alfred pennyworth

The Lego Batman toy line has been going strong for over a decade now, but with this week's release of the Lego Batman Movie, we've seen a truly unprecedented explosion of merchandise based around the Caped Crusader's blockiest incarnation. And with that many figures, going from the Dark Knight himself all the way down to super obscure deep cuts like the Mime and March Harriet, our course here at ComicsAlliance is clear. We need to rank them. So today, we've dug through every single Lego Batman Movie minifig (and eliminated simple variations like "Batman with a slightly different face") to rank them all, worst to best.

Q: Someone asked me this one, so now you have to do it: who, in your "head" "canon," do you consider to be the necessary members of the Bat-family? - Benito Cereno, via Tumblr A: Finally! I've been waiting for like five years for someone to ask me a question that would allow me to go into a needlessly in-depth explanation of how some part of Batman worked, and now, after all these years, it has happened for the very first time. As for this particular question, it's an interesting one, and if you'd like to see Benito's answer to it, it's up on his Tumblr. If you do go look at the list, though, you'll see the problem in trying to answer it. After 75 years of collecting sidekicks, butlers, teammates and assorted hangers-on, Batman has a whole lot of people in his extended family. And if I had my way, I'd keep 'em all.

None of Batman's closest friends and family have been with him nearly as long as dutiful butler Alfred Pennyworth. While the character has seen some action in the comics and animated ventures of the Dark Knight, the video game versions of the loyal servant have largely been portrayed as just that. Thankfully, one devoted Pennyworth fan set forth to buck that trend, and give the over-qualified major-domo a chance to shine. Though the PC version of Batman: Arkham Knight is still rather borked, the time without a properly functioning game has given PC players a chance to fool around with the game's files. After learning how to insert non-playable characters into the fold, Batman Arkham Videos (via Polygon) was able to get Alfred himself in place of Bruce Wayne for much of Arkham Knight's action. "I've tried to edit some files in Batman: Arkham Knight and finally managed to play as Alfred Pennyworth," said the YouTube description. "His moveset is very limited, he cannot perform counter-attacks, environmental takedowns or dual takedowns, but he can still kick plenty of ass."

Ever wanted your own butler, but didn't have the vast resources of an orphaned billionaire playboy genius? Well thanks to Kotobukiya, you'll finally have a chance to take home an Alfred of your own... albeit one that comes at 1/10 scale, and doesn't really do much but stand there and look dapper. The Alfred Pennyworth ArtFX+ statue is the first of three San Diego Comic-Con exclusives Koto will have on hand at this year's show. The most famous butler in the known world will fit in nicely with the rest of the previously released Batman family ArtFX+ statues, all of which come in 1/10 scale (~8").

One of the most fun things about reading Jiro Kuwata's Bat-Manga is seeing all the changes that Kuwata made when he adapted stories that were originally published in the American Batman comics. Sometimes, they're taken to a more elaborate extreme, like the now-legendary Lord Death Man story, and sometimes they're almost completely rewritten, like Kuwata's take on Batman's battle with the pro-wrestling Hooded Hangman, but if you're a die-hard fan of the Caped Crusader, there's always enough in there to be amazing. That's why I'm so stoked about the next story, in which Batman faces the hulking, disfigured form of The Outsider -- better known as his once-faithful butler, Alfred Pennyworth! Check out preview pages below, and get excited, it's gonna be a good one.

I'm going to tell you this right up front: This Nerdist video that presents a what-if scenario about the Waynes faking their deaths instead of really being killed in Crime Alley will inspire a lot of quibbles. You'll want to quibble with it like crazy. I know I did. Fight that urge, because it is genuinely funny.

What would the Penguin was a young, skinny bro without a monocle? This guy, apparently; an actor called Robin Lord Taylor. Best known for appearances in After Earth and The Walking Dead, Taylor will portray a new and seemingly deadlier version of the famous villain in Gotham, the forthcoming Fox television series based on the DC Comics characters.

Last weekend's news that James Gordon will be portrayed by actor Ben McKenzie on the new Fox series Gotham, a look at the pre-Batman days of the DC Universe city has been followed today be even more casting info. Robin Taylor (Another Earth), an actor notable for his svelte physique will take on the role of a young Oswald Cobblepot, of all people. Yup, the Penguin will start off skinny. Burn Notic

Q: Where do you stand on the modern day love affair with "the toughening" of Alfred Pennyworth? -- @danceformyhorse A: I've joked before about how I love Alfred more than most people love Batman, but let's be real here: that's only half-joking. Alfred is easily one of my favorite characters in comics, and I could happily read an entire series about the adventures of the Batman's Gentlema

Get ready for a younger, thinner, but perhaps less wind-resistant Lex Luthor. Batman vs. Superman director Zack Snyder has confirmed that noted mop-top Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network) will play Superman's nemesis in the new film, quashing rumors that the role would go to Breaking Bad's Bryan Cranston or any of the other actors who have been rumored for the role (As CA Senior Editor Andy Khou