Warning! Contains spoilers for Batman: Urban Legends #16
More than simply Bruce Wayne’s butler, Alfred Pennyworth shows time and again his worth as a hero and an important member to the Bat-Family in his own right. The most recent issue of Batman: Urban Legends gives Alfred another opportunity to do just that, proving his mettle once again as he answers the call to action like the Dark Knight himself.
Batman: Urban Legends is a monthly anthology series containing various stories about members of the Bat-Family and other Batman-adjacent characters. Set years in the past, the story “Some Things Remain” from Urban Legends #16 sees Alfred Pennyworth get in on the action to investigate a case of his own. The Gotham Gardens assisted living facility has an uptick in deaths due to “natural causes,” which started around the same time as the Batman villain the Ventriloquist (also known as Arnold Wesker) took up residency. Alfred, who had a good friend die two weeks earlier while living at Gotham Gardens, offers to go undercover as a new resident in an effort to find the true cause of the recent deaths. Upon meeting the Ventriloquist and his dummy partner Scarface, Alfred discovers the true perpetrators of the Gotham Gardens killings may be higher up than he initially anticipated.
“Some Things Remain,” written by Josh Trujillo with art by Rosi Kämpe, presents a flipped relationship between Pennyworth and Bruce Wayne, as Batman provides backup assistance while Alfred enters the field. By setting the story in the past, the dynamic duo of Batman and Butler are able to reunite for a solo adventure prior to Pennyworth’s death in Batman #77 during the City of Bane storyline. This mission allows Alfred some deserved time in the spotlight as he flexes his skills less present in a traditional Batman story.
While investigating Gotham Gardens, Alfred makes use of his diverse history that preceded his service as the Wayne family butler. The undercover mission allows Pennyworth the brief opportunity to show off his skills as an actor, covering the true intent of his enrollment in the facility. “Some Things Remain” also hints at Alfred’s past with the British intelligence agent as he covertly roams the building picking locks, evading security and eventually throwing a Batarang with impressive precision. Pennyworth’s ultimate uncovering of the true plot – killing residents before adding them to the Gotham Gardens “donor wall” – takes the kind of quick thinking and piecing together of information that would make the World’s Greatest Detective proud.
“Some Things Remain” provides a touching story for fans of Alfred Pennyworth. Given the character’s current status in the DC Universe, seeing Alfred take on a mission to prove to himself that he’s “not dead yet” lends the one-off a bittersweet tone – as does seeing Bruce skip patrol to care for him at the story’s conclusion. Alfred’s infiltration makes good use of the character’s history as an actor and a member of British intelligence, once again proving him a worthy – and dangerous – inclusion to the Bat-Family.
source https://screenrant.com/alfred-pennyworth-deadly-batman-spy-bat-family/
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