Alfred is back (but not really) in Batman #98 preview

Batman and his loyal butler Alfred Pennyworth discuss strategy among the backdrop of the 'Joker War' in this preview of...

Wait ... what??

Yes, Alfred is still dead, which means Batman must be losing the war because his mind ain't, right courtesy of you-know-who.

You'll have to read the rest of this week's Batman #98 by James Tynion IV and Jorge Jimenez to see where this is going, but until then you can check out these four preview pages, which include Catwoman, the Penguin, the Riddler, and Scarecrow all having cocktails together watching the Joker's chaos unfurl on TV.

"Batman is at his most vulnerable following a massive dose of an experimental new Joker toxin," reads DC's official description to 'The Joker War' part four of six. "With the Dark Knight haunted by demons and visions, it's up to Harley Quinn to protect him while he recovers—because Punchline is on her way!"

We hope that makes Alfred a vision and not a demon, but whatever.

The good news is, Batman's troubles apparently lead to an almost full-on Bat-family reunion in Batman #99 later this month, which includes Harley, of course, along with all three of the first three Robins - Dick, Jason, and Tim - plus Batgirl and others.

Damien and Batman's recent falling out in the pages of Teen Titans seems to have carried over to the Bat-books.

Batman #98 also includes covers by David Finch, Francesco Mattina, and Jimenez.

You can check out the preview of the issue in our gallery below.

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Will 'The Joker War' wind up in the Top 10 best Batman stories of all time? Check out what it has to edge out to make the countdown.

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