While Bane murdering Alfred in Batman #77 ranks among the darkest developments in an already bleak series, it's been difficult to know whether to take that death at face value. There are too many potential ways in which it could be undone or revealed as a red herring. Only with the recent announcement of the epilogue special Batman: Pennyworth RIP did it become clear Alfred's death is actually going stick (for the time being, at least). The problem with that upcoming issue is that it doesn't feature any work from King himself. Surely the writer responsible for killing off Bruce Wayne's oldest and dearest ally should have a say in sending him off. That's where Batman #83 comes in.
While this issue does little to alleviate the overall poor pacing of "City of Bane," it does at least justify the decision to pause and reflect on the Bruce/Alfred relationship in greater depth. This is exactly the kind of story we needed to see after Batman #55 and didn't get - a story where Batman mourns the loss of a pivotal ally. That this series so quickly and carelessly discarded Dick Grayson after Dick's near-fatal shooting will always be a deep stain on King's Batman run. But with Alfred, at least, the series takes the time to explore the fallout of that tragedy and allow Bruce to react as any grieving son would at the unexpected death of their father.
King and artist Mikel Janin frame this issue as a mostly silent story, where the images of a violently grief-stricken Batman are juxtaposed with text from a farewell letter Alfred wrote shortly before his death. The fact that Alfred is depicted as a man with full knowledge and acceptance of the fate awaiting him really makes all the difference here. Before, his death had a slightly hollow ring to it, as if the series needed one last tragedy to ramp up the tension before Bruce's ultimate triumph. But reading Alfred's perspective on these matters and realizing his death was less a senseless tragedy than a noble sacrifice brings much more weight to the situation.
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This issue also excels at bringing the series full circle and calling back to some of the key events of King's first year of Batman stories. In particular it touches on Bruce's latent death wish and his hunger for a good death. We see Bruce as only Alfred could ever understand him and come to appreciate the final piece of wisdom Alfred was trying to impart through his death. Frankly, we may not actually need Pennyworth RIP after reading Batman #83 (though it'll still be interesting to see how writers James Tynion and Peter Tomasi tackle this tragedy).
Having Janin and colorist Jordie Bellaire on board definitely helps the execution. With "City of Bane" being all over the map in terms of visual style, it's critical to have Janin return and help stabilize the series leading into the big finale. Janin and Bellaire create the perfect gloomy tone for this issue, with the art being dominated by looming shadows and a melancholy blue palette. The variety in page design also helps enhance King's script, with larger panels highlighting the few, brief spurts of action and the panels becoming more dense and claustrophobic as Bruce's rage and guilt weigh him down.
Verdict
While this issue doesn't really do anything to counteract the very lopsided pacing of "City of Bane," it at least justifies the decision to spend as much time exploring Alfred Pennyworth's death as its predecessor did the final battle between Batman and bane. This issue delivers a heartwarming tribute to Alfred in the good butler's own words, painting his death as less a pointless tragedy than a heroic and necessary sacrifice. Hopefully that's enough to give the series the final push it needs in these remaining two issues.
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