During their run on “Batman,” Grant Morrison decided to temporarily kill off Bruce Wayne for a new status quo. Dick Grayson, the original Robin and then Nightwing, would become Batman, and Bruce’s son Damian Wayne would be Robin. The final issues of both “Batman” and “Detective Comics” before this relaunch were grouped together into one story: “Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader” (“Batman” #686 is Part 1, “Detective Comics” #853 is Part 2).
This story was not written by Morrison, but by “Sandman” creator Neil Gaiman, with art by Andy Kubert. It centers around Batman’s funeral, where each of his closest peers gives a (conflicting) account of their relationship and how he died. It’s a premise that evokes the four-part 1977 story, “Where Were You The Night Batman Died” (“Batman” issues #291-294, by David Vern Reed and Jon Calnan), where Catwoman, the Riddler, the Joker, and Lex Luthor all take credit for killing Batman.
“Batman” #686 features two eulogies: first Catwoman’s and then that of Batman’s loyal butler and surrogate father, Alfred Pennyworth. The second one is where the overlap with “Dark Knight Court” lies.