Chris And Reggie's Cosmic Treadmill

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 https://gothamquake.com https://chrisisoninfiniteearths.com weirdcomicshistory@gmail.com

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 https://gothamquake.com https://chrisisoninfiniteearths.com weirdcomicshistory@gmail.com

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 https://gothamquake.com https://chrisisoninfiniteearths.com weirdcomicshistory@gmail.com

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 https://gothamquake.com https://chrisisoninfiniteearths.com weirdcomicshistory@gmail.com

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 https://gothamquake.com https://chrisisoninfiniteearths.com weirdcomicshistory@gmail.com

Mr. Wayne Goes to Washington... and isn't off to the greatest of starts in his attempts to plead the case for saving Gotham City with the United States government! Also... ugh, Nick Scratch.  NML Crossing on Youtube https://gothamquake.com https://chrisisoninfiniteearths.com weirdcomicshistory@gmail.com

With meds, food, and supplies completely depleted, Jeremiah Arkham needs to make a decision that brings with it some horrible consequences.  Does he let all of the inmates starve to death... or, does he give them their freedom -- releasing them into the new-look Gotham City?  Judging by Jerry's recent decision-making process, the answer ought to be clear! Alan Grant and Mark Buckingham's time on Shadow ends in pretty spectacular fashion! NML Crossing on Youtube https://gothamquake.com https://chrisisoninfiniteearths.com weirdcomicshistory@gmail.com

Morituri Te Jokeramus! With supplies and medications nearly depleted, Jeremiah Arkham is easily convinced that all his answers lay in.... gladiatorial combat?!  That's right, Joker's able to convince Jerry that it'd be in the best interests of the Asylum to have two of the biggest and baddest residents fight... to the death!  What could possibly go wrong? NML Crossing on Youtube https://gothamquake.com https://chrisisoninfiniteearths.com weirdcomicshistory@gmail.com

It's another one of those "good news, bad news" situations on the Road to No Man's Land. The good news is, we're back to Shadow of the Bat... the bad news is, this is Alan Grant's swan song arc! This time out, we check in on our favorite Arkham, Jeremiah, as he deals with the fallout of the verybadthing that happened at 7:03, and the fact that, ever since, he's been unable to get any supplies or meds for his Asylum full'a lunatics! As of this issue, he's t-minus one week away from being out of everything! What's a man to do? Perhaps turn to... the Joker for help?! A great issue to kick off the arc, plus (by popular demand) a replaying of my "Idiot's Guide to Comic Book Podcasting" from way back in 2021! It's a long one... but, I give ya ample warning as to where you can safely hit "stop" on your listening device! NML Crossing on Youtube https://gothamquake.com https://chrisisoninfiniteearths.com weirdcomicshistory@gmail.com

The final Azraeling... for now, anyway! Wrapping up the Nicholas Scratch stuff... well, sort of.  There... really ain't much to say about this one, not that that'll stop me from occupying your ear for the better part of an hour. Thankfully some friends of the show have delivered us an amazing NMaiLbag! NML Crossing on Youtube https://gothamquake.com https://chrisisoninfiniteearths.com weirdcomicshistory@gmail.com

More Azrael!  More Nick Scratch!  You're Welcome... and I'm Sorry! This time out, our man JPV has some answering to do for pulling a boner on his mission to protect the life of Gotham's only friend, Senator Esty Halivan!  Not only that, he's now on the hook for the murder!  What IS an Angel of Vengeance to do?  Listen in and find out! Plus: A wonderful dive into the NMaiLbag! NML Crossing on Youtube https://gothamquake.com https://chrisisoninfiniteearths.com weirdcomicshistory@gmail.com

We're officially on THE ROAD TO NO MAN'S LAND... and, with it comes a three-part dive into Azrael-Land.  In today's episode our Angel of Whateverthehell is sent off to Washington, DC to protect Gotham City's last hope on the Hill.  He does so quite poorly. We also meet the Sensational Character Find of 1998... Nicholas Scratch?! All 'at and a deep dip into the ol' NMaiLbag! NML Crossing on Youtube https://gothamquake.com https://chrisisoninfiniteearths.com weirdcomicshistory@gmail.com

Wrapping up the Aftershock Era with... a Red-Sky issue?! Rather than going out with a Cataclysmic Bang, we ready ourselves to embark upon the Road to No Man's Land with a wonderful little "evergreen" story, featuring the Joker imparting quite the impactful lesson upon our Caped Crusader. Potentially the strongest single-issue story of our NML Crossing journey so far!  You're gonna dig this issue... and hopefully, this episode! NML Crossing on Youtube https://gothamquake.com https://chrisisoninfiniteearths.com weirdcomicshistory@gmail.com

In our penultimate Aftershock issue, we get to go on patrol with the original Dynamic Duo as they discuss things like "the good old days" and spray people down with literal bat poop!  It's a good time as always... join us, won't you? NML Crossing on Youtube https://gothamquake.com https://chrisisoninfiniteearths.com weirdcomicshistory@gmail.com

As we approach the end of the Aftershock Era, things can't help but to go from bad to worse for Gotham City and its costumed protectors!  Hope continues to dwindle... almost as much as the Gotham population!  We're very nearly on "The Road to...", and boy, this road be bumpy! Also: We check out the first official mention of No Man's Land in the pages of Wizard Magazine #83!  NML Crossing on Youtube https://gothamquake.com https://chrisisoninfiniteearths.com weirdcomicshistory@gmail.com

It's time for a situation report!  Let's take a beat and catch ourselves up on all things post-Quake Gotham City... with an eye toward its uncertain future! Plus: A dip into the comics journos of the day in Wizard #82, and a collector-focused installment of the NMaiLbag! NML Crossing on Youtube https://gothamquake.com https://chrisisoninfiniteearths.com weirdcomicshistory@gmail.com

Perhaps the most off-beat issue/episode yet! Where else can you hear about an old man giving himself a cottage cheese sponge bath, a child who'd rather be eaten than see her captor beaten up... and also have a text-story in a turn of the century comic book?!  It's an odd one, all right! Plus: A very Jack Drake-focused NMaiLbag! NML Crossing on Youtube https://gothamquake.com https://chrisisoninfiniteearths.com weirdcomicshistory@gmail.com

Wrapping up our two-parter with a bang... well, a boom.  The supervillain team-up didn't go as smoothly as the Mad Hatter would've hoped... but, hope itself now (briefly) reigns among Bruce Wayne's Junior-Entrepreneur Club! But all 'at is just preamble to the return of the raucous NMaiLbag! NML Crossing on Youtube https://gothamquake.com https://chrisisoninfiniteearths.com weirdcomicshistory@gmail.com

Today our "dark horse" Bat-Book delivers what might just be one of the tentpole issues of the entire NML run.  What can Gotham City do when all of the non-Wayne-owned companies and industries threaten to bail?  Thankfully, the people... those who'll stay... have some ideas, but will it (can it) be enough?! We also get a peek at an upcoming (super?) villain team-up!   NML Crossing on Youtube https://gothamquake.com https://chrisisoninfiniteearths.com weirdcomicshistory@gmail.com

It's not that the people of Gotham don't believe he exists... it's that they no longer believe in HIM.  What happens when the urban legend of the City having a protector becomes moot... since, what has he done for us lately?  Well, it leads to a crisis of confidence for our Caped Crusader... and it lends a whole lotta weight to our "new normal".  If you've always known Batman as being the "coolest" guy in any room he enters... this is an issue you'll need to read to believe. We've also got a Letters Page to discuss!  Plus: A wildly confusing (for me) NMaiLbag! NML Crossing on Youtube https://gothamquake.com https://chrisisoninfiniteearths.com weirdcomicshistory@gmail.com