(And fans of Rucka--assuming they get around to reading this at all--will still likely hold the opinion that Atticus Kodiak could take Batman in a standup fight any day.) DC shook up Gotham--literally--in its 1999 Batman plot arc: a 7.6 earthquake rocked Gotham City, wreaking enough destruction to bring the broken, crime-ridden, runt kid-brother of Metropolis and New York to its knees. In the story line's most indulgent liberty, those fat cats in Washington decide to write off Gotham, à la Escape from New York, blowing up the connecting bridges, mining the surrounding waterways, and signing into law the Federal Declaration of No Man's Land, which makes it a crime to even set foot in the city. The usual suspects from Arkham Asylum, Two-Face and the Penguin, the Riddler and Dr. Freeze, Poison Ivy and Mr. Zsasz, file out to begin running the show, strong-arming and manipulating the block-by-block turf battles that envelop the now-ultraviolent city. A conflicted Batman shows up fashionably late, only to find that these lunatics are the least of his worries: Lex Luthor, Superman's archfoe, has nefarious designs on Gotham too. Could this possibly get any better? Sure, No Man's Land is derivative fiction, but the appeal of Rucka--and, of course, Batman--can make this one worth the read. --Paul HughesCollecting BATMAN: NO MAN'S LAND #1, BATMAN #563-564, BATMAN: SHADOW OF THE BAT #83-84, DETECTIVE COMICS #730-731 and BATMAN: LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT #116.

    Selina, it seems, has been privy to dangerous secrets, and her death results in a whirlwind of furious activity from the underworld denizens. Now, Batman must chase down treacherous clues and doggedly track down the killer. But even for the Caped Crusader, it won't be easy

    Mxyzptlk and the Bat-Mite - have a little tactless fun with their buddies Batman and Superman.

    Retold and redefined in this volume is the origin of the Spectre, the most powerful being in the universe. As the Wrath of God bonded on a human soul, the Spectre roams the Earth in order to confront evil and avenge the unavenged dead as a form of penance. Paying for his earthly sins, the Spectre must not only oppose evil but also understand why men commit it. Once this metaphysical journey is completed, his mortal soul will be freed and another will be called upon on this holy mission of redemption.

    Life was good. Until the Joker came along.A tale from Batgirl's early days as Gotham City's third major hero! From the beginning Batgirl's crimefighting career seemed almost charmed.One of four prestige format one-off comics published in 1997 featuring the characters of the movie Batman and Robin.

    The second volume of Darwyn Cooke's Eisner Award-winning new SPIRIT tales collects issues #7-13 of the ongoing series, and includes short stories by some of comics' biggest names!

    But the sudden lack of sunlight is driving her mad, since she can no longer grow the plants that are an important part of her therapy. And when a series of attempted murders of the building's developers and financial elite takes place, Batman immediately thinks Ivy is involved. But he's running out of time and he's been infected with the same toxin as the developers! Is Ivy to blame and will she help him?

    As the mystic Highwayman comes to St. Roch, seeking to claim Hawkmans tortured soul, its a deadly battle for survival. But first, the Winged Wonders must survive a revenge-seeking Thanagarian Hawkwoman and then a confrontation with the powerful Black Adam.Collecting: Hawkman 15-22

    But the Red Hood’s violent ways pit him against the Dark Knight in his hunt for the very person responsible for his death: The Joker.This volume collects Batman #635-641, #645-50 and Batman Annual #25.

    But the Red Hood’s violent ways pit him against the Dark Knight in his hunt for the very person responsible for his death: The Joker.

    Hugo Strange has gained control of Arkham Asylum and is determined to keep the city's criminal element behind bars. But with Catwoman and Two-Face still on the loose, Strange will go to any lengths to capture them - even if it means battling Batman along the way.Collecting BATMAN: ARKHAM UNHINGED Chapters #1-13 and BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY DIGITAL CHAPTERS #6-7.

    In this hard-hitting, value-packed volume, witness Batman's formation of the original Outsiders! Metamorpho, Black Lightning, Katana, Halo and Geo-Force star in these stories from BATMAN and THE OUTSIDERS #1-19, BRAVE and BOLD #200 and NEW TEEN TITANS #16!

    Written by Ed Brubaker Art by Doug Mahnke, Patrick Zircher, Aaron Sowd and Steve Bird Cover by Mahnke Witness Batman's first encounter with The Joker in this hardcover volume collecting the graphic novel BATMAN: THE MAN WHO LAUGHS, by Ed Brubaker and Doug Mahnke! This collection also includes DETECTIVE COMICS #784-786, a murder-mystery tale guest-starring Green Lantern Alan Scott!

    But his game of hide-and-seek becomes deadly when Robin stops what appears to be a simple mugging and inadvertently intercepts key information. Now he's the target of a ruthless mob boss, his deadly gang of thugs, the GCPD and, of course, Batman himself, who races to find his young ward before it's too late.

    It's all-out action as these two super-powered soldiers go toe to toe! Then, someone is knocking off the crime bosses of Gotham City. It's up to Deathstroke to eliminate the competition - but Batman doesn't take kindly to him on his turf. And things get even crazier when the masked killer known as the Vigilante enters the fray. Collects DEATHSTROKE THE TERMINATOR #1-9 and THE NEW TITANS #70.