If you read the last post, you know what’s going on. Here is my suggested reading order for the 1999 crossover No Man’s Land:
Winter
No Man’s Land #1: ‘No Law and a New Order’ [This issue kicks things off in day 93 of NML, presumably set around February 1999.]
Shadow of the Bat #83: ‘Strategy’
Batman #563: ‘Tactics’
Detective Comics #730: ‘Language’
Legends of the Dark Knight #116: ‘Fanning the Flames’
Shadow of the Bat #84: ‘To Serve and Protect’
Batman #564: ‘Life in Hell’
Detective Comics #731: ‘Be Not Afraid’
Batman Chronicles #16: ‘Two Down,’ ‘The Comforts of Home,’ ‘Harold’ [Two of these stories are set shortly after the earthquake (i.e. before No Man’s Land), but the middle one (a gag-filled tale about a couple who innocently ventures into the Joker’s den) has a cameo by the new Batgirl, so instead of breaking down the issue I’m placing it here. The first and last stories can be read as flashbacks.]
Azrael, Agent of the Bat #50: ‘Resurrection’ [This one opens slightly before No Man’s Land, but it flows into the next issues, which end up around here.]
Azrael, Agent of the Bat #51: ‘Miracle Run’
Azrael, Agent of the Bat #52: ‘Devil Down Below’
Azrael, Agent of the Bat #53: ‘Jellybean Deathtrap’
JLA #32: ‘Inside Job’
Legends of the Dark Knight #117: ‘Bread and Circuses – part 1’
Shadow of the Bat #85: ‘Bread and Circuses – part 2’
Legends of the Dark Knight #118: ‘Balance’
Batman #656: ‘Mosaic – part 1’
Detective Comics #732: ‘Mosaic – part 2’
Shadow of the Bat #86: ‘Home Sweet Home’
Detective Comics #733: ‘Shades of Grey’
Hitman #37: ‘Dead Man’s Land – part 1’
Hitman #38: ‘Dead Man’s Land – part 2’
Batman #657: ‘The Visitor’
Azrael, Agent of the Bat #54: ‘Step into the Light’
Azrael, Agent of the Bat #55: ‘Misery Dance’
Hitman #39: ‘For Tomorrow – part 1’
Hitman #40: ‘For Tomorrow – part 2’
Hitman #41: ‘For Tomorrow – part 3’
Hitman #42: ‘For Tomorrow – Conclusion’
Batman Chronicles #17: ‘Little Boy Lost,’ ‘Turn On, Tune In, Freak Out,’ ‘Identity Crisis’
Hitman #43: ‘The Morning After the Night Before’
JLA #33: ‘Altered Egos’
Young Justice – No Man’s Land: ‘Road Trip’
Catwoman #66: ‘I’ll Take Manhattan: The Brooklyn Bridge’
Catwoman #67: ‘I’ll Take Manhattan: Bulls and Bears Beware’
Catwoman #68: ‘I’ll Take Manhattan: Hot in the City’
Catwoman #69: ‘I’ll Take Manhattan: To Catch a Thief’
Catwoman #70: ‘I’ll Take Manhattan: Double or Nothing’
Catwoman #71: ‘I’ll Take Manhattan: Requiem fir Selina Kyle’
Legends of the Dark Knight #119: ‘Claim Jumping – part 1’ [According to the narration, it’s day 127 of NML (only a month has passed since we joined the story), at the tail end of ‘the worst winter ANYONE can remember…’]
Shadow of the Bat #87: ‘Claim Jumping – part 2’
Batman #587: ‘Mark of Cain – part 1’
Detective Comics #734: ‘Mark of Cain – part 2’
Nightwing #32: ‘Double Dare’
Nightwing #33: ‘Acts of Violence’
Nightwing #34: ‘Sister Act’
Spring
Robin #67: ‘Way Dark’
Legends of the Dark Knight #120: ‘Assembly’
No Man’s Land #0: ‘Ground Zero’ [This flashback makes sense here, to prevent a major spoiler.]
Azrael, Agent of the Bat #56: ‘The Night Foretold’
Azrael, Agent of the Bat #57: ‘Scratched Out’
Shadow of the Bat #88: ‘Fruit of the Earth – part 1’ [After a brief flashback, the main story kicks off in day 189 of NML.]
Batman #568: ‘Fruit of the Earth – part 2’
Detective Comics #735: ‘Fruit of the Earth – part 3’
Legends of the Dark Knight #121: ‘Power Play’
Shadow of the Bat #89: ‘The King’
Batman #569: ‘I Cover the Waterfront’
Detective Comics #736: ‘Homecoming’
Batman: Harley Quinn
Legends of the Dark Knight #122: ‘…Where the Lights are Burning Low’
Shadow of the Bat #90: ‘Positive Role Model’
Batman #570: ‘The Code – part 1’
Detective Comics #737: ‘The Code – part 2’
Legends of the Dark Knight #123: ‘Underground Railroad – part 1’
Shadow of the Bat #91: ‘Underground Railroad – part 2’
Batman #571: ‘Goin’ Downtown – part 1’
Detective Comics #738: ‘Goin’ Downtown – part 2’
Legends of the Dark Knight #124: ‘Captain of Industry’
Shadow of the Bat #92: ‘Stormy Weather’
Summer
Day of Judgment #1: ‘The Summoning’
Batman – Day of Judgment: ‘Original Gangsters’
Day of Judgment #2: ‘Lost Souls’
Azrael, Agent of the Bat #58: ‘Ghosts’
Day of Judgment #3: ‘Choosing Sides’
Day of Judgment #4: ‘The End of the World As We Know It’
Day of Judgment #5: ‘Soul Search’
JLA #35: ‘The Guilty’
Robin #68: ‘War Beneath the Streets!: Rats!’
Robin #69: ‘War Beneath the Streets!: Wolflings’
Robin #70: ‘War Beneath the Streets!: The Survivors’
Batman Chronicles #18: ‘Spiritual Currency’
Nightwing #35: ‘The Belly of the Beast’
Nightwing Secret Files: ‘Taking Wing’
Nightwing #36: ‘Nothing But Time’
Nightwing #37: ‘Escape from Blackgate’
Hitman #44: ‘Fresh Meat – part 1’
Hitman #45: ‘Fresh Meat – part 2’
Hitman #46: ‘Fresh Meat– part 3’
Fall
Batman #572: ‘Jurisprudence – part 1’
Detective Comics #739: ‘Jurisprudence – part 2’
Legends of the Dark Knight #125: ‘Falling Back’
Nightwing #38: ‘Face to Face’
Nightwing #39: ‘By Force of Arms’
Robin #71: ‘The Lizard King’
Robin #72: ‘Last Stand on Grand Ave’
Robin #73: ‘The World Around the Corner’ [This issue picks up immediately where the previous one left off, but it works mostly as a flashforward.]
Catwoman #72: ‘The Mission’
Catwoman #73: ‘Ms. Direction’
Catwoman #74: ‘A Slight Detour’
Catwoman #75: ‘The Rules’
Azrael, Agent of the Bat #59: ‘Pilgrim’s Return’
Shadow of the Bat #93: ‘Assembly Redux’
Batman #573: ‘Shellgame: Gambits’ [Begins in day 312 of NML.]
Detective Comics #740: ‘Shellgame – part 2’
Azrael, Agent of the Bat #60: ‘Evacuation’
Catwoman #76: ‘Strange Bedfellows’
Catwoman #77: ‘Pay Back’
Winter
Legends of the Dark Knight #126: ‘Endgame: Silent Night’ [Begins in day 333 of NML, identified as 29th of November (which doesn’t gel perfectly, but long-lasting comic book series keep adjusting the timeline, so one should be flexible about precise dates anyway). The issue finishes on Christmas Eve.]
Batman #574: ‘Endgame: …Tender and Mild…’
Detective Comics #741: ‘Endgame: Sleep in Heavenly Peace…’
Azrael, Agent of the Bat #61: ‘Presents of Mind’
Shadow of the Bat #94: ‘Endgame Epilogue: Days of Auld Lang Syne’ [New Year’s Eve, 1999-2000.]
Note: The only thing I can’t quite figure out is where to place the ‘JLApe’ crossover (including JLA Annual #3, Batman Annual #23, and Martian Manhunter Annual #2, all of which feature the Dark Knight). It must take place somewhere between Nightwing #34 and Nightwing #39, but I really don’t see how Batman and Nightwing could have an adventure in Blüdhaven during this period, since it’s pretty clear they’re both busy in Gotham at the time (except for Batman’s trip to NYC in the Judgment Day mini-series).
I’m curious how you came up with february being the month of day 93 in No Man’s Land (the first story), would you mind telling it? Thanks.
I worked back from Legends of the Dark Knight #119, which starts off in day 127, at the ‘tail end’ of winter. If we take this to mean mid-March, then day 93 (i.e. 34 days before) should fall in February. The alternative would be to work back from Legends of the Dark Knight #126, which identifies November 29 as day 333, thus lining up NML with 1999’s calendar year (i.e. day one would’ve been January 1st). I dislike the second option because it would mean the earlier stories (which start in day 93) would take place in April, even though it’s still snowing. Of course you can disregard it as Alex Maleev’s artistic license, although the same has to go for Mike Deodato Jr.’s snow-drenched Legends of the Dark Knight #119 (whose ‘tail end’ of winter would then turn out to be May 7…) Then again, I guess you can also write the whole snow thing off as a weather anomaly caused by one of DC’s many supernatural events and/or villains!
Good catch man.
When you said about snow in May, I did remember this video: https://qconline.com/yes-we-still-have-snow-in-may/video_5f82101d-b7b7-5979-b3b0-09ae5ab7f028.html
Well, in my head-canon I’m going with the weather anomaly, in the real world happens, it’s not normal of course, but it happens like you can see in the video.
Barbara says the winter is hard, but she points out far worse winters in 1988 and 1967, I guess this anomaly happened on these years in worst degrees.
Thanks for the reply by the way.
Shouldn’t Hitman 51 and 52 take place during NML’s
I’m pretty sure it’s later. For one thing, the police is operating regularly (for Gotham standards) and the tale is explicitly after ‘The Old Dog,’ which generally feels post-NML (and finishes in 2000), although I suppose in the Cauldron this can be ambiguous. It’s true that, by the end of #52, Tommy is reading a newspaper from the final days of NML… I think it makes more sense to assume he picked up an older issue, for some reason, but your mileage may vary over whether you prefer to squeeze #47-52 into NML.