FAQ for
Batman Returns (1992) More at IMDbPro »

Tim Burton reportedly doesn't like making sequels, so although Batman Returns is a sequel, he made it unlike a sequel with a new love interest for Batman/Bruce Wayne. She is mentioned, however, and she hasn't died according to the film.

SELINA: What went wrong? Hang on, I think I know ... You kept things from her.

BRUCE: Nope, I told her everything.

SELINA: And the truth frightened her?

BRUCE: Well ... how can I put this? There were two truths ... and she had trouble reconciling them. Because I had trouble reconciling them. Vicki said....

It's possible it was a copycat (no pun intended).

Because the others either aren't direct sequels or directed by the same director, or both, plus they had other villains (Two-Face/The Riddler/Poison Ivy-Mr Freeze/Bane).

On the two-disc DVD, it is mentioned that the final shot showing that Catwoman had definitely survived was added later, at the studio's insistence. The film was originally to have ended more ambiguously.

The character of Max Shreck was created specifically for this film, without having ever appeared in any prior Batman stories. His name is likely a reference to the German actor Max Schreck, who played the vampire in the famous German re-inerpretation of Dracula, titled Nosferatu.

Yes.

To put it simply, the UK DVD versions of this movie are all cut. First of all, there's the old BBFC-15 DVD that is missing two scenes: the nunchaku-swinging clown, and the infamous aerosol/microwave scene. A detailed comparison between the old DVD and the uncut version can be found here. A couple of years later a Special Edition was released with a BBFC-12 rating. The nunchaku scene has been reinserted but the microwave scene is still missing. Again, a comparison can be found here. There are reports that the uncut version is featured on the British Blu-ray release.