

The hamlet of Matt confirms that the presence of the butler is not an hologram or an AI, but another very different thing


Hallucination or narrative resource?
The writer explained in an Ama Alfred works more like a Bruce Wayne emotional projectionA kind of “pepito cricket on its shoulder”, which acts as a mirror and counterweight. There is no programming or technology behind, but the inner voice of the dark gentleman who imagines what his eternal ally would say at all times.
The hamlet clarified that this version of Alfred It is not an hologram or a thought machineBut a narrative resource that strengthens the duality between Batman and Bruce. In fact, there was already a story of Batman #98where the hero also had conversations with a vision of his deceased butler.
This decision keeps the character dead within continuityBut at the same time it allows you to preserve its presence in the life of the protagonist. Of course, not all means agree: some believe that their way of interacting is so real that it is inevitable to think about progress.

What is coming to the series
In addition to Alfred, the hamlet has advanced several surprises for the next issue of Batman:
- Jimmy Olsen It will appear at a certain point, although from the point of view of Bruce himself.
- BernardTim Drake’s boyfriend will have a presence from number 3.
- The time line will be ordered after Hush 2positioning the starting point of this new phase there.
As for the bad guys, the screenwriter promises a powerful parade: Vandal Savage, Killer Croc, Hugo Strange, The Broady and several Gotham street gangsin addition to the tension with the corrupt police.
The importance of Alfred in Batman’s myth
Even if in this new phase Alfred Pennyworth It is not an artificial intelligence or a hologram, its presence remains Fundamental in the construction of Batman’s myth. From his debut in 1943, the character went from being a simple butler to become a paternal figure, a moral consultant and, on many occasions, the voice that humanity returns to Bruce Wayne when he lost in the darkness of his mission. His physical absence in the recent comics had left a void that many readers felt impossible to fill.
It is interesting to compare this decision with other DC heroes. Superman, for example, always has the guidance of his adoptive parents, even in memories or recordingsAnd the same goes for characters like Spider-Man and his uncle Ben The legacy in Marvel. In all cases, these absent figures represent something bigger than themselves: they are the moral compass that reminds the protagonists because they fight and what values support them in their battles.

A more intimate Batman
The hamlet also explained that its approach is to give absolute importance Bruce y Batmanreducing the space to the Pipistrelli family. His intention is to move away from the choral tone of recent years to focus only on the hero and on the dilemmas that define it.
This does not mean forgetting the secondary ones, but giving them a more satellite role around the protagonist. A choice that, according to the author, tries to recover the classic flavor of the comic and differentiate this phase of the previous one.