Batman: Road to No Man's Land Omnibus

Batman: No Man's Land Omnibus

by Chuck Dixon

The "No Man's Land" story defined an era of the Batman books, and the massive tale is collected in this omnibus edition. Collects Azrael: Agent of the Bat #40 and 47-52, Batman #554-562, Batman: Arkham Asylum—Tales of Madness #1, Batman: Blackgate—Isle of Men #1, Batman: Huntress/Spoiler—Blunt Trauma #1, Batman: Shadow of the Bat #73-82, Catwoman #56-57, Detective Comics #719-722 and 724-729, Nightwing #19-20, Robin #52-54, and The Batman Chronicles #12 and 14-15.

Genres: Comics, Batman, Dc Comics, Graphic Novels, Superheroes, Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics

1248 pages, Hardcover

First published December 9, 1998

About the author

Charles "Chuck" Dixon is an American comic book writer, perhaps best-known for long runs on Batman titles in the 1990s.

His earliest comics work was writing Evangeline first for Comico Comics in 1984 (then later for First Comics, who published the on-going series), on which he worked with his then-wife, the artist Judith Hunt. His big break came one year later, when editor Larry Hama hired him to write back-up stories for Marvel Comics' The Savage Sword of Conan.

In 1986, he began working for Eclipse Comics, writing Airboy with artist Tim Truman. Continuing to write for both Marvel and (mainly) Eclipse on these titles, as well as launching Strike! with artist Tom Lyle in August 1987 and Valkyrie with artist Paul Gulacy in October 1987, he began work on Carl Potts' Alien Legion series for Marvel's Epic Comics imprint, under editor Archie Goodwin. He also produced a three-issue adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit for Eclipse with artist David Wenzel between 1989 and 1990, and began writing Marc Spector: Moon Knight in June 1989.

His Punisher OGN Kingdom Gone (August, 1990) led to him working on the monthly The Punisher War Journal (and later, more monthly and occasional Punisher titles), and also brought him to the attention of DC Comics editor Denny O'Neil, who asked him to produce a Robin mini-series. The mini proved popular enough to spawn two sequels - The Joker's Wild (1991) and Cry of the Huntress (1992) - which led to both an ongoing monthly series (which Dixon wrote for 100 issues before leaving to work with CrossGen Comics), and to Dixon working on Detective Comics from #644-738 through the major Batman stories KnightFall & KnightsEnd (for which he helped create the key character of Bane), DC One Million , Contagion , Legacy , Cataclysm and No Man's Land . Much of his run was illustrated by Graham Nolan.

He was DC's most prolific Batman-writer in the mid-1990s (rivalled perhaps in history by Bill Finger and Dennis O'Neil) - in addition to writing Detective Comics he pioneered the individual series for Robin , Nightwing (which he wrote for 70 issues, and returned to briefly with 2005's #101) and Batgirl , as well as creating the team and book Birds of Prey .

While writing multiple Punisher and Batman comics (and October 1994's Punisher/Batman crossover), he also found time to launch Team 7 for Jim Lee's WildStorm/Image and Prophet for Rob Liefeld's Extreme Studios. He also wrote many issues of Catwoman and Green Arrow , regularly having about seven titles out each and every month between the years 1993 and 1998.

In March, 2002, Dixon turned his attention to CrossGen's output, salthough he co-wrote with Scott Beatty the origin of Barbara Gordon's Batgirl in 2003's Batgirl: Year One. For CrossGen he took over some of the comics of the out-going Mark Waid, taking over Sigil from #21, and Crux with #13. He launched Way of the Rat in June 2002, Brath (March '03), The Silken Ghost (June '03) and the pirate comic El Cazador (Oct '03), as well as editing Robert Rodi's non-Sigilverse The Crossovers. He also wrote the Ruse spin-off Archard's Agents one-shots in January and November '03 and April '04, the last released shortly before CrossGen's complete collapse forced the cancellation of all of its comics, before which Dixon wrote a single issue of Sojourn (May '04). Dixon's Way of the Rat #24, Brath #14 and El Cazador #6 were among the last comics released from the then-bankrupt publisher.

On June 10, 2008, Dixon announced on his forum that he was no longer "employed by DC Comics in any capacity."

Reviews

[Joakim Ax · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having re-read these stories for the first time. And in a soon to be post covid-19 world. This really speaks to me. Not that it ever got this dark and grim of a sitation for my own life. But you sure get a different look at despair of how peoples lives ends in a matter of days and seconds within this particular Batman-run.

[Rumi Bossche · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is actually a 4 star book, but some of the tie ins are just not that good. Look behind that and you have a fantastic Batman omnibus worth a read.

[Rob Frisco · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! This book was amazing and how close it is to what we're going through right now with the pandemic. Now, hopefully, DC will put out vol 2, No Man's Land to what happens next with Azrael, Batman, Gotham City, Nichols Scratch and others. I'm going deeper into the rabbit hole after starting with Batman Legacy vol 1. I'm not sure to wait for the second volume or just go ahead and buy the tp's. Whatever I do, this is a must-read for Batman fans. I would love to see this in an animated series or an animated film.

[Nick LeBlanc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Been slowly working my way through this collection for the better part of a year. In my eyes this is the best of the second-tier level of 90s Batman tales. So many massive comics event storylines like this fall apart under their own weight but clever plot flips and decisions throughout buoy this thing all the way through the end.

I remember picking up a few of these single issues as a kid and being totally lost, so I’m especially grateful for my library system to allow me to fill in the gaps and make sense of the story—which has unfortunately only become more relevant.

The weakest part of this storyline are some of the side issues that get pulled in and drag the story sideways a bit. But generally speaking, the central story and direction is engrossing, well constructed, and features some widely varied art styles and writing styles—to great effect.

Read on a fat-ass bound edition from the library.

[Matthew Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I am very interested in this event as a whole, this multi-series-spanning event could have been done in so many less issues. Biggest knock was how repetitive these stories felt after the big ideas were already made point.

[Highland G · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first read and it was a mixed bag. Lots of one shot stories with different art and writing styles. I loved the Dixon stuff, some of the heavier prose and narrated stuff by the others really started to grind.
Overall it was middle of the road.

[OmniBen · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Zero spoiler review) 3.25/5
I must admit, I didn't go into this one with the highest of hopes. I wasn't even going to buy it, but I found it for a decent price, and having the story going into to No Mans Land seemed like it could be beneficial. In all honesty, you could probably go into the No Mans Land omni's without reading this, but hey, an decent Batman omnibus is better than a decent omnibus from just about any other character, so all in all, I'm glad I read it.
This book was at it's strongest when it was a straight up exploration of Gotham in a crisis, which we got a decent amount of to be fair. When it fell back on the same old cliched, superhero tropes, and single issue stories of a baddy popping up for, what was usually a pretty banal, lacklustre reason, the book fell apart pretty quick. There is one really good Joker story in here. Other than that, whenever it isn't Bruce or the Rogue's gallery dealing with the fallout of what set's the wheels in motion for this story, it quickly drew my ire and lost my interest.
I would have liked to have seen them lean into this even more. Give a 30 plus issue arc to one writer to completely invest in a Gotham reeling from a natural disaster. We got lip service, competently executed most of the time, although having a long list of writers doing bits and pieces of these stories didn't lend itself to a tight, interconnected narrative. It was decent enough, although could and should have been better.
The art was generally pretty good. Give Jim Aparo a good inker, and he does outstanding work. I could stare at his Gotham all day. Everything else was serviceable, although Mark Buckingham's art was a real let down for me. He is a great artist, but something wasn't clicking. His art looked cartoony and completely out of place. A different inker near the end of the book, and it all fell into place however. Like I said, serviceable to good all around, although rarely exceptional.
Nothing here I would think, a few issues aside, will be remembered as the pinnacle of the caped crusader. I keep seem to coming back to the 'good not great' mantra. So yeah, it's pretty good. A few great issues, a few more than a few turkeys, which dragged the score down a little, but worth a read all the same. 3.25/5


OmniBen.

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

This would easily be a 4 star text but some of the tie-in stories are just too weak to justify that rating. When the graphic novel focuses on the destructive earthquake and the effects upon Gotham's citizens, the book sings 👌

[Bryson Grenfell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Certainly interesting reading through the no mans land event (or in this case; the road to no mans land) in the current climate. Definitely holds some all new weight in the wake of the past two years.

As for the book itself, it’s pretty neat. I enjoy getting a wider focus on all inhabitants of Gotham city reacting to this disaster.

Some stories aren’t as good as others (obviously) but some stuff is really really great.

Nicholas Scratch totally blows though

[Nolan Gutenschwager · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars. Thoroughly enjoyed this book, which covers cataclysm and the whole road to no man’s land. I think it is an incredible concept for a story and it is really well executed. A massive earthquake strikes Gotham and the city is left devastated, just continuing to devolve rapidly. It is primarily written by Chuck Dixon, with Alan Grant and others as well, such as Dennis O’Neil on the Azrael stories. Various artists as well, including Jim Aparo.

This book is fun in that it is a very different plot than normal. There is nobody to blame for what happened or a villain to chase after. I think this story gets at who Batman truly is as a character. He struggles with the fact that he couldn’t do anything to prevent this. Although of course Bruce was ultra-prepared and quake-proofed his properties, except Wayne Manor was not able to be and so it and the batcave were wrecked. The city is in chaos, people are trapped everywhere, but Batman is constantly trying to save lives any way he can and never give up. There are times earlier on where potentially the batcave could be discovered under Wayne Manor and expose his secret and Bruce accepts that because he will save lives at any cost, although it does not come to that.

This is a great bat-family book, with tons of appearances by Nightwing, Robin (Tim Drake), Oracle, Catwoman, Huntress, Spoiler, Azrael, and Alfred. I actually did not care as much for the Azrael stories, but they were not bad. This is also a story with all of the rogues, as they periodically make appearances. Ventriloquist, who early on poses as the Quakemaster and tries to take credit for it and make threats. Then there is Joker, Riddler, Killer Croc, Scarecrow, pretty much everyone. Nicholas Scratch plays a big role in the back half, first time I’ve seen him. Some sort of freaky rockstar with demon-like goons trying to influence the public with his popularity and turn them against Gotham.

The first chunk of the book is just people surviving the earthquake and all of the destruction. The later part is people starting to flee the city, and the government voting on isolating the city from everywhere else and not put any resources into saving it. There is a good amount of Bruce Wayne being a public figure in this, as he is doing everything he can with his company to set up shelters, donate, support new small businesses, and more. Bruce also goes to Congress to plead for their support in Gotham.

There is such variety in these stories, especially with all of the different characters. The main Batman and Detective Comics ones are great, and there are some stories just in Blackgate or Arkham that definitely have a darker, creepier tone that makes you realize how sick these rogues are. There is also randomly this story by Alan Grant “A Long Slow Death” that is genuinely the darkest story I have seen in comics like why was that even in here??

Overall, this was a very fun read. Love the idea and execution of the plot. You get to spend time with pretty much every bat-family member, rogue, or supporting character (including Vesper Fairchild and Lucius Fox) you can think of. The art is generally good, did not think it was spectacular but enjoyed it all. This just gets at the heart of who Bruce is, trying to save his city against all odds.

[H · Rating 4 out of 5]

The benefit of an omnibus is that you aren’t missing any issues so you get a full story. The drawback to an omnibus is that this also means you’re getting all the parts of the story that don’t matter or could have been edited out.

The “Road to No Man’s Land Omnibus” collects the “Cataclysm,” “Aftershock,” and “Road to No Man’s Land” storylines across all of the Bat-family titles. Because you have the same overall team of writers working on all of the titles, it all feels way more coherent and consistent, something that didn’t happen in other crossover storylines later on — like the stark difference between Scott Snyder and everyone else in the “Court of Owls” saga.

During “Cataclysm” in particular, I really appreciated seeing all the different characters experiencing the moment of the earthquake in different issues. It really gives a sense of a large-scale story taking place in a city. The art and story both have a decidedly 1990s feel, but a much more developed 1990s feel, one that has learned the lessons of “Knightfall.”

“Aftershock” admittedly does drag. This storyline isn’t really a story but more a series of events. It does give the sense of the breakdown of the city and the gradual breakdown of the characters in the aftermath of the earthquake, but it’s mostly skimming the surface. A little more time in the minds of some of our main characters and a little less time with our side characters would’ve been better. (There’s an issue of “The Batman Chronicles” here featuring a story by Greg Rucka about Renee Montoya and her brother and that story is solid. Greg Rucka’s writing is great.)

Still, because we’ve lived in “Aftershock” for a while, it lends weight to “Road to No Man’s Land.” There are plot elements in that story that seem more believable if we’ve been living with the suffering of Gotham for a while, which may have seemed too hokey or convenient otherwise. Too often in the rush to complete a story arc, comics will rush straight from intro to conclusion without living in the middle, and so the ending doesn’t feel earned. Here, the momentum picks up nicely and so the apocalyptic cliffhanger ending at the end of “Detective Comics” #729 feels earned.

My only gripe with the ending is that after the natural conclusion of “Road to No Man’s Land,” we still get an epilogue (or really an extended post-credit scene) of two issues of “Azrael: Agent of the Bat” that doesn’t really service the plot. I think Azrael has always been the least interesting member of the 1990s Bat-Family, an attempt to tap into the popularity of Spawn at the time, and none of his stories in this omnibus are particularly interesting or important. I wish they’d gotten rid of him altogether after “Knightfall.”

Nonetheless, “Road to No Man’s Land” is an enjoyable read on a truly epic scale and I’m excited for what’s to come in “No Man’s Land.”

[Evan Ransom · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m a huge fan of the No Man’s Land storyline from 1999 as it came out just as I was getting into comics and discovering Nightwing as my favorite DC superhero. Unfortunately, I didn’t get any of the stuff leading up to it aside from the Nightwing and Robin titles at the time so I always lamented not reading Cataclysm and the Road to No Man’s Land tie-ins.

I can honestly say that I wasn’t missing much.

I’m not going to say I’ll never read this again as it’s not bad. Just really disjointed and inconsistent.

It’s really clear that none of the creative teams on each book were interacting with each other much as each title had events that were radically different and sometimes even contradictory to each other. Some writers got the impact of Gotham’s quake while others kept trying to write Batman stories as if it’s just another day with standard supervillain tales. They acknowledge that Gotham has turned into an disaster area but don’t reflect that in those stories.

I think it’s pretty clear that all of the creative focus was put into No Man’s Land while this period focused entirely on setup. I think this is a rare example of the book being better if it was written by committee.

That said, it does have some great character stuff for Batman as Bruce becomes more disheartened as the inevitable comes. All of the supporting cast are shown to be in a state of loss with the status quo so upended that even characters like Nightwing who’ve left GC are left wondering what’ll happen next. No character is left behind without a reason and each story individually reads fine on its own.

The biggest flaw is the villain Nicholas Scratch who’s blown way out of proportion to his role in the story. His whole thing is a serious case of “tell, don’t show” as he’s given a ridiculous list of abilities and accolades with nothing to back it up, no convincing show of it in the story, and a motivation that…I guess exists but is never explained. It’s no wonder that his DC wiki page just reduces all of his appearances to a paragraph. I don’t know if he created the character but it’s still disappointing to have Scratch be the main villain in the legendary Dennis O’Neil’s title.

I recommend this book only to people who are completist like me or just have to know all of the details. (Though you should know that “all of the details” means reading the Knightfall Trilogy, Contagion and Legacy before reading this.) Otherwise, borrow a copy if you’re curious or just go right into No Man’s Land itself as it reads just fine on its own.

[Sebastian Lauterbach · Rating 4 out of 5]

The late 90s continuity of Batman is a marvel to behold (pun intended). The title 'Road to No Man's Land Omnibus' is a disservice, as this volume reads perfectly fine on it's own and tells a satisfying and complete story.

I jumped into this book after having read the Knightfall trilogy (Bane) and the Contagion & Legacy storylines. They are barely referenced here and this book is very new reader friendly. Here's the pitch: Gotham is laid to waste in a devastating earthquake and Batman & Friends have to help survivors and figure out how to rebuild the city.

Add sprinkles of supervillains, sidekicks and supporting cast into the mix and there's so many different and interesting angles to this. At this point in the late 90s, DC Comics figured out how to do a big crossover the right way. There's no less than 8 separate titles (!) that intermingle here, but
the individual issues are numbered and there is a definitive and logical reading order. Thankfully the mapping of this omnibus perfectly follows that reading order. And it works, the stories flow naturally into each other. Barely any story feels like filler, as all of them illuminate a different aspects of the city.

I did subtract one star however, mainly due to the different creative teams of the 8 titles. For me, it's a very simple equation: Everything written by Chuck Dixon is stellar, almost perfect. Fortunately, he writes most of the stories in this omnibus. Other writers don't quite hit that perfect balance between interesting premise and spot on dialogue. Still, since all of this is connected, every story is interesting (to an extent).

Regarding the story itself: Facing a natural disaster, the usual tropes of a superhero comic don't apply. There's no villain to fight, no masterplan to foil. The heroes have to help survivors and rebuild the cities, while the villains face a dilemma. Crime doesn't pay off, when people have lost everything, so how should they act?

I should address, that there are two follow up Omnibus volumes and there's a particular storyline that is unfinished, so I'll be reading onwards, but the book itself provides very satisfying reading experience. Recommended, even for first time readers!

[Jack Draper · Rating 4 out of 5]

An Omnibus which made for good reading. It is divided into three story sections: Cataclysm, AfterShock and Road to No Man's Land. However all of them are pretty much a story telling how Gotham becomes a No man's Land in the late 90s. Cataclysm was good story arc and I did enjoy it, coming back to Batman after legacy, the story brought back a new "catastrophic" freshness to it that legacy didn't quite have. As a 7.6 Quake hits Gotham, the way it's portrayed in the comics, it's as if the very hell below the earth has opened to swallow Gotham whole. A very daunting but nonetheless exciting read. One of my favourite issues during this story arc that still stands out in my mind is the Batman: Blackgate prison issue, where it shows how the earthquake affected Blackgate and its inhabitants. The story arc did seem to drop off a bit towards the end but I think that's just because of how long cataclysm goes on for. Aftershock was a mini tie-in , where the initial quake is over, and we get to see how badly Gotham is struggling to keep it's city alive. There were some good issues here but it was probably the most filler-y of the Omnibus. Road to No Man's Land is where it starts to heat up again and were consistently the best issues of the book. We get to see Gotham fall ever more into ruin, as it's on the way to becoming politically isolated. Bruce Wayne does his utmost to prevent this but a new villain, named Nicholas Scratch, has a hidden Agenda against Gotham and want's to 'see it die'. The most gut-wrenching parts were seeing how everyone was trying to get out of Gotham before it's declared a 'No-Go Zone' as all the bridges and tunnels are cut off from the outside world. Collectively the issues make for a great omnibus! Onto No Man's Land.

[Joey Walden · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love that there are so many different writers within the Road to No Man's Land Omnibus. The stories I felt that were more disappointing were written by the main Batman writer at the time, Chuck Dixon. The overall story is interesting and when it is just Batman and the Batfamily, I feel everything is on point.

However, the low points are when Batman is talks about justice after the Earthquake, he is going after people going through the rubble to get copper to sell. Bruce is making it seem like people are pitiful and in need of meaning through hard work and structure. The story makes it seems like he is the protector of Gotham as in the protector of City Property of Gotham and not the people of Gotham. It is through dialog Batman seems to not care as much for the downtrodden and people in need with dialog emphasizing people needing jobs so they are not twiddling their thumbs waiting for handouts.

It's a dated take considering there is so little nuance with people who are completely abandoned doing anything they can to survive, and Batman is beating some of them while they are down. It is a bit odd seeing Batman not care more for people in need, as in more modern stories. This less than personal approach does seem to be a bit more under Chuck Dixon's pen though than the other authors.

Other authors help make up for the lack of empathy seen in Dixon's Batman. Like I mentioned, the overall story is interesting, relationships within the Batfamily feel correct, Batman by the other authors feels more authentic, but Dixon's Bruce/Batman characterization feels harsher and colder than the situation warranted.

[Hugo Emanuel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This huge book is made out of what are essentially prelude stories to No Man's Land.

While slightly too long for what is very much a prelude to something else (and therefore, does not offer a conclusion), and some issues dragging out somewhat, It's a very enticing read, especially for someone who has been follwoing the Batman stories since Knightfall, through Contagion and Legacy.

The way Batman and Gotham inhabitants, both heroes and civilians alike, are fleshed out, is really impressive. There is a real sense of cohesion and attention to detail in the way this story builds up. It's not rushed at all - it takes it time with building the gradual despair and decay that fall supon Gotham as a consequence of the massive earthquake that levels the city, and there are even issues following just random Gotham citizens that really help paint the picture of desolation, and why some citizens have opted to stay in the city.

The writers are mostly comprised of the talented writers that developed the Batman mythos throughout the 90's in top form- Chuck Dixon, Alan Grant, Doug Moench, Dennis O'Neil, and a few others, so if you have enjoyed their previous output, you'll love this too.

Artwork varies alot, but the obviously Kelley Jones inspired Mark Buckingham (Fables) and Jim Aparo provide the pencils for most of this volume, so it looks very good for most of its pages.

This is mostly for the most avid fans and patient comic book fans, but I think readers in general will get something to enjoy out of this massive omnibus.

[Dio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well. This is quite the diverse prologue. I'd say the first 100-200 pages were all about the inciting incident happening, followed then by about 600 pages of fallout (from villains taking advantage to heroes trying their best to save everyone and even the regular citizens just trying to get over the shock of it all) and then finally about 400 pages of the, I assume, true setup for the following two Omnibuses.

It's very difficult to talk about something with this man writers and artists behind it. I probably noticed like ten different writers in the credits and saw probably twice as many art styles going through the book. There's nothing I can really say that will encompass all of these peoples ideas and talents. I can't talk about each story individually as none of them were meant to be consumed on their own, while on the other hand I can't do the reverse either, of speaking on these stories as a whole, as there really are just way too many of them. From plot threads that many characters probably never learn about, to also how they all influence each other, or just don't at all.

In conclusion, this is by far the best way to read a comic and I am incapable of discussing it in any meaningful way.

Was a lot of fun though.

Also why was Batman's face so goofy on so many occasions?

[Kyler Polson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finally getting to know man's land, or should I say to the prequel to No Man's Land. Cataclysm is really cool, but I understand why people say to skip some of the side stories. Doing a completionist reading of this was exhausting after the 20th issue witnessing the earthquake.

There's not exactly as much coherency either between some of the different series. In some issues Gotham is in complete ruin and in others it looks like the buildings are all still standing with some damage to them I do find the idea of these little stories existing Within a destroyed Gotham really cool. for a couple of issues, it felt like Dead Rising with the psychopath which I think would be a really cool concept.

I do genuinely enjoy how absolutely hopeless this series gets. No matter what Bruce does he just continues to lose left and right.

Scratch is such a 90s villian, but no one seeing through him gets exhausting. Nick Scratch is his name for Christ sakes.

Azreal has such a cool character arc that culminates in issue 50.

This makes me want to go back and read Knightfall. Do a complete 90s/post Crisis Bat Family reading.

[Murf Reeves · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been wanting to read the No Man's Land series for many years now and I finally bought all the omnibuses (3 total). The whole story revolves around a massive earthquake that destroys Gotham City. Road to No Man's Land is the actual earthquake event and what happens in the immediate aftermath. How the Batman family handles the quake, first personally and then helping to bring Gotham back. What I really enjoy about this collection is Batman realizes that the earthquake is a different kind of challenge than the villains he fights, because this is nature, and the rules are different in terms of finding a solution. This story arc starts to focus on different people in the Bat world, allies and friends, and how they are handling the situation, physically but also psychologically. These are my favorite type of Batman stories, because it goes into his psyche, which I feel touches on us all in some way, great or small, about how we handle what comes to us in our lives and how we acknowledge, accept and even love our situation.

[Tristan D · Rating 3 out of 5]

5.75/10

I struggled with this one. After reading Nightwing I immediately jumped into this as I was loving those brief No Man’s Land/ Cataclysm tie-ins and wanted to read more of the story.

Sadly I continued to read tie-in after tie-in until the Omni started to get very dull. There’s only so many stories you can tell in this initial setting. There are many great issues and some great storylines but they are separated by all these boring rehashes and padding. I understand this is what an Omni like this is, but I was getting bored constantly.

Not going to jump directly into No Man’s Land Volume 1 just yet.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the first half quite a bit. It's good reading superhero comics again. Fourth World really shut me down.

I am going to read No Man's Land next but this book is continued in No Man's Land Omnibus and I have the trades. Oh jeez! Time to map the issues. What a world.

Really liked the first half. The second is real Nick Scratch heavy and that was less than desirable.

[Bookworm KohnHead · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed all the lead up to Gotham going to complete hell. Enjoyed the Joker and Azrael stories. Enjoyed the stories about Gotham needing Bruce Wayne instead of Batman. Also, Oracle, Nightwing and Robin as well as the Huntress were good. Not a fan of the main Villain but it is what it is. Can’t wait to jump into No Mans land vol 1 Omni.

[Jörg Schumacher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gotham lies in rumble after the events of inferno and aftershock. And the US are not willing to pay for the city of crime and mentally disturbed killers. In this story arc is Bruce Wayne more in the spotlight than his dark alter ego.

[Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

End of the 90s art style, straightforward plot without parallel universe or time travel. Loved it.
All the ties-in make sense and are worth reading, definitely better than all the events of the last few years!
So many stories about trapped survivors to rescue might be a litle repetitive, but they all have their own interesting twist. However the background of destroyed Gotham and its collapsed buildings, the rubble, etc. does get a litle repetitive.
Some stories are pretty sad and dark.
The GCPD had a bigger role at the time / in that story line, they are good characters.

[Joshua Sloan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Event/cross-title books are always a difficult thing to rate due to the massive difference in quality across 1400+ pages. I think Dixon's work was largely solid, and I learned that I'm generally not a fan of Alan Grant.

[TheMadReader · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit slow at certain points and a reflection of other peoples encounters of this record breaking earthquake that hit Gotham. This is definitely the lead up, looking forward to volume one.

[Ungureanu Mihai · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some good short stories here. Really liked the way they handled the whole quake stuff, but some issues had horrible drawings.

[Ferzem Khan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cataclysm: 8/10
Aftershock: 9/10
Road to No Man's Land: 7/10

[Sadiel Giron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Took me a while to finish but I enjoyed a lot stories in this omnibus. There were some stories that fell flat for me so that’s why I gave this one 3 stars. On to No Man’s land Vol 1

[Rashad Bates · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really amazing omnibus!! I’m so glad DC actually made one of my favorite Batman stories and to be honest the best Batman event ever into omnibus format!