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WARNING! Spoilers for Batman: The Long Halloween – The Last Halloween #2There are countless criminals lurking in the dark alleys of Gotham City, but one stands out as the least acknowledged of Batman’s rogues. Oswald Cobblepot, also known as the Penguin, has garnered a reputation as one of Gotham’s less perilous dangers due to how harmless he appears. Now, DC has revealed that he’s officially the most underrated villain in Gotham, and even Batman’s other villains agree.
In Batman: The Long Halloween – The Last Halloween #2 by Jeph Loeb, Klaus Janson, Dave Stewart, and Richard Starkings, Batman is continuing his investigation of James Gordon Jr.’s disappearance. When a clue leads him to the Penguin, he tracks down the criminal in hopes of getting answers about Commissioner Gordon’s son. Batman confronts the Penguin and shares a shocking truth about his role in Gotham City: “Even amongst his so-called peers, The Penguin never earned the respect he craved.”
With these words, Batman confirms that the Penguin isn’t respected as a villain – not by him, and certainly not by other villains. This dismissal earns the Penguin the official title of Gotham’s most underrated criminal in DC lore.
The Penguin Is Officially Gotham’s Least Respected Villain
Batman’s Villains All Look Down Upon the Penguin
According to Batman, the Penguin has failed to earn the respect of Gotham City’s most dastardly villains. He mentions that the Joker and Two-Face are unimpressed by the Penguin, then goes on to add, “Even The Riddler considered Oswald beneath him.” Even the slimiest of Gotham’s criminals pay little mind to the Penguin’s antics, despite how hard he tries to fit in as one of them. Due to his connection to James Gordon Jr., deduced from the penguin-themed umbrella at the crime scene, Batman wonders if the Penguin is making an attempt to prove himself and finally earn some favor from his fellow evildoers.
The Penguin has become a crime lord with a penchant for cruelty that would make any villain squirm.
The Penguin’s backstory hints at why he’s so desperate to earn the praise of his criminal peers and renders their lack of respect almost tragic. For the majority of his life, Oswald Cobblepot was bullied by those around him. The Penguin’s gross design is the cause of the abuse he suffered, as his pointed teeth and nose bear an uncanny resemblance to his namesake. Because of the hardships he endured, he turned to villainy as a means of forcing the city that neglected him to acknowledge him. However, even as a villain, the Penguin can’t manage to get the recognition he craves.
The Penguin Stands Out as Batman’s Most Ridiculous Rogue
Batman Has Some Goofy Villains, But The Penguin Is The Worst Culprit
It’s not difficult to see why Gotham’s criminals might have trouble taking the Penguin seriously as one of them. His name in and of itself isn’t nearly as menacing as a typical villain’s would be, instead evoking the image of a penguin waddling about. That, of course, isn’t far off from Oswald Cobblepot’s own appearance and mannerisms. Unlike Colin Farrell’s grounded redesign for HBO’s The Penguin, the in-universe version of the character comes off as cartoonish. With his diminutive stature and penguin-like qualities, the Penguin fails to strike fear to the degree of Batman’s more prolific rogues.
The Penguin made his first appearance in 1941’s
Detective Comics
#58 by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, which was recently reprinted in
Penguin Special
#1, available now from DC Comics.
Aside from the Penguin, Batman has plenty of other silly enemies running around Gotham City. For example, Condiment King is known to be one of his more ridiculous foes, with an entire gimmick based on attacking with condiments. What sets these laughable excuses for bad guys apart from the Penguin and makes him more disrespected, though, is the fact that they know their place. Condiment King doesn’t have illusions of grandeur in Gotham City, while the Penguin strives for power just as the Riddler would, which irks him. As futile as his efforts seem, the Penguin has shown that he has more potential than meets the eye.
After Decades of Being Treated Like a Joke, the Penguin Proves Himself as a True Villain
Gotham’s Most Underrated Criminal Is Now Its Most Dangerous
The Penguin’s status in Gotham may be diminished by his unassuming exterior, but his recent stories have unveiled a hidden dark side to him that hints at a frightening nature beneath the penguin imagery. Gone are the days of arctic-themed decorations and traps, as the Penguin has become a crime lord with a penchant for cruelty that would make any villain squirm.
10 Best Comics To Read if You’re Watching HBO’s The Penguin
Following the debut of HBO’s newest mini-series, The Penguin, we have curated the perfect list of comics to read before jumping into the series.
In fact, Oswald Cobblepot is even more twisted than the Joker following the reveal that he’s been torturing the mother of his children by drugging her with tranquilizers, and that’s merely one of many crimes he’s committed against the people of Gotham City. Although the Penguin isn’t presently given the respect he deserves as a Batman rogue, it’s only a matter of time before Gotham’s criminal element sees him for the formidable threat he is.
Batman: The Long Halloween – The Last Halloween #2 is available now from DC Comics.
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