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The Stand: Graphic Novels #5
Apocalipsis Vol.5 Tierra de nadie
El quinto capítulo de la prodigiosa epopeya creada por el maestro estadounidense del horror. Mientras Frannie y Stu deben encontrar el equilibrio entre sus vidas públicas y privadas, nace una oscura alianza entre Harold Lauder y Nadine Cross. Su cita con el destino, orquestada por el Hombre Oscuro, puede significar la condenación para la zona libre de Boulder. El fin espera en el horizonte, y puede que no sea el que esperan los chicos buenos.
160 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 2011
20 people are currently reading
1141 people want to read
About the author
Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
460 books476 followersRoberto Aguirre-Sacasa is an American playwright, screenwriter, and comic book writer best known for his work for Marvel Comics and for the television series Glee, Big Love, Riverdale, and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. He is Chief Creative Officer of Archie Comics.
Aguirre-Sacasa grew up liking comic books, recalling in 2003, "My mom would take us out to the 7-Eleven on River Road during the summer, and we would get Slurpees and buy comics off the spinning rack. I would read them all over and over again, and draw my own pictures and stuff."
He began writing for Marvel Comics, he explained, when "Marvel hired an editor to find new writers, and they hired her from a theatrical agency. So she started calling theaters and asking if they knew any playwrights who might be good for comic books. A couple of different theaters said she should look at me. So she called me, I sent her a couple of my plays and she said 'Great, would you like to pitch on a couple of comic books in the works?'"
His first submissions were "not what [they were] interested in for the character[s]" but eventually he was assigned an 11-page Fantastic Four story, "The True Meaning of...," for the Marvel Holiday Special 2004. He went on to write Fantastic Four stories in Marvel Knights 4, a spinoff of that superhero team's long-running title; and stories for Nightcrawler vol. 3; The Sensational Spider-Man vol. 2; and Dead of Night featuring Man-Thing.
In May 2008 Aguirre-Sacasa returned to the Fantastic Four with a miniseries tie-in to the company-wide "Secret Invasion" storyline concerning a years-long infiltration of Earth by the shape-shifting alien race, the Skrulls,and an Angel Revelations miniseries with artists Barry Kitson and Adam Polina, respectively. He adapted for comics the Stephen King novel The Stand.
In 2013, he created Afterlife with Archie, depicting Archie Andrews in the midst of a zombie apocalypse; the book's success led to Aguirre-Sacasa being named Archie Comics' chief creative officer.
Aguirre-Sacasa grew up liking comic books, recalling in 2003, "My mom would take us out to the 7-Eleven on River Road during the summer, and we would get Slurpees and buy comics off the spinning rack. I would read them all over and over again, and draw my own pictures and stuff."
He began writing for Marvel Comics, he explained, when "Marvel hired an editor to find new writers, and they hired her from a theatrical agency. So she started calling theaters and asking if they knew any playwrights who might be good for comic books. A couple of different theaters said she should look at me. So she called me, I sent her a couple of my plays and she said 'Great, would you like to pitch on a couple of comic books in the works?'"
His first submissions were "not what [they were] interested in for the character[s]" but eventually he was assigned an 11-page Fantastic Four story, "The True Meaning of...," for the Marvel Holiday Special 2004. He went on to write Fantastic Four stories in Marvel Knights 4, a spinoff of that superhero team's long-running title; and stories for Nightcrawler vol. 3; The Sensational Spider-Man vol. 2; and Dead of Night featuring Man-Thing.
In May 2008 Aguirre-Sacasa returned to the Fantastic Four with a miniseries tie-in to the company-wide "Secret Invasion" storyline concerning a years-long infiltration of Earth by the shape-shifting alien race, the Skrulls,and an Angel Revelations miniseries with artists Barry Kitson and Adam Polina, respectively. He adapted for comics the Stephen King novel The Stand.
In 2013, he created Afterlife with Archie, depicting Archie Andrews in the midst of a zombie apocalypse; the book's success led to Aguirre-Sacasa being named Archie Comics' chief creative officer.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews
May 2, 2019
The graphic novel retelling of Stephen King's The Stand continues. I am going with 4 stars on this one instead of the full 5, and I think it comes more from my long standing feelings about this section of the book than the actual graphic novel volume.
When I first read The Stand over 20 years ago, I got bogged down in this section of the book. For those who haven't read it yet, I will continue in a spoiler tag So, I wasn't super hyped about the graphic novel version of the part I previously had a hard time getting into.
But, it is still one of my favorite books of all time. And, this graphic novel series has been a very good port of the original story. So, I can give it a pass. And, since the whole point of graphic novels is to hit on key points with dialogue and tell a lot (if not most) of the story with pictures, it certainly didn't drag on at all.
I still highly recommend this series for fans of King. While I think you should read the book first, if you cannot commit to something quite that monumental, this is a very good option!
When I first read The Stand over 20 years ago, I got bogged down in this section of the book. For those who haven't read it yet, I will continue in a spoiler tag So, I wasn't super hyped about the graphic novel version of the part I previously had a hard time getting into.
But, it is still one of my favorite books of all time. And, this graphic novel series has been a very good port of the original story. So, I can give it a pass. And, since the whole point of graphic novels is to hit on key points with dialogue and tell a lot (if not most) of the story with pictures, it certainly didn't drag on at all.
I still highly recommend this series for fans of King. While I think you should read the book first, if you cannot commit to something quite that monumental, this is a very good option!
February 15, 2020
Still good for fans who want a refresher on the original. That final showdown is coming soon. Good guys and bad are dropping like flies.
I don't know. I think I do prefer the way the full story is treated more in the book. It's the details that prove the most horrific, after all.
I don't know. I think I do prefer the way the full story is treated more in the book. It's the details that prove the most horrific, after all.
June 5, 2021
Sigo disfrutando de esta magnifica historia gráfica con un dibujo magnífico.
La historia nos coloca en el bando de los buenos, con la Madrea Abigail desaparecida en su peregrinaje para encontrarse con Dios, mientras en el comité se van organizando, realizando distintas funciones, enterramientos, recuperar la energía eléctrica...etc.
Pero dentro del pueblo hay dos ovejas negras Harold y Nadine, que estan perpetrando sus propios planes y uno de ellos es destruir con una bomba el comite del pueblo de los siete elegidos.
Por un halo del destino, justo cuando va a explotar la bomba les informan que Madre Abigail esta muy enferma y que regresa al pueblo, pero no todos se salvan de la bomba y Nick cae, R.I.P.
AL final despues de recuperarse, lo justo para dar sus ultimas instrucciones, Abigail manda a los 4 hombre sobrevivientes del comité a que vayan al este para ir en busca de Randall Flagg, y en esas estamos...
La historia nos coloca en el bando de los buenos, con la Madrea Abigail desaparecida en su peregrinaje para encontrarse con Dios, mientras en el comité se van organizando, realizando distintas funciones, enterramientos, recuperar la energía eléctrica...etc.
Pero dentro del pueblo hay dos ovejas negras Harold y Nadine, que estan perpetrando sus propios planes y uno de ellos es destruir con una bomba el comite del pueblo de los siete elegidos.
Por un halo del destino, justo cuando va a explotar la bomba les informan que Madre Abigail esta muy enferma y que regresa al pueblo, pero no todos se salvan de la bomba y Nick cae, R.I.P.
AL final despues de recuperarse, lo justo para dar sus ultimas instrucciones, Abigail manda a los 4 hombre sobrevivientes del comité a que vayan al este para ir en busca de Randall Flagg, y en esas estamos...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 7, 2013
In No Man's Land, Harold's turn to the dark man has come full circle as his plan comes to fruition. With Nadine by his side, Harold enlists the power of explosives to attempt to bring about the demise of the Free Zone Committee. Meanwhile, the search for Mother Abigail continues as her mysterious disappearance causes several of the townsfolk to worry about her ability to survive the elements.
This is a pretty important volume. So much happens within these 136 pages and surprisingly, it moves along at a brisk pace without feeling cramped and rushed.
Obviously, a lot is lost here when you're transferring an incredibly long and detailed novel into a story telling medium that relies so heavily on one person's depictions of events and characters. Luckily, they've chosen an excellent artist who really works well with facial expression and body language.
I felt that Harold's turn to evil was handled well, especially after his penultimate moment and the way he presents himself to Nadine - some chilling stuff there.
The final volume is obviously going to be very heavy on Vegas and Flagg's camp so needless to say, I'm excited. Flagg is probably my favorite literary villain and I'm excited to see how this crew manages to depict the ending.
This is a pretty important volume. So much happens within these 136 pages and surprisingly, it moves along at a brisk pace without feeling cramped and rushed.
Obviously, a lot is lost here when you're transferring an incredibly long and detailed novel into a story telling medium that relies so heavily on one person's depictions of events and characters. Luckily, they've chosen an excellent artist who really works well with facial expression and body language.
I felt that Harold's turn to evil was handled well, especially after his penultimate moment and the way he presents himself to Nadine - some chilling stuff there.
The final volume is obviously going to be very heavy on Vegas and Flagg's camp so needless to say, I'm excited. Flagg is probably my favorite literary villain and I'm excited to see how this crew manages to depict the ending.
June 5, 2024
This is the fifth, penultimate volume of a very well-done and faithful adaptation of one the most popular novels of the last century. The story is quite well adapted to the graphic novel format, and the (not for the squeamish at times) art advances and enhances the script pretty well. Overall, it's a different approach than was used for the Dark Tower series but is more successful is some ways. I don't think it should be read -instead of- King's prose, and it doesn't add anything major to the story, but I found it to be a very enjoyable entertainment. This one focuses on events in Boulder and skips over a lot of the Las Vegas material from the prose novel, but it's understandable that some cuts had to come somewhere from such a long work. Harold and Nadine do more than their share to present Flagg's side anyway. It does a lot towards building tension for the final battle, especially after Mother Abigail leaves. The story moves right along pretty well for us Constant Readers.... M-O-O-N, that spells moving right along.
January 5, 2018
This is the penultimate volume of this story. There is one left. In the book there is a lot about what is going on in Las Vegas and it is left out of this story. The focus is totally on Bolder in this story.
It seems just when they have built their new city, it starts to fall apart. The new committee is losing member left and right. Harold has shown his hand and chosen his side. Nadine has chosen to be the wife to a demon.
This sets up the end and I'm excited to read it. I feel the art in this volume was lacking. It's probably the same and it didn't please me. It did it's job though.
This is a great way to read this huge epic.
It seems just when they have built their new city, it starts to fall apart. The new committee is losing member left and right. Harold has shown his hand and chosen his side. Nadine has chosen to be the wife to a demon.
This sets up the end and I'm excited to read it. I feel the art in this volume was lacking. It's probably the same and it didn't please me. It did it's job though.
This is a great way to read this huge epic.
January 7, 2013
I first read The Stand when book makers were unable to print a paperback of this immensity. As a result it was heavily abridged. This was probably a good thing as, while the first half was good, the second a little tedious. I would, however, freely recommend this to watch King approaching the zenith of his skills and originality..
January 13, 2013
This is one of King's best novels, IMO.
The end of the world as we know it, the back to basics for the survivors and the good vs. evil choices they all must make are nothing new for plot lines. But King weaves his magic, as usual, making this a scary horror story, a love story, a story of friendships as well as one of hope for mankind, all wrapped into one....as only King can do.
I also enjoyed The Stand movie. It followed the book pretty well. Not something you see too often.
The end of the world as we know it, the back to basics for the survivors and the good vs. evil choices they all must make are nothing new for plot lines. But King weaves his magic, as usual, making this a scary horror story, a love story, a story of friendships as well as one of hope for mankind, all wrapped into one....as only King can do.
I also enjoyed The Stand movie. It followed the book pretty well. Not something you see too often.
January 17, 2024
Brills. Do we still say that?
July 2, 2018
Reseña del tomo anterior: Apocalipsis Vol.4 Casos Perdidos
Mi temor de que la serie fuera en decadencia se confirma
Sin duda el tomo más aburrido y lento hasta ahora. Pasan pocas cosas interesantes y lo poco interesante que ocurre no basta para considerarlo un buen número.
Me gustaría aclarar que tal vez no sea culpa de los cómics en sí… Todos sabemos que la novela original tiene las de 1500 páginas (en su edición en español) así que es perfectamente comprensible la dificultad para adaptarlo a 6 comics de 160 páginas cada uno.
Pero sea como sea una cosa es cierta: espero que el sexto y último número sea tan bueno como los dos primeros.
Lo Mejor: Las ilustraciones siguen teniendo vida.
Lo Peor: Aporta muy poco. También carece de extras como las variantes de portadas y es algo digno de menciónpara mal
Mi temor de que la serie fuera en decadencia se confirma
Sin duda el tomo más aburrido y lento hasta ahora. Pasan pocas cosas interesantes y lo poco interesante que ocurre no basta para considerarlo un buen número.
Me gustaría aclarar que tal vez no sea culpa de los cómics en sí… Todos sabemos que la novela original tiene las de 1500 páginas (en su edición en español) así que es perfectamente comprensible la dificultad para adaptarlo a 6 comics de 160 páginas cada uno.
Pero sea como sea una cosa es cierta: espero que el sexto y último número sea tan bueno como los dos primeros.
Lo Mejor: Las ilustraciones siguen teniendo vida.
Lo Peor: Aporta muy poco. También carece de extras como las variantes de portadas y es algo digno de mención
August 22, 2017
This is the penultimate volume of the graphic novel series based on Stephen King's The Stand. It has to pack a lot of information into this volume, but I think it has done it really well. There were some statements made from some characters that I don't remember being so obviously stated in the book, but I feel like they were done here to move the story along. I felt like it worked, even though various themes were a bit subtler in the book.
No time is spent with Flagg, even though his influence is felt everywhere. Spies are sent over to Las Vegas to see what's going on there so they can report back to the Boulder Free Zone about what they are up against. There is also a part where Tom Cullen is under hypnosis and seems to know way more about Flagg than anyone expected.
Then, there is Nadine. She makes one last ditch effort to be with Larry, but it is too late. She strung him along too long so he pushes her away and she runs to Harold since he's the only other one in the Free Zone that really shouldn't be in the Free Zone. Some of their relationship gets cut here, but I felt like enough of it was included to get the idea that they are really using each other to get to Flagg, even though they both have doubts about joining him. If only they talked to each other about it, they might not have gone through with their evil plan.
I really loved the artwork for the explosion and for Nadine and Harold fleeing to head west. That silhouette of Flagg in the shadows and headlights of their scooters was my favorite image in the graphic novel.
No time is spent with Flagg, even though his influence is felt everywhere. Spies are sent over to Las Vegas to see what's going on there so they can report back to the Boulder Free Zone about what they are up against. There is also a part where Tom Cullen is under hypnosis and seems to know way more about Flagg than anyone expected.
Then, there is Nadine. She makes one last ditch effort to be with Larry, but it is too late. She strung him along too long so he pushes her away and she runs to Harold since he's the only other one in the Free Zone that really shouldn't be in the Free Zone. Some of their relationship gets cut here, but I felt like enough of it was included to get the idea that they are really using each other to get to Flagg, even though they both have doubts about joining him. If only they talked to each other about it, they might not have gone through with their evil plan.
I really loved the artwork for the explosion and for Nadine and Harold fleeing to head west. That silhouette of Flagg in the shadows and headlights of their scooters was my favorite image in the graphic novel.
November 11, 2015
I bought this book at the end of June and put it in my vehicle, but with summer semester as hectic as it was, I'm just now getting around to it. I had a break between my culinary classes yesterday & instead of reading something else on my friend's Comixology.com account, I started on this.
Nothing has changed writing or art wise since volume 4. This is based off of one of my favorite Stephen King books so the story is great. Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa is continuing to translate the original story to fit this format very well. Mike Perkins' art is just as fabulous too. I'm not gonna get into the art because nothing has changed since volume 1. Check out my reviews for the earlier books if you want. I will say that I'm more impressed with Laura Martin's coloring the longer this series goes on. Before you even read the words on the page or have a chance to absorb the art, the colors she uses really sets the mood for for what that scene is about. Writing & art both get 5 stars.
If you are even remotely a fan of Stephen King, this series is a must read. Even if you're not a fan of King or you've never read any of his novels, this is a great story that you should give a chance.
Nothing has changed writing or art wise since volume 4. This is based off of one of my favorite Stephen King books so the story is great. Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa is continuing to translate the original story to fit this format very well. Mike Perkins' art is just as fabulous too. I'm not gonna get into the art because nothing has changed since volume 1. Check out my reviews for the earlier books if you want. I will say that I'm more impressed with Laura Martin's coloring the longer this series goes on. Before you even read the words on the page or have a chance to absorb the art, the colors she uses really sets the mood for for what that scene is about. Writing & art both get 5 stars.
If you are even remotely a fan of Stephen King, this series is a must read. Even if you're not a fan of King or you've never read any of his novels, this is a great story that you should give a chance.
November 8, 2016
Fantastic! This is the penultimate volume and everything sets the stage for the finale. A couple of wonderful major characters die. The committee sends three people off to Las Vegas to spy then come back and report. One of these is Tom Cullen, M-O-O-N spells spy. Mother Abigail returns and sends 4 of the men off to confront and challenge the dark man. The volume ends with them on the road. Cannot wait to read the last book which is here in my greedy hands.
September 29, 2023
Esta quinta parte del cómic tiene más acción que las anteriores y por lo tanto es más adictiva.
En este cómic, en Boulder ya consiguen instalar la electricidad, mandan espías a Las Vegas para saber que planea Randall Flagg, y regresa madre Abigail entre otras cosas y también Harold Lauder y Nadine Cross se alían.
Es un cómic muy interesante porque se van precipitando los acontecimientos, no he podido parar de leerlo hasta terminarlo.
En este cómic, en Boulder ya consiguen instalar la electricidad, mandan espías a Las Vegas para saber que planea Randall Flagg, y regresa madre Abigail entre otras cosas y también Harold Lauder y Nadine Cross se alían.
Es un cómic muy interesante porque se van precipitando los acontecimientos, no he podido parar de leerlo hasta terminarlo.
April 2, 2016
So much happened in this volume! We've slowly formed this community and begun to really feel for these people and now the shit has really hit the fan. I can't say much without spoiling, but near the end there were a few images that just broke my heart. Maybe more so than when I originally read those "scenes" in the novel.
There is certainly something to be said for the visual medium.
There is certainly something to be said for the visual medium.
May 28, 2023
Este es el volumen donde Harold y Nadine
Grandes cambios acercándose al final de la historia.
4 star
Grandes cambios acercándose al final de la historia.
4 star
April 3, 2017
King knows how to make a character so repulsive he's almost fascinating. Almost. Again, not for me, but pushing through to the end.
April 25, 2024
Apocalipsis, adaptación gráfica de la novela de Stephen King
Después de años reuniéndolos de a poco gracias a un obsequio y a la perseverancia de mi hermana que me buscó cada volumen en sus viajes a Buenos Aires, al fin completé la serie de seis volúmenes de editorial Panini en que se adaptó la gran novela del tío Steve, «Apocalipsis».
Recuerdo haber leído la novela hace más de veinte años, en tres días, muchas de esas horas acunando a mi ahijada que aún era bebé y que tenía la maña de dormir solo en mis brazos 🥹 En ese entonces me habían prestado el libro y me obsesionó su lectura, arrolladora y atrapante desde la primera página hasta el inesperado final. Se convirtió en mi libro favorito de los pocos que hasta entonces había leído de King y aún está entre los primeros puestos de mis favoritos en general. Reviví todo ese entusiasmo en esta novela gráfica, que cuenta con el trabajo de Mike Perkins y Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa y la cuidada edición de editorial Panini.
Reencontrar a los protagonistas, que son un montón, recordar situaciones y volver a vivirlas con la misma angustia, odiar a los villanos y dar con algunos guiños a otras obras de King fue una experiencia maravillosa. Cada tomo cuenta con casi 200 páginas y un guion súper cuidado. No queda ningún detalle fuera, y la verdad es que los devoré ansiosa por la misma fiebre que la primera vez, adorando cada detalle y temiendo el final, que había olvidado y volvió a impactarme.
«Apocalipsis» es un libro ligado a La Torre Oscura, fue mi primer encuentro con Randall Flagg, el hombre de negro, y es una obra que cualquier lector constante debería leer, porque nos remite a la época dorada del tío Steve y nos hace exclamar con reverencia «¡larga vida al Rey!» mientras agradecemos tan buenas e inolvidables historias que nos ha regalado a lo largo de cuatro décadas. Lean Apocalipsis, no le teman a su tamaño. Y si tienen la fortuna de encontrar la novela gráfica no se la pierdan porque es una experiencia alucinante.
Después de años reuniéndolos de a poco gracias a un obsequio y a la perseverancia de mi hermana que me buscó cada volumen en sus viajes a Buenos Aires, al fin completé la serie de seis volúmenes de editorial Panini en que se adaptó la gran novela del tío Steve, «Apocalipsis».
Recuerdo haber leído la novela hace más de veinte años, en tres días, muchas de esas horas acunando a mi ahijada que aún era bebé y que tenía la maña de dormir solo en mis brazos 🥹 En ese entonces me habían prestado el libro y me obsesionó su lectura, arrolladora y atrapante desde la primera página hasta el inesperado final. Se convirtió en mi libro favorito de los pocos que hasta entonces había leído de King y aún está entre los primeros puestos de mis favoritos en general. Reviví todo ese entusiasmo en esta novela gráfica, que cuenta con el trabajo de Mike Perkins y Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa y la cuidada edición de editorial Panini.
Reencontrar a los protagonistas, que son un montón, recordar situaciones y volver a vivirlas con la misma angustia, odiar a los villanos y dar con algunos guiños a otras obras de King fue una experiencia maravillosa. Cada tomo cuenta con casi 200 páginas y un guion súper cuidado. No queda ningún detalle fuera, y la verdad es que los devoré ansiosa por la misma fiebre que la primera vez, adorando cada detalle y temiendo el final, que había olvidado y volvió a impactarme.
«Apocalipsis» es un libro ligado a La Torre Oscura, fue mi primer encuentro con Randall Flagg, el hombre de negro, y es una obra que cualquier lector constante debería leer, porque nos remite a la época dorada del tío Steve y nos hace exclamar con reverencia «¡larga vida al Rey!» mientras agradecemos tan buenas e inolvidables historias que nos ha regalado a lo largo de cuatro décadas. Lean Apocalipsis, no le teman a su tamaño. Y si tienen la fortuna de encontrar la novela gráfica no se la pierdan porque es una experiencia alucinante.
October 14, 2018
4.5 stars. These volumes are just so consistently good.
March 21, 2025
Disclaimer never read the source material
But damn this part is very nice. A lot happens and I think it setting everything nice up for part 6. Cent wait to read it.
6/5 stars
But damn this part is very nice. A lot happens and I think it setting everything nice up for part 6. Cent wait to read it.
6/5 stars
September 15, 2012
Reprints The Stand: No Man’s Land #1-5 (April 2011-August 2011). As the Free Zone works to establish itself in Boulder, the need for government arrises. Nadine Cross falls further under the control of the Man in Black and brings Harold Lauder deeper into his plans. With the realization that Randall Flagg’s plans are continuing to develop in Las Vegas, the Free Zone realizes they must act. A tragic turn of events reminds the members of the Free Zone that it isn't just a battle for survival, but a battle of good versus evil.
Following the events of The Stand 4: Hardcases, The Stand 5: No Man’s Land continues Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa’s adaptation of Stephen King’s mammoth novel of the post-Apocalypse. The comic has been received well and this storyline presents the lead-up to the final story arc.
This is the portion of the novel that I get a little bored by. I like the initial survival story presented in the book, but the establishing of the society in Boulder always makes me yearn for the earlier portion. Aguirre-Sacasa does a good job of keeping it moving and does this by having the story focus mostly on Nadine and Harold who are two of the more tortured souls of the story.
Both characters are interesting and both have their own motivation for becoming the Judases of the Free Zone. There problems also get into the realm of freedom of choice or predestination which plays an important role in the story. Is it possible for Nadine or Harold to truly be good or are they damned to be picked for betrayal?
Underplayed to the evil is the God aspect of The Stand which takes a big role in the final story. While the Devil (aka Randall Flagg) is very visible, God is less so in a book that takes a very spiritual turn. Tom Collin’s affliction is the most visible aspect of God (instead of his speaker in Mother Abagail). With God becoming such a “major player” in the end of the novel, I wish it had been peppered in throughout the story a bit more.
The Stand 5: No Man’s Land is a good collection of a good series. It is no substitute for reading The Stand, but if you have read The Stand and don't have time to revisit it, it is a good substitution. The Stand 5: No Man’s Land is followed by The Stand 6: The Night Has Come.
Following the events of The Stand 4: Hardcases, The Stand 5: No Man’s Land continues Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa’s adaptation of Stephen King’s mammoth novel of the post-Apocalypse. The comic has been received well and this storyline presents the lead-up to the final story arc.
This is the portion of the novel that I get a little bored by. I like the initial survival story presented in the book, but the establishing of the society in Boulder always makes me yearn for the earlier portion. Aguirre-Sacasa does a good job of keeping it moving and does this by having the story focus mostly on Nadine and Harold who are two of the more tortured souls of the story.
Both characters are interesting and both have their own motivation for becoming the Judases of the Free Zone. There problems also get into the realm of freedom of choice or predestination which plays an important role in the story. Is it possible for Nadine or Harold to truly be good or are they damned to be picked for betrayal?
Underplayed to the evil is the God aspect of The Stand which takes a big role in the final story. While the Devil (aka Randall Flagg) is very visible, God is less so in a book that takes a very spiritual turn. Tom Collin’s affliction is the most visible aspect of God (instead of his speaker in Mother Abagail). With God becoming such a “major player” in the end of the novel, I wish it had been peppered in throughout the story a bit more.
The Stand 5: No Man’s Land is a good collection of a good series. It is no substitute for reading The Stand, but if you have read The Stand and don't have time to revisit it, it is a good substitution. The Stand 5: No Man’s Land is followed by The Stand 6: The Night Has Come.
April 20, 2014
Una excelente adaptación de una de las mas ambiciosas novelas de Stephen King (The Stand). Leí The Stand hace décadas, antes que hubiera ningún lugar como este para reseñarla y guardarla en la memoria. Igual mi recuerdo era que me había encantado. Así que cuando exploraba Issuee (un verdadero tesoro para BDs/Comics) y me topé con esta adaptación gráfica, era inevitable probarla. Y el resultado es excelente. El ambiente, la historia, los personajes, reflejan espectacularmente la novela original. De hecho, el esfuerzo de los creadores gráficos es realmente intepretar el sentido de la obra y de sus héroes y malvados, quien sabe, hasta hace esta adapatación mas sabrosa. Uno puede ver los rostros--incluso los malvados--, ambientes, paisajes de la novela y quiza sumergirse más fácilmente en ese sueño terrorífico.
February 7, 2013
6th book read in 2013.
Number 93 out of 298 on my all time book list.
Follow the link below to see my video review:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olWG_-...
Number 93 out of 298 on my all time book list.
Follow the link below to see my video review:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olWG_-...
January 26, 2016
I'm not so big on the religious content, but the story is still a wild ride that keeps you guessing.
April 24, 2023
(Zero spoiler review for the series as a whole) 4/5
I started to read, or rather, listen to the Stand, on a drive back from Coffs Harbour to Newcastle. A journey of approximately four hours. It had been a wonderful weekend, spent with a girl in the fledgling throes of something... I wouldn't call it a relationship, but it seemed pretty serious for something so in its infancy. I was captivated by the early prose of King's novels. When the man was on fire back in those days, he was really cooking. Sadly, despite being enthralled by King at his best, and the book helping to eat away at the kilometers, I got home to find one of my beloved dogs had passed away earlier that day, finding him cold and stiff on the garage floor, his motionless silhouette sending me reeling in the dark. If that wasn't bad enough, the girl I mentioned earlier said, despite a near perfect weekend, that she didn't wish to see me again. But hey, that's life I suppose. Needless to say, I didn't feel like picking up The Stand again any time soon. Whatever magic was growing between me and the story (and I don't even like audio books that much) was well and truly lost. So a few years later, I find all six volumes of the book at my local library, and felt more than enough time had passed to dive back in and see what I was missing out on.
Needless to say, despite the medium having changed from audiobook to comic book, I am glad I finally got round to reading it (incidentally, a day away from the third year anniversary of that eventful evening) Despite the comic never able to capture every little nuance and detail of prime era King, this does a rather excellent job of telling the long and bloated tale in its own way. No, I haven't read the novel in its entirety, so I may indeed be only seeing one side of it. But the side I'm seeing is pretty damn good. There is something happening here that you just don't come across too often in comic books. Its something I've thought about, and yet find it hard to quantify. I've read King's efforts at writing his own comic stories in the past, and they were, to put it mildly, pretty average. But this is adapted so wonderfully, that you can't help but imagine it was intentionally written for a comic book in the first place.
The book goes a wee bit south in the final issue or two. Having not read the novel as mentioned, I cannot say if this is a result of King's source material also not living up to the first two thirds of the story (which knowing King, is likely). Or that something else kept the magic from transpiring throughout the entire run. The story does lose a lot of its mystery in the more action orientated rush to its conclusion, which didn't quite appeal to your humble reviewer as much as its earlier incarnation. Still, a wonderful read, although one that is sadly out of print now, thanks to those wonderful printing right having expired at Marvel. I'm sure you can find yourself a copy to read somewhere online, or brave the eye watering prices on the secondary market. Either way, The Stand graphic novel remains a wonderful way for King fans old and new to reconnect in with a beloved and classic King tale, in a way they may never have before. And for comic book fans, this one is well worth your time. Recommended. 4/5
OmniBen.
I started to read, or rather, listen to the Stand, on a drive back from Coffs Harbour to Newcastle. A journey of approximately four hours. It had been a wonderful weekend, spent with a girl in the fledgling throes of something... I wouldn't call it a relationship, but it seemed pretty serious for something so in its infancy. I was captivated by the early prose of King's novels. When the man was on fire back in those days, he was really cooking. Sadly, despite being enthralled by King at his best, and the book helping to eat away at the kilometers, I got home to find one of my beloved dogs had passed away earlier that day, finding him cold and stiff on the garage floor, his motionless silhouette sending me reeling in the dark. If that wasn't bad enough, the girl I mentioned earlier said, despite a near perfect weekend, that she didn't wish to see me again. But hey, that's life I suppose. Needless to say, I didn't feel like picking up The Stand again any time soon. Whatever magic was growing between me and the story (and I don't even like audio books that much) was well and truly lost. So a few years later, I find all six volumes of the book at my local library, and felt more than enough time had passed to dive back in and see what I was missing out on.
Needless to say, despite the medium having changed from audiobook to comic book, I am glad I finally got round to reading it (incidentally, a day away from the third year anniversary of that eventful evening) Despite the comic never able to capture every little nuance and detail of prime era King, this does a rather excellent job of telling the long and bloated tale in its own way. No, I haven't read the novel in its entirety, so I may indeed be only seeing one side of it. But the side I'm seeing is pretty damn good. There is something happening here that you just don't come across too often in comic books. Its something I've thought about, and yet find it hard to quantify. I've read King's efforts at writing his own comic stories in the past, and they were, to put it mildly, pretty average. But this is adapted so wonderfully, that you can't help but imagine it was intentionally written for a comic book in the first place.
The book goes a wee bit south in the final issue or two. Having not read the novel as mentioned, I cannot say if this is a result of King's source material also not living up to the first two thirds of the story (which knowing King, is likely). Or that something else kept the magic from transpiring throughout the entire run. The story does lose a lot of its mystery in the more action orientated rush to its conclusion, which didn't quite appeal to your humble reviewer as much as its earlier incarnation. Still, a wonderful read, although one that is sadly out of print now, thanks to those wonderful printing right having expired at Marvel. I'm sure you can find yourself a copy to read somewhere online, or brave the eye watering prices on the secondary market. Either way, The Stand graphic novel remains a wonderful way for King fans old and new to reconnect in with a beloved and classic King tale, in a way they may never have before. And for comic book fans, this one is well worth your time. Recommended. 4/5
OmniBen.
March 4, 2024
MAN I JUST HATE NADINE'S STORYLINE SO MUCH.
This is where the OG novel really starts to go off the rails for me. I know King was stuck and then had this "revelation" about the bomb, but while it does kickstart the plot again, it doesn't really make a lot of sense regarding what he'd thus far set up. Nick's story in particular just cuts off entirely. (And I forget if this is a problem in the actual book too, but in these graphic adaptions, it also creates a continuity error: in the nasty and unnecessary scene with Julie, they say Nick will have to deal with her again but...he dead. It didn't happen.) Annoying!
But not as annoying as how badly all the women are written in this.
Maybe Aguirre-Sacasa & Co. couldn't actually fix that, but this adaptation could have made the cast less white. It really stands out: they couldn't have at least had someone on the council not a white dude?
Can't wait for the final installment, where four men go out to make a stand (iirc, they barely do anything) while the women wait at home and gestate babies.
Three stars for continuing to do a decent job with far from my favorite King.
This is where the OG novel really starts to go off the rails for me. I know King was stuck and then had this "revelation" about the bomb, but while it does kickstart the plot again, it doesn't really make a lot of sense regarding what he'd thus far set up. Nick's story in particular just cuts off entirely. (And I forget if this is a problem in the actual book too, but in these graphic adaptions, it also creates a continuity error: in the nasty and unnecessary scene with Julie, they say Nick will have to deal with her again but...he dead. It didn't happen.) Annoying!
But not as annoying as how badly all the women are written in this.
Maybe Aguirre-Sacasa & Co. couldn't actually fix that, but this adaptation could have made the cast less white. It really stands out: they couldn't have at least had someone on the council not a white dude?
Can't wait for the final installment, where four men go out to make a stand (iirc, they barely do anything) while the women wait at home and gestate babies.
Three stars for continuing to do a decent job with far from my favorite King.
August 31, 2025
Quinta entrega de la monumental saga ‘Apocalipsis’ de Stephen King (‘The Stand’).
El mundo ha quedado devastado por el supervirus “Capitán Trotamundos” y los supervivientes se dividen entre quienes intentan reconstruir la sociedad y los que siguen al oscuro Randall Flagg. Este tomo refleja ese momento de incertidumbre, donde cada personaje debe decidir su lugar en el inminente enfrentamiento final.
Esta es la penúltima entrega de la adaptación gráfica. La recuperación de Boulder avanza con la electricidad restablecida, pero la alianza de Harold Lauder y Nadine Cross, manipulados por Flagg, amenaza con destruirlo todo. Mientras, Frannie y Stu intentan mantener el equilibrio hasta que Madre Abigail envía a los cuatro miembros del Comité Libre en una peligrosa misión hacia el este.
Un volumen que intensifica la tensión y prepara el clímax con traiciones, esperanza y un aura constante de amenaza, acompañado de un arte visualmente poderoso.
Una auténtica obra maestra totalmente imprescindible para seguidores de Stephen King, amantes del terror postapocalíptico y aquellos que disfruten de novelas gráficas con dilemas morales y atmósferas intensas.
El mundo ha quedado devastado por el supervirus “Capitán Trotamundos” y los supervivientes se dividen entre quienes intentan reconstruir la sociedad y los que siguen al oscuro Randall Flagg. Este tomo refleja ese momento de incertidumbre, donde cada personaje debe decidir su lugar en el inminente enfrentamiento final.
Esta es la penúltima entrega de la adaptación gráfica. La recuperación de Boulder avanza con la electricidad restablecida, pero la alianza de Harold Lauder y Nadine Cross, manipulados por Flagg, amenaza con destruirlo todo. Mientras, Frannie y Stu intentan mantener el equilibrio hasta que Madre Abigail envía a los cuatro miembros del Comité Libre en una peligrosa misión hacia el este.
Un volumen que intensifica la tensión y prepara el clímax con traiciones, esperanza y un aura constante de amenaza, acompañado de un arte visualmente poderoso.
Una auténtica obra maestra totalmente imprescindible para seguidores de Stephen King, amantes del terror postapocalíptico y aquellos que disfruten de novelas gráficas con dilemas morales y atmósferas intensas.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 27, 2025
Es inevitable que un trabajo de adaptación de algo tan EXTENSO como la novela Apocalipsis, quede a deber y acote o apure gran parte de la obra literaria. En el caso de este 5º volumen del trabajo de guion de Roberto Aguirre Sacasa, pues se ve una necesidad de comprimir lo que supone ese gran punto de inflexión de la obra de Stephen King con esa caída total de Harold al "Lado Oscuro" y el explosivo (sic.) acto contra el mismísimo corazón de la incipiente ciudad de Boulder. Por mucho que en números previos se haya dado a pie a esto con el tema del diario y dejar claro desde el inicio de la obra de ese perfil sociópata. Todo se concreta y precipita en estos números que también deben poner en camino la trama de los espías en Las Vegas controlada por Randall Flagg. ¿Y la desaparecida Madre Abigail? Al final es cierto que este es un resumen rápido y más que conciso de la obra original. Y realmente apena que en el apartado gráfico la cosa podría despuntar para bien. Pero la búsqueda de ese deje de "realismo" peca en no conseguir nada verdaderamente relevante en este trabajo.
March 27, 2018
It's getting very religiously-toned, and since that has no resonance for me, it's getting to be a bit of a a slog. Plus all the characters are pretty similar. Really it's even more than that, the characterization of all the "hardcases" and misfits as ACTUALLY OF SATAN or thereabouts is kind of awful. It keeps saying how Flagg represents the "old way," but he's associated with technology and rebellion, and it's the "good guys" who want to go back to the old ways of religion and nature and all that. I think I've said it before but it all just seems like a horrible holdover from when middle America was associated with wholesome goodness instead of, you know... Trump voters. Also it hasn't been scary since volume 1.
October 31, 2022
3.5 stars. The series finally hits its stride in this fifth volume. Credit King for creating characters with whom we connect and a storyline that is coalescing like small streams gathering into one large river. The comic here is tightly plotted and well paced. Gone are the superfluous captions and jumpy cross-cutting of previous volumes. Now that events are happening largely in one locale and without much backstory to fill in, the comic succeeds in providing a smooth visual narrative of events in the Boulder Free Zone. I’m glad I stuck with this series, as the writers and artists seem to have overcome the clumsy handling of the various storylines in the first two volumes. Looking forward to reading the final volume of the series.
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