Batman is one of the world’s greatest superheroes, but not even he can do everything alone. He’s a master of just about every relevant crime-fighting skill under the sun, but at the end of the day, he’s just one man. Despite his reputation for being a loner, he’s almost always operated with a partner of some kind. Robin was introduced less than a year after the Dark Knight’s debut, after all, and Alfred first appeared in Batman (1940) #16. Batman has almost always had somebody in his corner helping him out, whether that be helping him fight crime in the field or reminding him that he has a business meeting he needs to attend.
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Alfred is the best butler a guy could ask for, as he’s done everything from patching Bruce up to impersonating Batman to solving a case on his own. Yet, he’s far from the only non-hero assistant the Dark Knight has employed. In fact, with Alfred still being dead, Batman just received a brand-new servant in Verity Pennyworth, who I am so excited to explore. Of course, that raises the question of which of Batman’s assistants, defined as his allies who aren’t heroes but who directly support his work as Batman by working for him, is the best. We won’t know unless we dive right in and explore them.
5) Sasha Bordeaux
Sahsa was introduced back in the year 2000, in Detective Comics#751, as Bruce Wayne’s bodyguard. Obviously, Batman doesn’t need anyone protecting him, but Lucius Fox didn’t know that and hired Sasha to look after Bruce, given his penchant for disappearing and getting into “accidents.” Even with Bruce’s attempts to avoid her, she eventually discovered that he was Batman, although Bruce let her discover this to bring her into the fold on his own terms. From that point, he trained her to become a vigilante and fight alongside him.
Although she would cut ties with Bruce before she ever chose her own vigilante name, Sasha left an impact on the comics. She provided an interesting perspective and tension that no other character had given before, giving Bruce a unique reason to try to hide his identity. She bounced off of Bruce well and had great potential. The worst part about Sasha is that she didn’t stick around nearly long enough to explore the drama inherent in Bruce having a bodyguard. If this were properly explored, then Sasha would be an even better character.
4) Julia Pennyworth
Specifically, Julia’s New 52 incarnation worked alongside Batman. She was introduced as Alfred’s estranged daughter who hated him because he had abandoned her to raise a spoiled billionaire, only to realize how important Alfred was and Batman’s identity. When Alfred was temporarily taken out of commission, Julia took over as Batman’s person-in-the-chair. Her special unit training effectively made her James Bond, and she brought all those classic spy and agent skills to helping Batman, however she could. Julia was both his behind-the-scenes support and spy in the field, fishing out information that only she could get.
Much like Sasha, the only thing holding Julia back is that she wasn’t in this position for long. She was only in the spotlight for a short time and cut ties with the Bat-Family when her father died. Her skills and dedication to her own style of order provided an interesting contrast and point of focus for Batman. She believed in her own mission, but still worked with the known vigilante, which was the perfect ground for drama to fester. All of this is without mentioning how she elevated Alfred’s storyline, bringing a whole new dynamic that affected him in a way that very few changes could. Julia is great, and I’d love to see more of her.
3) Harold Allnut
Harold was introduced as a misunderstood, mute genius engineer. He could build practically anything he put his mind to. His first interaction with Batman actually came when Harold worked for the Penguin, who had him construct a device to control birds. Seeing that he wasn’t a bad man, only desperate for a place to belong, Batman offered Harold a chance to work for him and put his genius to work saving Gotham City. Harold was Batman’s number one mechanic and designer, creating his newest breadth of advanced technology.
Harold was great, giving the Bat-Family a new character to connect with and providing an awesome service. While Batman is his own engineer nowadays, Harold bridged the gap between Batman’s old, lower-tech equipment and the futuristic, highly stocked arsenal that he uses today. Harold was a well-meaning, innocent man who just wanted a place to belong, and Batman giving him that place was genuinely heartwarming. I’d love to see Harold return someday, but he’s been rendered pretty redundant by Batman’s own skills in recent years. Nobody wonders where Batman gets his tech anymore, so Harold doesn’t have a place.
2) Lucius Fox
Lucius Fox started out as a promising, trusted business associate in Wayne Enterprises. His repeated showcase of strong character, intelligence, and desire to help Gotham made Bruce come to see him as a close friend and partner, even offering Lucius the position of CEO when he stepped down. Lucius proved to be one of the best moneymen in the world, as he became the person who helped Bruce control the Wayne Enterprises funds to finance his mission as Batman. He is the reason that Bruce was able to operate as he did for so long, and even though they’re not on the best of terms right now, his impact on Batman’s life cannot go understated.
What really set Lucius apart from everyone else was that he wasn’t Batman’s assistant; he was Bruce Wayne’s. Lucius existed solely in the business and civilian sides of Bruce’s life, operating as a window into those stories that had so often been set on the back burner. Lucius is great because he was the perfect character to explore the mundane, and often not mundane, side of Batman’s business world. This side of Batman’s character is essential but goes overlooked so often. Lucius continues to be incredible at shaping that part of his stories, even if he has cut ties with Bruce right now.
1) Alfred
I don’t need to convince you that Alfred is Batman’s greatest assistant. Heck, I don’t need to convince you that Alfred is the best non-superhero assistant in all of comics. He’s been Batman’s trusty butler since darn near the very beginning and has raised Bruce to be the legendary figure that we all know him as today. Alfred’s trademark mix of sass, compassion, and wisdom has pulled Batman back from the darkest of pits. He’s one of Batman’s greatest allies and is arguably his best. Even dead, Alfred’s spirit hangs over Batman’s comics, to the point where it’s impossible to imagine him not being here.
Yet even Batman’s greatest friend has fought him a few times. In fact, Alfred has been a villain four separate times. After his first death, Alfred returned as the villainous Outsider, dedicated to killing Batman and Robin at all costs. He was cured, though he returned to this persona once years later. In more recent years, Alfred was resurrected as a zombie by the Joker during the “Joker War” storyline, made only to antagonize and belittle Batman. Then, most recently, his body was possessed by the Devil Nezha, who used his form to almost kill Batman. Not even Alfred has been Batman’s best ally all the time, it would seem.
Which of Batman’s assistants do you love the most? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts on the ComicBook Forum!
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