WARNING: Contains Potential Spoilers for ABSOLUTE BATMAN #1!DC promised darker, more hardcore versions of fan-favorite characters with the launch of theirDarkseid-created Absolute Universe, andBatmanis currently leading the charge in the comic publisher’s effort to keep that promise. The Dark Knight has already broken his DCU counterpart’s iconic ‘no gun’ rule by shooting a former ally in the face, a move that has completely rewritten one of the Bat-Family’s strongest and longest-standing bonds.
Scott Snyder, Nick Dragotta, Frank Martin, and Clayton Cowles’Absolute Batman#1 not only introduced theBruce Wayne of the Absolute Universebut also featured appearances from several iconic Gotham characters, including Barbara Gordon, Jim Gordon, Alfred Pennyworth, Waylon Jones, Martha and Thomas Wayne, Black Mask, and Joker, along with notable mentions of Oswald Cobblepot, Selina Kyle, Edward Nigma, and Harvey Dent.
While these names are all familiar, each character plays a very different role in the Absolute Universe compared to their DCU counterparts. Surprisingly, though, out of everyone listed,it’s Alfred Pennyworth whom Absolute Batman shoots in the face.
Batman and Alfred’s dynamic is reminiscent of MAD’s Spy vs. Spy, with the two constantly trying to outsmart and sabotage each other with elaborate and absurd traps.
Who Is Absolute Alfred Pennyworth?
Alfred Pennyworth: Hitman for a Secret Organization, Destined to Go Rogue
Before delving into Alfred getting a shotgun to the face, it’s important to first understand how things escalated to Batman shooting his former ally. It all starts with the identity ofthe Absolute Universe version of Alfred Pennyworth, who is far removed from his traditional origin of being the Wayne Family butler.The opening pages paint him as a jaded, solitary hitman who has just returned to Gotham after a long absence. However, it’s also apparent that his return isn’t entirely voluntary but rather at the demands of a mysterious benefactor, who seems to be connected to a larger, secretive organization.
Through Alfred’s narration, readers learn he was abruptly pulled from an overseas assignment to return to Gotham and run recon on the Party Animals, a gang/terrorist group led by Roman“Black Mask”Sionis. Though Alfred accepts these new orders, his narration reveals a growing sense of disillusionment and unhappiness. He begins to question the orders, something that is out of character for him, as he describes himself as merely a“servant”meant to follow orders without question. Later in the issue, Alfred lies to his handler and disobeys a direct command, signaling thatSnyder is laying the groundwork for this hitman Alfred to eventually go rogue.
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Bruce Wayne & Alfred Pennyworth’s First Meeting Gets Violent Rewrite
Scott Snyder Teases an Epic, Complex Dynamic Between Bruce and Alfred
As previously mentioned, Alfred disobeys an order from his handler. This takes place during a mission where he’s been sent to observe the Party Animals, who are planning to shoot up Mayor Jim Gordon’s press conference. Alfred offers to intervene and stop the massacre, but his handler demands he not interfere and let the bloodshed play out—only to intervene if"the other player,“aka Batman, shows up. Batman does indeed arrive and despite being ordered to stop Batman from protecting the innocents,Alfred lies to his handler about what’s happening and delays engaging Batmanuntil the Party Animals are subdued.
By allowing Bruce to stop the massacre, Alfred directly disobeys an order. However, after the threat posed by Gotham’s local terrorist group is neutralized, Alfred can no longer delay confronting Batman. This leads to a confrontation where Alfred points a lethal DC-34 automatic shotgun at Bruce’s head, threatening to kill him if he moves. In classic Batman fashion,Bruce disarms Alfred and grapples away, taking the hitman’s gun with him. This marks the first interaction between the two characters, setting up a unique and complex dynamic that completely redefines the typical relationship fans associate with Bruce and Alfred.
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No Matter the Universe, Alfred Pennyworth Knows Bruce Wayne Better Than Anyone
Prediction: Absolute Batman and Alfred Pennyworth Are Destined to Form Their Iconic Bond
After Bruce and Alfred’s first interaction, the hitman makes it his business to learn everything possible about Batman. Using his immense resources and investigative skills,Alfred uncovers that Batman is Bruce Wayne and digs deep into Bruce’s personal history. He uncovers Bruce’s entire life story: from growing up in Crime Alley, being a child prodigy in engineering and sciences, losing his father to a mass shooting at the zoo, having a criminal record, attending college, and his current job as a civil engineer. Among these revelations is Bruce’s only weakness—his mother, Martha Wayne, who is still alive in the Absolute Universe, unlike in the main DCU.
Bruce’s weakness is revealed via Alfred’s stalking as he intends to assassinate him. However, upon seeing Bruce with his mother, Alfred can’t bring himself to kill the vigilante, remarking,“…you’re just a &$#% kid.”This moment reveals that Alfred is far from being a cold-hearted hitman and shows his growing disillusionment with his current employer. Despite deciding not to kill Bruce, there’s a sense that Alfred is far from done with Batman, a notion confirmed by the end of the issue. The dynamic between the two characters has shifted once more,making it increasingly likely that Alfred and Bruce will develop a bond more reminiscent of their DCU counterparts—a partnership of some sort.
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Absolute Batman Shoots Alfred Pennyworth In the Face With the Hitman’s Own Gun
DC Gives Alfred and Bruce a Perfect, Yet Hilarious,Spy vs. SpyDynamic
Following Alfred’s near assassination of Bruce, the hitman tracks down Batman to one of his bases—a construction site’s top floor. This leads to a confrontation in which Bruce points Alfred’s own shotgun—the one he stole during the Party Animal confrontation—at him. Facing the barrel of his own gun, Alfred says, “Give me the gun, kid. You’re no killer.”Bruce responds by shooting Alfred in the face, undoubtedly leaving many readers’ jaws on the floor. However, in a twist,it’s revealed that Bruce had modified the once-lethal gun to be non-lethal, meaning Alfred survives the blast, albeit with miniature batarangs embedded in his face.
Still dazed from the blast, Alfred quickly realizes several things: first, that Batman had modified his prized shotgun to be non-lethal; second, that Bruce casually drops the"ruined"gun by Alfred’s side as if to say,“Keep it”; and third, the roar of Alfred’s own motorcycle, which had been stolen earlier in the issue by a once unknown perpetrator. This comical moment sets up a dynamic reminiscent of MAD’sSpy vs. Spy, with the two constantly trying to outsmart and sabotage each other with elaborate and absurd traps. With this issue, DC has established one of the freshest and most entertaining dynamics betweenAlfred PennyworthandBatman, and Screen Rant is just one of many eager for more.
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ABSOLUTE BATMAN #1 (2024)
Batman
One of DC’s most iconic heroes, Batman is the vigilante superhero persona of billionaire Bruce Wayne. Forged by tragedy with the death of his parents, Bruce dedicated his life to becoming the world’s leading martial artist, detective, and tactician. Recruiting an entire family of allies and sidekicks, Bruce wages war on evil as the dark knight of his hometown, Gotham City.
