Tuesday, January 24, 2023

Agatha Harkness and Alfred

 

Agatha: Coven of Chaos looks to be a fun series and is about to start shooting.  The addition of Aubrey Plaza has me interested, especially that she is rumored to be playing Morgaine Le Fay. How will Agatha escape Wanda's spell?  Will Wanda appear?  Unfortunately it sounds like the show maybe pushed back to 2024, so it may be a while before we find out.

19 comments:

Simon …. said...

one forgets just how scary Agatha was when Jack Kirby drew her,
but it doesn’t surprise that Alfred would call her rather than Zattana or Doctor Fate

Anonymous said...

You know something? Today's cover would make a great final installment to a trilogy that I know was never initially intended. But, which would've been a great crossover mini-series in the RW, nonetheless. What if Batman's aiding of BTVS (back in STF #2020*) required him to become a werewolf to combat those hinted-at vampires? The only problem is, he went feral at the end of that adventure, requiring Spider-Miles and Bat-Cassie to bring him in alive (in STF #2854**)!

*circa 2017

**Feb. 2020.

Ross said...

Works for me!

Bob Greenwade said...

Given the multiversal aspects of half of what's going on in the MCU, wouldn't it be wild if Aubrey Plaza's role in Agatha: Coven of Chaos was Lenny Busker, the same character she played on Legion? I mean, we've already seen Patrick Stewart and Anson Mount in familiar roles, so why not?

I'm also intrigued by the casting of Patti LuPone.

But I'm still seeing "Late 2023" as the release date. We'll just see how that goes.

As for today's cover, it looks like this may be from a "Vampire Batman" incident. I think the circumstance of the moment, it might've been better to edit out the tray and teapot, but otherwise the cover is flawless.

Anonymous said...

Love the cover. But one of the things that always bugged me about Alfred was that he alone kept up the Wayne Manor and did a lot of work down in the Batcave. Jarvis should have a team of workers that helped Batman maintain everything as well as come up with new devices for him to use. Am I wrong? I don't think so. I think it would help aid character development. Anyone else have something to add?
Ordinaryguy2

Carycomic said...

@Bob: maybe he was about to serve Agatha some tea, as a matter of courtesy, when "Master Bruce" came flying through the window.

Bob Greenwade said...

@Anon@11:31: A few years ago, I sat down to plan out how I'd manage a new Batman TV show at around the character's century mark. I was bothered by the same thing -- Alfred alone managing Wayne Manor. So, I combed through Batman lore to find other possible staff for Bruce, and I got:

- Alfred, of course, with all of his MI6 training.

- Julia Pennyworth, Alfred's niece, also former MI6. Officially, she's the maid around Wayne Manor, but she also is a crack investigator and does much to help Bruce maintain the secret of his double life.

- Harriet Cooper, Dick Grayson's aunt. In my version, she's the one who's assigned to care for him after his family is killed. She's the cook, and as a circus performer she was a knife-thrower. She's still very good, and she's the reason Bruce is so good with those Batarangs.

- Earl Cooper, an auto mechanic who also acts as Bruce's chauffeur. He's also a former auto designer, and designed, built, and maintains the Batmobile. Since he coincidentally has the same last name as Harriet, I have the two married.

- Sasha Bordeaux, hired to be Bruce's bodyguard. Well, he can take care of himself, but the public doesn't need to know that. She doubles as his personal assistant.

- Harold Allnut, a nonverbal autistic who is a mechanical genius. He designed and built most of Batman's gadgets, and designed the (ahem) security system in and around Wayne Manor. Officially, he's Bruce's security manager.

- There also was a Japanese gardener mentioned in passing on an episode of Gotham who I'd also include, doubling as Bruce's martial arts trainer. (Just wait until you see his kumadedo!)

This little household family would be there to help Bruce stay grounded -- somewhere between the Adam West, Kevin Conroy, and Christian Bale portrayals -- though they're not always successful.

Bobbo said...

Has anyone ever seen Agatha Harkness and Aunt May (Parker) in the same room?

Ross said...

Bob, I actually did consider removing the falling tea, but I thought it would make already a pretty static image a bit more boring and plus, I figure Batman's condition has even gotten worse since Alfred sent the call to Agatha, thus eliciting the reaction presented on the cover.

Bob Greenwade said...

Even with the explanation, I'm ambivalent. Without the tray, Alfred's hands seem to gesture to Bats in a "Will you just look at that?" kind of way.

That aside, Bobbo has an interesting point that could be exploited in the future; though with both characters being Marvel, we'd need someone from somewhere else to let it fit here. Perhaps someone is about to produce "proof" that they're one and the same, but about to enter a room where they're together. My initial nominees would be Captain Klutz, "Jughead" Jones, or Inspector Gadget.

Anonymous said...

Falling teapot plus WTF facial expression equals more effective display of shock than a naked hand.

Daviticus said...

@Bob: Sorry I didn't mention this earlier, but I love the "Bat-staff" idea!

Detective Tobor said...

I'm more cuurious about the grandfather clock since it seems in a weird corner and so far away since it seems so small.
Since Alfred has MI6 type training, does he make records of some of the people who come thruu and try to learn things from them?

Anonymous said...

You forgot Mrs. Chilton, Joe Chill’s mother who worked at Wayne manor as a way to assuage her guilt for her son killing his parents. Only appeared sporadically in the Bronze Age.
Isaac

Bob Greenwade said...

@Daviticus: Thanks!

@Anon@1:18: I didn't forget about her; I wasn't aware of her until now. I'm adding her to the list, especially if I can find her first name.

PS @Everyone: If anyone has Gotham on DVD, the mention of the Japanese gardener happened right after Penguin blew up Azrael. I never quite caught the name given, and I'd appreciate a little help there.

Anonymous said...

@Bob
Bob, that is great! Perfect even. Though with this site being about crossovers, after reading your ideas, I started thinking about crossover possibilities. I thought of Speed Racer for the chauffeur. I stopped myself before putting any other crossovers together. I may be addicted to crossovers, but if that is my worst vice, I think I'll be okay.
Ordinaryguy2

Det Tobor said...

Alfred & Alf waiting for Batman to come home.

Carycomic said...

Hey! That's a great idea. ALF vs. Flerkin!

Mr. Tobor? You're a genius. :-)

Anonymous said...

OK, then; how about ALF vs. Streaky the Super-cat?---Cary

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