10 Most Messed Up Batman Moments

Issue #77 of Tom Kings Batman see’s one of the most beloved and longstanding side characters in all of comics meet his unceremonious end at the hands of Bane, the overriding villain behind Tom King’s years-long run.

Perhaps the most notable part of this is the fact that the beloved butler has, to this day, remained dead. Apparently, this was not King’s original plan, as he had intended for the death to be a fake-out, but editorial decided to override him and keep Alfred dead for good. Or at least, for the foreseeable future, until the next full reboot of Batman, which doesn’t seem on the horizon as things stand. It may be small consolation for the many of us who have come to love the erudite wit of the Wayne family’s long-suffering servant, but suffering a broken neck at Bane's hands was at least a quick and painless way to go.

Unfortunately, however, Damian Wayne as Robin is forced to watch as it is done. Like his namesakes before him, Damian is put through the ringer, absorbing trauma after trauma in his role as Batman’s sidekick. Time will tell what becomes of Alfred. If only Batman and Damian knew someone with access to a Lazarus Pit…