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Bruce Wayne thought he was theBatmanwho made hoi polloi express joy , when really it turns out – inSuperman ’s Pal Jimmy Olsen#5 – his trust Samuel Butler Alfred Pennyworth was hoof it the bill to get masses to act along the entire meter .
Jimmy Olsen ’s devilry have recently brought him to Gotham City , where ( along with his best pal , Superman ) he desperately seek the attention of the Dark Knight to get his tending and help him figure out who exactlytried to off him in late issues of the story . Unsurprisingly , a hyper - coarse-grained Batman does n’t want anything to do with him .
Batman is have a 24-hour interval to forget . While in the bathroom , he overhear a Wayne Enterprise employees blab about how they were paid to express mirth at Bruce ’s jokes . One cat claims he was paid " twenty a gag , " by Alfred and that he bust up upon request because " Master Wayne enjoys seeing people cry . " Batman is a knotty cooky . Bane break his backand left him to die before . The Joker brutally murdered one of his chum , as he was left to plunk up the piece of music . However , he seemingly cracks at the news Alfred has been paying for mass to laugh at his jokes . It ’s hard for him to accept .
hurry home to the Batcave , Bruce face Batman enquire him how much he ’s paid to have people laugh with him . Alfred utters the precise number , a stupefying $ 85,400 . He asks Bruce how he knew ? " Because I ’m an amazing detective , Alfred . AMAZING . Ask anyone . " Batman informs Alfred the amount will be dock out of his pay , and tells him to leave behind the edible arrangement he has because of course of instruction , " bwoocey … hungy . " As he sit around the Batcave with souvenir of his past , he puts a gag arrow on his head word and claims"I’m also uproarious . "
There ’s dead no way this joke works in any other story featuring Batman . Matt Fraction and Steve Lieber ’s uproariously meta serial is the perfect spot for the consummate absurdness . Earlier in the book , they fiddle up Bruce Wayne ’s ego , parodyingTom King ’s " dual Date"with a shallow escort with an Instagram - like influencer . Bruce Wayne is exactly the guy who would cogitate he ’s hilarious when in actuality someone is paying for those laughs . It ’s sad but perfect .
In his time as Bruce ’s guardian , Alfred has done much everything he can to protect Bruce . Pennyworth will patch him up when he ’s hurt , give him help in crack a sheath when require , and plainly , will give multitude money for constitute Bruce seem hilarious . It ’s a tough fizgig , but someone ’s got to do it - even if it givesBatmana false sense of comedic assurance .
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