DC’s Wildest Superhero Show Is About to Leave HBO Max (& Absolute Batman Fans Should Watch iIt Before It’s Gone)

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DC Comics has a strong history of successful TV adaptations. Shows like Arrow and The Flash on The CW were groundbreaking for superhero television and grew into the larger “Arrowverse” franchise. The now-closed DC Universe streaming service also featured standout series, such as Doom Patrol, which brought a unique team of heroes to life. More recently, HBO’s The Penguin received critical praise and expanded the universe established in The Batman film, blending TV and movie storytelling. However, there’s one particularly unusual superhero adaptation that comic book fans should definitely watch before it’s removed from streaming later this month.

The show Pennyworth: The Origin of Batman’s Butler will be leaving HBO Max on January 23rd. While all three seasons are currently available to stream, the first two seasons will soon be removed. This is notable because Pennyworth originally aired on Epix (simply titled Pennyworth) before moving to HBO Max for its third season, and this change in platforms may be the reason for the removal of the earlier seasons.

Pennyworth Works as a Double Prequel And Has Themes Absolute Batman Fans Will Enjoy

Created by the team behind the show Gotham, Pennyworth is a distinctive DC series. It tells the story of Alfred Pennyworth’s early years – before he became the Wayne family butler. The show follows Alfred, a former British soldier, as he starts his own security firm. He soon finds himself opposing a dangerous fascist organization called the Raven Society, and teams up with American agents from a CIA-linked group called the No Name League, along with Thomas Wayne and Martha Kane, to fight against them.

What’s unique about the show Pennyworth is its setting: an alternate version of London that gives the story a lot of creative freedom. It also works as a backstory to two other series. The Alfred Pennyworth in Pennyworth is a younger version of the character from Gotham, but the show also explains the events leading up to the British Civil War and the rise of the Norsfire government, as seen in V for Vendetta. In fact, season three of Pennyworth even includes characters wearing the iconic Guy Fawkes masks. This creates a compelling connection between two very different comic book worlds. Sadly, we haven’t seen these connections explored further, as a planned V for Vendetta TV series stalled after being announced in 2017 – although a new adaptation is now in the works, revealed last November.

Aside from being a backstory for both Gotham and V for Vendetta, the series Pennyworth surprisingly shares similarities with DC’s Absolute Batman. Notably, the portrayal of Alfred in Pennyworth aligns more closely with his character in the Absolute Batman comics, showcasing his skills as a soldier and spy. The series delves into Alfred’s background in these areas, offering a deeper understanding of his capabilities. There are also parallels between Ark M in Absolute Batman and the Level 7 facility in Pennyworth. Pennyworth introduces “People With Enhancements” (PWEs)—individuals with scientifically enhanced abilities. Initially, MI5 attempts to handle PWEs ethically by contracting Pennyworth Security to provide humane care for them at Level 6. However, the show later introduces Level 7, a more ruthless division with militaristic intentions for the PWEs.

The storyline shares some similarities with the dark Arkham project featured in Absolute Batman. That series explored disturbing experiments on people, like the transformation of Waylon Jones into a crocodile-human hybrid. While not a direct copy – Level 7 isn’t Arkham – both stories involve turning innocent people into monstrous beings, which makes for a compelling and frightening narrative. Fans of Absolute Batman will likely be intrigued by how Pennyworth handles these themes.

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2026-01-10 19:13