I've been waiting for this one all day, but to be honest I'm a little disappointed by Dan Didio's fortnightly Q&A session on Newsarama.com.

I was expecting a question relating to the recent Tony Daniel blog post revealing the possible identity of Batman, but its possible Newsarama were stopped from asking that and DC Comics want's to pretend it never happened and wait for the whole thing to blow over! There isn't very much in relation to Batman this time around other than a few references to the Trinity set-up. Oh and the possible completion of Frank Miller and Jim Lee's "All Star Batman and Robin" book.

As usual I condensed the questions down to the relevant Batman ones only!

8. A Batman question – since there actually was a body, and that is such a rarity in superhero deaths – was there a real funeral for Batman?

DD: No. And it’s not because they don’t think he’s dead, but rather because he specifically requested not to have one. We’ve alluded this to in several of our books as we’ve referred to Bruce’s Last Will and final wishes – everyone had come to agree that there would be no memorial, there would be no burial, and there would be no celebration of Batman’s life due to his death. Although, as we’re doing in the two-part Neil Gaiman/Andy Kubert story, that tale is just told there. It doesn’t play a role in the current continuity.

NRAMA: So no one in Outsiders will say, “Man, remember when we went into that small bar and saw his body and it seemed like a ghost was there?”

DD: No, and the reality is that we believe that having the heroes en masse, stand over a grave and talk about his passing is not what he’s about. Looking at Batman, I think the heroes who knew him best know that the greatest respect that you could pay to Batman would not be to celebrate his death, but to go out on the streets and strop crime and injustice. That’s the greatest memorial that any one hero could do for Batman – and like I said, those closest to him knew that, and I think you could even imagine Batman, if they did have a memorial for him, being upset that they were wasting their time on him when they could be continuing his work.

14. Lately, Jim Lee has been seen mostly working on the DCU Online game. Is there anything planned with him on the comic book side of DC?

DD: Well, he’s still working on All Star Batman and Robin...

NRAMA: Yeah, sure. But is there anything planned with him on the comic book side of DC?

DD: Well, I’ll go back and say again – he’s working on All Star Batman and Robin with Frank Miller. I can say officially now that he and Frank are committed to six more issues of All Star Batman and Robin, and that will bring the story to a close. And they’re working on them now.

NRAMA: “Bring the story to a close” – are you saying that in the same sense as All Star Superman was Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely’s book, and when they were done with that, it was ended, rather than continued with new creators?

DD: Yes.

For all the questions over at Newsarama.com click here...

(Source - Newsarama.com)