View Poll Results: Who is the second most important character in the Batman universe?

Voters
158. You may not vote on this poll
  • Commissioner Gordon

    26 16.46%
  • The Joker

    14 8.86%
  • Robin

    55 34.81%
  • Alfred

    59 37.34%
  • Other

    4 2.53%
Page 4 of 9 FirstFirst 12345678 ... LastLast
Results 46 to 60 of 124
  1. #46
    Astonishing Member Pohzee's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2015
    Location
    tOSU
    Posts
    3,066

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by K. Jones View Post
    I certainly believe they've been expanded upon to the tenth and in all the world-building and what-not over the years, made more integral (in ways both naturally, organically and cool as well as cheesy, clunky and shoe-horned). But ultimately I always feel like Alfred and Gordon sort of serve the same role, with Gordon edging in as slightly more vital just because he's been there since the first issue (as brilliantly recontextualized and full-circled at the end of Morrison's run). But ultimately all they do is give us some like exposition - BATMAN shows up and Gordon gives him policey details about crimes that BATMAN then needs to go tackle. He then has funny interactions with BATMAN's civilian alter ego, none the wiser, during the day. Over they years clever writers wonder what the political and inter-police nature of a Commissioner helping a psycho costume vigilante might be, and thus, people do some crafty work trying to explain the "Rules" of Gotham City. Badda-bing. But he's mostly just a functionary to witness Batman, assist Batman, give Batman some exposition, and occasionally be either a damsel in distress figure, get his hands dirty in his own cases here and there to bolster his rep next to Batman's, or even to occasionally be a hindrance ... to Batman.

    Meanwhile Alfred came about for effectively the same reasons. Somebody who spends as much time Batmanning as BATMAN needs somebody taking care of the homestead. If he has a mansion, he should probably have a butler. Oh organically and naturally let's let this butler be the one who cared for him for all those years since we know he was a young lad when his parents died. Oh logic though! What are the rules of this world? How can this butler be such a polymath bad-ass caretaker for somebody who is himself a polymath bad-ass? Gotta invent that military background (which in the decades following WWII were always pretty realistic for any character to have). But ultimately he serves a similar function to Gordon, just "at home" instead of "at work". I mean, neverminding that Batman works from a home office.

    Even a simple, pared-down, low-key Batman story "almost" requires using Alfred and/or Gordon. I'd say they're equal in that regard, and thematically important because they're also older and more experienced, if less daring and bold than Batman, and give that sense of Father Figure that comes with his lost father. (Mother figure stuff has always been a lot harder for Batman storytellers, but also in-canon, Bruce as a character, to deal with - which you know, in a nutshell explains ALL of his bad relationship decisions.)

    It's always been interesting to me that other characters invented to reflect back important societal notions upon Batman haven't been elevated as much. We see a bit of it with Lucius Fox. Somebody asked "who runs the company while Batman is out Batmanning?" and we got a solid character. Who then inherited a lot of "where does he get his wonderful toys?" concepts. Vicki Vale had a really long run coming at things from the journalism side of it, and still gets into the books doing just that every once in a while. She gets lost in the shuffle though because she was a damsel, romantic interest, and those are always doomed for Batman not just relationship-wise, but like ... getting good Batman Stories out of them. Somebody had to ask the question of "Well, where does Bruce go when he's feeling a bit emotionally drained or sad? Does he NOT HAVE a replacement Mother Figure?" and that's where Leslie Thompkins comes into the picture - another indicator of why she too needs to be depicted as somewhat older than Batman.

    Gordon. Alfred. Then a lesser tier of tradespeople that serve similar but micro-functions, reflecting Batman's Batman-ness back at him in the story, in the city, in the theme.

    But they're all still just Mrs. Hudson, aren't they? LeStrade. Here's your tea. Here's the crime. Have at it boys.

    ROBIN is the partner. The Watson. Whoever the Robin is at any given time "should be" Batman's most important character, and current Robin is his biological son, so I think there can't be any doubt that Robin SHOULD BE the most integral character. Of course Dick is the first, best Robin so there's that too. But trying to be fair and noting that all those characters have to be graduated and gain some sort of independence and have their "falling out" periods with Batman and so on and so forth, I figure the right all-encompassing answer is that it's Robin.
    Perfectly said.
    It's the Dynamic Duo! Batman and Robin!... and Red Robin and Red Hood and Nightwing and Batwoman and Batgirl and Orphan and Spoiler and Bluebird and Lark and Gotham Girl and Talon and Batwing and Huntress and Azreal and Flamebird and Batcow?

    Since when could just anybody do what we trained to do? It makes it all dumb instead of special. Like it doesn't matter anymore.
    -Dick Grayson (Batman Inc.)


  2. #47
    Uncanny Member MajorHoy's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Posts
    29,974

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by adrikito View Post
    1. Alfred. HE IS HERE SINCE THE BEGIN. First ally.
    I take it you're not too familiar with the history of Batman comic book stories.
    Of the four named in the poll, Alfred was the LAST to be introduced.
    * Commissioner Gordon = Detective Comics #27 (May 1939)
    * Robin (Dick Grayson) = Detective Comics #38 (April 1940)
    * Joker = Batman #1 (Spring 1940) <with Robin>
    * Alfred = Batman #16 (April-May 1943)

  3. #48
    Extraordinary Member adrikito's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2016
    Location
    Gotham City
    Posts
    8,091

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by MajorHoy View Post
    I take it you're not too familiar with the history of Batman comic book stories.
    Of the four named in the poll, Alfred was the LAST to be introduced.
    * Commissioner Gordon = Detective Comics #27 (May 1939)
    * Robin (Dick Grayson) = Detective Comics #38 (April 1940)
    * Joker = Batman #1 (Spring 1940) <with Robin>
    * Alfred = Batman #16 (April-May 1943)
    I heard previously that Alfred was created after 1940..

    But I was taking the Post-Crisis/Post-Flashpoint continuities story with Alfred as Bruce guardian since his childhood and helping Batman when even the police were batman enemies.

    I know that Batman was not like now in his first years..
    Last edited by adrikito; 09-17-2018 at 01:37 PM.

  4. #49
    The Superior One Celgress's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Posts
    11,766

    Default

    Whew, a very tough call. I'll go with Alfred.
    "So you've come to the end now alive but dead inside."

  5. #50
    Mighty Member KrustyKid's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Posts
    1,868

    Default

    Voted Alf by a hair. Gordon is right there. Joker would be third, with Robin being a solid fourth

  6. #51
    Ultimate Member Jackalope89's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2017
    Posts
    10,388

    Default

    Robin and Alfred. The former having been around almost as long as the big bad Bat himself, and made the mantle of Robin almost synonymous with Batman. The latter as the brutal one-liner butler that doubles as the nanny, cook, and doctor.

  7. #52
    Savior of the Universe Flash Gordon's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Posts
    9,021

    Default

    Voted Alf by a hair. Gordon is right there. Joker would be third, with Robin being a solid fourth
    The...Joker?

  8. #53
    The Superior One Celgress's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Posts
    11,766

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by KrustyKid View Post
    Voted Alf by a hair. Gordon is right there. Joker would be third, with Robin being a solid fourth
    I agree with you, except I'd swap the places of Robin and Gordon.

    Here is my list (not counting Bruce of course)

    1.) Alfred
    2.) Robin (Richard Grayson)
    3.) Joker
    4.) Commissioner Gordon
    5.) Catwoman
    6.) Batgirl (Babs)

    As long as you have those six, or even the first four in a pinch, you have all you need IMO.
    Last edited by Celgress; 09-17-2018 at 10:51 PM.
    "So you've come to the end now alive but dead inside."

  9. #54
    Astonishing Member dancj's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Posts
    3,568

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by MajorHoy View Post
    I take it you're not too familiar with the history of Batman comic book stories.
    Of the four named in the poll, Alfred was the LAST to be introduced.
    * Commissioner Gordon = Detective Comics #27 (May 1939)
    * Robin (Dick Grayson) = Detective Comics #38 (April 1940)
    * Joker = Batman #1 (Spring 1940) <with Robin>
    * Alfred = Batman #16 (April-May 1943)
    I took "HE IS HERE SINCE THE BEGIN. First ally." to mean in-story. Alfred was there before the Waynes were killed. That's before anyone else in Bruce's life.

  10. #55
    Caperucita Roja Zaresh's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Posts
    3,762

    Default

    I voted for Robin. All of them, as a collective entity, have added so much to Batman's mythos that, for me, it's crazy not to think of Robin as a whole concept. More stories and events and drama and joy that even Alfred or the Joker, story wise, Batman's story.
    Last edited by Zaresh; 09-18-2018 at 04:55 AM.

  11. #56
    Ultimate Member dietrich's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
    Posts
    10,985

    Default

    Robin and when I say Robin I mean all but mainly Dick Grayson.
    The one who started it all.
    The one who redefined the mythos.
    The one that saved Batman, saved his son and is to date Batman's single greatest achievement.
    Last edited by dietrich; 09-18-2018 at 05:30 AM.

  12. #57
    Extraordinary Member Restingvoice's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
    Posts
    9,574

    Default

    Alfred. Patches up Batman and Robin, handling their estate when they're gone and all the vultures trying to figure out their secrets.

  13. #58
    Uncanny Member MajorHoy's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Posts
    29,974

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by dancj View Post
    I took "HE IS HERE SINCE THE BEGIN. First ally." to mean in-story. Alfred was there before the Waynes were killed. That's before anyone else in Bruce's life.
    Well, there's current "in-story", and there's historically:

  14. #59
    Astonishing Member dancj's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Posts
    3,568

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by MajorHoy View Post
    Well, there's current "in-story", and there's historically:
    I was talking about current "in-story".

  15. #60
    Death becomes you Osiris-Rex's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Location
    Memphis
    Posts
    6,857

    Default

    I am going to go with Alfred. Just from a media standpoint, there have been lots of movies sans Robin and Joker. And Commissioner Gordon just provides an in to the police. In some movies he is barely there.
    But in every live action story Alfred has always been there and played a large role in the story.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •