Batman: Bruce Wayne - Murderer? [Paperback]

Ed Brubaker (Author), Greg Rucka (Author), Chuck Dixon (Author), Devin Grayson (Author), Kelly Puckett (Author), Rick Burchett (Illustrator), Scott McDaniel (Illustrator), Rick Leonardi (Illustrator), Steve Lieber (Illustrator), Trevor McCarthy (Illustrator)

Product Details

• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: DC Comics (August 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1563899132
• ISBN-13: 978-1563899133
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 0.6 x 10.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #423,962 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

CHUCK DIXON
Born in Philadelphia, Pa.

Chuck Dixon has more than twenty-five years of experience in the graphic novel field as an editor, writer and publisher. He has contributed well over a thousand scripts to publishers like DC Comics, Marvel, Dark Horse, Hyperion and others featuring a range of characters from Batman to the Simpsons. His comic book adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit continues to be an international bestseller. Considered to be one of the most prolific writers in his field, this award-winning storyteller currently writes G.I. Joe and A-team for IDW, The Good the Bad and the Ugly for Dynamite, The Simpsons for Bongo Comics along with many creator-owned projects for various publishers. He is also the co-publisher of an ambitious line of graphic novels based on the American Civil War.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just Read It, Cover to Cover ..., August 27, 2002

By 

Edward Lee "Trekscribbler (NCC1205)" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Batman: Bruce Wayne - Murderer? (Paperback)

... 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.

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Read, August 1, 2002

By 

A - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Batman: Bruce Wayne - Murderer? (Paperback)

Includes Batman 599,600 - Robin 98,99 - Birds of Prey 39,40 - Batman GK's 25,26 - Batgirl 24 - Batman 10 cent adv - Detective 766,767 & nightwing 65,66.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Still engaging, January 20, 2003

By 

N. Sivasothi "sivasothi" (Kent Ridge, Singapore) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Batman: Bruce Wayne - Murderer? (Paperback)

At 264 pages, you can settle down to a nice read. The timeline is post-No Man's Land, and you get to revisit the Batman rebuffing everyone's help even when he is thrown into Blackgate Prison. A coupe of new costumes are thrown at us, including a new side-kick, and that is surprising.

Bruce Wayne/Batman is the conflcited Dark Knight again, more believable than if he were a cheerful happy trooper. But he's misbehaving even more than even in No Man's Land, sharing little and leaving his colleagues little to go on in his defense.

The media clamours about his overwhleming guilt, although I didn't feel it was conclusive enough. Apparently Bruce Wayne is fair game in this town, so his alter-ego has been well camouflaged. As the fathful crew gathers, you gather that Batman has been acting a little odd recently and they are left to grapple with their doubts.

This volume (August 2002) is followed by a much thinner Bruce Wayne: Fugitive Vol 1 (Dec 2002) and Vol 2 (out in March 2003).

The drawings and impact of the storyline do nont rakn amongst the Batman classics but I enjoyed the book and how can you miss this!