In Gotham, there’s the Batman and the Joker, of course. But there’s also a host of antagonists ready to outwit the Dark Knight. Born in 1941, under the pen of Bill Finger and Bob Kane, Oswald Cobblepot has been given a new face in 2022, in the guise of an unrecognizable Colin Farrell in the film The Batman by Matt Reeves. He is now flying on his own with a spin-off entirely devoted to him. For novices, this series is an opportunity to discover a character often confined to tragicomic appearances. But the Penguin has been around a lot, and several comics already pay homage to the king of the underworld.
The Penguin (#1)
Scenario by Tom King, drawing by Rafael De Latorre
Published on August 19, 2024 by Urban Comics – €18
Written by Tom King and drawn by Rafel De Latorre, Beak and Nails signs the latest acquisition of Urban Comics around the Penguin. The king of the underworld is deadand Catwoman investigates the underworld kingpin’s successors. She discovers that Oswald Cobblepot is not six feet under, but holed up at Superman’s, in Metropolisdetermined to change his life. An improbable alliance will then be born between the two characters, while the burglar reveals to the Penguin that his chicks are in danger.
Unlike the other comics in this selection, this book is the first volume of a series. It is a shame that the Penguin’s children are currently limited to a rather secondary role, but we have to face the facts: the story told by the author transports usand the characters still have time to fly on their own.
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Batman One Bad Day: The Penguin
Screenplay by John Ridley, illustrations by Cam Smith and Giuseppe Camuncoli
Published on May 5, 2023 by Urban Comics – €16
It only takes one day for everything to change. Ousted from power by one of his former allies, Oswald Cobblepot is a broken manbut who has sworn bloody vengeance. He only has one bullet left to fire, but he intends to use it against his sworn enemy.
After a story dedicated to the Sphinx and Two-Face, it’s the Penguin’s turn to offer himself an anthology in his glory. Short, incisive and reserved for comic book fans, this independent adventure by John Ridley marks an interesting angle of attack to rediscover the king of the Gotham underworld.
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Batman Arkham: The Penguin
Collective scenario and drawing
Published on June 11, 2021 by Urban Comics – €31
For purists, eager to go back to the roots of the Penguin, the Arkham anthology dedicated to the king of the Gotham underworld is ideal. Since the character’s first appearance in the Detective Comics #58 from December 1941, up to his more recent escapades under the pen of modern authors. The opportunity to dive head first into the misadventures of the character, who remains surprisingly consistent from one decade to the next.
Broken childhood, chaotic adolescence and omnipresent violence… the reasons that pushed Oswald Cobblepot towards organized crime are numerous. For once, the villains of the Batman universe escape the sirens of a lazy Manichaeism that sometimes drives certain Marvel figures. The Arkham anthology series is undoubtedly one of the best ever published by Urban Comics to remind us how much the villains are like us.
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Batman: Emperor Penguin
Screenplay by John Layman, art by Andy Clarke and Jayson Fabok
Published on February 7, 2027 by Urban Comics – €31
After ruling Gotham’s underworld, Oswald Cobblepot now wants to be admired of all. But the redemption of one of the greatest villains in the Batman universe will not be an easy task, especially when the Joker gets involved, and a strange impostor, who proclaims himself Emperor Penguin (haphazard attempt at translation of the original version, or “penguin” translates “penguin”, in reference to the emperor penguins) sets out to take over the city’s gangsters.
Without escaping certain pitfalls of the wave New 52, Emperor Penguin is a dark and terribly effective one-shot. Those familiar with the genre will probably criticize it for its lack of ambition, since it is totally independent of the events that caused New 52. Beginners, on the other hand, will appreciate its ease of access. We find several emblematic figures from the extended universe, and a scenario that works, despite its obvious lack of originality.
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