tried to reject them, this situation makes their roles switch. Huntress becomes violent and murderous, her faith in Batman's morals never existant but her reluctance to accept them in order to gain his respect is completely gone. She only sees the bad in people in this situation, the looters and the escapees, and decides that she wants to purge the city of these people. Or as I would call it, the Jean-Paul syndrome. Spoiler on the other hand immediately falls in line with the Batman code. She wants to help the people rather than try and fight the villains. She also does not want to murder her dad, as most people do.
Ra's and Bane are also here. And even if I cannot stand their characters at all, I see the use of having them here. Ra's especially was very well placed because once again we get Batman's POV without actually following Batman. Ra's believes that this is what will push Batman to give up, but for once we can see him keep persevering more than he ever has. No heir for Ra's just yet. When it comes to Bane, he was only there to highlight Jean-Paul's character which is average at best, but this confrontation was needed and it might as well have happened here. As Batman, Jean-Paul would have agreed that him and Bane were the same person. However as Azrael, we see this lost person, that once thought he was on par with this man, and now, looking at him, nothing is clear in his life besides the fact that he is not. And honestly? I appreciate that.
But the stories that in my opinion are the best in this collection, are the ones that aren't based on any of the heroes or villains that we know. They're the filler stories of random people. The story of the guy convicted to death, a story about miracles and determinism. It was so amazingly built. We don't know what's real and what isn't, and we don't know what we want to believe. The story of the guns for hire hired by Bruce to help people escape, the entire fight over the contract? I honestly think that might be one of the best stories out there. Bad guys put together, bad guys that don't know how to be good, bad guys that have already been paid for the job so they could just run away but they don't, bad guys that have never actually seen a dead body, bad guys that are afraid, bad guys that have never had anyone believe in them, bad guys that keep hope alive. I don't think I'll ever get over this one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 8, 2020
This was better than I expected it to be, considering it's a major event. The overall concept was intriguing, with nature as an enemy. I really enjoyed the plotline with Quakemaster; it makes you think about what we've come to expect from superhero comics in terms of who the villain is and their role in a disaster. The issues focusing on other characters around Gotham and how they were faring were also much better than I'd anticipated they would be, and it was genuinely interesting to read them. They only major problem I have is that I wanted more Batman, and he was barely in it.
March 16, 2021
This was an interesting read. I only decided to read this in order to catch up on the events leading up to No Man's Land, but I ended up enjoying this story immensely. There are all sorts of interesting little stories involving the heroes, villains, and citizens of Gotham City and beyond. It was definitely not what I expected, and I'm happy I decided to read it.
June 12, 2018
Pretty dated art and story wise. I will say though it does lay substantial setting groundwork for the story coming up.
August 18, 2011
A devastating earthquake hits Gotham City to (almost) everyone's surprise and Batman is faced with a problem he can't solve by punching it in the face: The overwhelming power of nature.
I love the concept of this story. Looking at just the premise, it gives us a chance to see how Batman and friends would handle a situation where there isn't some big bad villain murdering people. The situation is really just a large scale version of being in the wrong place at the wrong time with nature as the only real enemy. The opportunity to see Batman try and tackle something so far out of his scope is wonderfully nerve racking. Too bad that's not entirely what happens.
Don't get me wrong. There is some of that. After Gotham stops rockin' and rollin' and Batman realizes that the one thing he doesn't have in his utility belt is "Earthquake be-gone", he ventures out to help the survivors. We're treated to him, as well as Oracle, Nightwing, Robin and others, doing all they can to try and get Gotham on the road to recovery. But about halfway through the story, there's an attempt to put a face to the disaster and soon enough, the fisticuffs are at the ready.
My biggest problem with the fact that a supervillain is shoe horned into the story isn't that it's boring (it is though), but that it's a wasted opportunity. Pretty soon, rescue attempts are put on hold to chase after the Big Bad, but the story was so much more entertaining when the focus was on the rescue work. It's humbling to see someone like Batman, a freakin' superhero, struggling with a potentially very real threat for the reader. You could really have some great character moments with a concept like that, while also focusing on the real life people who make all the difference in situations like that. The potential isn't totally ignored, but it's not highlighted as much as I would have liked it to be.
Just like the story, the art is a mixed bag. There are panels that are made of pure awesome, such as splash page that depicts the Davenport Center becoming top heavy and toppling over. It's the kind of artwork that I wish I could blow up to the size of my bedroom wall so that I might be able to appreciate it fully. It's not the only one either. There's plenty of awe inspiring to go around in this story and the art is easily it's highest point.
That said, there's plenty of dull artwork as well. Most of the problem comes from when the story shifts focus away from the earthquake. The panels covering the villain portion of the story just can't compare, but even some of the panels that focus on the destruction of Gotham fall flat. Still, the art is less of a mixed bag than the story, leaning towards the positive.
A combination of pure awesome and utter disappointment. When the focus of the story is on the quake and the people of Gotham, the writing and art are superb. When it focuses on the superheroes and villains, the story and art suffer. Even so, Cataclysm is worth checking out and is sure to provide at least some high quality entertainment.
I love the concept of this story. Looking at just the premise, it gives us a chance to see how Batman and friends would handle a situation where there isn't some big bad villain murdering people. The situation is really just a large scale version of being in the wrong place at the wrong time with nature as the only real enemy. The opportunity to see Batman try and tackle something so far out of his scope is wonderfully nerve racking. Too bad that's not entirely what happens.
Don't get me wrong. There is some of that. After Gotham stops rockin' and rollin' and Batman realizes that the one thing he doesn't have in his utility belt is "Earthquake be-gone", he ventures out to help the survivors. We're treated to him, as well as Oracle, Nightwing, Robin and others, doing all they can to try and get Gotham on the road to recovery. But about halfway through the story, there's an attempt to put a face to the disaster and soon enough, the fisticuffs are at the ready.
My biggest problem with the fact that a supervillain is shoe horned into the story isn't that it's boring (it is though), but that it's a wasted opportunity. Pretty soon, rescue attempts are put on hold to chase after the Big Bad, but the story was so much more entertaining when the focus was on the rescue work. It's humbling to see someone like Batman, a freakin' superhero, struggling with a potentially very real threat for the reader. You could really have some great character moments with a concept like that, while also focusing on the real life people who make all the difference in situations like that. The potential isn't totally ignored, but it's not highlighted as much as I would have liked it to be.
Just like the story, the art is a mixed bag. There are panels that are made of pure awesome, such as splash page that depicts the Davenport Center becoming top heavy and toppling over. It's the kind of artwork that I wish I could blow up to the size of my bedroom wall so that I might be able to appreciate it fully. It's not the only one either. There's plenty of awe inspiring to go around in this story and the art is easily it's highest point.
That said, there's plenty of dull artwork as well. Most of the problem comes from when the story shifts focus away from the earthquake. The panels covering the villain portion of the story just can't compare, but even some of the panels that focus on the destruction of Gotham fall flat. Still, the art is less of a mixed bag than the story, leaning towards the positive.
A combination of pure awesome and utter disappointment. When the focus of the story is on the quake and the people of Gotham, the writing and art are superb. When it focuses on the superheroes and villains, the story and art suffer. Even so, Cataclysm is worth checking out and is sure to provide at least some high quality entertainment.
November 19, 2025
Engaging story
***************************Make sure to read Cataclysm before Road To No Man's Land, or you'll find Road To No Man's Land boring/confusing
***************************Make sure to read Cataclysm before Road To No Man's Land, or you'll find Road To No Man's Land boring/confusing
August 4, 2008
One of my biggest problems with superhero comics is that they're not self-contained. The major comic company's insistence that all their comics exist within one "comic universe" means that at any given time, multiple artists are working on multiple projects meant to exist both independently and as a cohesive whole. Someday, somebody's going to pull this off, and it's going to be very impressive.
Batman: Cataclysm is not that project. Spanning multiple comic series, the book describes the aftermath of Gotham City being hit by a major earthquake. Each time we jump from title to title, however, from Batman to Nightwing to Detective Comics to Huntress to Catwoman, the story has to be reintroduced and explained. And the stories themselves have little in the way of originality. People are trapped, no one knows what's going on, and a bunch of no-name characters need to be rescued. Aside from that, the Quakemaster storyline, wherein someone tries to take credit for causing the earthquake as part of a scheme to blackmail the city, is not terribly interesting. I did, however, enjoy the bits with the Penguin, who gets threatened by Batman into using his henchmen to help rather than to loot, but determines who to help and who not to help based on how useful they might someday be.
As a one or two-issue story, this could have been good, but there's no need to explore it over and over again through the kaleidoscope of the DC comic universe.
Batman: Cataclysm is not that project. Spanning multiple comic series, the book describes the aftermath of Gotham City being hit by a major earthquake. Each time we jump from title to title, however, from Batman to Nightwing to Detective Comics to Huntress to Catwoman, the story has to be reintroduced and explained. And the stories themselves have little in the way of originality. People are trapped, no one knows what's going on, and a bunch of no-name characters need to be rescued. Aside from that, the Quakemaster storyline, wherein someone tries to take credit for causing the earthquake as part of a scheme to blackmail the city, is not terribly interesting. I did, however, enjoy the bits with the Penguin, who gets threatened by Batman into using his henchmen to help rather than to loot, but determines who to help and who not to help based on how useful they might someday be.
As a one or two-issue story, this could have been good, but there's no need to explore it over and over again through the kaleidoscope of the DC comic universe.
July 10, 2012
Right I guess I will have to put my hand up to this one - yes the next batman is shortly to be released and yes I have followed batman ever since at Uni I was introduced to a friends copy of Year One. This book came to my attention some time ago not realising it was part of a larger story arch, yes I will admit my naivety when it comes to multi-book spanning story arcs.
That said I am also pretty green to the whole graphic novel work only really dabbling in 2000AD and Neil Gaiman publications. However I really enjoyed this book and yes as part of my learning curve I got to learn about all the various characters who have adorned recent Batman publications. I always find it daunting trying to "break in to" and established series where it is all to often assumed that you know who ABC is or where XYZ or what significance the name of 123 really has. So I must admit that this book though to lesser or greater degree suffered that still allowed me in to the world of Gotham city and lose me or scare me off. True the events in this book could be considered a pre-cursor to the main event and as such happen in such a way that they make them a standalone to the normal Batman time lines but still its a pretty fun read and does want to pull you in to the world of No mans land.
That said I am also pretty green to the whole graphic novel work only really dabbling in 2000AD and Neil Gaiman publications. However I really enjoyed this book and yes as part of my learning curve I got to learn about all the various characters who have adorned recent Batman publications. I always find it daunting trying to "break in to" and established series where it is all to often assumed that you know who ABC is or where XYZ or what significance the name of 123 really has. So I must admit that this book though to lesser or greater degree suffered that still allowed me in to the world of Gotham city and lose me or scare me off. True the events in this book could be considered a pre-cursor to the main event and as such happen in such a way that they make them a standalone to the normal Batman time lines but still its a pretty fun read and does want to pull you in to the world of No mans land.
June 23, 2015
I chose this book because the extract,blurb and my friend told me that it is an awesome and interesting novel to read. My favourite character from this novel is robin because he is loyal to batman and he knows when do the work but also play around. I liked the the story as a whole it had a good storyline to it and the different challenges they face really test there skills and what there capable of.but I would of liked more appearances from other heroes to help out batman and his crew.
March 1, 2018
This is a really well done book that places Batman firmly beyond the realm of what he can do, by forcing him to face a natural disaster. You will appreciate Batman more for what he does in this situation, because there is no quick, super powered solution.
August 14, 2024
Oof! This was a doozy! An entertaining doozy, but it had a lot of ups and downs. The issues I liked the best were the Spoiler and Huntress team-up, anything involving Huntress really, some of the Catwoman stuff (not the one with Ivy- I just think it was unnecessary), Tim's stuff of course, and Nightwing's issues. Okay, I liked most of it.
I didn't really see the point in focusing on Azrael's stuff because Bane was such a small part of it. I also didn't understand the point of the Batman Arkham Asylum stuff because I looked it up and Jigsaw Man was really only in two issues? This one and one other one? So what's the point? I think it was just a total waste. Good panels of dogs, though. And Scarecrow's design was sick as hell.
Overall I enjoyed it! I really enjoyed how a lot of their dynamics were split up as they tried to salvage the city as best they could. Bruce's concern over Alfred was really heartwarming. Batman reminding Dick and Tim not to get caught up on the mansion was funny, but it also makes sense because that's their secret base of operations. Without it, they're kinda screwed? Long term, I mean. But it's all gonna work out.
Tim was SO little brother coded in Nightwing's issues. Him interrupting Dick and Bab's reunion and him questioning every little thing with Bruce's knowledge of earthquakes was so funny. However, I also really enjoyed in his own issues that he was dealing with a lot of personal stuff. Such as getting drugged, killing and then subsequently saving Lady Shiva, and then ultimately saving Dava but then her leaving because did he really help or was he just a hindrance? I hope they explore his struggle with being Robin a bit more in his own issues as I feel like either Cataclysm hurt it or helped it. He saved a lot of people and used his detective skills to figure out who was behind the ransom notes but is that enough for him to become confident in his abilities? He was also going to confess who was to Jack before the earthquake happened. Will he still do that? (I know he won't- I've read Robin 2003 oops)
Huntress, man. I loved her dynamic with Stephanie SO, SO MUCH! I was JUST saying that they should team-up! They're such similar characters with similar backstories but the way they approach their vigilante is so different because Helena is a seasoned vigilante while Steph is just starting out and much of her existence as a hero has been shaped by Robin, who has such strong morals that it's kind of been choking her. She has boundaries when it comes to hurting her dad, and she does show reluctance for letting people die, which is a lot different than when she was fighting with Robin like 40 issues back, but that was when she was with Robin, someone she looks up to. She's not quite on an even playing field with Huntress, but it's different. She isn't looking up to her the same way she looks up to Robin. So it's really up to her to decide if she wants to follow the Bat's morals or go her own way. I think she really just needs to fight on her own for a while and figure it out for herself (although this goes to the way side... spoilers (hah)). Also when her dad told that guy to kill them... yikes. When he told her that it wasn't about killing her, it was about saving himself- she is so, so much better than him. Instead of getting distracted by money, she saves people. She is a true hero. Her dad is so scummy. She deserves so much better. <3 <3 <3
I thought the Ventriloquist plotline sucked. It was unnecessary and I think it was only added to make the story longer. Instead they should have focused on rebuilding the city more. I also think they should have focused on the gangsters helping the city more because that was super interesting. The contract they signed to look after the civilians was super interesting, and the Penguin exploiting that contract by only saving people that could help him was also cool! I hate that it was such a small part of the story! That's where Dixon should have put his focus on!
Overall, I would rate it all a 3.5. I think I still like Contagion more but this was a solid story. Onto Aftershock!
I didn't really see the point in focusing on Azrael's stuff because Bane was such a small part of it. I also didn't understand the point of the Batman Arkham Asylum stuff because I looked it up and Jigsaw Man was really only in two issues? This one and one other one? So what's the point? I think it was just a total waste. Good panels of dogs, though. And Scarecrow's design was sick as hell.
Overall I enjoyed it! I really enjoyed how a lot of their dynamics were split up as they tried to salvage the city as best they could. Bruce's concern over Alfred was really heartwarming. Batman reminding Dick and Tim not to get caught up on the mansion was funny, but it also makes sense because that's their secret base of operations. Without it, they're kinda screwed? Long term, I mean. But it's all gonna work out.
Tim was SO little brother coded in Nightwing's issues. Him interrupting Dick and Bab's reunion and him questioning every little thing with Bruce's knowledge of earthquakes was so funny. However, I also really enjoyed in his own issues that he was dealing with a lot of personal stuff. Such as getting drugged, killing and then subsequently saving Lady Shiva, and then ultimately saving Dava but then her leaving because did he really help or was he just a hindrance? I hope they explore his struggle with being Robin a bit more in his own issues as I feel like either Cataclysm hurt it or helped it. He saved a lot of people and used his detective skills to figure out who was behind the ransom notes but is that enough for him to become confident in his abilities? He was also going to confess who was to Jack before the earthquake happened. Will he still do that? (I know he won't- I've read Robin 2003 oops)
Huntress, man. I loved her dynamic with Stephanie SO, SO MUCH! I was JUST saying that they should team-up! They're such similar characters with similar backstories but the way they approach their vigilante is so different because Helena is a seasoned vigilante while Steph is just starting out and much of her existence as a hero has been shaped by Robin, who has such strong morals that it's kind of been choking her. She has boundaries when it comes to hurting her dad, and she does show reluctance for letting people die, which is a lot different than when she was fighting with Robin like 40 issues back, but that was when she was with Robin, someone she looks up to. She's not quite on an even playing field with Huntress, but it's different. She isn't looking up to her the same way she looks up to Robin. So it's really up to her to decide if she wants to follow the Bat's morals or go her own way. I think she really just needs to fight on her own for a while and figure it out for herself (although this goes to the way side... spoilers (hah)). Also when her dad told that guy to kill them... yikes. When he told her that it wasn't about killing her, it was about saving himself- she is so, so much better than him. Instead of getting distracted by money, she saves people. She is a true hero. Her dad is so scummy. She deserves so much better. <3 <3 <3
I thought the Ventriloquist plotline sucked. It was unnecessary and I think it was only added to make the story longer. Instead they should have focused on rebuilding the city more. I also think they should have focused on the gangsters helping the city more because that was super interesting. The contract they signed to look after the civilians was super interesting, and the Penguin exploiting that contract by only saving people that could help him was also cool! I hate that it was such a small part of the story! That's where Dixon should have put his focus on!
Overall, I would rate it all a 3.5. I think I still like Contagion more but this was a solid story. Onto Aftershock!
November 21, 2018
Batman: Cataclysm is a story arc that ran through the various Batman family comic book series that was published by DC Comics. The storyline centres on Gotham City being hit by a massive earthquake – the epicenter of which is less than a mile from Wayne Manor.
This trade paperback collects: Detective Comics #719–721, Batman: Shadow of the Bat #73–74, Nightwing #19–20, Batman #553–554, Azrael #40, Catwoman #56, Robin #52–53, and Batman: Blackgate – Isle of Men.
The main villain in this trade paperback is not a person, but an act of nature – a 7.6 earthquake hits Gotham City destroying most of it. Shortly after the quake, it appears Wayne-owned buildings are the only ones left without major structural damage. Bruce Wayne had seen to it that all of his buildings were quake-proof up to 8.5.
However, unable to quake-proof his own home without exposing his secrets as Batman, Wayne Manor and the Batcave are destroyed. With all the exits blocked, Batman straps on scuba gear and promises Alfred that he will be back soon. Batman and his allies join the frantic rescue efforts around the devastated city, which soon spirals into chaos.
With many writers, graphic artists and colorist it rather difficult to rate this trade paperback. For the most part, I rather enjoyed the narrative and penciling. Throughout the story arc, there were nine different writers: Chuck Dixon, Alan Grant, Doug Moench, Dennis O'Neil, Devin Grayson, Chris Renaud, Rick Burchett, Klaus Janson, and Kelley Puckett and for the most part they mesh somewhat well with each other with each responsible for a character for their series. The penciling styles were myriad and the artistic flow jarred a tad with the few pencilers that did not mesh well with the majority.
All in all, Batman: Cataclysm is a wonderful story arc that has Batman and his allies trying to save a city from madness from a natural disaster.
This trade paperback collects: Detective Comics #719–721, Batman: Shadow of the Bat #73–74, Nightwing #19–20, Batman #553–554, Azrael #40, Catwoman #56, Robin #52–53, and Batman: Blackgate – Isle of Men.
The main villain in this trade paperback is not a person, but an act of nature – a 7.6 earthquake hits Gotham City destroying most of it. Shortly after the quake, it appears Wayne-owned buildings are the only ones left without major structural damage. Bruce Wayne had seen to it that all of his buildings were quake-proof up to 8.5.
However, unable to quake-proof his own home without exposing his secrets as Batman, Wayne Manor and the Batcave are destroyed. With all the exits blocked, Batman straps on scuba gear and promises Alfred that he will be back soon. Batman and his allies join the frantic rescue efforts around the devastated city, which soon spirals into chaos.
With many writers, graphic artists and colorist it rather difficult to rate this trade paperback. For the most part, I rather enjoyed the narrative and penciling. Throughout the story arc, there were nine different writers: Chuck Dixon, Alan Grant, Doug Moench, Dennis O'Neil, Devin Grayson, Chris Renaud, Rick Burchett, Klaus Janson, and Kelley Puckett and for the most part they mesh somewhat well with each other with each responsible for a character for their series. The penciling styles were myriad and the artistic flow jarred a tad with the few pencilers that did not mesh well with the majority.
All in all, Batman: Cataclysm is a wonderful story arc that has Batman and his allies trying to save a city from madness from a natural disaster.
March 4, 2018
(Art 3/5, Story 3/5) in the sense that the story showed numerous perspectives on how this affected everyone from Batman to Robin, Catwoman, poison ivy and more, it jumped around well. However, the overall story didn't have much substance
October 8, 2018
This volume is the beginning of a mega-epic in which Gotham City, Batman's town, is destroyed by a killer quake, and we see how Batman & Company deal with a natural disaster, in addition to the usual insane criminals, many of whom are freed by said quake. This one is interesting because the arrival of the quake is shown many times from different viewpoints, so we get to see how a variety of artists try to rise to the occasion. The overall arc is a powerful illustration of how reading these stories in a finitely small number sittings has much greater impact than reading them one by one as comic books.
June 18, 2023
Jumping back into these older DC events had me a feeling a bit trepidatious.
The storytelling was at the risk of feeling hackneyed or corny. And while a few of the issues in this collected volume feel messy, the overall story holds together remarkably well.
The entirety of the Batman family is on display, and the stories range from the large, to the more intimate.
Of particular note are the issues written by Chuck Dixon, who proves just as capable in creating character interactions as he does in illustrating moments of acrobatic action.
Give this one a shake and see if you want to follow along with 'Aftershock.'
The storytelling was at the risk of feeling hackneyed or corny. And while a few of the issues in this collected volume feel messy, the overall story holds together remarkably well.
The entirety of the Batman family is on display, and the stories range from the large, to the more intimate.
Of particular note are the issues written by Chuck Dixon, who proves just as capable in creating character interactions as he does in illustrating moments of acrobatic action.
Give this one a shake and see if you want to follow along with 'Aftershock.'
May 12, 2025
Gotham is hit by a massive earthquake registering 7.6 on the Richter scale. Tens of thousands of people are instantly killed as infrastructure in the city crumbles, buildings topple, and fires rage out of control. Most of this storyline features vigilantes working together to rescue people from destroyed buildings and triage resources and emergency services.
There are a bunch of really fun B plots, like Blackgate prisoners escaping when the prison is damaged, and inmates at Arkham Asylum being released from their cells and tormenting the guards. There’s also a great side story with Catwoman and Poison Ivy fighting it out across the city.
There are a bunch of really fun B plots, like Blackgate prisoners escaping when the prison is damaged, and inmates at Arkham Asylum being released from their cells and tormenting the guards. There’s also a great side story with Catwoman and Poison Ivy fighting it out across the city.
September 24, 2023
I know the story is kind of all over the place and it’s not very put together but honestly that’s what I love like the little seperate things and the Batman nightwing huntress robin and spoiler all kind of just helping civilians and well as dealing with the insane thing that is the earthquake just kind of reminds you that at the end of the day all they are is human and all they want to do is help people
it’s honestly a little refreshing and it’s funny beacause no man’s land is like the exact opposite
it’s honestly a little refreshing and it’s funny beacause no man’s land is like the exact opposite
March 3, 2024
I did enjoy it but such a weird event, starts of super, super slow with barely anything happening issue to issue but committing to showing the city reacting to the earthquake, until suddenly the introduce villain, because I guess they felt they had to, and to and rush to bring things forward to a conclusion, and the villain is a complete afterthought and has nothing to do with the earthquake itself. A lot of the individual issues are actually really good but as someone who really loved Contagion, and liked Legacy a lot, this was a step down.
August 11, 2024
Really great start to the No Man’s Land series. Some great issues which really engaged me and made me care about what was going on and what might happen next. Starts straight off with the Earthquake and expands on to how this affects the many people of Gotham and Batman’s team. Also some short issues which I actually didn’t mind at all and did add some weight to the story. And uncovering the truth and identity behind the “Quakemaster” was intriguing (you’ll never believe who it really is!). Would definitely recommend and I can’t wait to read the next book: Batman: Road to No Man’s Land Vol 1….!
February 9, 2020
This is the prelude to No Man's Land and I love every single issue of this book, even the really short stories. In this book, there is no supervillain that must be defeated, it just shows how the Bat Family tackles a natural disaster of epic proportions. I love the 90's art as well. I can't wait to read No Man's Land now.
September 19, 2020
"There is no villain to bury your fists into. No Bane. No Joker. Your childish yearning for vengeance can find no outlet."
aka Batman vs. Earthquake. this is right in the middle of Dixon's catastrophe run, but I actually think there's some good short stories in here -- they just all revolve around an earthquake.
aka Batman vs. Earthquake. this is right in the middle of Dixon's catastrophe run, but I actually think there's some good short stories in here -- they just all revolve around an earthquake.
January 4, 2021
I've been re-reading these No Man's land books. This one, like the others, has some really great moments and some stupid stuff as well. It's a mixed bag but that's pretty much par for the course for these crossover events (especially considering that it was written by four different people). Still easily a cut above the current swath of Batman comics (Joker War, cough cough).
March 10, 2019
I really liked in this of the depiction of Catwoman as a Sexy-Antihero (notice Jim Balent at the top of his game here, at least concerning the feminine design) who doesn't give a shit about people but in reality deeply loves her city, and of Huntress. Other than that, Highly forgettable.
December 1, 2024
I really like this concept of Batman being at the mercy of Mother Nature. I thought this story was well balanced with cameos, detective work, villains, action, but was still able to focus on the earthquake as the driving force.
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