Spoilers for Infinite Frontier #0!
By finishing off what was started in Tom King’s controversial Batman run, Infinite Frontier just turned Alfred Pennyworth’s tragic demise into a perfect story. Following Dark Nights: Death Metal and Future State, Infinite Frontier is charting an optimistic new future for the denizens of the DC Universe in the same vein as the Rebirth event that marked the end of the comic publisher’s New 52 reboot initiative. Some big changes are already coming.
Writer Tom King’s long run on Batman has a lot of big moments baked into it; from the tumultuous romance of the Bat and the Cat to the redemption of Kite-Man (hell yeah!). The most shocking moment from the series comes towards the end of King’s run, as Bane murders Alfred Pennyworth in cold blood. Serving as the primary villain of King’s tenure, Bane is utterly relentless in his quest to “break” Batman, and Alfred’s death is his vilest action. Ultimately, fate leeaves Bane the broken one, as he is defeated and locked up in Arkham Asylum by Batman and Catwoman.
The villain’s downfall at the end of King’s run is a great moment—as physically and mentally shattered Bane is left imprisoned and utterly defeated—but fans know that comic books are comic books. The status-quo will always reign supreme, and it was only a matter of time until Bane was out of Arkham and terrorizing the Bat Family again. With the revelations of Infinite Frontier #0, that may not be the case. As the section of the issue by James Tynion IV, Jorge Jimenez, and Tomeu Morey has some earth-shattering new changes for Gotham, and a humiliating death for Bane.
The segment from Tynion and company sees an Arkham guard named Mahoney doing a check-up on the asylum’s villainous inhabitants, when he gets to Bane, Mahoney stumbles upon a shocking sight. The Man Who Broke The Bat has been Jokerized. Painted up like a clown, Bane’s face is a mangled mess, with his jaw and tongue lolling out in darkly comedic fashion. While readers aren’t treated as to who exactly committed the deed (though it is heavily implied to be Scarecrow), they can take comfort in knowing that Bane has paid a heavy toll for committing one of the greatest crimes in the history of comic books.
Alfred Pennyworth is one of the great unsung heroes of the DC Universe, as virtuous and kind as he was wise and thoughtful. His killer needed a much harsher punishment than a time out sentence in Arkham. The fact of the matter is, Batman beats Bane multiple times throughout King’s run, but he just keeps on coming back. With the revelations of Infinite Frontier, his final defeat at Bruce’s hands is given a fitting coda. The egotistical Bane gets to spend his last days as a blubbering mess stewing over his nemesis once again coming out on top before another villain gives him an ignoble end. It’s what he deserves, and if Future State is anything to go by, Bane is going to stay dead for awhile. With that, Batman has won the battle once and for all, as Alfred is avenged.
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