(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.

    Vaughan Art by Scott McDaniel, Scott Kolins, Rick Burchett, Marcos Martin, Karl Story, Mark Pennington and others Cover by McDaniel & Andy Owens Don't miss this hard-hitting volume from award-winning writer Brian K. Vaughan (EX MACHINA, Y: THE LAST MAN, Lost), collecting BATMAN #588-590, DETECTIVE COMICS #787, WONDER WOMAN #160-161 and BATMAN GOTHAM CITY SECRET FILES #1. In the first of these tales of the DCU, Bruce Wayne adopts the guise of Matches Malone - the seedy identity he uses to infiltrate the Gotham underworld. But when Matches is shot, it's up to Batman to determine what really happened...and how Scarface is involved! Plus, in other stories, Batman takes on the Mad Hatter, and Wonder Woman and Donna Troy square off against Clayface!

    It all begins with a council of the underworld and continues when costumed criminals from Deadshot to Mr. Freeze get involved. Batman is aided by Nightwing, Robin, Catwoman, Batgirl, Tarantula, Orpheus and Onyx, but are even they enough to keep the city from being bathed in blood?Collects:- Batman: The 12 Cent Adventure #1- Detective Comics #797- Legends of the Dark Knight #182- Nightwing #96- Gotham Knights #56- Robin #129- Batgirl #55- Catwoman #34- Batman #631

    With his city under siege, Batman pushes his body to the limit as he takes on The Joker, the Mad Hatter, Poison Ivy, Killer Croc, The Riddler and the Scarecrow. But things get much worse when Bane, the man behind all the madness, confronts an exhausted Batman...

    Reprints/Collects:Batman #433Batman #434Batman #435

    Written by J.M. DeMatteis, Eddie Campell and Daren White. Art by Joe Staton, Bart Sears and Steve Mitchell. Cover by Joe Staton and Steve Mitchell. "Discover whether The Joker would become sane if Batman disappeared in this thriller! After a life-and-death struggle, The Joker seemingly kills Batman. Faced with the loss of his nemesis, the insane Joker can only retreat...into sanity."

    Featuring Batman’s greatest allies and enemies, friends, foes and loved ones, these eight interconnected tales connect Bruce Wayne’s past to Batman’s exciting future! Spotlighting Oracle, Red Robin, Catwoman, Robin, Dick Grayson, Commissioner Gordon, Ra’s al Ghul, the Outsiders, Batgirl and more!Collects the eight one-shot titles BRUCE WAYNE: THE ROAD HOME specials: BATMAN & ROBIN #1, RED ROBIN #1, BATGIRL #1, OUTSIDERS #1, CATWOMAN #1, ORACLE #1, COMMISSIONER GORDON #1 and RA'S AL GHUL #1

    Batman's immortal foe, Ra's Al Ghul, should be dead at last — so how has he returned to haunt The Dark Knight? Find out in this 256-page hardcover volume collecting the intense tale originally presented in BATMAN ANNUAL #26, BATMAN #670-671, ROBIN #168-169, ROBIN ANNUAL #7, NIGHTWING #138-139, and DETECTIVE COMICS #838-839! Ra's al Ghul is back…but what does his return have to do with Batman's teenaged son, Damian — whose mother is Ra's al Ghul's daughter, Talia? It will take the combined skills of Batman, Robin and Nightwing to get to the bottom of these mysteries and stop Ra's al Ghul's insidious plans!

    A mass escape from Arkham Asylum and the emergence of Batman's most threatening for, Bane, sends Gotham City spinning into chaos and takes Batman to the limits of human endurance. Graphic novel format.THE BAT IS BROKEN.BANE HAS WON.But for forces of justice will not go quietly into the night. Instead, a successor to the mantle of the Bat must be chosen to carry on Bruce Wayne's war against crime. Who will be the new Dark Knight? Can he succeed where his predecessor failed? Or will Bane's campaign of terror continue unabated, laying waste to Gotham City?The second volume of the epic Knightfall story, this edition contains Batman #498-500, Detective Comics #664-666, Showcase '93 #7-8 and Batman: Shadow of the Bat #16-18.

    Overcrowded, overbuilt, and overshadowed by a continuous air of menace, this gothic nightmare is a breeding ground for the depraved, the indifferent, and the criminally insane. It's also the object of one man's obsession. Witness to the brutal murder of his parents, Bruce Wayne has dedicated his life to protecting this city, taking a form to inspire hope in the innocent...and fear in the guilty. He is the masked vigilante known as the Batman. Now the battlefield has changed. Leveled by a massive earthquake that left thousands dead and millions more wounded, Gotham City has been transformed into a lawless wilderness � a No Man's Land � where the survivors are turning against one another, and where the city's protectors are torn by a crisis that may consume them all.Collects:- Batman #571-572- Batman: Chronicles #18- Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #125- Batman: Shadow of the Bat #92-93- Detective Comics #736, 738-739

    But when his enemies gain powers and abilities far beyond their normal capacities, the Caped Crusader's crusade may finally be at an end!Collecting: Batman: The Dark Knight 1-9

    Volume 2 is collecting Batman #613 - #619.

    Cloud, who attempts to teach Bruce about trust. Meanwhile Batman has taken on a mysterious new partner in his fight against crime in Gotham City, but will his attempt at trusting someone cause him to be rewarded...or punished?Collects BATMAN: THE WIDENING GYRE #1-6.

    The Batman, a forgotten icon from the past, is wanted for the murder. Amid the chaos Gotham City Police Detective Gordon, grandson of the former commissioner, discovers that the man they are chasing shouldn't exist at all.

    When a gang war breaks out and new villains arise, it's up to the Dark Knight, Batgirl, and more to turn the tides as best as they can—but will the GCPD be a help or a hinderance? Plus, a fan-favorite character makes her long-awaited DC Comics—The New 52 debut.Collects: Batman: Eternal 1-21.