Bruce Wayne: Fugitive
Encyclopedia
"Bruce Wayne: Fugitive" is a storyline that ran through the Batman
comic books in 2002. The story directly follows the "Bruce Wayne: Murderer?" story.
, both Wayne and his bodyguard, Sasha Bordeaux
, are imprisoned, leaving the Batman Family to work the crime and absolve them. However, the investigation is complicated when evidence is uncovered suggesting that Vesper knew who Batman was, thus giving Bruce a motive for the crime that only the Batman Family would ever be able to see. Driven to near-breaking point by his frustration at being forced to constantly act like Bruce Wayne rather than Batman, Bruce escapes from jail and announces his intention to no longer live as Bruce Wayne, but to be only Batman.
The story runs through Batgirl
#24, Batman
#599-600, Batman: Gotham Knights
#25-26, Birds of Prey #39-40, Detective Comics
#766-767, Nightwing #65-66, and Robin (vol. 2) #98-99.
(with some assistance from Black Canary
) recovers a disk proving the journal entries from Vesper's apartment had been altered. This means Vesper did not know Batman's identity.
Meanwhile, Batgirl
, upon uncovering Vesper's corpse realizes that Vesper was killed using a nerve strike and careful beatings, whereas the evidence suggests it was a 'spur-of-the-moment' move on Bruce's part. Nightwing
and Alfred
discover that infiltration of the Batcave is possible and ties in with the police's timely entrance at Wayne Manor. With further assistance from Robin
they uncover some evidence in their search, although Nightwing is forced to note that nothing that they have discovered is anything that Batman couldn't have reasonably planted to throw them off. After the group reviews the evidence and Nightwing and Batgirl stage how the murder took place based on the tape recording of Vesper's last moments, Nightwing is now convinced that the Bruce he knows would not have committed the murder and decides their next move is to focus on gathering evidence that would not compromise Bruce's secret identity.
At the same time, Batman launches his own, independent, investigation into his framing and steadily uncovers a conspiracy against Bruce Wayne after a run-in with David Said of Checkmate
. A confrontation between himself and Catwoman
prompts Batman to realize how important his Bruce Wayne identity is; he is moved to protect a wounded criminal because that is what his father, Thomas Wayne
, would have done. An earlier meeting with the detective who comforted him after his parents' deaths serves to reinforce the importance of Bruce Wayne in Batman's life; as far as the detective is concerned, it was Bruce Wayne's life that was forever defined by the death of his parents...and the detective is also convinced that, whatever Bruce Wayne became that night, he did not become a killer.
After returning to the Batcave and apologizing for his past actions, Batman reveals to the Batman Family that the murderer is David Cain, which he had deduced based solely on the evidence that Batgirl found earlier. Cain had been hired by then-President Lex Luthor
to discredit Bruce Wayne for his stance against Luthor during the No Man's Land storyline. Cain subsequently deduces Batman's true identity, recalling his own acquaintance with a young Bruce when Bruce went to him for training. He was thus able to frame him for a crime where the only motive was Batman's desire to protect his identity. Capturing Cain, Bruce's name is subsequently cleared.
This story runs through Azrael
#91; Batgirl #27 and #29; Batman #600-601, #603, and #605; Batman: Gotham Knights #27-28 and #30-31; Birds of Prey #41-43; Detective Comics #768-772; and Nightwing #68-69.
Bruce Wayne: Fugitive:
:
Batman (comic book)
Batman is an ongoing comic book series featuring the DC Comics hero of the same name. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #27, published in May 1939. Batman proved to be so popular that a self-titled ongoing comic book series began publication in the spring of 1940...
comic books in 2002. The story directly follows the "Bruce Wayne: Murderer?" story.
Bruce Wayne: Murderer?
At the end of Batman: The 10-Cent Adventure #1, Bruce Wayne finds the dead body of his girlfriend, Vesper Fairchild, in Wayne Manor just as the police arrive. Promptly charged for murder by the Gotham City Police DepartmentGotham City Police Department
The Gotham City Police Department is a fictional police department servicing Gotham City, as depicted in comic books published by DC Comics, in particular those tied into the Batman books.-History of GCPD:...
, both Wayne and his bodyguard, Sasha Bordeaux
Sasha Bordeaux
Sasha Bordeaux is a fictional character in the DC Universe. She was at first primarily associated with Batman, and has subsequently evolved an association with Checkmate in two of its incarnations...
, are imprisoned, leaving the Batman Family to work the crime and absolve them. However, the investigation is complicated when evidence is uncovered suggesting that Vesper knew who Batman was, thus giving Bruce a motive for the crime that only the Batman Family would ever be able to see. Driven to near-breaking point by his frustration at being forced to constantly act like Bruce Wayne rather than Batman, Bruce escapes from jail and announces his intention to no longer live as Bruce Wayne, but to be only Batman.
The story runs through Batgirl
Cassandra Cain
Cassandra Cain is a fictional character in the , one of several who has served as Batgirl, an important character in the Batman comic book franchise. Cassandra's backstory presents her as the daughter of assassins David Cain and Lady Shiva, she was deprived of speech and human contact during her...
#24, Batman
Batman (comic book)
Batman is an ongoing comic book series featuring the DC Comics hero of the same name. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #27, published in May 1939. Batman proved to be so popular that a self-titled ongoing comic book series began publication in the spring of 1940...
#599-600, Batman: Gotham Knights
Batman: Gotham Knights
Batman: Gotham Knights was a monthly, fictional comic book series published by DC Comics. The original intent of this book was to feature the exploits of Batman and his extended family - Alfred Pennyworth, Batgirl, Nightwing, Robin, Oracle, Catwoman, etc...
#25-26, Birds of Prey #39-40, Detective Comics
Detective Comics
Detective Comics is an American comic book series published monthly by DC Comics since 1937, best known for introducing the iconic superhero Batman in Detective Comics #27 . It is, along with Action Comics, the book that launched with the debut of Superman, one of the medium's signature series, and...
#766-767, Nightwing #65-66, and Robin (vol. 2) #98-99.
Bruce Wayne: Fugitive
With Batman free, the Batman Family continues to investigate the circumstances of the crime. Many start to doubt Bruce's innocence. OracleBarbara Gordon
Barbara Gordon is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by DC Comics and in related media, created by Gardner Fox and Carmine Infantino...
(with some assistance from Black Canary
Black Canary
Black Canary is the name of two fictional characters, DC Comics superheroines created by writer Robert Kanigher and artist Carmine Infantino. The first Black Canary debuted appeared in Flash Comics #86 . The first Black Canary was the alter-ego of Dinah Drake, who took part in Golden Age adventures...
) recovers a disk proving the journal entries from Vesper's apartment had been altered. This means Vesper did not know Batman's identity.
Meanwhile, Batgirl
Cassandra Cain
Cassandra Cain is a fictional character in the , one of several who has served as Batgirl, an important character in the Batman comic book franchise. Cassandra's backstory presents her as the daughter of assassins David Cain and Lady Shiva, she was deprived of speech and human contact during her...
, upon uncovering Vesper's corpse realizes that Vesper was killed using a nerve strike and careful beatings, whereas the evidence suggests it was a 'spur-of-the-moment' move on Bruce's part. Nightwing
Dick Grayson
Dick Grayson is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger and illustrator Jerry Robinson, he first appeared in Detective Comics #38 in April 1940....
and Alfred
Alfred Pennyworth
Alfred Pennyworth is a fictional character that appears throughout the DC Comics franchise. The character first appears in Batman #16 , and was created by writer Bob Kane and artist Jerry Robinson. Alfred serves as Batman’s tireless butler, assistant, confidant, and surrogate father figure...
discover that infiltration of the Batcave is possible and ties in with the police's timely entrance at Wayne Manor. With further assistance from Robin
Tim Drake
Timothy "Tim" Drake is a superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics and in related media. The character was created by Marv Wolfman and Pat Broderick. From 1989 to 2009, he was known as Robin in the Batman comics, becoming the third character to take up the identity...
they uncover some evidence in their search, although Nightwing is forced to note that nothing that they have discovered is anything that Batman couldn't have reasonably planted to throw them off. After the group reviews the evidence and Nightwing and Batgirl stage how the murder took place based on the tape recording of Vesper's last moments, Nightwing is now convinced that the Bruce he knows would not have committed the murder and decides their next move is to focus on gathering evidence that would not compromise Bruce's secret identity.
At the same time, Batman launches his own, independent, investigation into his framing and steadily uncovers a conspiracy against Bruce Wayne after a run-in with David Said of Checkmate
Checkmate (comics)
Checkmate, a division of Task Force X, is a fictional covert operations agency within the DC Comics universe. It first appeared in Action Comics #598 and proceeded to have its own ongoing title in Checkmate!...
. A confrontation between himself and Catwoman
Catwoman
Catwoman is a fictional character associated with DC Comics' Batman franchise. Historically a supervillain, the character was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, partially inspired by Kane's cousin, Ruth Steel...
prompts Batman to realize how important his Bruce Wayne identity is; he is moved to protect a wounded criminal because that is what his father, Thomas Wayne
Thomas Wayne
Thomas Wayne is a fictional character in the Batman series of comic books. Dr. Thomas Wayne was the father of Bruce Wayne, and husband of Martha Wayne, as well as a gifted surgeon and philanthropist...
, would have done. An earlier meeting with the detective who comforted him after his parents' deaths serves to reinforce the importance of Bruce Wayne in Batman's life; as far as the detective is concerned, it was Bruce Wayne's life that was forever defined by the death of his parents...and the detective is also convinced that, whatever Bruce Wayne became that night, he did not become a killer.
After returning to the Batcave and apologizing for his past actions, Batman reveals to the Batman Family that the murderer is David Cain, which he had deduced based solely on the evidence that Batgirl found earlier. Cain had been hired by then-President Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and the archenemy of Superman, although given his high status as a supervillain, he has also come into conflict with Batman and other superheroes in the DC Universe. Created by Jerry Siegel and...
to discredit Bruce Wayne for his stance against Luthor during the No Man's Land storyline. Cain subsequently deduces Batman's true identity, recalling his own acquaintance with a young Bruce when Bruce went to him for training. He was thus able to frame him for a crime where the only motive was Batman's desire to protect his identity. Capturing Cain, Bruce's name is subsequently cleared.
This story runs through Azrael
Azrael (comics)
Azrael is the name of several fictional characters in the DC Comics universe. They are a group of assassins who were created by The Order of St. Dumas to "enforce god's will"...
#91; Batgirl #27 and #29; Batman #600-601, #603, and #605; Batman: Gotham Knights #27-28 and #30-31; Birds of Prey #41-43; Detective Comics #768-772; and Nightwing #68-69.
Reading order
Bruce Wayne: Murderer?:- Prelude: Batman: The 10-Cent Adventure #1
- Part 1: Detective Comics #766
- Part 2: Batgirl #24
- Part 3: Nightwing #65
- Part 4: Gotham Knights #25
- Part 5: Birds of Prey #39
- Part 6: Robin #98
- Part 7: Batman #599
- Part 8: Detective Comics #767
- Part 9: Nightwing #66
- Part 10: Gotham Knights #26
- Part 11: Robin #99
- Part 12: Birds of Prey #40
Bruce Wayne: Fugitive:
- Part 1: Batman #600
- Part 2: Birds of Prey #41
- Part 3: Batman #601
- Part 4: Detective Comics #769
- Part 5: Batgirl #27
- Part 6: Nightwing #68
- Part 7: Gotham Knights #28
- Part 8: Detective Comics #770
- Part 9: Nightwing #69
- Part 10: Birds of Prey #43
- Part 11: Batman #603
- Part 12: Detective Comics #771
- Part 13: Batgirl #29
- Part 14: Gotham Knights #30
- Part 15: Azrael #91
- Part 16: Detective Comics #772
- Part 17: Gotham Knights #31
- Part 18: Batman #605
Collected editions
The "Bruce Wayne: Murderer?" and "Bruce Wayne: Fugitive" storylines have been collected in several volumesTrade paperback (comics)
In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
:
- Batman: Bruce Wayne – Murderer? (collects Batman: The Ten-Cent Adventure #1, Detective ComicsDetective ComicsDetective Comics is an American comic book series published monthly by DC Comics since 1937, best known for introducing the iconic superhero Batman in Detective Comics #27 . It is, along with Action Comics, the book that launched with the debut of Superman, one of the medium's signature series, and...
vol. 1 #766–767, Batgirl vol. 1 #24, Nightwing vol. 2 #65–66, Batman: Gotham Knights #25–26, Birds of Prey vol. 1 #39–40, Robin vol. 4 #98–99, and BatmanBatman (comic book)Batman is an ongoing comic book series featuring the DC Comics hero of the same name. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #27, published in May 1939. Batman proved to be so popular that a self-titled ongoing comic book series began publication in the spring of 1940...
vol. 1 #599–600; 264 pages, paperback, August 2002, ISBN 1563899132) - Batman: Bruce Wayne – Fugitive Volume One (collects BatmanBatman (comic book)Batman is an ongoing comic book series featuring the DC Comics hero of the same name. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #27, published in May 1939. Batman proved to be so popular that a self-titled ongoing comic book series began publication in the spring of 1940...
vol. 1 #601 and #603, Batman: Gotham Knights #27–28, Batgirl vol. 1 #27 and #29, Birds of Prey vol. 1 #41 and #43, and Nightwing vol. 2 #68–69; 160 pages, paperback, December 2002, ISBN 1563899337) - Batman: Bruce Wayne – Fugitive Volume Two (collects Detective ComicsDetective ComicsDetective Comics is an American comic book series published monthly by DC Comics since 1937, best known for introducing the iconic superhero Batman in Detective Comics #27 . It is, along with Action Comics, the book that launched with the debut of Superman, one of the medium's signature series, and...
vol. 1 #768–772, Batman: Gotham Knights #31, and BatmanBatman (comic book)Batman is an ongoing comic book series featuring the DC Comics hero of the same name. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #27, published in May 1939. Batman proved to be so popular that a self-titled ongoing comic book series began publication in the spring of 1940...
vol. 1 #605; 176 pages, paperback, March 2003, ISBN 1563899477) - Batman: Bruce Wayne – Fugitive Volume Three (collects Detective ComicsDetective ComicsDetective Comics is an American comic book series published monthly by DC Comics since 1937, best known for introducing the iconic superhero Batman in Detective Comics #27 . It is, along with Action Comics, the book that launched with the debut of Superman, one of the medium's signature series, and...
vol. 1 #773–775, BatmanBatman (comic book)Batman is an ongoing comic book series featuring the DC Comics hero of the same name. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #27, published in May 1939. Batman proved to be so popular that a self-titled ongoing comic book series began publication in the spring of 1940...
vol. 1 #606–607, and Batgirl vol. 1 #33; 176 pages, paperback, October 2003, ISBN 1401200796)
External links
- The Continuity Pages: Batman - Bruce Wayne: Fugitive
- Bruce Wayne: Murderer at DC Comics
- Bruce Wayne: Fugitive, Vol. 1 at DC Comics
- Bruce Wayne: Fugitive, Vol. 2 at DC Comics
- Bruce Wayne: Fugitive, Vol. 3 at DC Comics