Batman, as most followers and fans known as “The Dark Knight”, cannot die.
He simply cannot. Bruce Wayne is a mere mortal, but Batman is a Herculean icon, capable of accomplishing superhuman feats with the flick of a pinky.
But it seems that DC Comics missed this memo, however, because they’ve deemed it fit to kill off the Caped Crusader in their latest ill-conceived abortion of a comic entitled “Batman R.I.P.,” which hits shelves today.
Batman RIP' will see "the end of Bruce Wayne as Batman", according to Grant Morrison.
There are rumors that Batman will suffer a gruesome end when his sidekick Robin went to "the dark side" and destroys him in a terrible betrayal.
Batman, alter ego of Bruce Wayne a wealthy industrialist, operates in the American Gotham City.
Others also speculate that Wayne may either retire from his duties or be killed by a mystery villain known as the Black Glove.
His fate will be known in the latest issue of DC Comic's Batman, published on 26 November.
Either way, his end will lead to a hunt for a replacement.
"What I am doing is a fate worse than death, things that no one would expect to happen to these guys at all," Morrison told Comic Book Resources.
Scottish writer Grant Morrison, has written storylines for comics including X-Men for Marvel and Superman for DC Comics. He took over writing the Batman series for DC in 2006.
Bruce Wayne has given up the Caped Crusader mantle once before. In the 'Knightfall' storyline, Batman's back was broken by villain Bane, causing Wayne to recruit Jean-Paul Valley to replace him.
Morrison refuse to reveal who the new Batman would be, but the front runners include Tim Drake who has been Robin since 1991 and Dick Grayson - the original Boy Wonder.
It is not the first time a superhero has met an unfortunate end in the comic world.
Last year, Captain America was killed after being shot by a sniper in New York.
Superman's death in 1992 at the hands of Doomsday became the biggest selling Superman comic in history. He was later resurrected.
Batman was co-created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger for DC Comics. The character first appeared in Detective Comics in May 1939.
