There is no shortage of absolutely classic Batman storylines. From Year One to The Killing Joke to the always beloved Elseworld tale The Dark Knight Returns, Batman has headlined some of DC’s most famous and beloved storylines of all time. Those three have all been adapted into animated movies, and that’s not even all of the famous ones that have been animated. Batman has one of the deepest wells of great stories that exist in comics, and even non-Batman fans know at least a little about all of these. They are classics for obvious reasons and deserve all of the praise each of them is given, but they aren’t the only amazing stories that Batman sits at the center of. There are plenty more, and even some that simply don’t get the praise they deserve.
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Bruce Wayne: Murderer? and Bruce Wayne: Fugitive are two such stories. Combined, they make up a two-part storyline from 2002 that stretches across every Batman and Bat Family title, and frankly speaking, this story deserves to be regarded as one of the classics. DC might put out more Batman comics than they know what to do with, but trust me, this is much more than an average read.
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It all begins when Batman and his then-bodyguard/crime-fighting partner Sasha Bordeaux return to Wayne Manor after a routine night of patrol, only to find Bruce’s ex-girlfriend Vesper Fairchild shot dead on the floor. Before either can do anything, the GCPD bursts through the door and arrests them both for her murder. Naturally, the entire Bat Family jumps on the case to prove Bruce’s innocence, but the more they investigate the more damning the evidence looks. Even they question if he could have done it. Eventually, the Dark Knight decides to abandon his Bruce Wayne identity altogether and live only as Batman.
To some of you, this may sound like the right choice. After all, DC has always toyed with the idea that Bruce Wayne is just a mask that Batman wears. There’s the always referenced line from Batman Beyond where an older Bruce telling Terry that he still calls himself Batman in his head, and the semi-viral panel of him holding Wonder Woman’s Lasso of Truth and still saying that his name is Batman. And let’s not forget the famous Lego Batman movie line; “Bruce Wayne lives in Batman’s attic.” But what sets Bruce Wayne: Murderer? and Bruce Wayne: Fugitive apart is how they tackle this concept and then subvert it.
Bruce Wayne: Murderer? and Bruce Wayne: Fugitive Are Deep Dives Into What it Means to be Batman
One thing that sets these stories apart is their incredible dissection of Batman’s psyche. They completely isolate Batman, who lives only as Gotham’s dark protector, no Manor to call home and no Bat Family to rely on. That lonely work allows them to dig deep into the questions that most people never answer beyond a surface level. Why is Batman so driven to help Gotham City? Why doesn’t Batman kill? Why be Batman at all?
These meditations bring the Dark Knight back to Crime Alley, where it all began. Naturally he sees a crime being committed, a mobster being kidnapped and beaten by the Joker’s goons, and jumps in to help. To save the mobster’s life he has to jump in front of a barrage of bullets to the chest, and in doing so he answers those questions for himself. Batman is driven to protect Gotham because of the values his parents instilled in him. Batman refuses to kill because Thomas Wayne taught him the sanctity of life. Batman exists because Bruce Wayne wants to make sure nobody else ever has to feel the pain he did that night. He beats the goons with the bat symbol having literally been blown off his chest, symbolically showing that underneath all of the cloaked fear and vengeance, Batman’s heart is Bruce Wayne.
Alongside this incredible look into Bruce Wayne’s character, the way the comic utilizes the entire Bat Family and showcases their individual strengths is amazing. Every member plays a crucial role in unravelling the mystery of who framed Bruce Wayne, and puts their skills as detectives on full display. Tim Drake as Robin is the heart who keeps everyone believing in Bruce till the end. Oracle is the brains who tackles the whole thing logically, addressing the possibility that Bruce could have done it to help prove why he didn’t. Cassandra Cain as Batgirl is the eyes who sees things in a way only she can, which finds secrets that prove Bruce’s innocence. Nightwing takes the lead as the head of the family, the middle ground between faith in Bruce and showing the others how to justify that faith with evidence. There’s a reason he’s been Batman before, after all. Each of them plays a distinct, equally important role, and that kind of balance is not something you see often in comics.
Finally, the stories weave their tense mystery and character showcasing around a great theme of fatherhood. The ultimate perpetrator behind the murder is David Cain, who blames Batman for stealing his daughter from him. He planned all of this in order to show his daughter, Batgirl, that Batman is just as much a monster as he is. Cain wanted to break Batman down to show Cassandra that he would throw his identity and family away in order to fulfill his own desire to be Batman. He wanted to prove that Batman would always be a loner and could never be a father. And the plan almost worked, except Bruce did go back to his family and apologize for cutting them off. He told them that he would be a better role model for them, and a better father. Cain’s plan failed because he only saw Batman, when he should have been looking at Bruce Wayne.
Bruce Wayne: Murderer? and Bruce Wayne: Fugitive weave an incredible storyline that shows a side of Batman that not many people see. This story is great not just because it is a good Batman story, or a good Batfamily story, but because it is an incredible Bruce Wayne story. It shows that Bruce Wayne is a man who makes mistakes and pushes people away, but ultimately cares deeply for those around him, and that care is what has always and will always drive the Batman.
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