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While the television series Pennyworth chronicles the Cold War adventures of Batman’s butler, the comic book tie-in builds up the show’s world.
One of the more modern and stylish takes on the Batman mythos is EPIX’s Pennyworth. The television series delved into the adventures of Alfred Pennyworth in London during the height of the Cold War. While the show is reportedly being shopped around for a potential third season, a comic book adaptation by Scott Bryan Wilson and Juan Gedeon has meanwhile expanded the show’s world and takes full advantage of the medium to bring its eponymous protagonist all over the world. Pennyworth#1 is a thrilling debut that stays relatively accessible for those not completely caught up with the show’s first two seasons.
The seven-issue miniseries opens in media res, with Alfred already on a globe-trotting adventure for information that will help give the British government the edge over the Soviet Union. Learning that the Soviet military is developing nuclear weapons at a remote facility in the Arctic Circle, Alfred, and his MI6 partner move to infiltrate the weapons manufacturing facility before their plan goes off the rails. As Alfred quickly finds himself in over his head and on the other side of the Iron Curtain, the future family butler and father figure to the Dark Knight recalls his own childhood upbringing and how it led him to this moment.
While Wilson has written a variety of Batman comic book stories before, he leans into the world of the television series more than anything else. There are glimpses and elements from the more modern, familiar DC Universe, but this miniseries truly is a continuation of the TV show. Despite balancing multiple time periods in Alfred’s life, a whole variety of international locales, and the highest stakes the world of Pennyworth has seen so far, Wilson firmly keeps the focus and perspective on Alfred. That being said, the issue contains hi-octane action and jumps across an impressive number of settings while keeping the pacing as speedy as a bullet.
Gedeon, working with colorist John Rauch, maintains the mod sensibilities that visually defined the Pennyworth television series. The art team keeps the story’s multiple settings visually distinct from another — from the English countryside of Alfred’s youth to a sun-soaked Paris years later. The characters visibly match the aesthetics of the show, with Alfred certainly resembling Jack Bannon’s depiction of the Batman character. The show’s dry wit is mirrored by letterer DC Hopkins’ choice in placement during Alfred monologues. But where the art team really excels is the action. Fortunately, there is plenty of it to go around.
In Pennyworth #1, Wilson and Gedeon have crafted a jet-setting ride through the world of the series. The scope is limited only by their imagination as they craft a narrative scope that couldn’t be feasibly matched by a show’s limited budget. As big and bombastic as the story gets, the creative team keeps its heart pinned squarely on Alfred Pennyworth, as they should. Action-packed, fun, and accessible to those who may only be familiar with Pennyworth‘s premise, the series gains a smooth transition to comics in this new miniseries.
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