Prime’s New Batman Show Admits The Harsh Reality Of 1 Iconic DC Character

The new animated Batman series Bat-Fam is a kids’ show on Prime Video that features a very different look at the iconic DC characters. Gone are people like Dick Grayson, Batgirl, and Tim Drake, and replacing them are new versions of Damian Wayne, a de-aged Volcana, a kindly Man-Bat, and the ghost of Ra’s al Ghul. Also on the show is a brand-new original character named Alicia Pennyworth, the niece of Alfred Pennyworth, and someone who is running a rehabilitation organization called E*Vil to help former costumed criminals start to lead positive lives. Of course, Alfred is still around as well, voiced by the legendary James Cromwell.

However, when it comes to Alfred Pennyworth, Bat-Fam has taken a very hard look at how he has been treated over the years. This was especially true in the third episode, “90 is the New 80,” which shows the harsh reality of Alfred’s life.

Bat-Fam Shows How Poorly Everyone Treats Alfred Pennyworth

As always, Alfred Pennyworth is there to help Bruce Wayne every step of the way. This has been true in the comics, the movies, and almost every animated series and movie that has been made about Batman. However, in the third Bat-Fam episode, “90 is the New 80,” the story goes into detail about how bad Alfred is often treated or taken for granted. This comes thanks to a battle of wills between Bruce Wayne and Alfred’s niece, Alicia.

With Alfred turning 90, they both want to do something nice for him for his birthday. However, no matter how many times he tells them all he wants is a family picnic, they won’t listen and demand he take part in extreme fun events. He goes along with it every step of the way, even though it is exhausting and he is clearly not feeling up to the action. It also doesn’t help that he is expected to do household chores that a man of his age should never be attempting, and no one thinks any less of it, even calling him in after a supervillain battle destroys a room in Wayne Manor.

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Of course, things get even worse when Damian Wayne uses his position as Little Batman to force Alfred to help him battle the villain, Mad Hatter, and the villain’s daughter, Sad Hatter. Damian forces Alfred to put on the Batman Tech Armor and go into battle. Remember, Alfred is 90, and there is no reason he should be in this position. When Batman shows up and Mad Hatter hypnotizes him, it is Alfred who has to stand up to Batman and fight him to stop the onslaught. By the end, Alfred clearly needs a nap, but instead, he gets the picnic he so happily wanted with all the people he loves, as well as the ghost of Ra’s al Ghul.

By the end, Alfred Pennyworth finally says the one thing that really matters the most. Alfred admits, his biggest weakness is “my inability to tell those I love ‘no.’”

Alfred Pennyworth Has Always Been a Mistreated DC Character

Alfred Pennyworth has been shown in many different ways in DC Comics. However, one thing that remains consistent is that Alfred is often portrayed as someone expected to be a servant, and is usually never given credit for what he has done for Batman and the Bat-Family. This has actually played out better on the big screen. Jeremy Irons played Alfred with the perfect sarcasm in Zack Snyder’s movies. At the same time, Michael Gough was brilliant in his displays of frustration in the Tim Burton movies when he knew Bruce wasn’t listening to anything he said.

In the comics, Alfred Pennyworth was a lot smarter than most people gave him credit for. Even when Batman would try to shut him out, Alfred was there to make sure that Bruce Wayne was cared for since he wouldn’t care for himself. Alfred also knew who he needed to watch out for the most. When Alfred died in DC Comics, he left his fortune to Dick Grayson, knowing that Nightwing would make better use of the money to help people than Batman would.

It was also karma. Bruce Wayne clearly loves Alfred Pennyworth, and he would do anything for him. However, he also spent an entire lifetime relying on Alfred and often treating him poorly in return. Alfred seemed to understand, but it still doesn’t excuse Bruce’s nonchalant attitude toward the man who helped raise him. Bat-Fam took this idea and ran with it, showing that Alfred has no problem serving Bruce and his family’s every need, but sometimes, he knows he needs to say no when he realizes they are pushing him too far.

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