Alfred Pennyworth’s return throughout the pages of Batman vs. Robin #1 (by Mark Waid, Mahmud Asrar, Jordie Bellaire, and Steve Wands) is as a lot trigger for pleasure as it’s skepticism. Nevertheless, by the tip of the difficulty, Batman appears to just accept that that is Alfred, and who higher to make that judgment? What must be requested now’s this: How will Alfred’s return have an effect on the established order of the Bat-Household?
For many, it will likely be a motive to rejoice. One member, nonetheless, may discover his return barely inconvenient. As followers of Nightwing will know, he lately inherited an unlimited fortune from Alfred, which he used to fund the creation of an enormous homeless shelter, in addition to a complete charity basis in Alfred’s title. If this actually is Alfred, then this might imply Nightwing should give the cash again to its authentic proprietor.
Now, this can be a collection of questions one might solely ask inside comedian books. It is not day by day {that a} fortune price billions is bequeathed to a beloved surrogate son, just for the fortune’s proprietor to truly be raised from the useless. Except for the authorized problems with making an attempt to revive Alfred to a dwelling standing inside correct documentation, there’s additionally the query of what occurred to his liquid belongings that he held.
Alfred’s fortune comes from cautious funding over time, in addition to a present of gratitude from the Wayne household that went unknown to many up till he died. It was maybe the most important proof of his timeless love for the Wayne household: that he by no means give up being their trusty butler although his fortune meant he would by no means need to work one other day in his life. Now that he is again although, the query must be requested if, alongside his different authorized holdings, will the cash return to him as effectively?
The instant consequence of such a choice can be to primarily bankrupt Nightwing. The funding for the Alfred Pennyworth Basis would dry up virtually immediately and all of the exhausting work Nightwing put into making this place can be gone. On a extra private stage, it might actually power Dick Grayson to get an precise job. Whereas he could also be utilizing this cash for good, it is also extremely possible he is been utilizing it to maintain himself afloat as effectively.
Alfred would possible really feel responsible about such a flip of occasions, as he of all folks might see Nightwing’s performed a lot good work with the cash that he in any other case left to languish. Which actually begs the query of why Alfred did not do one thing comparable along with his cash. He could have simply trusted that it might go to somebody who might put it to raised use. In the end, he was proper, but when the cash does go to him, it is going to power Nightwing to adapt his civilian life to accommodate such a change.