In the middle of the Post-Crisis era, The end of the 1990s was quite exhausting for Batman with the “No Man’s Land” storyline during which Gotham City was ravaged by a large earthquake. Now, Ed Brubaker and Greg Rucka started to write for the main Batman series and they put Bruce Wayne on the run in a two-part storyline called Bruce Wayne: Murderer? and Bruce Wayne: Fugitive.
Here is the official synopsis: 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.
What to read before Bruce Wayne: Murderer?
After the No Man’s Land story-arc, Greg Rucka and Ed Brubaker started to write Detective Comics/Batman stories, leading to this two-part crossover event. It was the New Gotham era. You don’t need to read them to understand the Murderer/Fugitive story, of course, but it’s still
- Batman: New Gotham vol.1
Collects Detective Comics #742-753 - Batman: Officer Down
Collects Batman #587, Robin #86, Birds of Prey #27, Catwoman #90, Nightwing #53, Detective Comics #754, Batman: Gotham Knights #13 - Batman: New Gotham vol.2
Collects Detective Comics #755-765
Bruce Wayne: Murderer/Fugitive Reading Order:
Bruce Wayne: Murderer/Fugitive Reading Order: Collected Editions
- Bruce Wayne: Murderer?
Collects Batgirl #24, #27, Batman #599-602, Batman: Gotham Knights #25-29, Batman: The 10-Cent Adventure #1, Birds Of Prey #39-41, Detective Comics #766-770, Nightwing #65-66, #68-69, and Robin #98-99. - Bruce Wayne: Fugitive
Collects Batman #603-607, Detective Comics #768-775, Batman: Gotham Knights #29-32 And Batgirl #29, #33.
Bruce Wayne: Murderer/Fugitive Reading Order: Issue by Issue
Part. One: Murderer
- Batman: The 10-Cent Adventure
- Detective Comics #766
- Batgirl #24
- Nightwing #65
- Gotham Knights #25
- Birds of Prey #39
- Robin #98
- Batman #599
- Detective Comics #767
- Nightwing #66-67
- Gotham Knights #26
- Robin #99
- Birds of Prey #40
Part. Two: Fugitive
- Batman #600
- Birds of Prey #41
- Batman: Gotham Knights #27
- Batman #601-602
- Detective Comics #768-769
- Batgirl #27
- Nightwing #68
- Batman: Gotham Knights #28-29
- Detective Comics #770
- Nightwing #69
- Birds of Prey #43
- Batman #603
- Detective Comics #771
- Batgirl #29
- Batman: Gotham Knights #30
- Azrael: Agent of the Bat #91-92
- Detective Comics #772
- Batman: Gotham Knights #31
- Batman #604-605
Part. Three: Atonement
- Detective Comics #773-775
- Batman #606-607
- Batgirl #33
What to read after Bruce Wayne: Fugitive?
After the Bruce Wayne: Murderer/Fugitive storyline, you can take a look at Batman: The Man Who Laughs (collecting Detective Comics #784–786 and Batman: The Man Who Laughs).
Also, not Detective Comics or Batman, but Ed Brubaker and Greg Rucka also worked together on the excellent Gotham Central series that is worth your time.
For a more detailed guide to this era, take a look at our Batman: The Modern Age Reading Order which covers all of Batman’s adventures during the Post-Crisis era.