Batman: No Man’s Land
Vol. 1, Vol. 2, Vol. 3
Vol. 4, Vol. 5
by Greg Rucka (and others)
DC Comics

One of the biggest comic crossover events that was not Universe wide is the Batman: No Man’s Land event that took place during 1999. Preceded by Batman: Cataclysm, the crossover took place in all the Bat-universe books, including the four monthly Batman titles — Detective Comics, Batman, Batman: Shadow of the Bat, and Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight — as well as the larger Batman family like Robin, Catwoman, and Nightwing.

Checkmate
Vol. 1: A King’s Game
Vol. 2: Pawn Breaks
Vol. 3: The Fall of the Wall
By Greg Rucka
DC Comics

It was a story that would never gain the notoriety of a Batman or Green Lantern, but was written just as well, if not better in most cases. The DC series Checkmate, written by Greg Rucka and penciled by Jesus Saiz, has long been a fan favorite that happened in the background of the DCU.

It was not the first time that Checkmate made an appearance, nor was it the first time that it earned a title for itself. But it was probably the first time it was tackled with such aplomb and skill as when Greg Rucka jumped on board.

Originally run by Maxwell Lord, the mastermind behind the OMAC’s, and the man who eventually shot Blue Beetle Ted Kord, Checkmate was used to control the 1980’s Justice League. But Lord’s intent all along was to bring along the destruction and control of metahumans across the globe.

Queen & Country
Definitive Collection Vol. 1-3
A Gentleman’s Game
Private Wars
Greg Rucka

November 29th is author Greg Rucka‘s birthday, so naturally, we here at Geeks of Doom, with grateful assistance from InStockTrades, are celebrating with Greg Rucka Week! Five Days. Five Reviews of some of his best work! To cover all he has done would be insane, and much of his work — like 52 and No Man’s Land – is not his alone. But we’ll do the best we can, and we hope you enjoy.

And there is no better way to start out a week of reviews dedicated to Greg Rucka then to focus on the perennial favorite, Queen & Country.