History ComicBook / BatmanNoMansLand

A BatFamilyCrossover that ran through the main ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'' titles in 1999. After [[TraumaCongaLine a rash of bad luck]]--superflu/ebola outbreak, another outbreak, and a 7.6 earthquake, two of which were courtesy of ComicBook/RasAlGhul--the US Government decides Gotham City is too costly to save and instead blows the bridges, effectively cutting the city off from the rest of the world for a year. The inmates of Arkham Asylum are loose, no one's coming to help, there are about a dozen honest cops willing to save the city, and Batman is missing. Worried yet?

A BatFamilyCrossover that ran through the main ''{{Franchise/Batman}}'' titles in 1999. After [[TraumaCongaLine a rash of bad luck]]--superflu/ebola outbreak, another outbreak, and a 7.6 earthquake, two of which were courtesy of ComicBook/RasAlGhul--the US Government decides Gotham City is too costly to save and instead blows the bridges, effectively cutting the city off from the rest of the world for a year. The inmates of Arkham Asylum are loose, no one's coming to help, there are about a dozen honest cops willing to save the city, and Batman is missing. Worried yet?

The story also brought to an end the majority of Batman stories throughout TheNineties--notably, the aforementioned ''ComicBook/BatmanContagion'', ''ComicBook/BatmanLegacy'' and ''ComicBook/BatmanCataclysm'' stories, as well as ''ComicBook/{{Knightfall}}'' and even ''ComicBook/BatmanYearOne''. Somewhat surprisingly, the political angle of the story averted any particular anvils being dropped, except when talking about unconstitutionalism (and even then, the characters {{lampshade|Hanging}}d away any possible accusations of silliness). Elsewhere, ''NML'' also gave the comics new characters like [[Comicbook/{{Batgirl}} Cassandra Cain]] and her father, [[PsychoForHire David]], introduced Franchise/DCAnimatedUniverse characters Comicbook/HarleyQuinn and [[WesternAnimation/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries Mercy Graves]] into the DCU, and set up plot points that later books like ''ComicBook/GothamCentral'' and even ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'' would deal with (namely ComicBook/LexLuthor becoming [[PresidentEvil President of these United States]]).

** Freeze also has a fight with Batman in which the latter makes some rather out of character puns ("What are you saying Freeze, that you're a big ''drip''?"). Either Batman was channeling Franchise/SpiderMan, or the writers were paying homage to ''Film/BatmanAndRobin.''

** Before NML had started, Batman even told the freaking Franchise/{{Justice League|of America}} to back off, saying that Gotham should pull itself out of its own rubble. Look what happened there...

** Jim Gordon's WhatTheHellHero speech to Batman reveals another wrinkle: no other police force wants him in their city, not even the ones that have other superheroes, because they don't want someone who needs an [[Franchise/{{Batman}} urban legend]] to do their policework for them.

** The aftermath of ComicBook/{{Robin|1993}}'s battle with Mr. Freeze in the sewers lends itself to a particularly groan-worthy (but fun]]) one that would make [[Film/BatmanAndRobin Ahnold]] wince.

[[caption-width-right:300:[[{{Tagline}} His city is dead. His quest for Justice is over. Now the quest for survival begins.]]]]

* CriticalStaffingShortage: In ''Road to No Man’s Land'', many Arkham Asylym employees stop showing up for work in the weeks after the earthquake as the local infrastructure and living conditons are ravaged, the only politician who wants to finance rebuilding the city is dead, the [=GCPD=] can't spare officers to quell riots, and no one is being paid anymore. Eventually, no one is left besides Dr. Arkham, another doctor named David Thurman, and eight guards. The guards have to double as pill dispensers despite their lack of training and are tricked into giving Killer Croc stimulants that spark off a destructive riot that the remaining guards and doctors barely survive. The guards accept that things are lost and apologetically quit immediately afterward, leaving the two doctors to carry on alone. Dr. Thurman is mortally wounded after dressing up as Batman in a failed attempt to intimidate the inmates and Arkham has to release the prisoners soon afterward.

The story also brought to an end the majority of Batman stories throughout TheNineties--notably, the aforementioned ''ComicBook/BatmanContagion'', ''ComicBook/BatmanLegacy'' and ''ComicBook/BatmanCataclysm'' stories, as well as ''ComicBook/{{Knightfall}}'' and even ''ComicBook/BatmanYearOne''. Somewhat surprisingly, the political angle of the story averted any particular anvils being dropped, except when talking about unconstitutionalism (and even then, the characters {{lampshade|Hanging}}d away any possible accusations of silliness). Elsewhere, ''NML'' also gave the comics new characters like [[Comicbook/{{Batgirl}} Cassandra Cain]] and her father, [[PsychoForHire David]], introduced Franchise/{{DCAU}} characters Comicbook/HarleyQuinn and [[WesternAnimation/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries Mercy Graves]] into the DCU, and set up plot points that later books like ''ComicBook/GothamCentral'' and even ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'' would deal with (namely ComicBook/LexLuthor becoming [[PresidentEvil President of these United States]]).

* RichIdiotWithNoDayJob: Bruce Wayne tries unsuccessfully to play against this image, as he lobbies in Congress for Gotham's reinstatement. It eventually takes Luthor landing his helicopter right in the middle of the NML and [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney throwing money]] at the problem to change it. For the next three years, Luthor doesn't let Bruce forget it.

* GeographicFlexibility: Averted. ''No Man's Land'' provided a map of Gotham City, which showed it to be built on a group of islands in a cove, and Wayne Manor is located on the mainland. This has crucial plot importance, as quarantining the whole city would be much more difficult to maintain without the natural barriers provided by water. This layout of the city has stuck since, and has been followed by for example the [[Franchise/BatmanArkhamSeries ''Arkham'' series of video games]].

The comic inspired not one but two superhero sandbox video games; ''VideoGame/InFamous'' and ''VideoGame/{{Prototype}}''. Batman's own sandbox game, ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamCity'', is also very thematically similar, as is ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamKnight''. ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'' incorporates a version of this story-line, as does ''Series/{{Gotham}}'' for its fifth and final season, with the events leading up to the No Man's Land scenario happening the fourth season finale.

* BaitAndSwitch: The first issue has a scene where some thugs are extorting a family as a shadow figure spies on them from the roof. He swings down on a roof to overpower the thugs, with a fluttering cape. Only it turns out that fluttering cape is a trench coat, and the rescuer isn't Batman, but [=GCPD=] cop Bock.

** After Robin sneaked back into Gotham, Mr. Drake raised an enormous ruckus and paid to have the militia airlift Tim out of NML in ''ComicBook/{{Robin|Series}}'' #73 - an incredibly publicized event that helped create the PR to end it. Afterward, however, Robin suddenly pops up again when the Joker finally makes his move on Christmas Eve, with nary a comment as to his presence.

** The aftermath of ComicBook/{{Robin|Series}}'s battle with Mr. Freeze in the sewers lends itself to a particularly groan-worthy (but fun]]) one that would make [[Film/BatmanAndRobin Ahnold]] wince.

* ClosedCircle: Gotham's shut off from the world for a year. There are National Guard outposts stationed outside the city with kill orders for anyone trying to get in. Or out. This also means anyone in town after the bridges are blown ''stays'' there. [[PlayingWithATrope Played with]], though, when ComicBook/{{Nightwing}}, ComicBook/{{Robin|Series}}, Bane, Luthor and David Cain make their way ''into'' the No Man's Land--all under different circumstances and for different reasons.

Implicitly, the idea was to drag the Gotham of TheEighties and the [[http://lifewithoutbuildings.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/gotham-1.jpg Burton films]] into the 21st century by literally demolishing it. Thematically, the story is something like ''Film/MadMax'', ''Film/EscapeFromNewYork'', and ''Film/TheWarriors'' all rolled into the DC Universe, and turns the dial UpToEleven on Gotham's [[WretchedHive usual portrayal]].