December 2000 featured the Bat-title crossover where each of the books bore the headline: 'This Issue: Batman Dies!!!' The arc began with Batgirl #11, which gave center stage to the off-kilter assassin Cain, who imagines hunting down and killing Batman. Detective Comics #753 saw Two-Face take up a new occupation: comic-book artist, with his entire portfolio consists of killing Batman in new and different ways. In Batman #586, Batman and the Penguin throw down one final time with the winner waddling away to savor his triumph. In Robin #85, the Joker's goes stir-crazy from his long imprisonment in The Slab. Nightwing #52 sees the title-character dream of Catwoman marrying Batman and then killing him. Birds of Prey #26 saw Batman meet his gruesome end at the hands of Bane. Catwoman #89 was the only Bat-title to not participate in the crossover, featuring a different headline: 'This Issue: Batman Doesn't Die!!!'
