PUBLISHER: DC | FORMAT: ONE-SHOT | RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

If you just engage with the films or TV shows, then Alfred may seem like a very underrated or even overlooked character. It always feels like he has so much to reveal, but obviously, he doesn’t tend to get an extended amount of screen-ownership to say it. This is why we love comics, because they extend the depths of established settings. Batman – Pennyworth R.I.P., puts the spotlight on this legendary butler, and if you’re looking for page-to-page crime-fighting, then this isn’t the comic for you.

Linking the arrival of our players with a hard-hitting opening speech – along with a drained Gotham City to set the stage – Bruce Wayne and family/friends (we won’t spill the beans on who turns up!) head to a hideaway bar to reflect on how fundamental Alfred has been to each of them over the years. Alfred got these busy characters together in only a way he can, by putting a request for it in his will.

Alfred was the glue that kept everyone together and has effortlessly guided the journeys and conscious of so many pivotal DC individuals. They could always count on him, and in Pennyworth R.I.P., writer Tynion IV has made that crystal clear. This page-turner crowds big personalities together, and forces them to realise what they’ve lost, all the while attempting to fix broken relationships. With a touching end, this well thought out salute to a crucial cog in the DC universe sets up an uncertain new beginning. So, take a read, and pay your respects.