Overall Batman Annual #3 is a great read and an enjoyable one! It really explores the relationship between Alfred and Bruce, plus you get to see Batman's entire world from a whole different perspective. Alfred notes that Bruce is so busy saving the world, that he neglects himself so often. Leslie Thompkins makes an appearance in the issue as the life saving doctor that Batman needs when he's fatally stabbed. As both Alfred and Bruce heal in her emergency room, Leslie reminds us how Alfred and Bruce are stubborn and stoic in their ways. This issue shows us why Alfred is more than just a mere employee or butler–he's a father and a mentor to Bruce. Read Full Review

Last week's DC offerings felt really bleak and really dated, but this week Tom Taylor gives us shot of pure adrenaline right into our collective comic-book-loving hearts and reminds us why many of us starting reading Batman in the first place: because as a character he's totally awesome and he's also totally human. Read Full Review

It's easily one of the best Batman stories I've read in years. Read Full Review

Unlike Batman Annual #1, this one is great from cover-to-cover as it focuses on one extra-length story and not a single page goes to waste. Read Full Review

A unique and heartwarming tale that showcases the fatherly relationship between Alfred and Batman! Read Full Review

Batman Annual #3 is something special. While the story seems relatively straightforward, there is so much that lies underneath the surface. Bruce and Alfreds relationship is one of the cornerstones of Batmans existence, and though much of it is demonstrated through dry and pointed humor, it is one that is imbued with love. This issue was a wonderful exploration of the parallels, similarities, and contrasts between the two, and somewhat revelatory about what their connection means for Batmans presence and Bruces personality. With an endearing ending and a slightly fraught build-up, this comic is a vital glimpse into one of comics oldest dynamics. Read Full Review

Granting my inherent bias toward anything by Tom Taylor or Otto Schmidt as individual artists, this is one of the best Batman comics I've ever read. If you've ever liked Alfred Pennyworth as a character or, like me, miss Otto Schmidt's work on Green Arrow, this is a must-read. There is little else to be said beyond that. Read Full Review

Batman purists and casual fans alike will find a lot to love about Batman Annual #3 thanks to its accessibility, its emotion, and its innate understanding of Alfred Pennyworth and his commitment to Bruce Wayne. Read Full Review

I'm all for annuals if they give us value with a good story and art. This book gives us just that. It may end up being a classic if enough people read it. Read Full Review

A fantastic issue that may win an Eisner when all things are said and done. It's meanignful, heartfelt, and exciting. It's a near perfect one-shot Batman adventure. Read Full Review

BATMAN ANNUAL #3 is a wonderfully crafted, introspective look at The Dark Knight's most loyal ally. Read Full Review

This is one of my favorite issue of Batman in a long, long time.  I am a huge Tom Taylor fan and he never fails to get me teary-eyed when he wants to and it seems like he wanted some waterworks this week.  If you bailed from the Batman book after the non-wedding, do yourself a favor and come back for this issue.  You can thank me later. Read Full Review

You have to pick this book up, there's so much I can tell you about it without spoiling it for you, its a great issue. Trust me Read Full Review

It's a special day at Wayne Manor. When Bruce decides that he must take Alfred's interests into consideration. Batman has bitten off a little more than he can chew and Alfred needs more help than usual to look after his employer. We see the true extent of Alfred's concern by the end of this issue and it's an excellent moment. One that defines family more than most issues of this type do. All in all, a totally satisfying issue. ****1/2 (9.8 rating) Read Full Review

This one is an instant classic since it is strong in script and in art. And we get a peek in on Alfred's life as well, so it's a winner! Read Full Review

With this issue, Tom Taylor has added another, fascinating, dimension to the Bat-mythos. Parental love, and the function of compassion, are the primary themes. Oh yeah. And Alfred beats up a bunch of baddies while wearing a Halloween mask. That happens, too. Read Full Review

Ultimately the story is a satisfying one-shot. It does not add anything to the ongoing plot in the main title, nor is it groundbreaking. But it is a perfectly proficient comic that gives more background on Alfred. Read Full Review

Batman Annual #3 is a fantastic one-shot story told from Alfred's perspective. It has a ton of heart to it and if you do not smile at the ending you might want to check your pulse! The creative team did a fantastic job. Taylor and Schmidt make a really good team that I would like to see work again together in the future. One thing that I love about this is you don't have to be following the current Batman to enjoy this story, you just need general knowledge about the Caped Crusader (in this day in age, about everyone knows the basics). With just the basic knowledge you can pick up Batman Annual #3 and read acomplete and totally enjoyable story! Read Full Review

Take Alfred, one splash of Tea, a smattering of crumpets, a pinch of rockets, mix with gadgets, Leslie Tomlin's and a dose of Batman and you have a winning issue. Heartfelt, sincere and rock solid – go buy this now! Read Full Review

This story is a loving tribute to Batman's mechanic, butler, cook and confidant. It's also a tribute to Bruce Wayne's "father". A special story for sure, one to be treasured. Read Full Review

Providing a temporary respite from the bleakness of the current storyline (and Batmans life in general), Tom Taylor and Otto Schmidt give Alfred time to shine. Read Full Review

Okay real talk this was adorable and I was enchanted and I will fight you if you disagree.

What a week for Batman with this annual and Detective #994!! This was such an enjoyable story that I just didn't want to end. I've enjoyed a lot of Tom King's run, but this was a much needed change to a Batman/Bruce you can root for. Alfred's dedication to Bruce shines through. Can't recommend this enough.

The emotion in this really hit hard. I probably liked this more than the second annual.

Great one shot

One of the best books of the year

I didn't think annual #2 could be topped, and I am not sure it was but this was a heartwarming story about my favourite old man in comics.

This how Batman should be writing TAKE A NOTE TOM KINGS

THE GOOD:

-This was a charming heartwarming story above all, and one that I really enjoyed.

-Otto Schmidt's art was well-drawn and his depiction of Alfred was especially good. I also really liked his facial expressions.

-I previously stated that Tom Taylor should write Nightwing, and while that comic is in desperate need of salvaging (in my opinion, although maybe not more than Red Hood at this point, that series is just plain pissing me off!) Taylor really proved his chops for a Batman comic. Because not only was the Alfred story good, so was the Batman one.

-I haven't read very many Batman comics, but this issue might have just captured Batman and Alfred's relationship better than anything else in one story.

-This was a pretty perfect self-contained story in my opinion. From start to finish, it told the story it needed to tell, and it did so perfectly.

-Taylor writes both Batman and Alfred so amazingly, I actually want him to take over the ongoing series. I've only read his X-Men: Red, which I did not like, but this issue proved him to be pretty amazing writer.

-I laughed so much in this issue. That's all I have to say about that.

-I will highlight the Bat-Thermos however, which was an ingenious and original joke.

-I just loved the way Alfred puts his soul into Bruce's life and work, and the fact that issue explores that in such a great angle and light.

-This is an extension of the previous statement, but I really liked how Alfred rushed to save Batman when he was stabbed. It was just really well written.

-And Alfred's explanation for why he puts his soul into Bruce's life and work… so beautiful. This is genius writing, folks.

-Not to mention, this issue gives Alfred the appreciation he deserves. I feel like many recent comics have overlooked him as a character or simply used him as a way to relay sarcasm towards Batman, but this issue does the opposite.

-I really loved the ending. It was funny and heartwarming.

-This issue in general, drops the whole contention that superhero comics always need to be dark and gut-wrenching or whatever. This is a brighter, quite frankly, better superhero comic.

THE BAD:

-My only complaint is a very, very small one. And it's that the villain could be better. However the villain was not a main part of story and the story did it's job in focusing mainly on Batman and Alfred, as it should. So, I don't know. I guess everything comes out to a 9.5 anyways. more

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Darkseid24 - Dec 14, 2018

Agreed, I however have my doubts with Tom Taylor. I am still pissed he killed Scarecrow in the first issues of Injustice, ignored him from there on& only thanks to Injustice 2 he is still alive ( love the game, hate the comics) so whatever he writes, I am fine with it as long as he leaves Scarecrow out of it. I currently love Nightwing though.

ohhaimark - Dec 14, 2018

I’m guessing you’re a fan of the Scarecrow character.... That’s cool, he’s probably one of my favorites in Batman’s rogues gallery. I have only played the second Injustice game (I do not play very many video games), and only read the first five-ish issues of teh Injustice 2 series. I have read X-Men Red by Taylor however, which I was not a fan of, so I suppose I have my doubts too. This issue did nothing but prove why he should writer Batman however.

Darkseid24 - Dec 14, 2018

Yes Scarecrow is my favorite villain, I hope if Taylor ever writes Batman he does Scarecrow more justice& doesnt treat him as a D villain, who can get killed off like that. Or he should just ignore him. Otherwise I prefer King over him. The game Injustice 2 was great though. Have you played the Arkham games?

ohhaimark - Dec 15, 2018

I have played the Arkham games. I am not very good at video games however, those are probably my favorites of the limited range of games I played. My favorite would have to be Arkham City for the story and overall look of the game. I agree, Scarecrow is a villain with a lot of potential, if the writer uses them correctly. It sounds like Taylor doesn't. King's villains are usually pretty good, like Penguin, Kite Man. Although his Joker from the Best Man was not.

Darkseid24 - Dec 15, 2018

That’s great, my favorite is still Arkham Knight, but overall I love the Arkham games. You should try Outlast, that’s a great game. Kind of true, King wrote Scarecrow well in the Bane story, where he shortly appeared. Don’t know how good he would write him, if he was longer in a story. I didn’t like the way he wrote Joker, but it was also not the worst version of Joker. But I prefer King over anyone, who kills my favorite characters.

ohhaimark - Dec 16, 2018

I'll have to check that game out. I remember liking the way most of those villains were written in I Am Bane. I actually really liked King's Joker in The War of Jokes and Riddles. It was a strange depiction, but I actually liked the idea that Joker cannot laugh anymore and he is struggling to find a way to laugh again.

myconius - Dec 17, 2018

i'd passed this up. maybe i should check it out?

ohhaimark - Dec 18, 2018

I would highly recommend this issue.

Darkseid24 - Dec 18, 2018

I thought Joker was acting weird there& the ending wasn’t anything new. Overall I didn’t enjoy Jokes and Riddles much. The other villains were wasted in it.

ohhaimark - Dec 18, 2018

The ending has been explored before, but I personally enjoyed the way it and the overall story was told. Except for Kite Man, most of the other villains didn’t have a very big role, but I still enjoyed the story. That scene with Poison Ivy was good in my opinion. I don’t blame you for disliking Joker in that one, it was a very unusual Joker, which for some reason I liked

Darkseid24 - Dec 18, 2018

It wasn’t the worst interpretation of Joker, but also not the best. I didn’t hate Jokes& Riddles, but I think it had way more potential than what we got in the end. The villains could have been used better. I don’t remember Ivy in it anymore lol I’ll look it up.

ohhaimark - Dec 18, 2018

That's true. They were also really overselling it too, calling it the next "Long Halloween," or "Year One." It was not nearly as good as either of those, but I had all but given up on the series after the first three arcs let me down, so this was a welcome step up for me.

Darkseid24 - Dec 18, 2018

It’s ok, but it really can’t keep up with Long Halloween. I however think Long Halloween also didn’t all villains justice. Dead Reckoning is also a villain team up Story& I think it did them more justice than any of the two. I don’t hate Kings writing, I can live with it so far.

ohhaimark - Dec 18, 2018

The Long Halloween is my favorite Batman comic… It's fine if you don't like it as much as me though, that was one that I remember more from my childhood than anything else. I have never read Dead Reckoning, but I'll have to check it out.

ohhaimark - Dec 18, 2018

I'm usually a pretty big fan of King's writing, I love Mister Miracle, Sheriff of Babylon, Vision and Omega Men. His Batman hasn't been great for me though. I certainly don't hate it, but I think he works better with miniseries that aren't as mainstream as Batman (all of the aforementioned series are examples).

Darkseid24 - Dec 18, 2018

I first also liked Mr Miracle a lot, because King followed more Kirby’s version of the New Gods& other writers didn’t do them much justice since New52 started. I hated how everything was changed about them in Darkseid War& especially what happened to Darkseid. I however was disappointed how King portrayed Darkseid. It wasn’t real, so it’s not that bad, but still I miss Pre52 Darkseid& Desaad. I’m glad King didn’t mess up Penguin in his Batman run. I agree about King and mini series.

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Otto Schmidt, everyone! I wondered if his style would only work on other books, but no - he can Batman as well as anyone. Taylor does a great job letting the art do the work early in the book to set the scene/world they build. Then, quips, details, complexity all come through via Taylor. This examination of their co-dependent but loving relationship just as memorable as King's decades-spanning Annual #2. A must-read.

Good writing in Batman comic? I've missed that...

Heartwarming and unique story about the relationship between bruce and alfred that will make you appreciate alfred even more.

Where would Bruce be without Alfred?

This was a very heartfelt issue narrated from Alfred’s point of view. The murder of Bruce’s parents not only changed the trajectory of Bruce's life, but it also changed Alfred’s. This issue does a great job highlighting all the sacrifices that Alfred makes to support Bruce. Alfred doesn't rest until Bruce is done with patrol. He makes sure he eats, provides emergency pick-ups, prepares his clothes...anything that Bruce may need; including taking a beating from local thugs. I can only imagine the anxiety Alfred deals with on a daily basis.

I'm so thankful the batfamily has Dr. Leslie Thompkins in their life. She keeps it 100% real with both Alfred and Bruce. She encourages Bruce to stop being selfish and look at how his lifestyle is impacting Alfred. He's beat up, exhausted and has the flu. Bruce listens to her advice and takes some days off from patrol so Alfred can get some rest. It was nice to see Bruce concede for Alfred’s sake.

There were only two things I didn’t care for in this issue: (1) Bruce’s depiction. I am not a fan of how he has been drawn in the last two issues. (2) This was a Father’s Day issue in December. It goes without saying that Alfred is Bruce’s Father figure. We don’t need a Father’s Day issue in December to drive that home. By including the Father’s Day tag at the end, it makes it appear that Bruce is celebrating Alfred because it's Father's Day instead of just celebrating him because he’s awesome and deserves it. Aside from that little hiccup, this was a really good issue.
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This is the reason why Tom King shouldn't write Batman: because we miss out on amazing stories like these.

Thank you Taylor and Schmidt, y'all did a great job.

This was a refreshing change of pace for Batman. He was actually competent for once. It was great. However, the real star of this comic was Alfred and seeing what he goes through in service to Batman. I definitely think DC should give Tom Taylor a Batman book so the character can be fun to read again.

"uncharacteristically sensible"

This should not be titled Batman Annual 3 but rather Alfred: The Master of Sarcasm. Well, whatever the title this was great. Immensely enjoyable read.

First of all, I need to say that Otto Schmidt's art lends itself great to Batman. I mean his art is always excellent, but I just love how his Batman looks here. With Batmobile and Batwing, he wasn't lazy either.

As for the writing. It was SO REFRESHING to read a story with, dare I say it, very efficient Dark Knight. No pondering the very nature of his existence or asking if he is good enough. Just good story with amazing banter between Bruce and Alfred. And let's not forget about the great parallel Tom Taylor did with these two. And the very ending was just so sweet and heartfelt. Great stuff.

P.S. DC give TT Batman book. Just don't say anything to TK. more

It's really refreshing to read a good Batman comic book for a change. Heck, good - it's very solid, featuring both action and heart. Especially the latter, showing Alfred's dedication and love for Bruce, and the toll his work puts on him. Also, what's equally important, for once we can see human side of Batman, which Tom King seems to have forgotten about completely.

That's some real heartwarming storytelling. Hihgly recommend. Tom King, watch and learn how to write a good Bat comic.

Solid story, but not amazing. The best thing about the story is the fact that it is told from Alfred's perspective for a change. Both character portrayals are spot on, rather than King whose characters seem to always undergo an identity crisis. The story is not tangential and meandering either, which is a wonderful departure from current batman stories. That being said, nothing really stood out to me as truly outstanding in this story. It was just a good solid tale that is a nice break from King's strange tendencies.

This story is written from Alfred’s perspective& it does a good job showing the reader, why Alfred stays with Bruce& also how important Alfred is for Batman. I’m usually not an Alfred fan, but even I enjoyed this story. Tom Taylor does a good job here& it felt more like the Batman we know than King is currently giving us in his Batman run.

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ohhaimark - Dec 12, 2018

Just out of curiosity, why don’t you usually like Alfred? I’m not trying to attack your opinion or anything, I was just wondering.

egonnn244 - Dec 12, 2018

That piqued my interest also. I, personally, can't imagine Batman without Alfred.

Darkseid24 - Dec 12, 2018

I don’t hate him, but he doesn’t really interest me. If there was an Alfred mini series for example I most likely wouldn’t read it, because despite his past he currently is just a butler. Yes Bruce needs him of course. What I don’t like, that unlike Bruce he doesn’t have a no killing rule. He kills if he thinks it’s necessary.

egonnn244 - Dec 12, 2018

He is an ex-SAS so he has no problem with killing, but I get it, Batman's whole schtick is about no killing. Tomasi once used it in an issue of Batman & Robin. Al, Bruce, and Damian were asleep in the manor and while the Dynamic Duo had nightmares Al had a nice dream in which he killed the Joker.

myconius - Dec 13, 2018

no interest in Alfred? BLASPHEMY!!! :P - - but that Alfred that Kills all depends on who's writing him. i can't think of a single one of my favorite Batman stories where i've ever seen Alfred kill anyone.

myconius - Dec 13, 2018

just curious which stories these were that had Alfred killing?

Darkseid24 - Dec 13, 2018

Lol and I also have never read a story where Alfred kills, he just pointed out a few times, that he has no problem with it, if he is forced to, while Bruce always avoids it.

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I usually skip annuals. I should have skipped this. A one-shot of no consequence.