Controversial Batfamily Opinions

[Godlike13]

Ooh, or how about Bruce fires him.

[The Cool Thatguy]

I think retiring Alfred or killing him off is a good idea. He's older now and Bruce has a huge cast of supporting characters that they can draw from in the future. I know some purists would be pissed off, but I think it makes sense in the evolution of Bruce's character.

I think the problem there is that by letting Alfred go, Bruce loses a foil and sounding board who isn't involved in the action

[TheCape]

He already did that one time.

I still like Alfred, and I think that him having an interesting background is fine, but stories like the First Ally went totally overboard. He serves as an interesting support figure for Batman, but I don't need a TV show about him. I'm also super big on the overt fatherhood role so many stories seem to play up. Even more so than the Dick and Bruce relationship, it should be more nuanced than that. Part faithful servant, part partner in crime, with a dash of reluctance and perhaps concerned parental figure. I'm over him being reduced Bruce's adopted dad who angsts about whether Bruce is well adjusted or not.

Man i really came to dislike Snyde's Alfred, a few days ago, i decided to read The First Ally and it was pretty bad, especially the last issue, pretty much agreed with your post regarding his past and relationship with Bruce, Snyder own vice of inserting something in the past that we didn't know was there got out control.

[WonderNight]

Nightwing has reached his full potential under batman and Nightwing needs to be spined off into the head of his ip.

[SiegePerilous02]

I love Alfred, but would be fine with him being killed off.

Also, I prefer the pre-Crisis setup of their relationship to the post-Crisis one. Bruce sometimes viewing Alfred as a father stand in and Alfred worrying about how ill-adjusted Bruce is as an adult can get tedious. Plus it makes Alfred look like an ineffectual guardian if he lets all this Batman stuff happen under his watch. Better for Bruce to be well on his way there when they first meet.

[twiztor]

Nightwing has reached his full potential under batman and Nightwing needs to be spinned off into the head of his ip.

i thought this was controversial opinions, not a thread for facts!

[oasis1313]

I love Alfred, but would be fine with him being killed off.

Also, I prefer the pre-Crisis setup of their relationship to the post-Crisis one. Bruce sometimes viewing Alfred as a father stand in and Alfred worrying about how ill-adjusted Bruce is as an adult can get tedious. Plus it makes Alfred look like an ineffectual guardian if he lets all this Batman stuff happen under his watch. Better for Bruce to be well on his way there when they first meet.

Awwwww, don't kill Alfred--kill Bruce instead!

[dancj]

Man - so many people out for Alfred's blood!

He's the best character in Batman. That said, I think they should stop trying to make him badass in the comics. Sean Pertwee's one in Gotham is great, but in the comics I want the prim and proper sarcastic Alfred we know and love.

[Restingvoice]

Alfred has about as many back story occupation as Batman has martial arts kinda annoy me. Theater actor, secret agent, bodyguard, army cook, mechanic, army medic, detective, did I miss anything? I'm sure it's not all at once, and sometimes they use it to explain why he's such a badass, sometimes just for a gag. I prefer the gag.

I never really like the multidisciplinary/renaissance genius of the DCU. I prefer each character only have one branch of discipline they're a genius at, while the rest is average.

[mathew101281]

Alfred has about as many back story occupation as Batman has martial arts kinda annoy me. Theater actor, secret agent, bodyguard, army cook, mechanic, army medic, detective, did I miss anything? I'm sure it's not all at once, and sometimes they use it to explain why he's such a badass, sometimes just for a gag. I prefer the gag.

I never really like the multidisciplinary/renaissance genius of the DCU. I prefer each character only have one branch of discipline they're a genius at, while the rest is average.

In reality most of those disciplines can be rolled up into him being a secret agent that had been required to preform in different roles over the years.

[Bat-Meal]

Alfred has about as many back story occupation as Batman has martial arts kinda annoy me. Theater actor, secret agent, bodyguard, army cook, mechanic, army medic, detective, did I miss anything? I'm sure it's not all at once, and sometimes they use it to explain why he's such a badass, sometimes just for a gag. I prefer the gag.

I never really like the multidisciplinary/renaissance genius of the DCU. I prefer each character only have one branch of discipline they're a genius at, while the rest is average.

Gary Stus and Mary Sues are bound to become annoying, a character needs a number of actual flaws to be relate-able, and not 'flaws' that actually make them better at what they do. And definitely not the old 'cursed with awesome' trope.

I like Batwoman, and Red Hood the most out of the main Bat-fam - as a result of them being more interesting due to their flaws, and rebellion against Batman's control.

I can't stand Tim, due to his personality and press-a-button-solves-everything routine in 'Tec. Cass has potential, but the 'cursed with awesome' trope ruins her for me because she's basically meta-human whilst the writers try to pretend she isn't. If she was acknowledged as Meta I would be more forgiving, otherwise OP.

[Aahz]

Gary Stus and Mary Sues are bound to become annoying, a character needs a number of actual flaws to be relate-able, and not 'flaws' that actually make them better at what they do. And definitely not the old 'cursed with awesome' trope.

The is imo more that they never really managed to put this stuff in one coherent origin story.

Snyders "The First Ally" for example didn't had the actor part in it, and iirc also didn't showed his skills as medic.

Pre flashpoint we had a origin story, where was an acting teacher for the MI6 than went on one mission undercover, and after that became Bruce Buttler, which ignored the soldier and medic part.

Also the question bout why he grew up in England if his family has served the Waynes for generations, is also often not really explained.

[oasis1313]

Gary Stus and Mary Sues are bound to become annoying, a character needs a number of actual flaws to be relate-able, and not 'flaws' that actually make them better at what they do. And definitely not the old 'cursed with awesome' trope.

I like Batwoman, and Red Hood the most out of the main Bat-fam - as a result of them being more interesting due to their flaws, and rebellion against Batman's control.

I can't stand Tim, due to his personality and press-a-button-solves-everything routine in 'Tec. Cass has potential, but the 'cursed with awesome' trope ruins her for me because she's basically meta-human whilst the writers try to pretend she isn't. If she was acknowledged as Meta I would be more forgiving, otherwise OP.

I'd like to see Tim really killed off, even though he's guaranteed not to. Alfred is a nice person and he does all the scut work , all the lawn maintenance, and all the cooking. I'd rather see more focus on Cass learning how interface with the world.

[dancj]

Alfred has about as many back story occupation as Batman has martial arts kinda annoy me. Theater actor, secret agent, bodyguard, army cook, mechanic, army medic, detective, did I miss anything?

Agreed.

Leave it at army medic. That's the most important one for him supporting Batman. Any time they bring up the others (particularly the actor) it can get cringe-worthy.

[Bat-Meal]

The is imo more that they never really managed to put this stuff in one coherent origin story.

Snyders "The First Ally" for example didn't had the actor part in it, and iirc also didn't showed his skills as medic.

Pre flashpoint we had a origin story, where was an acting teacher for the MI6 than went on one mission undercover, and after that became Bruce Buttler, which ignored the soldier and medic part.

Also the question bout why he grew up in England if his family has served the Waynes for generations, is also often not really explained.

Ugh, Alfred is too darn confusing. The writers should make up their minds about his background and try to stick to it.

Otherwise, I'm just going to assume that Alfred is a chronic liar, and tells Bruce all kinds of made-up stories about his past.