This collection examines every aspect of Batman with startling new approaches--detective, crimefighter, avenger, hero, creature of the night, and more. 200 pp. BATMAN BLACK AND WHITE The Title is Simple. The Talent is Spectacular.Winner of the 1997 Will Eisner Comic Industry Award for Best Anthology and Best Short Story ("Heroes" by Archie Goodwin and Gary Gianni), and the winner of the 1998 Harvey Award for Best Graphic Album of Previously Published Work.

    (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.

    In his earliest adventures, Robin learns very quickly that what he thought would be fun is actually a matter of life and death.And in the action-packed origin of the original Batgirl, explore Barbara Gordon's transformation from average citizen into costumed super-heroine.This volume collects BATGIRL: YEAR ONE #1-9 and ROBIN: YEAR ONE #1-4.

    Now OMAC, One Man Army Corps, lives - so that mankind may live. Mild-mannered scientist Buddy Blank has been given superhuman strength and near-invincibility so that he can fight for humanity's survival.

    From the new creative team of writer James Tynion (Batman/TMNT) and artist Eddy Barrows (Martian Manhunter), Detective Comics brings back the characters you know and love and thrusts them into dangerous, new adventures!Collecting: Detective Comics 934-940

    Matt Wagner takes the Dark Knight through his sophomore season in this new trade paperback collecting the 6-issue miniseries!Batman has spent his first year fighting organized crime — but nothing thus far in his early career as the Caped Crusader has prepared him for the new menace facing Gotham: super-powered villains!

    Now, it's up to Batman to stop the Lord of the Undead's assault on his city — but after being bitten by Dracula, Batman himself joins the ranks of the undead. Will Batman be an even greater threat to the citizens of Gotham City than Dracula?TALES OF THE MULTIVERSE is a new series of titles collecting stories of familiar heroes reimagined in startling ways.

    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

    Looking to prove that any man can be pushed past his breaking point and go mad, the Joker attempts to drive Commissioner Gordon insane. After shooting and permanently paralyzing his daughter Barbara (a.k.a. Batgirl), the Joker kidnaps the commissioner and attacks his mind in hopes of breaking the man. But refusing to give up, Gordon maintains his sanity with the help of Batman in an effort to beset the madman.

    Max Lord has taken over Superman's mind and has him in his total thrall. With his peers and loved ones threatened, Superman is helpless. But not Wonder Woman, who must battle past the Man of Steel and decisively end the threat. Her actions, and the repercussions, are explored in this controversial saga that leads into INFINITE CRISIS.Collects: SUPERMAN #218-220; ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #642-643; ACTION COMICS #829; and WONDER WOMAN #219-220.

    But it's not long before these dueling titans meet someone unexpected -- the new Clark Kent! The two arch-enemies must put aside their differences and face the common threat of Doomsday, as Jimmy Olsen and the Planet staff try to uncover the truth: who is the man claiming to be Clark Kent? Writer Dan Jurgens (The Death of Superman) returns to the Man of Steel along with illustrators Tyler Kirkham (Deathstroke) and Patrick Zircher (Green Arrow) for the next great Superman chapter in Superman: Action Comics, Volume 1: Path of Doom!Collecting: Action Comics 957-962

    But it's the most unlikely grouping of heroes you'll ever see! Batman, Blue Beetle, Martian Manhunter, Guy Gardner, Black Canary, Mister Miracle, Dr. Fate, Booster Gold, Doctor Light and the power of Shazam!Can this ragtag group of work as a functioning unit to stop terrorists at the United Nations, a brigade of Rocket Reds, the Royal Flush Gang, the mysterious Gray Man, and other threats- or will they succumb to in-fighting and bad jokes?

    Together with a ragtag team of magic-based heroes they must face down a foe who has sworn to wipe out all magic...the Spectre! Featuring nearly every magical character of the DCU, Day of Vengeance may mark the end of magic as we know it.Collecting: Day of Vengeance 1-6, Action Comics 826, Adventures of Superman 639, Superman 216

    A mysterious new criminal operative called Oracle has declared war on Gotham. Barbara Gordon, a.k.a. Batgirl, and a.k.a. cyber-superhero Oracle in a previous guise, takes exception to someone smearing her legacy.Writing duo and sisters Julie and Shawna Benson, along with breakout artist Claire Roe, reunite the femme fatale crew in Batgirl and the Birds of Prey, Volume 1: Who Is Oracle?!Collecting: Batgirl and the Birds of Prey 1-6, Rebirth

    But what is the secret behind this gift/curse? As Mitch follows clues, he begins to discover how much of a pawn he is in a cosmic game of life and death!Collecting: Resurrection Man 1-7