Batman is a legend, and that legend has only grown in the years since his debut. Batman is everyone’s favorite superhero, whether they like or not. There’s something about the Caped Crusader that just appeals to everyone. Batman is not a perfect character, but even his imperfections are an important part of what makes him great. Batman also has the best supporting cast in comics, introducing readers to multiple layered characters that have become legends in their own right. Alfred Pennyworth is such a character. Alfred is Batman’s best partner, and always has been, for a variety of reasons. He’s such an amazing character, and has become the quintessential superhero butler, the quiet core of everything that the hero needs to survive. That’s why it was such a surprise that he was killed in “City of Bane,” the final part of Tom King’s controversial Batman run.
The loss of Alfred is one of the most grievous that readers have ever seen Batman endure. While Alfred does still appear in various comics, he’s been dead in the main universe for years now. No one has tried to put him in a Lazarus Pit, or plucked his soul from the ether and put it into a clone body. We haven’t gotten an alternate universe Alfred showing up and taking the slain Alfred’s place. There have been a few fakeouts, obviously, but Alfred has stayed gone. While there are plenty of fans who would love to see Alfred come back, it’s better for the Batman comics that Alfred is gone and it should stay that way.
Alfred’s Death Has Changed the Way Batman Comics Work
The death of Alfred took a crucial part of Batman stories away. Alfred was the one in background doing all of the dirty work. He was Batman’s keeper in a lot of ways. He fed him, cleaned up after him, and ran his household. He also sewed up his wounds, acted as a sounding board, and worked to make sure Batman didn’t lose the humans parts of the world that make life worth living. Without Alfred, the Bat-Family has had to change. There’s no kindly father figure for everyone around making sure the messes got cleaned up. The quiet affection of Alfred is missing from their lives. There’s no one to sew up the wounds of the Bat-Family, and there was no one to temper Batman’s worst impulses. This has forced the characters to work in different ways, expanding the focus of the stories, and working in new character relationships. Suddenly, when Batman loses it on someone, there’s no one there to smooth everything over. There’s no one there to show Batman the error of his ways. Batman actually has to fix his own problems. He has to use the lessons that Alfred taught him, and actually grow as a character. Alfred’s death was a tragedy, but it was also the best thing that happened to the Bat-Family. Just look at the effect it had on Nightwing. Dick Grayson has stepped up in a way that he never had before, and much of it is thanks to his need to pay homage to one of the men who raised him. The billions Alfred left him helped, obviously, but Dick has worked harder than ever to live up to the man that Alfred was — someone who did everything he could to solve the problems that he could solve. Alfred’s spirit has informed Nightwing and his appearances in every book he’s been in. Nightwing is probably the best the character has ever been right now, and Alfred’s death was a huge part of that. It opened all of the doors.
Another big change has been the relationship between Batman and Damian Wayne. Alfred was the one who doted on Damian, and gave him the paternal love and affection that was hard for Batman. Without Alfred, Batman has had to step up and actually father his son. The latest volume of Batman and Robin has been so good because now Batman has to actually be in Damian’s life as Bruce Wayne. The two of them have to work their problems out for themselves, instead of having Alfred there to solve every problem. It often feels like the two of them are closer than ever, and it’s the best their relationship has been. That’s not to say that Batman and Damian’s wouldn’t have kept getting better if Alfred was still around, or that Nightwing wouldn’t have been as important as he’s been in the last few years if Bane had never broken Alfred’s neck. However, it’s made it so all of these changes have to be made, and we got to see it. We got to see the mourning and the immediate effects of the event, and watch the characters go through their grief, and grow. These changes have made the Batman books the best they’ve been in years.
The Death of Alfred Is Too Crucial to Undo
I think that every Batman fan misses Alfred. Sure, we’ve gotten multiple other versions of Alfred to scratch our Alfred itch, but there’s still an Alfred sized hole missing from the Batman mythos. However, I wouldn’t want to see Alfred come back at this point whatsoever. The impact of his death has been too important and transformative, and undoing would do a massive amount of damage, because most of the toys would be put back in the box.
This has always been one of the biggest problems with comics — this need to erase character development so that casual fans can jump in easier. The fact that DC hasn’t done it yet (you all know Marvel would have undid it within five years and you’re lying to yourself if you say otherwise) is a honestly a huge accomplishment. Alfred’s death has become a formative moment in the history of the Dark Knight, and the best thing to do is to let it stand. There’s a million different Batman stories being told at any time. Most of them have Alfred. There’s no need to bring Alfred back in the present day DC Multiverse.
What do you think about Alfred’s death? Sound off in the comments below.