Chris is on Infinite Earths

Thursday, March 7, 2024

NML Crossing, Episode 047 - Batman: No Man's Land #1 (1999)

NML Crossing, Episode Forty-Seven

Batman: No Man’s Land #1 (March, 1999)
“No Law and a New Order, Part One: Values”
Writer - Bob Gale
Pencils - Alex Maleev
Inks - Wayne Faucher
Colors - Digital Chameleon
Letters - Willie Schubert
Edits - Joseph Illidge, Gorfinkel, Peterson, O’Neil
Cover Price: $3.95

It's taken us over two months... and many, many, many hours to get here... but, today we finally enter NO MAN'S LAND!

Welcome to the "new normal" where apples are worth more than diamonds, crudely-sharpened spears are more valuable than firearms, and the GCPD is nothing more than a roving street gang. The Penguin rules the roost, and Batman hasn't been seen in over three months... or, has he? We're laying the first few bricks in our massive year-spanning crossovent... and it's gonna be a good time (for us anyway, notsomuch the poor Gothamites).

NML Crossing on Youtube

Wednesday, March 6, 2024

NML Crossing, Episode 046 - Detective Comics #729 (1999)

NML Crossing, Episode Forty-Six

Detective Comics #729 (February, 1999)
“Fight or Flight!, Part Three: 30 Seconds to Midnight”
Writer - Chuck Dixon
Pencils - William Rosado
Inks - Sal Buscema
Colors - Gloria Vasquez & Android Images
Letters - John Costanza
Edits - Peterson & Vincenzo
Cover Price: $1.99

We have finally arrived at the END of the Road to No Man's Land! Today we're officially drawing a line under Gotham City... the hard-luck town finally goes down for the count, but not before one more tango with one'a Nicholas Scratch's League of Losers! Plus... Cobra Commander?

Also: A great dive into the NMaiLbag!

NML Crossing on Youtube

Tuesday, March 5, 2024

NML Crossing, Episode 045 - Detective Comics #728 (1999)

NML Crossing, Episode Forty-Five

Detective Comics #728 (January, 1999)
“Fight or Flight!, Part Two: Chaos Squared”
Writer - Chuck Dixon
Pencils - William Rosado
Inks - Sal Buscema
Colors - Gloria Vasquez & Android Images
Letters - John Costanza
Edits - Vincenzo & Peterson
Cover Price: $1.99

It's the penultimate issue of the pre-No Man's Land era... and we're about to lower the bar on what it means to be an effective bad guy, cuz it's time to meet a few more of Nick Scratch's own personal goof-troop! Make way for the Dyna-Miteer and Tumult (as in, tumultuous)... and yes, they're as horrible as they sound. Perhaps moreso!

We do get a bit with Commissioner Gordon... applying for jobs outside Gotham City, which is actually far more interesting and discussion-worthy than it has any right being.

We're also going to track the Road to No Man's Land through four issues of Wizard Magazine that ran through this leg of our NML Crossing journey... with the news of a certain character from Batman: The Animated Series finally being added to the mainstream DCU!

NML Crossing on Youtube

Monday, March 4, 2024

NML Crossing, Episode 044 - Detective Comics #727 (1998)

NML Crossing, Episode Forty-Four

Detective Comics #727 (December, 1998)
“Fight or Flight!, Part One: Nest of Vipers”
Writer - Chuck Dixon
Pencils - William Rosado
Inks - Sal Buscema
Colors - Gloria Vasquez & Android Images
Letters - John Costanza
Edits - Vincenzo & Peterson
Cover Price: $1.99

Kicking off the final arc before we hit No Man's Land proper... which takes us back to Gotham City, for the war at home! Nicholas J. Scratch's minions are being unleashed to cause as much havoc as possible... as if it even matters anymore! The seams are, sadly, really starting to show for the Road to No Man's Land leg of our NML Crossing journey!

Plus: The NMaiLbag is a hoot... walkin' down memory lane chatting up those oddities in our comic collections we can hardly explain!

NML Crossing on Youtube

Sunday, March 3, 2024

NML Crossing, Episode 043 - Batman #562 (1999)

NML Crossing, Episode Forty-Three

Batman #562 (February, 1999)
“Bruce Wayne Goes to Washington, Part Three: The Devil His Due!”
Writer - Chuck Dixon
Pencils - Jim Aparo
Inks - David Roach
Letters - Todd Klein
Colors - Lee Loughridge
Edits - Gorfinkel & O’Neil
Cover Price: $1.99

Wrapping up the last pre-No Man's Land issue of the flagship, where the hammer finally (officially) drops on Gotham City. Bridges are bein' blowed up, and it's time for all good Gothamites to up-stakes and get the eff out. We also get some more ineptness from Nick Scratch and his crew of buffoons.

Plus: One'a dem "soul bearing" installments of the NMaiLbag!

NML Crossing on Youtube

Thursday, February 29, 2024

NML Crossing, Episode 042 - Batman #561 (1999)

NML Crossing, Episode Forty-Two

Batman #561 (January, 1999)
“Bruce Wayne Goes to Washington, Part Two: The Witness”
Writer - Chuck Dixon
Pencils - Jim Aparo
Inks - David Roach
Letters - Todd Klein
Colors - Lee Loughridge
Edits - Gorfinkel & O’Neil
Cover Price: $1.99

In which Bruce Wayne takes the stand and pleads the case for Gotham City to be bailed out by the United States government... and comes across as completely tone deaf and out of touch! Not a good outing for the fella I'm struggling to remember is also actually Batman! With advocates like this, who needs enemies?

Plus: The long-awaited (by me) return of the NMaiLbag!

NML Crossing on Youtube