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Batman: Bruce Wayne, Fugitive #0
Batman: Bruce Wayne - Murderer?
After being found with the dead body of Vesper Fairchild in his arms, Bruce Wayne is arrested for her murder. Looking to prove Bruce's innocence, Nightwing, Robin and Batgirl quickly begin an investigation to discover the true killer. But as the mystery unfolds, evidence of Bruce's guilt mounts and even his closest allies begin to question their mentor's innocence. Tired of portraying himself as someone he is not and further embracing the freedom of his masked identity, Bruce decides to lay his millionaire playboy alter ego to rest and live life only as the Batman.
This new edition includes stories that have never been reprinted before and collects Batgirl 24, 27, Batman 599-602, Batman: Gotham Knights 25-28, Batman: The 10-Cent Adventure 1, Birds Of Prey 39-41, Detective Comics 766-767, Nightwing 65-66, 68-69 and Robin 98-99.
This new edition includes stories that have never been reprinted before and collects Batgirl 24, 27, Batman 599-602, Batman: Gotham Knights 25-28, Batman: The 10-Cent Adventure 1, Birds Of Prey 39-41, Detective Comics 766-767, Nightwing 65-66, 68-69 and Robin 98-99.
610 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 22, 2002
109 people are currently reading
1773 people want to read
About the author
Greg Rucka
1,494 books1,924 followersGreg Rucka, is an American comic book writer and novelist, known for his work on such comics as Action Comics, Batwoman: Detective Comics, and the miniseries Superman: World of New Krypton for DC Comics, and for novels such as his Queen & Country series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 195 reviews
June 11, 2021
"Case# 4372 - The People of Gotham City versus Bruce Wayne . . . on charges of murder in the first degree, conspiracy to commit murder, and attempted rape." -- courtroom bailiff, on page 103
Holy wrongful arrest, Batman- say it ain't so! Batman: Bruce Wayne, Murderer? was, despite that awkward-ish sounding title, an ambitious 600+ page miniseries that begins much like any other standard murder mystery story - a bullet-riddled corpse is discovered on the floor of a mansion. However, in this instance the home involved is stately Wayne Manor, and the prime suspect is pegged as millionaire/philanthropist playboy Bruce Wayne. Said victim is Vesper Fairchild, an investigative journalist who had briefly dated Wayne the previous month. Though the evidence is mostly circumstantial, Wayne and his bodyguard Sasha Bordeaux are imprisoned until the trial.
The storyline starts gaining momentum once various concerned members of the 'Bat family' (with trusty Barbara 'Oracle' Gordon calling the shots for Dick Grayson's Nightwing, Stephanie Brown's Spoiler, Tim Drake's Robin, and Cassandra Cain's Batgirl) or long-time allies (Black Canary- yes!!!) arrive on the scene to either work their own version of an investigation or just assist in battling the ever-present criminal activity in Gotham City. Things then get kicked up to the next level when Wayne escapes from custody and decides to completely assume his Batman alter ego, refusing to be addressed by given name as if that persona now ceased to exist. Some of the final chapters got a little strained or disconnected - at one point Batman, continuing his never-ending war on crime in Gotham, is stuck fighting a horde of zombies (!) - but it ends on a cliffhanger, and damned if I don't want to read the sequel (Batman: Bruce Wayne, Fugitive) to see how it all shakes out for him.
Holy wrongful arrest, Batman- say it ain't so! Batman: Bruce Wayne, Murderer? was, despite that awkward-ish sounding title, an ambitious 600+ page miniseries that begins much like any other standard murder mystery story - a bullet-riddled corpse is discovered on the floor of a mansion. However, in this instance the home involved is stately Wayne Manor, and the prime suspect is pegged as millionaire/philanthropist playboy Bruce Wayne. Said victim is Vesper Fairchild, an investigative journalist who had briefly dated Wayne the previous month. Though the evidence is mostly circumstantial, Wayne and his bodyguard Sasha Bordeaux are imprisoned until the trial.
The storyline starts gaining momentum once various concerned members of the 'Bat family' (with trusty Barbara 'Oracle' Gordon calling the shots for Dick Grayson's Nightwing, Stephanie Brown's Spoiler, Tim Drake's Robin, and Cassandra Cain's Batgirl) or long-time allies (Black Canary- yes!!!) arrive on the scene to either work their own version of an investigation or just assist in battling the ever-present criminal activity in Gotham City. Things then get kicked up to the next level when Wayne escapes from custody and decides to completely assume his Batman alter ego, refusing to be addressed by given name as if that persona now ceased to exist. Some of the final chapters got a little strained or disconnected - at one point Batman, continuing his never-ending war on crime in Gotham, is stuck fighting a horde of zombies (!) - but it ends on a cliffhanger, and damned if I don't want to read the sequel (Batman: Bruce Wayne, Fugitive) to see how it all shakes out for him.
February 14, 2022
Wow, this was really good, a police procedural / murder mystery about when Bruce Wayne was accused of murder.
And it’s a great concept, the victim was found in Wayne Manor, in the morning, when Bruce and Sasha have been out all night roughing up villains and protecting the innocent. So they have the perfect alibi. Right? Wrong! They cannot just say, “we were out on the rooftops wearing supersuits” – they must protect THE secret, even if it means keeping an uncomfortable silence about whatever happened that would otherwise exonerate themselves.
Aaaaaaand – there’s some SPICY twists and turns to keep us all guessing.
Bruce / Batman is drawn as he frequently is – an obstinate loner, while the rest of the Bat family rallies to his aid. This got a little tedious, but then that is a character trait that is consistent with the storyline, so I allowed much grace. It did start to get annoying and that diminished the otherwise very well told story somewhat.
One of the things I love best about comic books is the collaborative nature of the art, with a writer, artists, editors, publishers, etc all working together, ON A TIMELINE, to make this all come together month after month. This monster was strung together as a crossover event, collecting issues of Batgirl 24, 27, Batman 599-602, Batman: Gotham Knights 25-28, Batman: The 10-Cent Adventure 1, Birds Of Prey 39-41, Detective Comics 766-767, Nightwing 65-66, 68-69 and Robin 98-99 in and around 2002 but this collection was published in 2014.
This is the first part of the story, the second is Batman Fugitive.
Lots of talent – both in the writing and art, really a very cool graphic novel.
And it’s a great concept, the victim was found in Wayne Manor, in the morning, when Bruce and Sasha have been out all night roughing up villains and protecting the innocent. So they have the perfect alibi. Right? Wrong! They cannot just say, “we were out on the rooftops wearing supersuits” – they must protect THE secret, even if it means keeping an uncomfortable silence about whatever happened that would otherwise exonerate themselves.
Aaaaaaand – there’s some SPICY twists and turns to keep us all guessing.
Bruce / Batman is drawn as he frequently is – an obstinate loner, while the rest of the Bat family rallies to his aid. This got a little tedious, but then that is a character trait that is consistent with the storyline, so I allowed much grace. It did start to get annoying and that diminished the otherwise very well told story somewhat.
One of the things I love best about comic books is the collaborative nature of the art, with a writer, artists, editors, publishers, etc all working together, ON A TIMELINE, to make this all come together month after month. This monster was strung together as a crossover event, collecting issues of Batgirl 24, 27, Batman 599-602, Batman: Gotham Knights 25-28, Batman: The 10-Cent Adventure 1, Birds Of Prey 39-41, Detective Comics 766-767, Nightwing 65-66, 68-69 and Robin 98-99 in and around 2002 but this collection was published in 2014.
This is the first part of the story, the second is Batman Fugitive.
Lots of talent – both in the writing and art, really a very cool graphic novel.
June 28, 2022
This one was massive omg, almost took me a couple days to finish but loved reading this, its an excellent one and one of the best books I have read!
So Bruce is convicted of murdering Vesper fairchild and so is Sasha and we see hi getting imprisoned and how the bat family reacts to it and questioning whether he did or not and doubts start creeping and Cass learning who Bruce maybe and then with Dick and him trying to prove his Step-father's innocence and all and whatever Tim is going through with his friends and all and that nature of story telling is just awesome plus the fate of Bruce in prison and the dilemma and trials and how it challenges him that he gives up the identity of Bruce wayne itself which is a massive status quo change..
Then we see a bunch of short stories like Brubaker doing Batman vs Nicodemus, a new arsonist serial killer and the mystery of Thomas Hart and I love that story, its the Brubaker writing that made me love it and he makes it slow and suspenseful which is awesome and then we see him dealing with the drug gang from previous detective arc with Lucky triad gang and its former leader and it has something to do with Drugs and all, and its alright, not my favorite part of the story.
Devin Grayson doing an issue with Superman showing up was cool and shows his and Batman's relationship and him saying Bruce is more imp too and then a story with this "The mortician" who can reanimate corpses too and what challenge it brings to Batman, its a two-parter towards the end which was meh and kinda throws off the pace and overall has nothing to do with the story.
The bat-family Stuff with Cass was cool as she learns who Bruce is and trying to prove he is innocent, Tim questioning his father figure and Dick and Babs relationship taking a turn as they both face challenges connecting the whole thing of who killed Vesper Fairchild and its amazing and everything omg I freaking loved this volume and story overall, and it leads nicely into Bruce Wayne: Fugitive!
So Bruce is convicted of murdering Vesper fairchild and so is Sasha and we see hi getting imprisoned and how the bat family reacts to it and questioning whether he did or not and doubts start creeping and Cass learning who Bruce maybe and then with Dick and him trying to prove his Step-father's innocence and all and whatever Tim is going through with his friends and all and that nature of story telling is just awesome plus the fate of Bruce in prison and the dilemma and trials and how it challenges him that he gives up the identity of Bruce wayne itself which is a massive status quo change..
Then we see a bunch of short stories like Brubaker doing Batman vs Nicodemus, a new arsonist serial killer and the mystery of Thomas Hart and I love that story, its the Brubaker writing that made me love it and he makes it slow and suspenseful which is awesome and then we see him dealing with the drug gang from previous detective arc with Lucky triad gang and its former leader and it has something to do with Drugs and all, and its alright, not my favorite part of the story.
Devin Grayson doing an issue with Superman showing up was cool and shows his and Batman's relationship and him saying Bruce is more imp too and then a story with this "The mortician" who can reanimate corpses too and what challenge it brings to Batman, its a two-parter towards the end which was meh and kinda throws off the pace and overall has nothing to do with the story.
The bat-family Stuff with Cass was cool as she learns who Bruce is and trying to prove he is innocent, Tim questioning his father figure and Dick and Babs relationship taking a turn as they both face challenges connecting the whole thing of who killed Vesper Fairchild and its amazing and everything omg I freaking loved this volume and story overall, and it leads nicely into Bruce Wayne: Fugitive!
May 21, 2022
Having read the more condensed version ( review here ), I was excited to see what the extended entry had to offer in terms of enriching the plot. My initial 'this is a bad Batman story, but a good read for those who like the crime / mystery genre' still stands, but I found this edition to be slightly less palatable than the other. Much of this toes the line of filler territory with its branching, and ultimately pointless, side threads. There are a lot of characters flung into this crossover, many of which get little to no attention and serve to be nothing more than a familiar face. It's comparable to a good tv show that's given one too many episodes per season and has to find a way to drag on the overarching narrative without actually giving anything away for the finale. However, there are moments of magic sprinkled amongst the padding, with comedic panels, emotional panels, and overall engaging scenarios making their way into the mess. It's worth a try, even though it's bound to not be a lot of people's cup of tea.
December 30, 2015
This volume starts off quite good. One of Wayne's ex-girlfriends is found dead at the mansion, and he looks to be the main suspect. Not only is Batman taken off the playing board, giving everyone else a chance to shine, but we also get a pretty great mystery that's slowly being unraveled book by book.
Then the whole thing falls apart in the last section of this volume (which I suspect marks the end of the original Murderer arc and the beginning of the longer Fugitive arc). Batman breaks out of jail, for no particular reason. Much of the mystery and some of the focus on secondary characters grinds to a halt (with Wayne's body guard treated the worst; she just disappears). Some of the stories we get are totally off-topic: they feel irrelevant and not that interesting. The organization of the collection becomes bad, with closely continuing stories split apart, and two critical issues, part 1 of a 3 part story and part 2 of a 2 part story are missing entirely. DC's collection department has been pretty bad in recent years, but this is a new low. (The missing-issues problem was immediately corrected with a reprint, by the by, but obviously the original printing is still out there.) As a whole, what was a promising arc goes badly off the rails.
So, call the first two-thirds of this volume a strong "4" and the last third a "2" or "3". The overall rating is probably about 3.5.
Then the whole thing falls apart in the last section of this volume (which I suspect marks the end of the original Murderer arc and the beginning of the longer Fugitive arc). Batman breaks out of jail, for no particular reason. Much of the mystery and some of the focus on secondary characters grinds to a halt (with Wayne's body guard treated the worst; she just disappears). Some of the stories we get are totally off-topic: they feel irrelevant and not that interesting. The organization of the collection becomes bad, with closely continuing stories split apart, and two critical issues, part 1 of a 3 part story and part 2 of a 2 part story are missing entirely. DC's collection department has been pretty bad in recent years, but this is a new low. (The missing-issues problem was immediately corrected with a reprint, by the by, but obviously the original printing is still out there.) As a whole, what was a promising arc goes badly off the rails.
So, call the first two-thirds of this volume a strong "4" and the last third a "2" or "3". The overall rating is probably about 3.5.
December 24, 2015
Wow....Now that`s was one hell of a ride...Can`t wait to see what happends next :)
June 10, 2025
Bruce Wayne: Murderer?" is definitely a really good event when it comes to crossover events with the Bat-Family.
Basically, Bruce is put on trial and imprisoned in Blackgate, as we try to figure out if he really killed somebody. Now, as a reader, you're probably thinking there's no way Batman would ever do that. But you have to understand that in this time, after certain events with Jim Gordon, Batman is basically going slightly insane. He's turning more and more into the Batman from Dark Knight, where he's obsessed with a mission, and Bruce is essentially a facade, with the true him being Batman.
So, once you take that into account, you understand that the whole world is looking at Bruce as a murderer now, and he cannot stand it. He cannot be stuck in jail, just waiting. And while that's happening, we're on the outside, looking at all his Bat-Family members—such as Cassandra, Tim, and even Dick—who are trying to solve this mystery.
Overall, all the stories connected really well, which always makes an event good. I would have to say if there was a weak link to all this, it's definitely the Robin stories. They don't feel nearly as connected as everything else. And the Birds of Prey, while entertaining, also feel a bit disconnected at times, but luckily they're pretty solid for character work. Other than that, the main event, which is written by Ed Brubaker for Batman and Detective Comics, is absolutely fantastic and offers some really great moments for Bruce as a character. The Nightwing stuff is also pretty solid, as is the Gotham Knights material.
Overall, this is a very, very solid four out of five. If you love things more in line with Ed Brubaker's style of writing, which is kind of more detective and dark, then this is a book that you might want to check out.
Basically, Bruce is put on trial and imprisoned in Blackgate, as we try to figure out if he really killed somebody. Now, as a reader, you're probably thinking there's no way Batman would ever do that. But you have to understand that in this time, after certain events with Jim Gordon, Batman is basically going slightly insane. He's turning more and more into the Batman from Dark Knight, where he's obsessed with a mission, and Bruce is essentially a facade, with the true him being Batman.
So, once you take that into account, you understand that the whole world is looking at Bruce as a murderer now, and he cannot stand it. He cannot be stuck in jail, just waiting. And while that's happening, we're on the outside, looking at all his Bat-Family members—such as Cassandra, Tim, and even Dick—who are trying to solve this mystery.
Overall, all the stories connected really well, which always makes an event good. I would have to say if there was a weak link to all this, it's definitely the Robin stories. They don't feel nearly as connected as everything else. And the Birds of Prey, while entertaining, also feel a bit disconnected at times, but luckily they're pretty solid for character work. Other than that, the main event, which is written by Ed Brubaker for Batman and Detective Comics, is absolutely fantastic and offers some really great moments for Bruce as a character. The Nightwing stuff is also pretty solid, as is the Gotham Knights material.
Overall, this is a very, very solid four out of five. If you love things more in line with Ed Brubaker's style of writing, which is kind of more detective and dark, then this is a book that you might want to check out.
June 16, 2014
I should start by saying that this is the new "new" edition which included two issues that were left out of the original "new" edition which was released several months ago, only to be recalled several weeks later. While the omissions probably shouldn't have happened in the first place, DC really scores points for replacing any copies sold to customers with this edition without any bullshit.
On to the book itself. This is a MASSIVE collection including all of the bat-titles that tied into Bruce Wayne-Murderer? And it was about as good as I remembered it when I collected it in single issues years ago. Ed Brubaker, Greg Rucka, Chuck Dixon, Devin Grayson, and Kelly Puckett all contribute on the writing chores in this one. Issues of Batman, Robin, Nightwing, Birds of Prey, Batgirl, Detective, and Gotham Knights all make the cut and are included in this volume. Overall I felt the story was a well written and entertaining. Some portions were better than others. This was some of my first exposure to Ed Brubaker and Greg Rucka (both of whom I have grown to love) so I do have a soft spot for this collection. I can see why the issues included in the collection are in there, however, several issues really don’t add much to the overall story (“Purity”) and probably could have been left out. Completists will appreciate their presence.
The art, much like the writing, is a mixed bag. Good overall, but certain issues certainly shine in my opinion. Echoing Goodread’s reviewer, Martin, Scott McDaniel owns this collection. Batman issue 600 has a GREAT sequence involving Batman and Nightwing that is awesome. I’ve loved Scott’s stuff since the 90’s (Daredevil and Nightwing) and his pencils (with Andy Owens's inks) didn’t disappoint in this book. Some other standouts are Rick Leonardi (Birds of Prey), Damion Scott (Batgirl), and Phil Noto (currently of Black Widow fame) has a standalone issue. Couple of issues that weren’t as strong, but in a collection of this size it’s almost unavoidable to have a few that aren’t to your tastes.
That said, Bruce Wayne – Murderer? is a pretty good “who dunnit” and any Batman fan will probably find something to enjoy. It digs a little more deeply into idea of whether Batman or Bruce Wayne is the “mask” and does it in a unique way. Practically all of the extended bat-family (including Supes) make appearances and an emphasis is placed on their varying relationships with Bruce/Batman while each investigates the mystery both together and alone. Be prepared that the story does end on something of a cliffhanger and DC is eventually collecting Bruce Wayne – Fugitive as a follow up to the collection.
On to the book itself. This is a MASSIVE collection including all of the bat-titles that tied into Bruce Wayne-Murderer? And it was about as good as I remembered it when I collected it in single issues years ago. Ed Brubaker, Greg Rucka, Chuck Dixon, Devin Grayson, and Kelly Puckett all contribute on the writing chores in this one. Issues of Batman, Robin, Nightwing, Birds of Prey, Batgirl, Detective, and Gotham Knights all make the cut and are included in this volume. Overall I felt the story was a well written and entertaining. Some portions were better than others. This was some of my first exposure to Ed Brubaker and Greg Rucka (both of whom I have grown to love) so I do have a soft spot for this collection. I can see why the issues included in the collection are in there, however, several issues really don’t add much to the overall story (“Purity”) and probably could have been left out. Completists will appreciate their presence.
The art, much like the writing, is a mixed bag. Good overall, but certain issues certainly shine in my opinion. Echoing Goodread’s reviewer, Martin, Scott McDaniel owns this collection. Batman issue 600 has a GREAT sequence involving Batman and Nightwing that is awesome. I’ve loved Scott’s stuff since the 90’s (Daredevil and Nightwing) and his pencils (with Andy Owens's inks) didn’t disappoint in this book. Some other standouts are Rick Leonardi (Birds of Prey), Damion Scott (Batgirl), and Phil Noto (currently of Black Widow fame) has a standalone issue. Couple of issues that weren’t as strong, but in a collection of this size it’s almost unavoidable to have a few that aren’t to your tastes.
That said, Bruce Wayne – Murderer? is a pretty good “who dunnit” and any Batman fan will probably find something to enjoy. It digs a little more deeply into idea of whether Batman or Bruce Wayne is the “mask” and does it in a unique way. Practically all of the extended bat-family (including Supes) make appearances and an emphasis is placed on their varying relationships with Bruce/Batman while each investigates the mystery both together and alone. Be prepared that the story does end on something of a cliffhanger and DC is eventually collecting Bruce Wayne – Fugitive as a follow up to the collection.
October 27, 2021
SCORE: 70 | B
TRIGGERS: n/a
REVIEW: This is a bad Batman story, but a good read for those who like the crime / mystery genre. It's actually hard to even call this a Batman story as he features so little in it. The main premise is the death of someone Bruce Wayne is connected to, with the billionaire being the prime suspect. It plays out rather like an episode of Criminal Minds or Law and Order, and for fans of that type of story telling and the characters of Gotham, this is the book for them. Luckily for me, I'm a huge fan of such narratives, so I found this to be a blast. However, I understand why people rate this so low as it really does step outside the usual Batman formula and some of the characters feel slightly off at times.
TRIGGERS: n/a
REVIEW: This is a bad Batman story, but a good read for those who like the crime / mystery genre. It's actually hard to even call this a Batman story as he features so little in it. The main premise is the death of someone Bruce Wayne is connected to, with the billionaire being the prime suspect. It plays out rather like an episode of Criminal Minds or Law and Order, and for fans of that type of story telling and the characters of Gotham, this is the book for them. Luckily for me, I'm a huge fan of such narratives, so I found this to be a blast. However, I understand why people rate this so low as it really does step outside the usual Batman formula and some of the characters feel slightly off at times.
April 20, 2021
You can find my review on my blog by clicking here.
It must be quite complicated to hide your identity from the world as you go off as a masked vigilante to rid crime from the streets of your city. At least for Bruce Wayne, a public face known by just about everyone as a billionaire philanthropist who lost his parents at a young age in a gruesome crime, there’s no hiding his activities without leaving a trail of hints that he might be up to something sinister in his spare time. Maybe that’s why he does his crime-fighting at night, sacrificing sleep and sanity for a good cause. Or is it just part of his bat-schtick? Launching a massive crossover event, some of the best talents in the business join forces to deliver an intriguing and mysterious story centered around a terrifying crime where Bruce Wayne might be the perpetrator behind it all. With all eyes on him now, how will he get Batman’s help to squeeze out of this predicament this time around?
What is Batman: Bruce Wayne: Murderer? about? Fighting crime alongside his bodyguard Sasha Bordeaux, who has come to learn of Bruce Wayne’s secret upon a little digging, they discover one of his past love interests laying cold on the floor of Wayne Manor riddled with holes. With the GCPD bursting through the doors, they find Bruce Wayne embracing the murdered Vesper Fairchild in his arms, unable to understand who would have done such a terrifying thing to her. As they’re both arrested and sent to Blackgate Penitentiary, it is up to the Bat Family to piece together the clues to try and figure out who is trying to frame their mentor or if he had finally reached his breaking point. Will this be the end of Bruce Wayne’s life in Gotham City?
The mystery is in the air. The tension is high. Everyone has heard of Bruce Wayne’s arrest and his reputation is now threatened. The volume approaches this premise tactfully and attempts to stretch it out until the final issue as it hops from one hero to another to give readers a different perspective of how everyone is taking in this tragedy. While some members of the Bat Family are convinced of his innocence, others have their doubts, and there’s nothing like a little bit of doubt to gets things heated up between one another. Set after the events from No Man’s Land, the various writers and artists of this volume tried to establish a tense atmosphere within Gotham City by giving new and old characters, like Spoiler, Batgirl, Oracle, and even Nightwing, the chance to express their point of view regarding this event. While some writers do a better job in capturing a sense of confusion and frustration in these heroes, others barely scratch the surface with their stories and give us a more dull emotional exploration of various characters connected to Bruce Wayne or Batman.
Although this remains a crossover event, the impressive team of artists did a stunning job in maintaining a cohesive artistic vision throughout this story arc. From one issue to another, a similar tone and style captures the darker noir setting and immerses readers into a world plunged in disarray. There’s a very cartoon-like artistic vision that is employed in this story but it still remains adult in nature through its focus on characters in their darkest state. Every character conveys their emotional frustration with grandeur and expresses themselves without holding back any punches, whether it’s through short and explosive fight sequences or bursts of emotional dialogues. From GCPD detectives to Dick Grayson, the focus thus allows readers to quickly grasp the tension caused by this odd murder mystery. Unfortunately, nothing gets answered in this volume, leaving the resolution to be explored in the following story-arc: Batman: Bruce Wayne: Fugitive.
Batman: Bruce Wayne: Murderer? is a drawn-out yet intriguing premise revolving around a murder where Gotham’s billionaire philanthropist is accused of murder.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
April 28, 2021
Bruce Wayne Murderer? is massive. Truly massive. I suppose it has to be that way since this is a "complete" edition sort of thing. Ok. The problem with that is that we are then exposed to every single series this arc travels through. That is a problem because the ones where the arc takes it into the Batgirl, Nightwing, or Tim Drake side comics are a collection of crap writing and crap art. The story is carried by the Batman and Detective Comic issues.
So what's up? Bruce Wayne hasn't been himself it seems. Everyone is mad at him. Alfred has left and he is not getting along with his former partners. For some reason, he's running around with some blonde woman who is Bruce Wayne's "bodyguard". Um ok. But, she takes it to the next level and starts guarding Batman. What? The Bruce Wayne is accused of shooting his ex-girlfriend and set up for murder. The first billionaire in history that couldn't hire some Harvard Law grads to get him off, he goes to prison. So does the bodyguard. In prison Bruce decides that Bruce is no longer necessary and breaks out to become Batman. Umm.
Meanwhile this mess is exacerbated by the off-shoots into the aforementioned terrible other comics. What's up with Batgirl? What's wrong with her mask? She looks like the Gimp from Pulp Fiction. Who the hell is the purple idiot? THESE are the people Batman is working with? Fuck me! No wonder Bruce has been convicted of murder. BTW the art in those issues is mediocre at best.
Anyways..now Batman is ummm Batman..but not Bruce...and so ends up embroiled with the Chinese Triads and fights zombies. The Hell? The more I write this review the more I think this might deserve a 1 star. I shall not do that. There is a loosely decent story in here with a measure of potential. The other reason is I already bought the equally massive Bruce Wayne Fugitive and I have to read that, as well as add it to my library, so I'd rather not look like an idiot stuck reading a 1 star story. Instead I shall slog my way through a 2 star story.
Do I sound enthused? No. I am not. Will you be enthused? I doubt it. But go for it. I recommend this not because it is a good volume but because the massive size of this book allows for it to be used for a variety of home improvement, castle building or even defensive purposes (fling it at people). So due to sheer usefulness beyond original intent of purpose leads me to recommend this 2 star Batman book. Did I mention he fights zombies?
So what's up? Bruce Wayne hasn't been himself it seems. Everyone is mad at him. Alfred has left and he is not getting along with his former partners. For some reason, he's running around with some blonde woman who is Bruce Wayne's "bodyguard". Um ok. But, she takes it to the next level and starts guarding Batman. What? The Bruce Wayne is accused of shooting his ex-girlfriend and set up for murder. The first billionaire in history that couldn't hire some Harvard Law grads to get him off, he goes to prison. So does the bodyguard. In prison Bruce decides that Bruce is no longer necessary and breaks out to become Batman. Umm.
Meanwhile this mess is exacerbated by the off-shoots into the aforementioned terrible other comics. What's up with Batgirl? What's wrong with her mask? She looks like the Gimp from Pulp Fiction. Who the hell is the purple idiot? THESE are the people Batman is working with? Fuck me! No wonder Bruce has been convicted of murder. BTW the art in those issues is mediocre at best.
Anyways..now Batman is ummm Batman..but not Bruce...and so ends up embroiled with the Chinese Triads and fights zombies. The Hell? The more I write this review the more I think this might deserve a 1 star. I shall not do that. There is a loosely decent story in here with a measure of potential. The other reason is I already bought the equally massive Bruce Wayne Fugitive and I have to read that, as well as add it to my library, so I'd rather not look like an idiot stuck reading a 1 star story. Instead I shall slog my way through a 2 star story.
Do I sound enthused? No. I am not. Will you be enthused? I doubt it. But go for it. I recommend this not because it is a good volume but because the massive size of this book allows for it to be used for a variety of home improvement, castle building or even defensive purposes (fling it at people). So due to sheer usefulness beyond original intent of purpose leads me to recommend this 2 star Batman book. Did I mention he fights zombies?
February 2, 2021
Oh dear. *sighs*
It appears DC looked at their extremely overlong No Man's Land arc and thought "Oh boy, let's do that again!" I looked at the entirety of this storyline and it's Bruce Wayne: Murderer? Followed by Bruce Wayne: Fugitive, which is even longer. Followed by Aftermath, a short epilogue of sorts. I don't understand any of this considering the Bruce Wayne: Murder storyline was 8 issues too long.
So much of this felt like filler and I started to wonder who greenlit this. It feels like they should've just done a short book about this storyline instead of running it through all the Gotham centric series. Also, I saw a complaint that Bruce Wayne's name is in the title of this "event", but the majority of this book doesn't include him.
- I liked Rucka's work, for the most part. I enjoyed the Gotham Central parts with Renee Montoya, although her continued attempts to get Sasha to turn didn't make her look great. Also, her investigating Bruce Wayne and not knowing the story about his parents was just ignorant. What kind of detective wouldn't know the biggest event in her suspect's life? How did no one even mention it on the ride to Wayne Manor?
- I can only imagine how cool Dinah, Steph and Babs working together could've been if Dixon hadn't been writing those Birds of Prey issues. He thought it was much more compelling to write them arguing with each other instead. The scene where Babs tries to get the scoop from Sasha also would've been good if someone other than Dixon had written it. How nice that both Steph and Cass have a reason to try to help Bruce, but instead of working together, Dixon makes Steph rude and dismissive of Cass.
- Brubaker's Batman in Blackgate issue is pretty good. It's the only real issue that gets at how Bruce feels about the press digging into his life, junk scientists speculating that it's crazy Bruce didn't kill anyone else after the trauma he witnessed, and Bruce being upset over people trampling over his parents' graves. The action scenes feel like this would make a pretty cool episode of television.
- I loved Dinah saying Tim and Steph make a cute couple in that Robin issue. Mostly because no, no they don't. All Tim does is yell at, criticize and belittle Steph. And this book was full of people acting like Tim's anger at Bruce for outing him as Robin to Steph made him deserving of sympathy. At this point, it's just annoying that Tim hasn't let it go. Kinda hilarious he's that upset at having his secrets revealed when the only reason Tim ended up as Robin was by digging into Bruce and Dick's lives and revealing them as Batman and Robin. But no one will ever call Tim out for being a hypocrite.
- One last thing, they reference a Hudson University and I started laughing because anyone who watches Law and Order knows that all the bad guys usually end up going to school there.
So, long story short: this is not a recommend from me. If you're reading Rucka's Batman, you get most of what's good from there. If you read Puckett's Batgirl (and I recommend that everyone does) you're getting what's good from there. There's nothing about this storyline that I found worth checking out. You can skip this entire thing.
It appears DC looked at their extremely overlong No Man's Land arc and thought "Oh boy, let's do that again!" I looked at the entirety of this storyline and it's Bruce Wayne: Murderer? Followed by Bruce Wayne: Fugitive, which is even longer. Followed by Aftermath, a short epilogue of sorts. I don't understand any of this considering the Bruce Wayne: Murder storyline was 8 issues too long.
So much of this felt like filler and I started to wonder who greenlit this. It feels like they should've just done a short book about this storyline instead of running it through all the Gotham centric series. Also, I saw a complaint that Bruce Wayne's name is in the title of this "event", but the majority of this book doesn't include him.
- I liked Rucka's work, for the most part. I enjoyed the Gotham Central parts with Renee Montoya, although her continued attempts to get Sasha to turn didn't make her look great. Also, her investigating Bruce Wayne and not knowing the story about his parents was just ignorant. What kind of detective wouldn't know the biggest event in her suspect's life? How did no one even mention it on the ride to Wayne Manor?
- I can only imagine how cool Dinah, Steph and Babs working together could've been if Dixon hadn't been writing those Birds of Prey issues. He thought it was much more compelling to write them arguing with each other instead. The scene where Babs tries to get the scoop from Sasha also would've been good if someone other than Dixon had written it. How nice that both Steph and Cass have a reason to try to help Bruce, but instead of working together, Dixon makes Steph rude and dismissive of Cass.
- Brubaker's Batman in Blackgate issue is pretty good. It's the only real issue that gets at how Bruce feels about the press digging into his life, junk scientists speculating that it's crazy Bruce didn't kill anyone else after the trauma he witnessed, and Bruce being upset over people trampling over his parents' graves. The action scenes feel like this would make a pretty cool episode of television.
- I loved Dinah saying Tim and Steph make a cute couple in that Robin issue. Mostly because no, no they don't. All Tim does is yell at, criticize and belittle Steph. And this book was full of people acting like Tim's anger at Bruce for outing him as Robin to Steph made him deserving of sympathy. At this point, it's just annoying that Tim hasn't let it go. Kinda hilarious he's that upset at having his secrets revealed when the only reason Tim ended up as Robin was by digging into Bruce and Dick's lives and revealing them as Batman and Robin. But no one will ever call Tim out for being a hypocrite.
- One last thing, they reference a Hudson University and I started laughing because anyone who watches Law and Order knows that all the bad guys usually end up going to school there.
So, long story short: this is not a recommend from me. If you're reading Rucka's Batman, you get most of what's good from there. If you read Puckett's Batgirl (and I recommend that everyone does) you're getting what's good from there. There's nothing about this storyline that I found worth checking out. You can skip this entire thing.
May 11, 2014
I re-read this years after my first read-through, and I realised it is probably one of my favourite Batman storylines ever. It was like visiting an old friend: even though I know where this is going (having already read the storyline/event to its conclusion), I enjoyed every minute - or page, whatever - of it.
Reading this, it also reminded me that - back then - one of my favourite artists was Scott McDaniel! I have to admit I haven't thought about him much recently (does he even work in the field anymore?), but back then he was definitely one of my favourites. His Batman was especially badass. Consider this, the cover of Batman #600, one of my all-time favourite covers:
Ed Brubaker and Greg Rucka, with Chuck Dixon, Devin Grayson and Kelley Puckett all collaborated on this 'whodunit' storyline, and by the end of this volume, Batman himself has come to a shocking decision:
The first 14 (of 24!) issues collected in this book are the main draw. A lot more seems to happen (and of more importance, too!) than in the last 10 issues, which have basically 2 main things going on:
[1] Batman's 'family' (ie: Nightwing, Robin, Alfred, Oracle, Batgirl), Spoiler and Black Canary are investigating in the hopes of finding proof that someone else murdered Fairchild, effectively clearing Bruce Wayne's name. Allen & Montoya [very] briefly question Alfred regarding Wayne's disappearance.
[2] Batman is just being Batman - punishing thugs and what not - without actively doing anything about Fairchild's murder or the investigation surrounding it.
So that's 5 stars for the first part of the book, 3 stars for the second part, for an overall rating of 4 stars.
This omnibus collects Batman: Bruce Wayne, Murderer? and Batman: Bruce Wayne, Fugitive, Vol. 1. The main difference is that the omnibus reprints all the pages of all the included issues, whereas the older editions reprint only the relevant material from these issues, leaving out quite a bit of unnecessary 'junk'. That's actually a plus, as it keeps the narrative more focused. I personally could care less about the other plot lines going on concurrently, as they do not impact the 'Murderer/Fugitive' story arcs.
The story continues in Batman: Bruce Wayne, Fugitive, Vol. 2, then in Batman: Bruce Wayne, Fugitive, Vol. 3. Alternately, you may opt to follow the story to its conclusion in the Batman: Bruce Wayne, Fugitive omnibus, which collects the two books mentioned just previously.
Reading this, it also reminded me that - back then - one of my favourite artists was Scott McDaniel! I have to admit I haven't thought about him much recently (does he even work in the field anymore?), but back then he was definitely one of my favourites. His Batman was especially badass. Consider this, the cover of Batman #600, one of my all-time favourite covers:
Ed Brubaker and Greg Rucka, with Chuck Dixon, Devin Grayson and Kelley Puckett all collaborated on this 'whodunit' storyline, and by the end of this volume, Batman himself has come to a shocking decision:
The first 14 (of 24!) issues collected in this book are the main draw. A lot more seems to happen (and of more importance, too!) than in the last 10 issues, which have basically 2 main things going on:
[1] Batman's 'family' (ie: Nightwing, Robin, Alfred, Oracle, Batgirl), Spoiler and Black Canary are investigating in the hopes of finding proof that someone else murdered Fairchild, effectively clearing Bruce Wayne's name. Allen & Montoya [very] briefly question Alfred regarding Wayne's disappearance.
[2] Batman is just being Batman - punishing thugs and what not - without actively doing anything about Fairchild's murder or the investigation surrounding it.
So that's 5 stars for the first part of the book, 3 stars for the second part, for an overall rating of 4 stars.
This omnibus collects Batman: Bruce Wayne, Murderer? and Batman: Bruce Wayne, Fugitive, Vol. 1. The main difference is that the omnibus reprints all the pages of all the included issues, whereas the older editions reprint only the relevant material from these issues, leaving out quite a bit of unnecessary 'junk'. That's actually a plus, as it keeps the narrative more focused. I personally could care less about the other plot lines going on concurrently, as they do not impact the 'Murderer/Fugitive' story arcs.
The story continues in Batman: Bruce Wayne, Fugitive, Vol. 2, then in Batman: Bruce Wayne, Fugitive, Vol. 3. Alternately, you may opt to follow the story to its conclusion in the Batman: Bruce Wayne, Fugitive omnibus, which collects the two books mentioned just previously.
January 17, 2017
You can see a more Vivid Review of this book on my Blog at - https://ablogaboutbook.wordpress.com/...
Book Details :
What I liked :
while not a new concept , after all a similar story was done with Dick Grayson just few months before release of this one . This effort however excels where the efforts of Nightwing failed, because of the mystery created and executed .
For majority of the book , the author succeeds in creating a doubt among the readers , they are made to question whether Bruce Wayne is actually the culprit . This is done masterfully as even before this story-line Bruce had shown many signs of making erratic decisions something that led to his own alienation from nearly every asssociate he ever had .
Meanwhile the whole Bat-family* seems to be convinced that maybe Batman has actually done it and even Bruce , in a prison , refuses to accept or deny the responsibility of the crime . This result in a strained relationship between the Bat-family.
*except Dick Grayson
The paperback also consisted of other side stories involving Nightwing, Birds of Prey , Red Robin , Spoiler etc . and each story was related to the mystery of the Murder conviction of Bruce Wayne and at the same time managed to stay on its own as a good stand alone story .
What I didn't like :
Easy - The art !
The sketches and coloring was one of the worst I have ever seen , Part of the reason is that the story was told via 8 different titles , ergo While some issues had artists who managed decent artwork ,others had absolutely horrible ones , specially the ones working on Nightwing & Birds of Prey .
Conclusion :
Despite the very inconsistent and plain Bad Art work , the Story is intense and keeps you guessing . The story obviously didn't reveal whether or not Bruce has actually done it but it made a very interesting scenario where even the hardest of hardcore fans will start questioning whether Bruce is innocent and not to forget the marvelous display of the strained relationships between various members of the Bat-family . In my honest opinion this is a must read for Batman fans at least
Book Details :
Set following the events of No Man's Land and soon after Batman being abandoned by Alfred, Barbara, Tim and Death of Jason and Jim Gordon being in a coma following a misadventure during his time with Batman.Batman now , has become even more grim than he ever was , dealing justice to the scum of Gotham with very little after thought . Batman now wants to work as alone as he can , he's not however alone as a new partner supports him , maybe even loves him . But one night Bruce Wayne is found standing near the dead body of Vesper Fairchild , his ex-girlfriend , he has the murder weapon in his hands and police have a 911 call that incriminates Bruce . Has Bruce finally crossed the line? has he done it?
What I liked :
while not a new concept , after all a similar story was done with Dick Grayson just few months before release of this one . This effort however excels where the efforts of Nightwing failed, because of the mystery created and executed .
For majority of the book , the author succeeds in creating a doubt among the readers , they are made to question whether Bruce Wayne is actually the culprit . This is done masterfully as even before this story-line Bruce had shown many signs of making erratic decisions something that led to his own alienation from nearly every asssociate he ever had .
Meanwhile the whole Bat-family* seems to be convinced that maybe Batman has actually done it and even Bruce , in a prison , refuses to accept or deny the responsibility of the crime . This result in a strained relationship between the Bat-family.
*except Dick Grayson
The paperback also consisted of other side stories involving Nightwing, Birds of Prey , Red Robin , Spoiler etc . and each story was related to the mystery of the Murder conviction of Bruce Wayne and at the same time managed to stay on its own as a good stand alone story .
What I didn't like :
Easy - The art !
The sketches and coloring was one of the worst I have ever seen , Part of the reason is that the story was told via 8 different titles , ergo While some issues had artists who managed decent artwork ,others had absolutely horrible ones , specially the ones working on Nightwing & Birds of Prey .
Conclusion :
Despite the very inconsistent and plain Bad Art work , the Story is intense and keeps you guessing . The story obviously didn't reveal whether or not Bruce has actually done it but it made a very interesting scenario where even the hardest of hardcore fans will start questioning whether Bruce is innocent and not to forget the marvelous display of the strained relationships between various members of the Bat-family . In my honest opinion this is a must read for Batman fans at least
July 30, 2015
I really wanted to like this and there were some really good moments in it, but in the end, taken as a whole the story wanders and doesn't really answer the driving questions of whether Bruce Wayne is a murderer. The entire volume is a setup for the conclusion in Bruce Wayne, Fugitive.
First off, there are a number of things you have to know about during this story, such as:
Bruce has been "on edge" for some reason
Batman's running around with some sidekick name Sasha
Someone named Spoiler is trying to get into the Batclub
Tim (Robin) has been sidelined by Bruce for some reason
Alfred "left" Bruce and no longer lives at the mansion for some reason
There's no real explanation for any of these, so if you didn't read about them before, you just have to accept the current state of things.
The things I did like are the conversations between all of the members of the Batclub (Nightwing, Oracle, Robin, and others) discussing whether or not Bruce could have done this and examining each of their relationships with Bruce. Clearly, Bruce is not completely "stable" and the way he treats his surrogate family can't be healthy either. Despite how he treats them, they still care about him, and the depth of their caring makes each of them question their loyalty and just how well they know him.
The story does an excellent job of stacking the evidence against Bruce making the reader think it is him. However, because the volume includes all of the various series included in the crossover, there are side plots which don't really have much to do with the main story leaving you with a slightly jumbled and unsatisfying ending. Bruce is in it, but not a lot. He has a couple cool Batman moments but that's about it.
The art isn't top notch but still pretty good. Notable artists are McDaniel and Nauck and most of the other artists have similar styles.
I am left wanting to read the next volume to see how Bruce pulls himself out though.
First off, there are a number of things you have to know about during this story, such as:
Bruce has been "on edge" for some reason
Batman's running around with some sidekick name Sasha
Someone named Spoiler is trying to get into the Batclub
Tim (Robin) has been sidelined by Bruce for some reason
Alfred "left" Bruce and no longer lives at the mansion for some reason
There's no real explanation for any of these, so if you didn't read about them before, you just have to accept the current state of things.
The things I did like are the conversations between all of the members of the Batclub (Nightwing, Oracle, Robin, and others) discussing whether or not Bruce could have done this and examining each of their relationships with Bruce. Clearly, Bruce is not completely "stable" and the way he treats his surrogate family can't be healthy either. Despite how he treats them, they still care about him, and the depth of their caring makes each of them question their loyalty and just how well they know him.
The story does an excellent job of stacking the evidence against Bruce making the reader think it is him. However, because the volume includes all of the various series included in the crossover, there are side plots which don't really have much to do with the main story leaving you with a slightly jumbled and unsatisfying ending. Bruce is in it, but not a lot. He has a couple cool Batman moments but that's about it.
The art isn't top notch but still pretty good. Notable artists are McDaniel and Nauck and most of the other artists have similar styles.
I am left wanting to read the next volume to see how Bruce pulls himself out though.
August 20, 2020
Bruce Wayne Murderer nemá vůbec špatnou myšlenku, to co celý tenhle příběh sráží je neduha eventů - je to strašně, strašně, strašně, strašně, strašně natažený. Celý tenhle omnibus mě přes 600 stran a nakonec se celý příběh ani nevyřeší což je úplně wtf. Co je potřeba taky říct, že začátek mě strašně moc bavil. Je celkem komorní a pracuje spíše s Brucem. Bohužel postupně to vykrystalizuje v tupuou superhrdinskou mlátičku a druhá polovina tohohle omnibusu mě příšerně nudila. Zkrátka je tady hodně poznat kdy píše Rucka s Brubakerem a kdy třeba píše Chuck Dixon který je pro mě nudný neumětel. Vážně mě fascinuje počet stran a to jak moc zbytečného příběhu tady je, ty tie iny nejen, že jsou strašně zbytečný ale jsou hlavně dost nudný.
Ta představa, že to ještě pokračuje dál mě děsí.
Sumec Sumárum, první polovina v kombinaci s nápadem velmi čtivá, bohužel druhá polovina to zabíjí takže čistě na průměr.
Ta představa, že to ještě pokračuje dál mě děsí.
Sumec Sumárum, první polovina v kombinaci s nápadem velmi čtivá, bohužel druhá polovina to zabíjí takže čistě na průměr.
December 2, 2022
THIS WAS AMAZING!!!!!! ¡! AHHH I missed reading batman so much. Tim's doubt? His fights with everyone? Bruce revealing is secret to steph??? Fucking insane. DICK'S FIGHT WITH BRUCE???? Made me SOB. Bruce's slow mental decay? Not new but desperately missed. This is everything I want out of a Batman Storyline.
September 28, 2024
“Bruce Wayne: Murderer?” collects Batman #600.
Collects: - Batman: The 10-Cent Adventure: #1 - Batgirl: #24 - Batman: #599, #600 - Gotham Knights: #25, #26 - Birds of Prey: #39, #40 - Detective Comics: #766, #767 - Nightwing: #65,
#66 - Robin #98, #99.
On the whole, this a good story. It’s a crime procedural where Bruce Wayne is accused of murder. The crime ends up tearing up the Bat Family.
The high points here are Brubaker’s issues. However, there are some definite low points. I’m mostly thinking of the Disney-esque art of Trevor McCarthy early on. The story also felt a bit long . . . but overall was entertaining.
Collects: - Batman: The 10-Cent Adventure: #1 - Batgirl: #24 - Batman: #599, #600 - Gotham Knights: #25, #26 - Birds of Prey: #39, #40 - Detective Comics: #766, #767 - Nightwing: #65,
#66 - Robin #98, #99.
On the whole, this a good story. It’s a crime procedural where Bruce Wayne is accused of murder. The crime ends up tearing up the Bat Family.
The high points here are Brubaker’s issues. However, there are some definite low points. I’m mostly thinking of the Disney-esque art of Trevor McCarthy early on. The story also felt a bit long . . . but overall was entertaining.
January 9, 2016
It's an overall interesting story. Bruce Wayne is out with his bodyguard, Sasha, as Batman. Patrolling. Batman has a bodyguard because Bruce Wayne has a bodyguard. And Sasha is as stubborn and intelligent as Batman, so when Wayne heads off by himself, Sasha has to figure out what's going on. And finds out Wayne is Batman. Therefore she goes out on patrols with him.
So. Batman and Sasha out on patrol. Two different crimes occur right when they are about to head back, so they separate. Both arrive back safely, though Batman is already changed back into Wayne and all showered and stuff. Wayne heads upstairs and finds . . . the body of his ex-girlfriend. He kneels over the body, lifting it up. Sasha stands there stunned. Police break in right then and arrest Wayne and Sasha. And that's the start of the 624 page volume.
The rest of the book follows various Bat related people, Tim Drake as Robin, Nightwing, Batgirl, Black Canary, Oracle, Spoiler, and Alfred the butler attempt to figure out what has happening and to try to help Batman. Though Batman doesn't want their help.
It's interesting to bump into characters I know and don't know. Judging by the other characters reactions, Sasha is relatively new to their gang. I've personally never heard of her before. Though it is possible I meant a later version of her after she got out of prison. I've meet Robin, Nightwing, Batgirl, Black Canary, Oracle, Spoiler and Alfred before. But not specifically the same ones as are in this story. I don't think I've meet Tim Drake as Robin before. Not sure. The prior books that I read that included Robin seemed to involve Dick Grayson (or whatever Dick's last name is), who is Nightwing here (and Nightwing in other Nightwing related things I've read). Batgirl is yet another new woman in the role. No clue who she is. They never give her name. Other than Batgirl. Black Canary, Spoiler, and Alfred have all been meet by me before, but mostly as cameos/guest starring roles. So I don't have a good feeling of them.
It's one of those things that pop up in the Batman universe. That Batman doesn't kill. And doesn't like guns. So it seems a no brainer that he didn't kill his ex-girlfriend, right? Since she was shot three times. Except . . . she was shot by Wayne's gun. In his house. And Wayne was found with blood on him. And the dead girl's shoes in his bedroom. Then there's a 911 recording of Vesper Fairchild, the dead ex-girlfriend, moments before she is killed. Could Batman kill? Could something push him over the edge? Most of the characters have to confront the idea that Batman actually did kill. Nightwing can't stand the idea that Batman could kill, or that others might suspect that he could. The others are not so sure.
So. Batman and Sasha out on patrol. Two different crimes occur right when they are about to head back, so they separate. Both arrive back safely, though Batman is already changed back into Wayne and all showered and stuff. Wayne heads upstairs and finds . . . the body of his ex-girlfriend. He kneels over the body, lifting it up. Sasha stands there stunned. Police break in right then and arrest Wayne and Sasha. And that's the start of the 624 page volume.
The rest of the book follows various Bat related people, Tim Drake as Robin, Nightwing, Batgirl, Black Canary, Oracle, Spoiler, and Alfred the butler attempt to figure out what has happening and to try to help Batman. Though Batman doesn't want their help.
It's interesting to bump into characters I know and don't know. Judging by the other characters reactions, Sasha is relatively new to their gang. I've personally never heard of her before. Though it is possible I meant a later version of her after she got out of prison. I've meet Robin, Nightwing, Batgirl, Black Canary, Oracle, Spoiler and Alfred before. But not specifically the same ones as are in this story. I don't think I've meet Tim Drake as Robin before. Not sure. The prior books that I read that included Robin seemed to involve Dick Grayson (or whatever Dick's last name is), who is Nightwing here (and Nightwing in other Nightwing related things I've read). Batgirl is yet another new woman in the role. No clue who she is. They never give her name. Other than Batgirl. Black Canary, Spoiler, and Alfred have all been meet by me before, but mostly as cameos/guest starring roles. So I don't have a good feeling of them.
It's one of those things that pop up in the Batman universe. That Batman doesn't kill. And doesn't like guns. So it seems a no brainer that he didn't kill his ex-girlfriend, right? Since she was shot three times. Except . . . she was shot by Wayne's gun. In his house. And Wayne was found with blood on him. And the dead girl's shoes in his bedroom. Then there's a 911 recording of Vesper Fairchild, the dead ex-girlfriend, moments before she is killed. Could Batman kill? Could something push him over the edge? Most of the characters have to confront the idea that Batman actually did kill. Nightwing can't stand the idea that Batman could kill, or that others might suspect that he could. The others are not so sure.
March 25, 2016
I've come and gone into and out of the comic book hobby since the late 80s when I was a teenager discovering that yes, I too could become obsessed with a hobby now that I'd outgrown being a lead singer in an air-band. The danger of leaving and returning, though, is that titles one used to like will become huge families of titles suddenly, and it's daunting to catch up. This is why I am very grateful for big omnibus kinds of books like this. During the period when the whole "bat family" (I don't recall that concept from the late 80s) is trying to figure out what happened that led to Bruce Wayne being framed for a murder, continuity apparently required that he be dealing with that issue in all the Bat-titles. So thank you, D.C., for helping me out here. I'll never catch up, but I can at least enjoy some storylines this way.
The creators did a nice job NOT being too jarring between titles, it turns out. Good teamwork, good editorship, perhaps? I admire it though, regardless. The shifts in visual-art style was the only off-putting thing here, but I'm a grown-up and can adapt. I won't say I liked the styles in their entirety, but I must stress that this is not a criticism, but more about preference, though I wondered how the more cartoonish styles were supposed to fit with the writing at times.
The only storyline I didn't care for was that of Nicodemus. His motive was familiar and cliche. The story felt tired. I was also unsure of why , but perhaps the next volume, which I will definitely read, will reveal something about this.
I have to say I really enjoyed the way the Bat-family has fleshed out. I like the characters, and the roles they have taken on. They have a really great team of writers and artists across the board. Reading this volume brought me back into actually liking mainstream comics again. Most of my comics reading is more adult lately, fewer superhero titles. It feels like kind of a homecoming for me.
http://darkmagnet.blogspot.com
The creators did a nice job NOT being too jarring between titles, it turns out. Good teamwork, good editorship, perhaps? I admire it though, regardless. The shifts in visual-art style was the only off-putting thing here, but I'm a grown-up and can adapt. I won't say I liked the styles in their entirety, but I must stress that this is not a criticism, but more about preference, though I wondered how the more cartoonish styles were supposed to fit with the writing at times.
The only storyline I didn't care for was that of Nicodemus. His motive was familiar and cliche. The story felt tired. I was also unsure of why , but perhaps the next volume, which I will definitely read, will reveal something about this.
I have to say I really enjoyed the way the Bat-family has fleshed out. I like the characters, and the roles they have taken on. They have a really great team of writers and artists across the board. Reading this volume brought me back into actually liking mainstream comics again. Most of my comics reading is more adult lately, fewer superhero titles. It feels like kind of a homecoming for me.
http://darkmagnet.blogspot.com
April 6, 2019
Maybe you like reading over 600 pp. if comics only to see "to be continued" on the last page.
I don't.
The whole set-up is pretty dumb, anyway.
Gosh. Bruce Wayne has been a little flakey lately. Wonder if he shot someone.
Then we can have a GIANT crossover with Dick, Barbara, Tim, Steph, and the Asian chick wondering if Bruce could do such a thing.
And the whole thing could get so drawn out and boring that we could have some.. tangents.. yeah. Drugs in Chinatown, and, um, zombies! WTF not?
The artists acquitted themselves more admirably than the writers, overall.
I don't.
The whole set-up is pretty dumb, anyway.
Gosh. Bruce Wayne has been a little flakey lately. Wonder if he shot someone.
Then we can have a GIANT crossover with Dick, Barbara, Tim, Steph, and the Asian chick wondering if Bruce could do such a thing.
And the whole thing could get so drawn out and boring that we could have some.. tangents.. yeah. Drugs in Chinatown, and, um, zombies! WTF not?
The artists acquitted themselves more admirably than the writers, overall.
February 3, 2015
Great lead-in to the Bruce Wayne: Fugitive series. The new edition is a little too faithful in reproducing all of the comics that contain any story piece, which ends up establishing a bunch of plot threads that don't pan out or resolve within this series, and that's a little distracting.
July 27, 2021
It feels like a rite of passage for any superhero (yes, Batman is a SUPER-hero) to at one point, end up behind bars. There is something that just nudges you to want to see how he or she would handle the situation of being surrounded by the very people that they´ve put in there.
Read
November 15, 2021What a great period for the bat fam! Coulda done without the zombie and flame guy side tracks but otherwise solid stuff. Sasha Bordeaux better be back by the end of Fugitive
October 29, 2023
Muito bom esse arco de histórias envolvendo a Batfamily e o Bruce sendo incriminado de assassinato. A escrita do Ed Brubaker para esse tipo de história de investigação e assassinato é incrível!!
Todo o mistério por trás do assassinato, junto com o desenvolvimento da investigação, a coleta de pistas pela polícia, e a falta de conhecimento dos fatos pela Batfamily deixa tudo mais misterioso e intrigante.
Conforme os personagens vão avançando na investigação, o leitor fica cada vez mais preso na leitura querendo saber quem arquitetou o plano para incriminar Bruce wayne.
O único ponto negativo da trama, é que durante o período que a história se passa, o Batman está insuportável e carrancudo. É bem difícil de lidar com ele.
Todo o mistério por trás do assassinato, junto com o desenvolvimento da investigação, a coleta de pistas pela polícia, e a falta de conhecimento dos fatos pela Batfamily deixa tudo mais misterioso e intrigante.
Conforme os personagens vão avançando na investigação, o leitor fica cada vez mais preso na leitura querendo saber quem arquitetou o plano para incriminar Bruce wayne.
O único ponto negativo da trama, é que durante o período que a história se passa, o Batman está insuportável e carrancudo. É bem difícil de lidar com ele.
May 16, 2023
3.5 stars, rounded down. It just lacked something, some parts dragged.
September 10, 2016
I re-read this today, years after my first read-through, and I realised it is probably one of my favourite Batman storylines ever. It was like visiting an old friend: even though I know where this is going (having already read the storyline/event to its conclusion), I enjoyed every minute - or page, whatever - of it.
Reading this, it also reminded me that - back then - one of my favourite artists was Scott McDaniel! I have to admit I haven't thought about him much recently (does he even work in the field anymore?), but back then he was definitely one of my favourites. His Batman was especially badass. Consider this, the cover of Batman #600, one of my all-time favourite covers:
Ed Brubaker and Greg Rucka, with Chuck Dixon, Devin Grayson and Kelley Puckett all collaborated on this 'whodunit' storyline, and even though we're no closer to solving the mystery by the end of this volume, Batman himself has come to a shocking decision:
The story continues in Batman: Bruce Wayne, Fugitive, Vol. 1. These two books were recently collected in an omnibus (Batman: Bruce Wayne - Murderer?, and the main difference is that the omnibus reprints all the pages of all the included issues, whereas the older editions (such as the one you're currently reading the review for) reprint only the relevant material from these issues, leaving out quite a bit of unnecessary 'junk'. That's actually a plus, as it keeps the narrative more focused.
'But the omnibus has glossy pages!' you say.
Well, in that case... Let's look at it this way: The omnibus is shinier, but this older edition doesn't waste any of your time. What's more important to you?
Reading this, it also reminded me that - back then - one of my favourite artists was Scott McDaniel! I have to admit I haven't thought about him much recently (does he even work in the field anymore?), but back then he was definitely one of my favourites. His Batman was especially badass. Consider this, the cover of Batman #600, one of my all-time favourite covers:
Ed Brubaker and Greg Rucka, with Chuck Dixon, Devin Grayson and Kelley Puckett all collaborated on this 'whodunit' storyline, and even though we're no closer to solving the mystery by the end of this volume, Batman himself has come to a shocking decision:
The story continues in Batman: Bruce Wayne, Fugitive, Vol. 1. These two books were recently collected in an omnibus (Batman: Bruce Wayne - Murderer?, and the main difference is that the omnibus reprints all the pages of all the included issues, whereas the older editions (such as the one you're currently reading the review for) reprint only the relevant material from these issues, leaving out quite a bit of unnecessary 'junk'. That's actually a plus, as it keeps the narrative more focused.
'But the omnibus has glossy pages!' you say.
Well, in that case... Let's look at it this way: The omnibus is shinier, but this older edition doesn't waste any of your time. What's more important to you?
May 1, 2011
... and I can't tell you how thrilling it is, for a change, to deal with a story that is primarily about what the Batman does best: detection.
BRUCE WAYNE: MURDERER is about many things, but on the surface it only poses one question: how far is faith worth following?
After a long night of chucking bad guys, Batman and Sasha Bourdeaux (his latest in a growing list of sidekicks) return home ... Sasha a few moments later than her mentor. However, in one of the upstairs rooms, Vesper Fairchild -- one of Wayne's many conquests -- is found shot to death. A 911 call circumstantially points all fingers to the billionaire-playboy, and, thus, Batman is thrust behind Blackgate Prison's slim bars ... a place where he's housed so many of the city's treacherous underworld.
In the interim, all of the principles in the Batman universe -- Robin, Oracle, Batgirl, and Nightwing, primarily -- are left to explore the possibility of whether or not the man who has meant so much to them in their lifetimes COULD have committed the deed. Bruce Wayne's not speaking. He's not declaring his innocence, leaving second-guessing to overcome second nature, and the merry band of Batfamily members will be forever challenged and possibly changed by the graphic novel's climax.
Once again, DC Comics has produced evidence that graphic storytelling can be so far advanced than what it has long been considered: folly best left to juveniles. This book explores adult themes in an entirely adult reality, and the consequences of a single act may irrevocably change the world of Gotham, for better or for worse. Smartly, the storytellers let the reader decide, and they don't force feed morality down the throat.
While BRUCE WAYNE: MURDERER isn't a complete tale (it's only a set-up for a series of events to follow), it could be read as a stand alone tale ... the paradigm has shifted in the Batman universe, and Bruce Wayne -- long considered the true 'mask' character in the playboy/crimefighter duality -- is gone, leaving our hero to face the grim reality of his never-ending battle to free Gotham from the clutches of pure evil.
BRUCE WAYNE: MURDERER is about many things, but on the surface it only poses one question: how far is faith worth following?
After a long night of chucking bad guys, Batman and Sasha Bourdeaux (his latest in a growing list of sidekicks) return home ... Sasha a few moments later than her mentor. However, in one of the upstairs rooms, Vesper Fairchild -- one of Wayne's many conquests -- is found shot to death. A 911 call circumstantially points all fingers to the billionaire-playboy, and, thus, Batman is thrust behind Blackgate Prison's slim bars ... a place where he's housed so many of the city's treacherous underworld.
In the interim, all of the principles in the Batman universe -- Robin, Oracle, Batgirl, and Nightwing, primarily -- are left to explore the possibility of whether or not the man who has meant so much to them in their lifetimes COULD have committed the deed. Bruce Wayne's not speaking. He's not declaring his innocence, leaving second-guessing to overcome second nature, and the merry band of Batfamily members will be forever challenged and possibly changed by the graphic novel's climax.
Once again, DC Comics has produced evidence that graphic storytelling can be so far advanced than what it has long been considered: folly best left to juveniles. This book explores adult themes in an entirely adult reality, and the consequences of a single act may irrevocably change the world of Gotham, for better or for worse. Smartly, the storytellers let the reader decide, and they don't force feed morality down the throat.
While BRUCE WAYNE: MURDERER isn't a complete tale (it's only a set-up for a series of events to follow), it could be read as a stand alone tale ... the paradigm has shifted in the Batman universe, and Bruce Wayne -- long considered the true 'mask' character in the playboy/crimefighter duality -- is gone, leaving our hero to face the grim reality of his never-ending battle to free Gotham from the clutches of pure evil.
February 2, 2015
This impressively thick collection runs a crossover threaded through the major Batman titles in the early 2000's in which Batman's alter ego Bruce Wayne is accused of murdering a former love interest. The crossover spanned the major Batman titled (Batman, Detective) and some of the other books under the publishing umbrella (Nightwing, Batgirl, Robin, Birds of Prey, Gotham Knights).
Crossover spanning collections like this are always a bit of a tough sit, as creative teams vary wildly from book to book, but the early aughts were an especially good time creatively for the Bat-books. Ed Brubaker and Greg Rucka were in charge of the main titles with assists on some of the side series from talented writers like Chuck Dixon and Devin Grayson, among others.
What's most interesting about Bruce Wayne: Murderer is how uninteresting it is as Batman story. Sure, he's the main character but for the most part, Batman is kept firmly off stage as his extended cast of fellow superheroes does the heavy lifting of investigating the crime. There are some fun stories collected here and DC is to be somewhat commended for remembering that many of the ancillary titles had a rooting interest in being involved with this crossover. Indeed some of the issues of Batgirl and Nightwing collected here are vitally important to the overall narrative of the story.
Having said that, there are some problems with this as a collected edition. By its' very nature, the central narrative is a bit meandering especially once (Spoiler) a wrongly accused but expertly framed Bruce Wayne breaks out of prison to resume his Batman duties. I must admit, I found my mind wandering when the focus shifted back to Batman. That's probably an issue. I don't know I would recommend this to someone looking for a "Batman" story which is a little strange, given how much time and space the narrative takes up. Having said that, what is collected here is solid genre comics and I'm definitely interested in seeing the next collection, Bruce Wayne: Fugitive.
Crossover spanning collections like this are always a bit of a tough sit, as creative teams vary wildly from book to book, but the early aughts were an especially good time creatively for the Bat-books. Ed Brubaker and Greg Rucka were in charge of the main titles with assists on some of the side series from talented writers like Chuck Dixon and Devin Grayson, among others.
What's most interesting about Bruce Wayne: Murderer is how uninteresting it is as Batman story. Sure, he's the main character but for the most part, Batman is kept firmly off stage as his extended cast of fellow superheroes does the heavy lifting of investigating the crime. There are some fun stories collected here and DC is to be somewhat commended for remembering that many of the ancillary titles had a rooting interest in being involved with this crossover. Indeed some of the issues of Batgirl and Nightwing collected here are vitally important to the overall narrative of the story.
Having said that, there are some problems with this as a collected edition. By its' very nature, the central narrative is a bit meandering especially once (Spoiler) a wrongly accused but expertly framed Bruce Wayne breaks out of prison to resume his Batman duties. I must admit, I found my mind wandering when the focus shifted back to Batman. That's probably an issue. I don't know I would recommend this to someone looking for a "Batman" story which is a little strange, given how much time and space the narrative takes up. Having said that, what is collected here is solid genre comics and I'm definitely interested in seeing the next collection, Bruce Wayne: Fugitive.
March 9, 2017
Intriguing story. This Bruce Wayne is not remotely likable, but it is indeed a logical outgrowth of the 90's paranoid loner Batman. (The Justice League animated Batman might act this way, for instance.) The Brubaker Batman and Rucka Detective issues are quite good, both art and story. I find myself looking forward to them because most of the crossover books - especially later in the volume - only barely deal with this mystery. So I am thrown into other characters' plots and supporting casts with little explanation. And I hate hate hate the art on the Nightwing issues.
Some really good scenes with various Batfamily members, especially Alfred and Bruce, Dick, and Tim. Also a solid scene between Dr. Thompkins and Batman.
Re not-nice Batman: I certainly don't want silly 1950-60's Batman, except on my TV. I don't mind angry post-Crisis Batman. It's right for the character, and it's frequently done well. (especially in the DCAU) This MURDERER characterization is consistent with that. I'm fine with that, but I don't like him in this story - especially the way he treats his Batfamily, who genuinely care and want to help. But then again, I don't think we're supposed to like the way he's behaving. And there's enough convincing doubt from Tim and Babs to make the reader wonder what's really going down about the murder.
That's the arc. I expect it to work out in Batman: Bruce Wayne, Fugitive. It doesn't take me out of this good story. His attitude here is the story. Only that crappy Nightwing art truly takes me out of the story. . .
Some really good scenes with various Batfamily members, especially Alfred and Bruce, Dick, and Tim. Also a solid scene between Dr. Thompkins and Batman.
Re not-nice Batman: I certainly don't want silly 1950-60's Batman, except on my TV. I don't mind angry post-Crisis Batman. It's right for the character, and it's frequently done well. (especially in the DCAU) This MURDERER characterization is consistent with that. I'm fine with that, but I don't like him in this story - especially the way he treats his Batfamily, who genuinely care and want to help. But then again, I don't think we're supposed to like the way he's behaving. And there's enough convincing doubt from Tim and Babs to make the reader wonder what's really going down about the murder.
That's the arc. I expect it to work out in Batman: Bruce Wayne, Fugitive. It doesn't take me out of this good story. His attitude here is the story. Only that crappy Nightwing art truly takes me out of the story. . .
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