Batman #83 Review

Writer: Tom King / Artist: Mikel Janin / DC Comics Batman #83 is the ninth chapter of the series’ “City of Bane” arc and, despite there only being three issues left in King’s run, the feeling of a lasting gut-punch had been lacking up to this point. Issue #83 tries to remedy that as Batman has to confront death. This isn’t the first time that Alfred has died in a Batman story, but the other examples that come to mind were usually in side stories and not the main canon. To be honest, I still wasn’t totally convinced that we actually witnessed the murder of Alfred Pennyworth a few issues ago (Issue #77) and not Clayface doing his best dead Alfred impression or something. But this issue seems to confirm it as we not only see the body — a general thing death fakeouts tend to avoid — but we get to hear Alfred’s final words to Bruce throughout the issue. While the end of King’s Batman run feels as if it may have petered out and lost steam, the decision to kill Alfred Pennyworth is likely to have a lasting impact. It’s one of those things writers do to show that the stakes are truly raised and hold value.

King leans heavy on Mikel Janin’s art in this issue to do the storytelling as the only words in the issue came from Alfred’s letter to Bruce providing his final words of comfort. We watch as Bruce discovers Alfred’s body sitting across from him at the same table where they shared dinner most nights. In totality, the events of the issue probably only took place in three or four min…