“The Many Deaths of the Batman – Chapter One: Period of Mourning”
A police car screams across the Gotham City streets, and parks in an alley to investigate a tip. To their horror, they find it’s true. The Batman is dying, strung up on a fence like Jesus on the cross. An ambulance rushes him to the hospital, and amidst a frenzy of activity they try to save his life. Two doctors fight when one of them tries to take off his mask. They are unable to save him, and the Batman dies. Batman is brought to the morgue, where a seedy journalist bribes a guard to get some photos. The next day, it’s all over the papers; “Batman Dead” is the headline. The Penguin reads the paper in Arkham, and is furious. Two-Face reads the paper, and flips his coin. It comes up on the scarred side, so he rejoices. Dick Grayson trembles with grief, and Starfire attempts to comfort him. Alfred Pennyworth is shocked, and runs into the Batcave to investigate, finding it empty. When Jim Gordon, out of town, hears the news, he immediately flies back to Gotham and goes straight to the city morgue. He says two words to everybody in the room. “Get out.” The room empties, and he pulls off Batman’s mask to look underneath. It’s a blonde man he’s never seen before.
On top of the Gotham Plaza Hotel, another man in a Batman costume is blown to pieces in a huge explosion. And another Batman chases a masked criminal across several rooftops near the harbor, before falling into the water and drowning.
