Alfreds relationship with Batman?

I noticed this relationship changes on the whim of the writer. Sometimes alfred is seen as merely the butler and other times as bruces surrogate father although it does seem rather weird (and oddly disrespectful) when Bruce basically orders around his biggest confidante and the man that raised him since his parents death. Given the oddity of their relationship I find it weird sometimes when they still maintain the servent/master aspect of it. What do you guys think?

Superman thought it was weird, too (Public Enemies).

Originally posted by HueyFreeman
I noticed this relationship changes on the whim of the writer. Sometimes alfred is seen as merely the butler and other times as bruces surrogate father although it does seem rather weird (and oddly disrespectful) when Bruce basically orders around his biggest confidante and the man that raised him since his parents death. Given the oddity of their relationship I find it weird sometimes when they still maintain the servent/master aspect of it. What do you guys think?

Well, Alfred always presents himself as a butler even given the other stuff. He *is* a butler, he's always been a butler. Just as he was to Thomas, he's the same to Bruce.

The depth of their relationship just means that when he needs to lay the verbal smack-down on Bruce, as he occasionally needs, Alfred'll do it in a butler-esque fashion.

Alfred was born into servility, bred by Thomas Wayne to be a butler all his life. He just doesn't know any different. He is rarely allowed to leave the cave and Batman doesn't even let him vote.