Alfred Pennyworthmight beBatman’sclosest ally and confidant, a mixture of mentor and friend, but that doesn’t mean Bruce Wayne trusts him…because he doesn’t trust anybody. In fact, the Dark Knight’s inability to fully trust Alfred highlights a fundamental part of his character. The tragic reality is, being Batman means Bruce can’t fully count on anybody but himself.
2016’sBatman#2, written by Tom King, with art by David Finch, contains a moment thatperfectly encapsulates this core aspect of Batman, in which Bruce Wayne bluntly says, “I don’t even trust Alfred.”
For his part, Alfred, who is standing right there, plays this off as a joke, but longtime Batman readers know Bruce wasn’t kidding.
Bruce Wayne Doesn’t Trust Alfred, Highlighting The Loneliness At The Caped Crusader’s Core
Batman#2, Written By Tom King; Art By David Finch; Published In 2016
Bruce’s comment inBatman#2comes in response to being asked if he trusts someone, and his way of saying no is, essentially, to throw Alfred under the bus. However,this shouldn’t be taken as a reflection of Alfred (though, interestingly, the scene ends with Alfred looking at his literal reflection) but rather for what it says about Batman.
Which, in short, is that the Caped Crusader is incapable of trust. Over the years, Batman has become synonymous with extreme caution and preparedness, almost to the point of paranoia. For Bruce Wayne, placing too much trust in one person is a liability. He relies on Alfred as much as any one person, but even that has its limits.
Alfred, for his part, is depicted as being fully aware of this. He gives his explanation for Bruce’s psychology, stating:
“or his tenth birthday, he asked for a katana dueling blade.I got him a wakizashi, which seemed more appropriate for his age. He’s been this way ever since.”
Despite this bit of levity, though, the close-up on Alfred’s face reflected in a clockface leaves his true feelings about being distrusted ambiguous, with one interpretation being that he is displeased, but resigned to it.
Bruce Wayne’s Tragic Lack Of Trust
Alfred is a foundational character inDC’sBatmanmythos, and is generally depicted as Batman’s most stalwart ally. Still, there are some instances in the character’s history in which he has betrayed Batman, both intentionally and inadvertently, which in a way justifies Bruce’s hesitation to completely place his trust in even his greatest supporter.
No matter how close someone might get to him, there will always be things he holds back, secrets he keeps, contingency plans he hides. That is the nature of Batman.
Yet, as loyalBatmanreaders know, this line inBatman#2 wasn’t meant to foreshadow a betrayal. In fact, one of the most devastating moments of author Tom King’s long run on the series came inBatman#77, when Alfred was killed off, a death that continues to profoundly impactBruce Wayne and the Bat-Familyto this day.
Instead, this line is a stark reminder thatBatman is, in a sense, always alone in his crusade against crime and injustice.No matter how close someone might get to him, there will always be things he holds back, secrets he keeps, contingency plans he hides. That is the nature ofBatman, making him a great, but tragically flawed hero.
