7 new Pennyworth photos unmask the faces of EPIX's Batman prequel

Handsome, cheerful, charming, clever. This is the young Alfred Pennyworth, the future butler of DC Comics hero Bruce Wayne.

But here, in EW's exclusive new look at EPIX's Pennyworth, a prequel tale set in 1960s London, Jack Bannon's Alfred is a 20something former British SAS soldier who starts his own bodyguard security company in the U.K.

In a batch of photos that showcase the cast of characters coming to Pennyworth when the series drops on July 28, we meet the titular character as he encounters a familiar figure from the DC Comics lexicon...

Not even Thomas Wayne's friends call him Tom -- always Thomas.

Years before the death of Thomas and Martha Wayne in Gotham City, a moment that will propel their future son Bruce down a dark path to becoming the Caped Crusader, the East Coast billionaire found himself in London where he meets Alfred and employs his services.

Per EPIX, "Confident and extremely disciplined, this young aristocrat meets an unlikely business partner in Alfred Pennyworth."

Meet the first of two major villains in Pennyworth.

It would seem Lord Harwood, by way of actor Jason Flemyng, is a fresh character created for the series instead of one culled from the DC Comics. But who knows what secrets may hide in the shadowy streets of London?

Harwood is "an upper-class Englishman," who's "cultured, urbane, brilliant, and supremely sure of himself. His sadistic, cruel nature has a veneer of charm."

He's also in cahoots with another nefarious figure...

Yes, that is award-winning recording artist Paloma Faith in a comic book-based TV series.

As Bet Sykes, "spirited, sadistic, and sharp-tongued," the celeb plays a villainess. Along with Lord Harwood, she'll test the courage of both Alfred and Thomas.

Actress Emma Corrin will soon become a household name when she debuts as Princess Diana in Netflix's fourth season of The Crown, but in Pennyworth, she plays Esme, "a beautiful, alert, theatrical, and clever dancer with an upper-class flair."

A love interest for Alfred, "she's a determined, skittish spirit with a bohemian air."

A member of Alfred's team who's highly proficient at logistics, Bazza is described as "a posh Bajan playboy."

Unlike Alfred, this guy is slowly drinking himself to death after leaving the army. A "haggard" Highland Scotsman, Dave Boy is a close ally of Alfred and Bazza, but he's also "the most unpredictable of the trio."