On Boyhood Heroes That Refuse to Fade and the World Needs More Pennyworth...

Ever since I picked up my first issue of the Batman I have been a fan and have to admit that I still am. I am what one would consider today, a fanboi. That has not faded over time.

As you can see, the evidence of my fanboiness is pretty damning.

For me, the Batman is the Clint Eastwood of the super hero world simply because he isn't one and he is self made. The gadgets, the martial arts skill, the intellectual detective psyche and being frankly mysterious enough to make a ninja look like a street mime.

Yet underneath it all resides a certain admiration for a character, one that actually I see as more of an obtainable role model than the Batman himself, because let's be honest, only Bruce Wayne can be Batman. The character I am referring to is Alfred Pennyworth.

He is loyal, his attitude is not self serving, he is a nurturer, self sufficient, resourceful and humble. He doesn't desire center stage,  he keeps the stage maintained.  He is not hung up on his masculinity to where he has to prove himself, instead he is quiet and subtle but definitely can take care of himself. He is well read, represents the finer things in life, yet is not afraid of getting dirty.  In other words he can change the oil in the Batmobile and then read Dickens to Master Dick.  (pun unintentional). He is the quintessential gentleman.  Alfred is not just a "stuffed shirt"...he is much more layered than that.

He will dust, do the laundry, adjust the crooked paintings in Wayne Manor, arrange any social gatherings for Master Wayne as well as run a DNA profile on the Batcomputer, run a background check on an unsub and call in all his MI 5 connections for information to assist in breaking a case.

He can send a burglar packing while quoting Tennyson.

And yes, he is just the butler, but Alfred would not be anything else but the butler. He is the moral compass that centers the Batman and a mentor that is as wise as any Greek Philosopher.

Yes I am excited about Batman versus Superman...not just because it is a Batman movie and it will get me to the movie theater, but because Jeremy Irons is playing Alfred.

I am a huge Jeremy Irons fan ever since I saw him play twins in David Cronenberg's Dead Ringers. When Mr. Irons plays a character that is a character that I have a hidden admiration for...well that is an odd kind of kismet for me. A combination that clicks in the cosmic gears perhaps once in a few decades.

So yeah, I am in...

The world needs more Pennyworth.

People that are not all about themselves..that are quiet, supporting characters that actually are often surprisingly more nuanced than the casual eye sees.

You know the paradox behind having admiration for a character like Alfred would mean to Alfred himself? He most likely be annoyed and uncomfortable with the thought. Alfred Pennyworth doesn't strike me as a character that seeks to be admired. Perhaps that is his saving Grace.