Of all the origins in the DC Universe there are none more well-known and more heartbreaking than Batman‘s. It’s a story that has, largely, remained unchanged over the course of the character’s entire history. When he was a young boy, Bruce Wayne witnessed the murder of his parents Dr. Thomas and Martha Wayne an act that led him to become Batman, seeking justice as he swore vengeance against the criminal element of Gotham City. Over the years, the details of that basic story have come into more focus with different writers adding their own spin but in the recent Batman: Pennyworth R.I.P., that haunting origin story takes on a new and truly devastating wrinkle.
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Spoilers for Batman: Pennyworth R.I.P. below.
In Batman: Pennyworth R.I.P., the fractured Bat Family comes together and takes a night off as per Alfred Pennyworth’s wishes. They reluctantly gather and despite the tension, they begin to share stories about Alfred. When it comes to Dick Grayson’s turn, it’s a bit more complicated as he is still dealing with memory loss having been shot in the head so Bruce ends up telling the story Dick would have told. You see, at some point in the past Dick had noticed that there was one day each year in which Alfred was extremely sad so Dick/Nightwing followed the old man to Crime Alley, the site of the Wayne’s murder all those years before. He finds Alfred praying and laying flowers at the spot and, after going out for a milkshake with Dick, the reason why comes out.
Alfred visits the site of Thomas and Martha’s murder not on the anniversary of their death, but on what was their wedding day so that he can celebrate their marriage and all they did for Gotham, including the birth of Bruce. It’s more than that, though. Alfred feels, in a sense, guilty for Thomas and Martha’s deaths. The devoted butler reveals that before their deaths, Thomas had insisted on sending Alfred on a lush vacation to Jamaica and, as a result, Alfred reluctantly agreed to let the couple drive themselves into the city even though Alfred had insisted he had enough time to drive them and still make his flight. Ultimately, the Waynes drove themselves and while Alfred packed for a vacation he didn’t necessarily want to go on he saw the news report about their murder. From there, the story is familiar. Alfred goes to the police precinct to comfort Bruce and becomes his guardian.
The idea that Alfred lived with guilt over Thomas and Martha’s death all these years because he didn’t disobey Thomas is one that adds a new facet to the beloved butler’s story as well as gives insight into his devotion to Bruce and his cause. Not only did Alfred love and care for Bruce, he was in his own way trying to honor Thomas and Martha by helping Bruce build his life, his own family, and keep them together. Batman’s crusade isn’t just Bruce’s; it was Alfred’s, too.
Batman: Pennyworth R.I.P. is on sale now.
