Hi, everyone.
The first (and last) time I read No Man's Land was when a student lent me the set of five trade paperbacks that DC first released more than a decade ago. I remember liking it a great deal, and with the new four-volume edition recently out, I'm thinking of rereading it.
I checked Wikipedia and it said that Cataclysm leads to NML, which is understandable because the quake takes place in the former. I've never read it though, so one of my questions is, how necessary is it really for NML? Is it good enough for me to read as a prelude to NML that enhances my reading?
Even more confusing is how Wikipedia also states that Contagion and Legacy also flow into Cataclysm. I've never read those either, so I'd like to know how necessary they are as well for reading NML.
To be honest, I'm okay with just re-reading the four new NML trades, but if I'm selling myself short by not reading the three other crossovers that came prior to it, I'd like to know.
Thanks!
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Thread: Before No Man's Land
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03-23-2015, 12:21 PM #1Amazing Member
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Before No Man's Land
Last edited by EnterDuration; 03-23-2015 at 12:24 PM.
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03-23-2015, 12:34 PM #2Not a Newbie Member
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You're forgetting Road to No Man's Land...which is not at all collected (as far I recall).
http://www.comicvine.com/road-to-no-...nd/4045-55953/
It's ok, sort of important (some great Bruce scenes before Congress), sort of not.Last edited by JBatmanFan05; 03-23-2015 at 12:50 PM.
Things I love: Batman, Superman, AEW, old films, Lovecraft
Grant Morrison: “Adults...struggle desperately with fiction, demanding constantly that it conform to the rules of everyday life. Adults foolishly demand to know how Superman can possibly fly, or how Batman can possibly run a multibillion-dollar business empire during the day and fight crime at night, when the answer is obvious even to the smallest child: because it's not real.”
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03-23-2015, 12:39 PM #3BANNED
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If you really want to start from the beginning start from Knightfall. It's a whole saga and every story flows into the other and they're all connected. Knightfall, Knightquest, Knightsend, Prodigal, Troika, Azrael, Contagion, Legacy (this book is rare but absolutely necessary if you've read Contagion and are preparing to read Cataclysm, it also features the most legendary battles between Batman & Bane and Batman & Ra's) , Cataclysm, Aftershock, Road to No Man's Land, then finally No Man's Land.
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03-23-2015, 12:43 PM #4BANNED
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Cataclysm is not required for No Man's Land.
Road to NML...not really. JBF05 is correct in that the story has not been collected anywhere. You can find the issues easily enough on Comixology.
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03-23-2015, 12:52 PM #5Not a Newbie Member
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NML's wikipedia page is pretty poor. Knightfall's page addresses all the prelude and tie-ins, and the NML's page doesn't even seem to address Road to No Man's Land.
Things I love: Batman, Superman, AEW, old films, Lovecraft
Grant Morrison: “Adults...struggle desperately with fiction, demanding constantly that it conform to the rules of everyday life. Adults foolishly demand to know how Superman can possibly fly, or how Batman can possibly run a multibillion-dollar business empire during the day and fight crime at night, when the answer is obvious even to the smallest child: because it's not real.”
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03-23-2015, 04:07 PM #6Incredible Member
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I read No Man's Land on those four big new trades as my first exposure. I found it frustrating and lacking in context.
About a year later I caved on my "no digital" policy and got Road To No Man's Land all on comixology. Frankly, I'm baffaled that its not collected or that anyone put out any version of No Man's Land without it. For me, it is so essential and adds so much context that it vastly improves the entire No Man's Land experience. I'll never read NML again without Road To' first.
As for Catacylsm, Legacy and Contagion.... I want them all as physical books and I've not won them on eBay yet so can't comment. Purely speculation here, but I expect similar revelations following Catacylsm but that Legacy and Contagion will provide context for only a few conversations and one-off sentences.
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03-23-2015, 07:40 PM #7Mind Controller
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damn!
Originally Posted by GrandKaiser
Batman just ruled so hard on the 90s
I think Contagion and Legacy are the only arcs I havent read yet off that period
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03-23-2015, 07:59 PM #8Astonishing Member
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new edition of CAtaclysm is coming out in June
Written by legendary Bat-scribe Chuck Dixon, this classic BATMAN: CATACLYSM epic is now recollected in its entirety for the first time ever and leads directly into BATMAN: NO MAN'S LAND. Collects BATMAN #553-554, DETECTIVE COMICS #719-721, BATMAN: SHADOW OF THE BAT #73-74, NIGHTWING #19-20, AZRAEL #40, CATWOMAN #56-57, ROBIN #52-53, BATMAN CHRONICLES #12, BLACKGATE: ISLE OF MEN #1, HUNTRESS/SPOILER: BLUNT TRAUMA #1, BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM: TALES OF MADNESS #1
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03-24-2015, 03:12 AM #9Incredible Member
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Right, that gives me something new to collect. I only have Knightfall (first volume) and the four No Man's Land trades. Originally Posted by GrandKaiser
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03-24-2015, 12:57 PM #10Astonishing Member
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Still no 'Road To'...fail. Originally Posted by Nick Miller
Last edited by Clark_Kent; 03-24-2015 at 01:09 PM.
"Darkseid...always hated music..."
Every post I make, it should be assumed by the reader that the following statement is attached: "It's all subjective. What works for me doesn't necessarily work for you, and vice versa, and that's ok. You may have a different opinion on it, but this is mine. That's the wonderful thing about being a comics fan, it's all subjective."
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03-24-2015, 12:58 PM #11Not a Newbie Member
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Not only that, there's this fantastic Azrael vs Bane story "Angel and the Bane" by O'Neil leading straight into Azrael #40....included?....Nope. (never collected in fact) Originally Posted by Clark_Kent
I woulda bought Cataclysm alone for that Bane story. One of my favorite Bane stories.
This new printing is all sorts of fail, which is odd considering they seem interested in comprehensively collecting NML.Last edited by JBatmanFan05; 03-24-2015 at 01:02 PM.
Things I love: Batman, Superman, AEW, old films, Lovecraft
Grant Morrison: “Adults...struggle desperately with fiction, demanding constantly that it conform to the rules of everyday life. Adults foolishly demand to know how Superman can possibly fly, or how Batman can possibly run a multibillion-dollar business empire during the day and fight crime at night, when the answer is obvious even to the smallest child: because it's not real.”
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03-24-2015, 01:07 PM #12Astonishing Member
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I'm going to have to track that down, it sounds really interesting. I'm a sucker for 90's era Bane. Originally Posted by JBatmanFan05
"Darkseid...always hated music..."
Every post I make, it should be assumed by the reader that the following statement is attached: "It's all subjective. What works for me doesn't necessarily work for you, and vice versa, and that's ok. You may have a different opinion on it, but this is mine. That's the wonderful thing about being a comics fan, it's all subjective."
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03-24-2015, 01:10 PM #13Astonishing Member
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I appreciate DC reprinting some of these things, and often with more material (Knightfall, NML), but I wish they would collect the complete story. Road to No Mans Land remains uncollected, as well as Knightquest: The Search. Regardless of one's opinion on the quality of story, these things should be there to fill in the gaps. 'Road To...' Explains Batman's absence from Gotham in the beginning of NML, 'The Search' explains his healed back...just seems strange to me to not include it for potential new readers of the story.
Side note: I'm still hoping for a reprint of Legacy...I have Contagion, but it would even be cool to see an Omnibus of the two stories."Darkseid...always hated music..."
Every post I make, it should be assumed by the reader that the following statement is attached: "It's all subjective. What works for me doesn't necessarily work for you, and vice versa, and that's ok. You may have a different opinion on it, but this is mine. That's the wonderful thing about being a comics fan, it's all subjective."
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03-24-2015, 03:23 PM #14Incredible Member
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Maybe if Catacylsm sells well, they'll stick Aftershock and Road To NML in a new collection, so they've printed the whole story from Catacyslm to NML's end, but just released them in order of popularity, testing the waters before committing the cash.
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03-24-2015, 05:50 PM #15Relaunched, not rebooted!
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"Contagion" remains one of my favorite Batman stories ever, even if you skip on the other stuff, read it. It's awesome.
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