Batman: Pennyworth R.I.P. #1

Overall, I absolutely loved this issue and loved that it really reached me on a personal level. The writing was beautiful and deep and the artwork really did an excellent job selling the emotions and made for just one of the best Batman stories released so far this year. Batman Pennyworth RIP #1 is available today so do yourself a favor and pick up a box of tissues and then head to your Local Comic Shoo and pick it up ASAP and prepare for an emotional ride! Read Full Review

This issue hit me much harder than I expected it to, and I think it will for just about all Batman fans too. Read Full Review

The fact that this is Issue #1 begs that is there going to be an Issue #2 of Batman Pennyworth: RIP. This stand-alone project was well written, well illustrated, and simply well done. Again, in the words of Barbara Gordon"."So Beautiful"Thanks for this Alfred." Read Full Review

I don't know what the future will bring but in the present, this issue is the sendoff that Alfred deserves and for now, that will have to be good enough. Read Full Review

Artwork that fits each story within each story, an excellent approach to the memorialization of a legend " Batman: Pennyworth R.I.P. #1 is a must-read for all fans of Batman and/or members of the Bat-family. Read Full Review

It ends on a somewhat downer of a note in that regard, but given the importance of this death, it shouldnt feel like an easy back to the norm status quo. Hopefully over the course of the next few months Tynion and Tomasi will continue exploring the healing of the Bat Family and not just throw Batman into action and barely addressing it. Read Full Review

Overall, Batman: Pennyworth RIP #1 is a must-read for Batman fans and also is a great way to catch up on the most recent events without Batman and the Bat-Family's various comics. Read Full Review

Batman: Pennyworth R.I.P. is a fitting tribute to one of my favorite comic-book characters of all time. My only issue with the book is that, in some ways, I wish it didn't exist. I don't want Alfred to be dead. Read Full Review

A must for any Batman fan and very highly recommended for comic book fans in general. Read Full Review

A great issue that helps to celebrate the legacy of Alfred Pennyworth, but there are some moments that just take the spotlight away from Alfred and into the dramatic. I enjoyed getting to see the Robins and Batgirl reflect, but it would've been nice to see how this hit Bruce. Read Full Review

Each artist brings something unique and special to the art in this issue. From the characters to the backgrounds, the art reflects both the character's personalities, but also how they perceive moments with Alfred. Read Full Review

How much is a Pennyworth? As can be shown from this one-shot, quite a lot indeed. Read Full Review

Even though DC will(and they will) bring Alfred back, this comic still maintains a lot of emotional weight. Read Full Review

These great vignettes are undercut by a bitter main story that makes Bruce feel emotionally useless and the Bat-family feeling rather cruel to each other. It just emphasizes how broken the Bats are without Alfred " which may have been the point. Read Full Review

BATMAN: PENNYWORTH RIP may not be the definitive sendoff for Alfred that DC was hoping for. That said, it's entertaining and, at times, even touching. it's worth picking up if you're a Bat Family aficionado. Read Full Review

Pennyworth RIP is a somber tale. It takes a good look at how grief and sorrow affects a whole family and asks the question: Where do we go from here? But it also celebrates Alfred and gives readers a number of new stories with him showing just how important he's always been to the members of the Batfamily. If you're anything like me, it'll leave you with a mixed bag of feelings and a little unsure of where you stand regarding it. For a story like this, featuring such a beloved character I honestly don't think that's a bad thing. Read Full Review

Overall, James Tynion IV and Peter J. Tomasi's storytelling didn't deliver the emotional punch that should come along with the death of one of DC's most prominent characters. Read Full Review

While I think Alfred deserves a nice sendoff, this issue left me feeling sad and bitter...and mostly for the wrong reasons.  The timing and tone felt off, and the art didn't wow me either. The idea of the Bat-Family falling apart because of Alfred's death would be cool if we had a strong Bat-Family beforehand. I expected this to be an issue that I'd go back to in years to come, not one I could barely get through the first time.   Read Full Review

This issue does more to set up the status quo of Batman comics in 2020 than it does to celebrate the life of Alfred Pennyworth. Thats not the worst thing in the world, but it certainly doesnt deliver the touching one-shot we were expecting. Read Full Review

Toonstrack

Feb 12, 2020

Man, whats with the harsh reviews? I thought this one was great. Easily the most emotionally resonating comic I've read from DC in a while. The characters dialogue and actions are written well, and you can feel the tension the family is growing through but also how much care is between them. Some of the 'kids' may seem a bit cold to Bruce but really can you blame them? I didnt pull Kings run on Batman but I never felt like I was missing crucial information. All you really needed to know was that Alfred died at the hands of Bane. Not to mention the art is just great all around, very heavy and moody but it captures facial expressions well which is something comics dont always do. And the flashback artists all bring good work as well, w ith Damian's tale being a highlight for me. The details like Babs reflection as she exits the issue at a lot more impact to what we are reading. Its also a very satisfying read, plenty to delve into and a lot of dialogue with action spersed through. It doesnt go by quick and justifies the price tag. I really don't know what else everyone wants out of this book, it's not a DC 2020 ad and it has a clear goal in mind and accomplishes it. more

Br'er Lapin AKA 20-Ish Ceiln

Feb 17, 2020

It was great seeing the Batfam all togerher and sharing their experiences with Alfred. Ric was surprisingly handled well, he stuck out like a sore thumb, but the story made good use of a shitty editorial decision.

EDiakota

Feb 15, 2020

" I can't imagine how much you're huting. I want to help you right now, more than anything. But this is the trap our family falls into over and over again. You push us away, and Alfred pull us all back together. I don't know if that's going to happen this time you need to do it yourself. You need to fight through the démon and be the adult we all need you to be. It sucks. I didn't want to believe it but deep down i kind of knew. When we lost Alfred, we lost you too. " - TIM DRAKE

TheHyruleElf

Feb 12, 2020

There was one great point. If Dick was still Dick, he would've helped everyone. That's for damn sure.

LunaMoody

Feb 14, 2020

Okay this was mostly well done. It was a pretty good tribute to a beloved character. It did have some major flaws in my opinion though. 1. Cassie should have been there to tell her Alfred story also. She is Bruce's adopted daughter and as such her voice should have been heard. 2. Jason should not have been told to not come to the opening. He also was adopted by Bruce and should be treated as such. 3. Barbara should not have been to the bar with them. She is extended family only! Also her blaming Bruce for what happened to her father is wrong. Bruce is one man fighting many different battles from all sides. He can only do and give the best he can. 4. I didn't really like how everyone once again dumps on Bruce for being reserved. He is always that way and always will be that way. They all know that and to expect him to be the one to hold them all up when he is the one that loved Alfred the most is just crap. Bruce is the one that lost the most. Alfred raised Bruce. For all intent and purposed Al was his father. They should be there for him. To help him, not be PO'd because he isn't doing or being what they want. All of them are acting like spoiled brats. 5. Tim telling Bruce he would help out but only if Bruce asked him to do so. Really Tim's his son after all he's done for Tim, why should Bruce have to ask? When did Tim become a selfish little sh_t? 6. Selina should've been at Bruce's side at the bar and standing behind him at the opening. I'm sure Alfred would have wanted Bruce to have the woman he loves with him there. That and the fact that Cassie wasn't there really ticks me off the most. They both should have been there not Barbara who the only time she was of any real use in the comic was when she was Oracle. What I liked...... 1. The Alfred stories 2. The emotions shown. 3. The art work 4. It was over all a good story but it could have been better and should have had more to it. more

M1sf1r3

Feb 16, 2020

Prelude: After his death in City of Bane, let's see how Pennyworth R.I.P. fares to honour Alfred. The Good: I like the stories from each Robin and Barbara. Art is generally good. The Bad: I know Alfred just died but everyone did feel too edgy to me. Conclusion: A passable issue. I like it when the BatFamily comes together but the voices are quite off for this issue even when regarding the recent events.

egonnn244

Feb 16, 2020

"To Alfred" Let's have one writer kill Alfred in a poor story and then let's have others, better ones, do damage control and give him a proper send-off - that's the DC Way. Let's have one awesome writer make an amazing, intricate story that fixes pretty much every major problem with our continuity and then due to a few delays let's disregard that completely and let's just have some loud, overblown space cataclysm event, that can't seem to end and that no one will remember week after it ends, in its stead - that's the DC Way. With that rant out of the way, let's talk about the issue. The title pretty much says it all. R.I.P. The Bat-family gathers on this wake of sorts to remember Alfred and share some bitter feelings about thems elves but mostly about Bruce. During this, Tynion and Tomasi are forced to remind us and navigate through some very bad storytelling decisions that others made... well, actually that one person made. A person that will not be named here. In all honesty, this issue and this "review" could be summarized in just a few words. The words that Damian spoke in the issue. "He was a good man. He deserved... more" I couldn't agree more. more

RhubarbSaber

Feb 15, 2020

Tomasi & Tynion are left to clean up Tom King's disaster of a run, here and in the current continuing titles of "Batman" and "Detective". That's about it. Oh and Barbara Gordon was unnecessarily angry here.

Liem Duong

Jul 09, 2020

This was good. Basically a good-bye letter to Alfred by Bruce and the gang. And how Tomasi and Tynion handle their composition of this story makes is very linear and easy to follow. Art by various artists were good, each story of Alfred from different people's perspectives with their own art style. All the stories were heart-felt, but done in a fashion that felt kind of sloppy or jumbled up, stuttering the emotion and wasn't as connect as I thought it would be. Didn't care for the Rick part, and no one story really stands out, all of them were overall fine but done with subtle nostalgia and emotion in honor of Alfred.

MKW69

Feb 12, 2020

It was too short. And it felt not complete, only Bat's Robins and Barbara are here. There should be others, like Alfred daughter Julia, Supes Cassandra, and others.

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myconius - Feb 12, 2020

very good points. no mention of Alfred's daughter has even been made. and Superman and Wonder Woman definitely would have been there as well! this just shows how phoned in this really was.

LunaMoody - Feb 14, 2020

I agree

pizzamain

Feb 16, 2020

I liked the photo at the end

Maud Benjamin

Feb 12, 2020

I expect this issue a touching one. But how the writers handle it is too... clumsy. How could it be possible that Alfred wanted to tell Bruce "your parents' death made you Batman so they would've die willingly for you to save people"? Seriously, Alfred's death and how families react deserves better writing.

huz

Feb 12, 2020

Kind of hard to take DC comics deaths seriously. And the fact that this wasn't just in an issue of Batman makes it feel like a cash grab (especially since Batman ships twice a month). Also, like others have pointed out, Cassandra, and Alfred's daughter Julia should have been at the bar.

Psycamorean

Feb 13, 2020

Yeah, this just doesn't resonate the way the creative team wants it to. A lot of that has to do with the current status quos and how we got to this point, and that's not really on this creative team. But that shouldn't mean we should give them a complete pass. After all, Amazing Spider-Man #400 was near perfect, and that issue was submerged in the 1990s Clone Saga. Status quo doesn't negate one's ability to tell a great story.

Spacey Medicine

Apr 12, 2020

I really like Alfred so I was ready for this to wreck me emotionally, but I just don’t feel like it can. Alfred’s death felt fake when it happened, and we’re all one inevitable reboot away from this being undone anyways. The dude was killed as part of a plot by Thomas Wayne, a man whose whole purpose is to be dead. They couldn’t even keep Jor “My whole planet blew up while I was on it” El in the grave. Give me a break.

Nihilist

Feb 12, 2020

While the premise for this comic is definitely good, aside from the fact Alfred's death was one of the most disappointing moments in already utterly disappointing run of Tom King's Batman, the execution seems... cynical, calculated. It didn't feel like celebration of Alfred's life and his relations to the rest of the Bat Family. Instead, I though I'm reading carefully crafted chain of scenes designed to make me feel something, and fill the holes that Tom King should have filled during his run, instead of throwing meaningless filler at us every two weeks. Without proper setup, neither Alfred's death nor farewell mean much. It's like watching one of those Ronnie James Dio holograms - they're fake. They're there not to honor his legacy, but t o make money off people who don't care if they see the real deal, or an artifficial creation devoid of any life. And that pretty much sums this comic up to me, albeit it has few decent moments, like Robin breaking down and admitting it's all his fault. Where did he go? Who knows, we may just hope Thomas Wayne didn't take him for an intergalactic decade long trip, so next time we see him, he's an adult. more

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Crimson Knight - Feb 12, 2020

Why do you hate Tom King so much? I know he's not perfect but come on he's not atrocious!

Crimson Knight - Feb 12, 2020

I can agree his ending of Batman was indeed disappointing. Fine! But he's a good writer who at least does some interesting and unorthodox stories that often prove more entertaining then just another super hero book! Read his Vision series,Mr. Miracle,Swamp Thing and issues 36,37 and annual 2 of his Batman run. I promise you'll enjoy them.Dislike the end of his batman and Heroes in Crisis of you want, but going after the writer himself for a few bad issues? That's pretty shallow.

myconius - Feb 12, 2020

Nihilist - beautifully summed up as always! nice touch with the comparison of the Dio hologram. brilliant analogy.

myconius - Feb 12, 2020

when i buy cheap cash grabs . . . you know they always bring me down . . . they’re not free and i see that it's me . . . who's lost and never found.

Crimson Knight - Feb 12, 2020

Right no writers ever reuses similar themes or ideas! Every writer tells a story that's so different it might as well be a different writer. Right? So what Tom King's stories are always dark! It's better then seeing stories where the hero randomly comes up with a plan that's so crazy it just might work to save the day. And for the record DC Stuff I was just trying to help you out with the recommendations!! I'm sorry I didn't know I was talking to Tom King #1 not a fan!

Crimson Knight - Feb 12, 2020

DC Stuff We could go back and forth on this but I like Tom King and you obviously despise him. That's your opinion and I respect that.

myconius - Feb 12, 2020

ey! ey! EY!!! . . . DC Stuff is NOT "Tom King #1 not a fan". . . . . . no. that title proudly belongs to me!

Psycamorean - Feb 12, 2020

I'd just like to take the opportunity to mention the impetus behind this issue was completely manufactured by DC editorial, not Tom King, He was not going to kill Alfred, he was just going to do a fake out, but then DC editorial made it real because... I guess 5G? I don't know, but this is one case where Tom King doesn't deserve the hate.

Nihilist - Feb 12, 2020

Sorry for the delay in response, it's been a long, long day. @Crimson Knight - I don't hate King, in fact I really enjoyed his first few arcs of Batman series. Since then, however, it turned into a shallow, meaningless incoherent mixture of filler and repetitive deus ex machina infested shell of a plot. He had 80 issues to build and close a big story, and he didn't. Events written by others tried to explain what he forgot about, like Gotham Girl's motivations in the 2nd crossover with Flash.

Nihilist - Feb 12, 2020

I don't hate him, I'm just continuossly disappointed with his writing, being constantly reinforced in my negativity towards it. I'll pick Batman & Catwoman series up, for sure, but I'm not excited for it. I'm burned out by King. @DC Stuff beautifully dug into more details and examples of what in King's writing leaves a lot to be desired. But either way, we do not despise him. This is too much of a narrow generalization.

Nihilist - Feb 12, 2020

Also, you're right, YourGreenMuse, but still, he wrote the scene. He received directives from the editorial, so here come usual Didio jokes, but not blaming him for how bad it all turned out, would be a cop out, I think. We're talking about the same guy who gave Robin a deus ex machina to overpower Gotham Girl, with no explanation, foreshadowing, just nothing. Alfred's death was equally poor from the narrative perspective, and didn't impact the characters in the series. Hence this "filler" book.

Toonstrack - Feb 12, 2020

It seems like you are criticising this book using problems you had with Tom Kings run, and thats hardly fair. Sure your problems with his run might be valid but what does Tomasi and this book have to do with it?

Br'er Lapin AKA 20-Ish Ceiln - Feb 13, 2020

Since all the negative opinions jumped in about Tom King and his Batman. I am just here to say you aren't alone Crimson. I loved almost all of King's work (really only dislike HiC) and even recently his run on Batman was voted 7th best of the top 100 comics of the decade on CBR or Newsarama, one of the two. I can't disagree either. I have loved the run, and the ending was unsatisfying closure wise, but sorry... having your run cut is a legitimate excuse. Editorial have been bastards this whole t

Br'er Lapin AKA 20-Ish Ceiln - Feb 13, 2020

ime.

myconius - Feb 13, 2020

thank you DC Stuff. i promise to always honor the crown.

myconius - Feb 13, 2020

Toonstrack - you cannot overlook the problems of King's run and NOT see this book as a waste of time & money. this book ONLY EXISTS as a DIRECT RESULT of a terrible story choice MADE . BY . KING !!! . . . and i don't buy into that editorial forced him to kill Alfred. that cowardly worm needs to own his $#!%.

Psycamorean - Feb 13, 2020

I totally trust that DC editorial decided to kill Alfred... same way they chose which characters King could use in HiC. I'm not saying King is completely void of responsibility here, but I think he's moreso just a shill for editorial in this scenario. I don't like Tom King's storytelling approach most of the time, and he made plenty of bad decisions all on his own. So, don't think I'm discounting that.

Psycamorean - Feb 13, 2020

Also, I just want a sampling: Who here actually puts faith in comic book polls or awards? I do not, at all. I think they're a sham most of the time. A popularity contest, at best. And apropos of that, who puts faith in the comic book critics? Same answer for me. I think they're completely useless as a barometer of quality.

Nihilist - Feb 13, 2020

Exactly. Remember that The King's Speech and Black Panther won Oscars. Squirrel Girl won an Eisner. Billboard recently made a list of best rock songs of the decade, topped with Imagine Dragons and 21 Pilots. Kissinger and Obama won Nobel peace prizes. Skrillex won like a dozen of Grammy awards. Don't make me even start with Rock & Roll Hall of Fame snubs. The Beat named Female Furies and Goddess Mode two of the best comics of 2019. Bottomline, popularity contests are corporate circlejerks.

Crimson Knight - Feb 13, 2020

Most of the time i forget that awards in any media exist besides the Oscars. I know there's a lot o stigma and whatever surrounding them but sometimes it's just for entertainment and occasional movie idea.

Crimson Knight - Feb 13, 2020

The same goes for some comics like i know king isn't perfect but i enjoy his work

myconius - Feb 13, 2020

they can hand out all the awards they want. it won't keep the sales numbers from dropping off. .... no matter how much they polish it up. a turd is still just a turd.

Crimson Knight - Feb 13, 2020

Also quick tangent does anybody else thing Tomasi and Gleason's Batman&Robin was good. Cause i freaking love it!

Toonstrack - Feb 13, 2020

@Myconius... I dont really care about the circumstances around Alfreds death, nor does this book. As I said all that matters is that he is now dead, and this issue needed to be made as a result. I would much rather have this than for them to just ignore Alfred'a death and move on with no reminiscing. Thats what this issue is about... Reminiscing

myconius - Feb 13, 2020

sorry. no. . . . the fact that this story totally overlooked characters like Alfred's daughter Julia, or Leslie Thompkins shows that this was not about reminiscing. . . . this was nothing more than a cash grab. . . . . . a cheap memorial, celebrating a cheap and manipulative character death.

Toonstrack - Feb 13, 2020

It's about the Bat-family as advertised. Why would Julia mean anything now after being gone for years? These are about the people who were in Alfreds life regularly, his real family. And I will just have to disagree that the memorial was cheap, the emotional beats were there. deaths in comics are usually cash grabs IMO, Uncle Ben and Jean Grey are the only ones off the top of my head that arent and one of those characters are alive and well today. And for a cash grab I thougt it was solid.

Nihilist - Feb 13, 2020

Gwen Stacy was also pretty good. Albeit her death itself was kind of a cashgrab itself, but then again, it fleshed Peter out, changed him. This, in comparison, feels so fake and artifficially created. Half of the Bat Family didn't even make a single appearance in Batman's comics for years, it's hard to take this reunion seriously when nothing but Alfred's death has been set up.

Psycamorean - Feb 13, 2020

I wouldn't call Gwen Stacy's death a cashgrab because it was done for plot reasons. They had made Gwen Stacy hate Spider-Man and love Peter, and that became sort of a problem for the writers and editorial. It created a redundancy because that was essentially Aunt May's character. So, they originally wanted to kill off Aunt May.

Psycamorean - Feb 13, 2020

But the creative team decided she was too essential to Spider-Man, so then they optioned killing off Gwen or MJ. MJ was a much more popular character with the bullpen, so Gwen got the ax.

Psycamorean - Feb 13, 2020

Gerry Conway thought that Peter and Gwen were the perfect couple, so having them get married and all that would betray what Spider-Man is, so he killed off Gwen Stacy to end what he considered an unfitting relationship and to reinforce the element of personal tragedy that defines Spider-Man. It was, therefore, not a cashgrab, but rather what the writer thought was a necessary progression in the plot.

myconius - Feb 13, 2020

good point. why would Alfred's daughter (who also worked for Bruce in the Bat-cave for a time) mean anything?

Br'er Lapin AKA 20-Ish Ceiln - Feb 13, 2020

There is existing evidence that Alfred was not going to stay dead. There are a few messy mistakes in one of Tomasi's issues showing it was originally drawn with Alfred before hastily being replaced with Lucius Fox. Not kidding. He is legitimately still in one background of a panel.

Psycamorean - Feb 14, 2020

And also, he has since said that it was editorial's idea.

myconius - Feb 14, 2020

DC Stuff - yeah. King is a fraud and a coward. he can't assume responsibility for any of the terrible decisions he's made, and has to throw editorial under the bus. not to say that DC editorial is not trash.

Psycamorean - Feb 14, 2020

I believe it's editorial because of what happened with Nightwing. I think you and myconius have undue faith in them for no good reason.

Psycamorean - Feb 14, 2020

The type of jabs being thrown at Tom King, as well as your "evidence" are almost Trumpian. And that's fun for a laugh, but if we're going to be serious, it's clearly editorial who is at fault.

Psycamorean - Feb 14, 2020

I'm no Tom King fan, but I'm not a blind hater.

LunaMoody - Feb 14, 2020

I liked a lot of Kings run also. Dislike a lot as well. I think the biggest problem DC has right now with it's books and writers is that they are trying to write books/novel like stories and most of the writers just are not good enough to write that long or detail involved story. If King had wrote this as only a 12 issue arc it probably would have been amazing. But he tried to spread it out through his entire run and failed because of it.

myconius - Feb 19, 2020

DC Stuff - yeah, "figure it out later" that was the mantra to his ENTIRE run!! only he NEVER figured any of it out. the guy is clueless.