Greatest comic book characters – 22. Alfred Pennyworth
First comic book appearance: Batman 16
Alfred Pennyworth didn’t start off as Batman’s surrogate father. Originally, Bruce Wayne hired him. Thankfully, that story didn’t last. Alfred raising Bruce after his parents died is a much better story. It added to him being influential in the lives of Bruce, Dick Grayson, and the other boys that have stayed at Wayne Manor. He helped mold all of them into adults.
Along with raising Bruce, being Batman’s eyes and ears is just as important. He’s helped Batman crack cases that he couldn’t solve on his own. When Batman is in need of a second opinion, Alfred is the first person he goes to. He’s also the one who stitches Bruce back up after he’s stabbed by a knife/umbrella. Alfred Pennyworth is an underrated character that deserves the slot he’s in.
Greatest comic book characters – 21. Daredevil
First comic book appearance: Daredevil No. 1
Daredevil on Netflix barely covered what makes Matt Murdock a special character. The fighting, ability to take punishment and keeping fighting, and skills as a world-class lawyer are great. What sets his character above most is him being able to do all of that with near-crippling depression and how he doesn’t always deal with adversity in the most positive of ways.
Sometimes Matt makes mistakes and goes about them in the right way. Other times he falls into self-doubt or lashes out in violent ways. Recently, he took responsibility for killing someone and went to jail. You never know what you’re going to get with him. It keeps his stories fresh, interesting, and unpredictable. As long as this keeps happening, Daredevil will always be one of the best characters in comics.