I've had more than a few problems with "Batman: Fugitive," from the length of the crossover to the lackadaisical pace that played out across eighteen (!) parts of the story in multiple books. However, I can't deny that it has ended well, and Brubaker writes a hell of a finale, exciting whether you've figured out the true murderer or not, and playing off a fair bit of recent continuity, as well as hopefully heralding a change in the way Batman will act in the future. This issue is a mixture of personal moments and action, plot and characterization, and Brubaker handles all of it equally well. The art, however, is another story.
There were a lot of things to resolve in this final issue of "Fugitive" and to his credit, Brubaker gets to a lot of them. There are still loose ends, including the sure-to-be endless hunt for the real bad guy behind it all and the question of what happens to Sasha, but the personal toll on Batman, the motives behind the whole thing and the ramifications for Bruce Wayne are all handled well in this issue. I was particularly impressed that Brubaker managed to convey Batman's change of heart about his crueler and almost psychotically focused personality of late, and he gave a great reason why that epiphany would finally reach him.
McDaniel's artwork is not quite as suited to these elements of the script, actually. While the basic emotions are clear, there's not much nuance in the reactions of the crew as they hear Bruce's apology, or much room for subtlety in the interaction between Batman and the killer when the motive for Vesper's murder is revealed. Basically, McDaniel is an action penciller, and a lot of the scenes in this issue required a more realistic touch. Which doesn't mean his art was a terrible choice; in fact, his work on the action sequences, particularly the work where he was reunited with Nightwing, is generally very effective. And the intensity of the chase scenes, culminating in the battle at the cave, is certainly strong.
Brubaker throws more than a few twists into this story, including the method Batman uses to lure the killer out of hiding and the dark but funny punishment served up to agent Amherst in the end. Much of the story is actually predictable if you've been paying attention, though, which is actually a point in the overall "Fugitive" story's favor. While the books that crossed over into the story were often vaguely related or even completely unrelated (see the Azrael diversion) to the plot, the creators did play fair in leaving clues for readers to find so that they could discern who was behind it all. I'm still left with the feeling that the story could have played out in about half the time it did, and definitely in about half the books (if not less), but this satisfying ending goes a long way toward redeeming my overall interest in the "Fugitive" story.
In a way, this issue feels like the end of an era, even though the creative changes aren't happening in these books for some time. Just as No Man's Land shook up Batman's status quo and introduced numerous changes to the characters and creative teams, "Fugitive" and "Murderer" have provided plenty of fodder for future stories, just as some creative teams are scheduled for the books. My feelings on the overall story can be marked down in large part to issues like this one, which showed off the stronger creative teams on the crossover and helped shore up the weaker efforts in other issues throughout.
