Graphic Books Best Sellers: A New Volume of 'Batman: No Man's Land' April 27, 2012, 3:49 pm New to the graphic books paperback best-seller list this week is Volume 2 of "Batman: No Man's Land," which appears at No. The story was originally published in serialized form in 1999. Those days were hard times for Gotham City and the caped crusader: after an outbreak of disease, the city was leveled by an earthquake. The government had enough and gave the order to evacuate the city. Batman, his allies, his enemies and many residents stayed. The story, which wove through several monthly titles and was handled by several writers and artists, was compelling. The city became divided by rival factions and familiar faces were cast into different roles. The Penguin, for example, became a supplier of goods on the black market, while the Huntress, who felt ostracized by Batman, took on a new guise. Most superhero stories require a good helping of suspension of disbelief, and this one is no different. When "No Man's Land" began, fans wondered why Batman's heroic allies did not help him or the city. There's an adventure that addresses that (in a Justice League story, they are shown protecting Gotham's perimeter, but are asked by Batman to otherwise keep out), which I hope will be featured in a future volume.