10 Reasons Why Batman Needs Alfred Back

Alfred Pennyworth was the loyal butler, aide-de-camp, sounding board, moral compass, father figure, friend, and so much more to Bruce Wayne, the four young men to hold the moniker of Robin, and all the members of the Bat Family.

Alfred was an invaluable resource to the operation of all aspects of both the daily lives of Bruce Wayne and Batman. He was also one of the few people who could challenge Bruce’s decisions, often peppering his comments with his dry British wit and sarcasm.

First presented in Batman #16 as a bumbling, overweight amateur detective with a cockney accent, he was played mostly for comic relief against Batman and Robin. By Detective #83, he was the slim butler with the thin moustache we know today. History was created that Al had been a military intelligence officer, a medic, and had been a semi-successful stage actor before being called to take over the family business from his dying butler father.

When Bane murdered Alfred in Batman #77 in 2019, it left a devastating hole in the lives of Bruce and Damian Wayne, Dick Grayson, and the various members of the Bat Family. He was an irreplaceable member of the team and his loss has diminished them in a variety of ways. Only his miraculous return in the way that comic books are capable of, will fix this situation.

So, here are the ten reasons why Batman and his allies need Alfred back in their lives.

The main reason that Alfred Pennyworth needs to be returned to the world of DC Comics is that it is a far lesser world without him. The world of every single person that he had ever met is diminished by his passing. Pennyworth was polite, loyal, trustworthy, and never afraid to voice his opinion or extend his hand in friendship. Alfred was just a genuinely good man, a faithful friend, and a father to heroes.

It’s impossible to overlook the fact that Alfred is responsible for raising, or helping to raise, no less than five of the most skilled heroes in the world. He has single-handedly kept Batman alive on more than one occasion, as well as keeping the Dark Knight from going too far into the darkness. Through his decency, his friendship and occasionally his pointed wit, he raised four young boys whose lives turned them from terrible tragedies into good men.

Alfred wasn’t a superhero and he never wore a cape. He was a decent shot with his shotgun, but he was never a marksman or a weapons expert. Simply, Pennyworth was a good man who cared about his sons. He was a loyal butler who was excellent at his duties, and he was an aide to heroes, doing anything that they needed him to do so they could save the world. And in his own way, that made him the greatest hero of all.