Bane killed Alfred during the City of Bane storyline, this death affected Batman and his allies in a way that few deaths truly have. Although having suffered serious injuries in the past, Alfred had never perished; without his guidance, Batman spiraled into a period of grieving, obsession, and rededication to his mission. Although Alfred has returned, physically or metaphorically, in other storylines, a recent interview hints that there may be plans in motion for Alfred's permanent return.
After Bane killed Alfred, the Bat Family remained broken, with Bruce isolating himself to work on him relinquishing his title as Robin. Although Lucius Fox tried to fill Alfred's shoes, Bruce's mental and emotional state left him vulnerable for the Joker and his slowly amassing army to take control of Gotham, enabling a systematic takedown and destruction with Batman's own weapons. Although Batman and his allies eventually turned the tide and ended Joker's control, Bruce Wayne had to push himself to the physical and mental limit to do so without Alfred by his side.
In an interview with Alfred's permanent return was a possibility, to which he hinted that it's all in the hands of current Batman writer James Tynion IV. "I don't want to spoil it for James. I feel like James is playing around with the repercussions of that beat."
Recently Tynion did temporarily bring Alfred back during his Joker War storyline, first as a drug-induced hallucination and later as as a rotting, giggling corpse during Batman and Joker's final battle. The former was Bruce's subconscious trying to help Bruce accept Alfred's death, it his mistakes, and to get his head back in the game. The latter was another of Joker's sadistic attempts to drive his hated enemy into madness and when it failed, Alfred's body was later returned to its original resting place. Since then, Alfred has appeared in flashbacks or as a spiritual ghost to other Bat Family dealing with their own grief, helping them to come to with his death and move on.
The issue here is weighing the pros and cons of Alfred's potential resurrection. He is one of Batman's oldest and most beloved characters, as a version of Alfred has been alongside almost every incarnation of Batman in comics, film, and television. His return could be a much needed pillar of stability during a time when Batman and his allies are having difficulty operating in a city that is becoming less and less tolerant of such activities. On the other hand, bringing Alfred back could negate all the character development and impact his death had, continuing to lessen the impact of death in comics even further. Despite his demise, Alfred Pennyworth continues to motivate and inspire those who knew and loved him, so time will tell if Alfred's return is part of DC's grand plans for Batman's future.
Source: GamesRadar
