During the Post-crisis era, the end of the 1990s was full of disasters for Batman and Gotham City. We got Batman Knightfall (full reading order here), then Batman: Contagion, and its follow-up Batman: Legacy. After that, there was the Batman: Cataclysm crossover event that lead right to Batman No Man’s Land. The title alone is full of promises.
If you are unfamiliar with the story, here is the official synopsis: After suffering a cataclysmic earthquake, the U.S. government has deemed Gotham City uninhabitable and ordered all citizens to leave. It is now months later and those who have refused to vacate “No Man’s Land” live amidst a citywide turf war in which the strongest prey on the weak. Batman and his allies including the enigmatic new Batgirl, Nightwing, Oracle, and Robin must fight to save Gotham during its darkest hour and return Justice to the destroyed city.
Note: Cassandra Cain was introduced during this event. She became the official Batgirl after that. For more about her, go to Cassandra Cain Reading Order.
What to read before Batman No Man’s Land?
As I wrote at the beginning of this article, there was one disaster after the other—the one you need to read before Batman No Man’s Land is Batman: Cataclysm. You can find it in a dedicated TPB. But reading Cataclysm is not imperative (even if it’s recommended), most of the stories leading to (and explaining) the event are collected in what DC Comics called Batman: Road to No Man’s Land, as you’ll see below in the full reading order.
Batman No Man’s Land Reading Order
Batman No Man’s Land Reading Order: Collected Editions
The TPB Editions (2011 reprint)
- Batman: Road to No Man’s Land Vol. 1
Collects Detective Comics #722, #724-726, Batman #555-559, Batman: Shadow Of The Bat #75-79, The Batman Chronicles #14. - Batman: Road to No Man’s Land Vol. 2
Collects Detective Comics #727-729, Batman #560-562, Batman: Shadow Of The Bat #80-82, The Batman Chronicles #15, Azrael #47-50, Batman: No Man’s Land Secret Files And Origins #1. - Batman: No Man’s Land Vol. 1
Collects Batman: No Man’s Land #1, Batman: Shadow Of The Bat #83-86, Batman #563-566, Detective Comics #730-733, Azrael: Agent Of The Bat #51-55, Batman: Legends Of The Dark Knight #117-118, Batman Chronicles #16. - Batman: No Man’s Land Vol. 2
Collects Batman: Legends Of The Dark Knight #119-121, Batman: Shadow Of The Bat #87 And 88, Batman #567 And 568, Detective Comics #734 And 735, Young Justice In No Man’s Land #1, Robin #67, Azrael: Agent Of The Bat #56, Batman Chronicles #17, Nightwing #35-37, Catwoman #72-74. - Batman: No Man’s Land Vol. 3
Collects Batman #569-71, Detective Comics #736-738, Azrael: Agent Of The Bat #58, Batman: Legends Of The Dark Knight #122-124, Batman: Shadow Of The Bat #90-92, Robin #68-72, Batman: No Man’s Land Secret Files #1. - Batman: No Man’s Land Vol. 4
Collects Batman Chronicles #18, Batman #572-574, Detective Comics #739-741, Batman: Legends Of The Dark Knight #125-126, Robin #73, Batman: Shadow Of The Bat #93-94, Azrael: Agent Of The Bat #59-61, Catwoman #75-77, Nightwing #38-39, Batman: No Man’s Land #0.
The Omnibus Edition
- Batman: Road to No Man’s Land Omnibus
Collects Azrael: Agent of the Bat #40, Azrael: Agent of the Bat #47-50, Batman #554-562, Batman: Shadow of the Bat #73-82, Detective Comics #719-722, Detective Comics #724-729, Catwoman #56-57, Robin #52-54, The Batman Chronicles #12, The Batman Chronicles #14-15, Nightwing #19-20, Batman: Arkham Asylum – Tales of Madness #1, Batman: Blackgate – Isle of Men #1, Batman: Huntress/Spoiler – Blunt Trauma #1 - Batman: No Man’s Land Omnibus Vol. 1
Collects Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #116-121, Azrael: Agent of the Bat #51-57, Batman #563-568, Batman: Shadow of the Bat #83-88, Detective Comics #730-735, Catwoman #72-74, Robin #67, The Batman Chronicles #16-17, Nightwing #35-37, Batman: No Man’s Land (Collector’s) #1, Batman: No Man’s Land Gallery #1, and Young Justice In No Man’s Land #1. - Batman: No Man’s Land Omnibus Vol. 2 NEW
Collects Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #122-126; Azrael: Agent of the Bat #58-61; Batman #569-574; Batman: Shadow of the Bat#89-94; Detective Comics #736-741; Catwoman #75-77; Robin #68-73; The Batman Chronicles #18; Nightwing #38-39; Batman No Man’s Land #0; and Batman: No Man’s Land Secret Files #1.
Batman No Man’s Land Reading Order: Issue by Issue
The Road to No Man’s Land (aka Cataclysm)
- Detective Comics #719
- Batman: Shadow of the Bat #73
- Nightwing #19
- Azrael: Agent of the Bat #40
- Detective Comics #720
- Catwoman #56
- Batman: Arkham Asylum – Tales of Madness #1
- Batman: Blackgate – Isle of Men #1
- Batman: Shadow of the Bat #74
- Nightwing #20
- Batman #554
- Batman: Huntress/Spoiler – Blunt Trauma #1
- Detective Comics #721
- Robin #53
- Catwoman #57
- Batman: Shadow of the Bat #75
- Batman #555-556
- Batman: Shadow of the Bat #76
- Detective Comics #722
- Robin #54
- Batman: Shadow of the Bat #77
- Batman Chronicles #14
- Detective Comics #724
- Batman #557
- Batman: Shadow of the Bat #78-79
- Batman #558-559
- Detective Comics #725
- Batman Chronicles #15
- Azrael: Agent of the Bat #47-48
- Batman: Shadow of the Bat #80
- Batman #560
- Detective Comics #727
- Batman #561
- Detective Comics #728
- Batman: Shadow of the Bat #81-82
- Azrael: Agent of the Bat #49
- Batman #562
- Detective Comics #729
No Man’s Land
- Batman: No Man’s Land #1 (1999)
- Shadow of the Bat #83
- Batman #563
- Detective Comics #730
- Azrael: Agent of the Bat #50-51
- Legends of the Dark Knight #116
- Shadow of the Bat #84
- Batman #564
- Detective Comics #731
- Legends of the Dark Knight #117
- Shadow of the Bat #85
- Batman #565
- Detective Comics #732
- Legends of the Dark Knight #118
- Shadow of the Bat #86
- Detective Comics #733
- Azrael: Agent of the Bat #52-53
- Batman Chronicles #16
- Legends of the Dark Knight #119
- Shadow of the Bat #87
- Batman #566
- Azrael: Agent of the Bat #54-55
- Young Justice Special #1 (1999)
- Batman Chronicles #17
- Batman #567 – First appearance of Cassandra Cain
- Detective Comics #734
- Robin Vol. 4 #67
- Legends of the Dark Knight #120
- Azrael: Agent of the Bat #56-57
- Shadow of the Bat #88
- Batman #568
- Detective Comics #735
- JLA #32
- Legends of the Dark Knight #121
- Batman: Harley Quinn #1 (1999)
- Nightwing Vol. 2 #35
- Nightwing: Secret Files and Origins #1 (1999)
- Nightwing Vol. 2 #36-37
- Batman Chronicles #18
- Catwoman Vol. 2 #72-74
- Robin Vol. 4 #68-70
- Shadow of the Bat #89
- Batman #569
- Detective Comics #736
- Legends of the Dark Knight #122
- Shadow of the Bat #90
- Batman #570
- Detective Comics #737
- Azrael: Agent of the Bat #58
- Batman #571
- Detective Comics #738
- Legends of the Dark Knight #123
- Shadow of the Bat #91
- Nightwing Vol. 2 #38-39
- Legends of the Dark Knight #124
- Shadow of the Bat #92
- Batman #572
- Detective Comics #739
- Legends of the Dark Knight #125
- Robin Vol. 4 #71-72
- Batman: Day of Judgment #1 (1999)
- Robin Vol. 4 #73
- Batman: No Man’s Land Secret Files & Origins #1 (1999)
- Catwoman Vol. 2 #75
- Azrael: Agent of the Bat #59
- Shadow of the Bat #93
- Azrael: Agent of the Bat #60
- Batman: No Man’s Land #0
- Batman #573
- Detective Comics #740
- Catwoman Vol. 2 #76-77
- Legends of the Dark Knight #126
- Batman #574
- Detective Comics #741
- Azrael: Agent of the Bat #61
- Shadow of the Bat #94
After Batman No Man’s Land
Once Batman No Man’s land ended, it was time for a “New Gotham“: After spending a year cut off from the rest of the nation as the lawless “No Man’s Land,” Gotham is rebuilding. The people have returned and the law has been restored—as much as it ever can be in Gotham. Crime and gang activity are still rampant, and tensions are growing between factions of Gothamites who remained in the city throughout the military cordon and those who evacuated but are now returning to their homes.
- Batman: New Gotham Vol. 1
Collects Detective Comics #742-753
For a more detailed guide to this era, take a look at our Batman: The Modern Age Reading Order which covers all of Batman’s adventures during the Post-Crisis era.
