Bruce Wayne: Fugitive (Comics) | Review

What happens when the world's greatest detective becomes its most wanted fugitive? Bruce Wayne: Fugitive throws everything Batman holds sacred into chaos, forcing him to question which identity matters. This 2002 crossover picks up where Bruce Wayne: Murderer? left off, turning a murder mystery into something personal.

Right from the jump, this storyline hits differently because it doesn't just threaten Gotham or introduce another psychotic villain hell-bent on destruction. It attacks Bruce Wayne's foundation, the very duality that makes Batman function as both hero and man.

When the pressure of maintaining his billionaire playboy persona while locked in Blackgate becomes unbearable, Bruce makes a choice that shocks everyone: he escapes prison and declares Bruce Wayne dead. Only Batman remains. That decision fractures the Bat-Family and creates genuine tension rippling through every issue.

The story picks up after Bruce Wayne is framed for murdering his girlfriend Vesper Fairchild and imprisoned alongside his bodyguard Sasha Bordeaux. The evidence looks damning, with Vesper's altered journal entries suggesting she knew Batman's secret identity all along.

Frustrated by the constant need to pretend in prison rather than investigating as Batman, Bruce escapes and announces he's abandoning his civilian identity entirely. No more billionaire philanthropist. No more Wayne Manor galas. Just the mission, the costume and the night.

This decision splits the family down the middle. Nightwing, Robin, Oracle, Batgirl and Alfred continue their investigation while grappling with mounting doubt. Some evidence points toward an elaborate frame job. Other clues suggest Batman could genuinely be guilty. Nightwing especially struggles with the possibility.

The sprawling investigation forces each member of the Bat-Family to question their loyalty and purpose. Dick Grayson particularly wrestles with whether he's following Batman or Bruce Wayne, a distinction that becomes increasingly important as the case unfolds.

Meanwhile, Batman operates alone, running his own parallel investigation. He tangles with Checkmate and uncovers a conspiracy reaching President Lex Luthor. The political angle adds weight, connecting directly to the No Man's Land arc where Bruce embarrassed Luthor publicly.

The investigation itself feels methodical and earned. Oracle and Black Canary recover evidence proving Vesper's journal was tampered with, meaning she didn't actually know Batman's identity. Batgirl discovers Vesper was killed using a specific nerve strike, suggesting a highly trained assassin rather than crime of passion.

Nightwing and Alfred uncover that the Batcave was compromised, explaining how police arrived at Wayne Manor with perfect timing. Each revelation chips away at the frame job but the family remains fractured by Batman's abandonment and his refusal to trust them.

The emotional core arrives when Batman confronts Catwoman and has an epiphany. He protects a wounded criminal during their encounter because that's what his father Thomas Wayne would have done. A conversation with the detective who comforted young Bruce after his parents' deaths reinforces this realization.

Bruce Wayne isn't just a mask. Bruce Wayne is who his parents raised, shaped by their murder but not erased by it. Batman was always meant to be the tool, not the totality of his existence. This realization forces Bruce to confront what he's been running from all along.

The killer is revealed to be David Cain, Batgirl's father and the man who once trained a young Bruce Wayne. Cain was hired by President Lex Luthor to destroy Bruce Wayne's reputation as revenge for No Man's Land but Cain recognized his former student and saw opportunity.

The nerve strike that killed Vesper was one Bruce himself learned from Cain years ago, a detail only someone intimately familiar with Batman's training could exploit. It's personal, calculated and devastatingly effective as both murder and frame job. Cain played both sides perfectly until the investigation finally closed in on him completely.

What makes this work is how the resolution doesn't erase the damage. Bruce's name gets cleared legally but family relationships remain strained. Trust took hits. Public perception of Bruce Wayne shifted permanently. Batman won but lost something harder to quantify.

This crossover brings together writers Chuck Dixon (Batman: Cataclysm, Batman: Contagion), Devin Grayson, Ed Brubaker (Captain America: No Escape, Captain America: Reborn), Greg Rucka (Batwoman: Elegy, Superman: Sacrifice) and Kelley Puckett (Batgirl: Death Wish, Batgirl: Fists of Fury) across multiple ongoing Batman titles.

Each title contributes meaningfully without padding. Rucka and Brubaker handle detective work with skill, making investigations feel earned. Dixon brings kinetic energy to action. Grayson explores family dynamics with nuance, especially Dick grappling with losing his mentor.

The art varies wildly depending on which title you're reading, unavoidable in a crossover this massive. Scott McDaniel (Batman: False Faces, Nightwing: Year One) delivers fluid, acrobatic action. Rick Burchett provides clean character work. Some issues look gorgeous, others workmanlike. The inconsistency won't bother everyone.

One clever touch: each issue included a puzzle piece on the cover that, when assembled, revealed the final cover of Batman 605 showing Lex Luthor. It's a small detail that rewarded readers following along month to month and added an interactive element to the experience.

Bruce Wayne: Fugitive succeeds because it's willing to challenge Batman's identity rather than just threatening Gotham with another apocalypse. The murder mystery provides a strong spine but the real story is watching Bruce confront which mask is the disguise. When Batman decides Bruce Wayne is the lie, consequences ripple.

The storyline connects meaningfully to previous arcs. No Man's Land provides Luthor's motive. Officer Down establishes GCPD status quo. David Cain's history with Bruce and Cassandra adds personal weight. Nothing feels random or disconnected from larger Bat-mythology.

Reading this in 2025, the themes still hit. The question of which identity defines us when we're forced to choose between public perception and private truth feels more relevant than ever. Batman abandoning Bruce Wayne isn't just dramatic posturing but a misunderstanding of what makes him effective as both hero and person.

If you're looking for a Batman story that prioritizes character over spectacle and treats detective work with respect, Bruce Wayne: Fugitive delivers. Just be prepared to track down multiple titles or grab the omnibus collection. The payoff justifies the effort required.

Bruce Wayne: Fugitive continues the aftermath of Bruce Wayne: Murderer?, collecting Batman #599-607, Detective Comics #769-772 and tie-ins from Batgirl, Nightwing and Gotham Knights. The complete saga is available in trade paperback and Omnibus hardcover and digitally on ComiXology, Kindle and DC Universe Infinite.