I love where this arc is going. Part Alfred's origin story and part pirate adventure, The First Ally is definitely one of the good arcs in Snyder's artist-centric All-Star Batman series. The story and writing is undoubtedly Snyder, with lore and classical fiction merged with detailed narration. 
 This DC Metal full spread ad is a sweet bonus! 
 If only All-Star Batman has been handled well before, the series could have been selling more than it is now. This issue deserves a better rating IMHO.