The penguin It may be over for now, but if Batman
fans of the TV series are looking for more hard-hitting crimes in Gotham/blackDC Comics has over eighty years of stories begging to be rediscovered. Wading through all of these comics may seem like a herculean feat, but luckily, Screen Rant did all the hard work and found the best of the best for you. Penguin fans to enjoy.
The following list acts as not only some of the best comics related to Batman and Gotham City, but also some of the best comics, period. The Bat-books have always attracted strong creators, and the comics that follow feature work from the likes of David Mazzucchelli, Jason Aaron, Tim Sale, Frank Miller, and many, many more. Whether they act as seminal examinations of the Penguin himself or simply reflect the TV show’s grounded and seedy criminal world, here are ten stories that Penguin fans should read next:
10
No Man’s Land: Bread and Circuses
by Ian Edginton and D’Israeli
This two-part story appearing in Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #117 and Batman: Shadow of the Bat #85 was part of the entire year No Man’s Land crossover event, which saw Gotham City officially disowned by the US government and isolated from the rest of the world. Gotham is soon divided into different sections of warring territories, with several gang wars breaking out between the various bat-villains.
“Bread and Circuses” is a Penguin-centric arc that sees Oswald Cobblepot fighting clandestine fights in his Iceberg Lounge over food rations. Batman ends up joining the fight, facing the worst of the Penguin’s henchmen before eventually taking control of the Iceberg Lounge. The story is a fascinating look at society pushed to the limit and features one of the greatest showdowns between Batman and the Penguin of all time.
9
Batman: Nine Lives
by Dean Motter and Michael Lark
The world of Batman meets black film in this Elseworlds graphic novel, where the inhabitants of Gotham City are reimagined as classic noir archetypes. The story sees club owner Selina Kyle murdered, and masked vigilante Batman is ready to destroy the city to find her killer in this alternate continuity set in an era of trench coats, fedoras and tight dresses.
What makes this OGN memorable is the way the story reimagines many familiar characters, like the recasting of Dick Grayson as an ex-cop turned private detective or Mr. Batman: Nine Lives It’s also notable for the “widescreen” dimensions of the book itself, which not only acts as a showcase for Michael Lark’s beautiful artwork, but also heightens the feeling that the reader is watching a classic. black film of the 1940s.
8
Clown
by Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo
The original graphic novel by Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo reflects the relationship between Oz and Vic in Penguin series, which follows low-level criminal Johnny Frost as he tries to rise through the ranks of Joker’s operation. Readers get a unique look at life as a Gotham City henchman, and it’s not pretty; full of fear, paranoia and unexpected violence.
This street-level view allows for a lot of twisted settings in this OGN, as readers see the petty schemes and ploys that go on within Gotham’s major villain gangs when Batman isn’t around. Frost learns the hard way that – no matter how high he rises in the ranks – he is never truly safe from the madman he works for. It may be dark, but it’s still a fun read.
7
The Penguin (2023-2024)
By Tom King, Rafael De Latorre and Stevan Subic
This recent twelve-issue miniseries was a blast from start to finish and will likely go down in comic book history as one of the quintessential Penguin tales. Oswald Cobblepot fakes his own “death” to escape to Metropolis, only to be recruited by the FBI to infiltrate Gotham City’s underworld. Cobblepot sees a way to get to the top of the city’s criminal networks, and part of the fun is watching him manipulate and cajole his way through Gotham’s underbelly.
The story sees Penguin eventually teaming up with Batman himself to regain control of the Iceberg Lounge, and the various schemes implemented by Cobblepot result in a story as paranoid and thrilling as any crime story with an undercover protagonist. The Penguin shines as a criminal mastermind, showing why he’s Batman’s toughest villain.
6
Gotham Central: easy targets
by Ed Brubaker, Greg Rucka and Michael Lark
Gotham Central was one of DC’s best series of the early 2000s, taking Batman out of the equation and focusing on the men and women of the Gotham City Police Department. While the entire series has been fantastic, the “Soft Targets” storyline that appeared in issues 12 through 15 is perhaps the best example of what happens when one of Gotham’s supervillains embarks on a campaign of terror.
The vision of chaos that follows Joker using a sniper rifle to kill random inhabitants of Gotham City makes the story even more gripping, as readers are put in the shoes of ordinary public servants who try everything they can to keep the city together. while torn apart by fear and panic. Gotham Central is a classic because it examines the effects of Batman’s battles with his villains from a perspective rarely shown, making it one of the great criminal sagas in comics.
5
Penguin: Pain and Prejudice
By Gregg Hurwitz and Symon Kudranski
Pain and Prejudice takes a look at the tragic origins of Oswald Cobblepot, as readers follow the Penguin from his bullying days as a child to becoming one of the most feared gangsters in all of Gotham City. Like an epic psychological portrait, this five-part miniseries features a Penguin who ruthlessly rises to the top by any means necessary.
Most disturbing is the way Penguin routinely takes revenge on those who have wronged him, while Cobblepot finds ways to destroy his enemies completely and without mercy. This Penguin is a far cry from the waddling troublemaker who used to give Batman a headache with his ornate umbrellas, as the classic villain is transformed into a villain who is truly frightening to behold.
4
Joker’s Asylum: The Penguin
By Jason Aaron and Jason Pearson
This unique story is one of Penguin’s best stories, getting straight to the heart of what makes Oswald Cobblepot tick. The story sees a new lady enter Penguin’s life, while Oswald Cobblepot appears to find love in the most unlikely of places. Being who he is, however, the Penguin can’t help but turn the situation sour, and readers get an idea of just how cruel the villainous Bat can be.
It’s a story with a truly shocking ending, one of those perfect, independent stories that accomplishes what it sets out to do in twenty-two pages. Joker’s Asylum: The Penguin has the title character straddling the line between man and monster, telling a story that is as moving as it is cruel and unusual.
3
Batman: Year One
By Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli
When it comes to dark and gritty crime stories set in Gotham City, Year One It’s hard to beat. Frank Miller returns to the character he revolutionized The Dark Knight Returnsbringing in artist David Mazzucchelli to create another all-time classic. The story that went Batman #404-407 became the definitive origin of the Dark Knight
Miller and Mazzucchelli create a compelling criminal underworld that felt far more real than anything that had appeared in the Batman comics until then, a grounding influence that can be felt even The penguin TV series. It’s an excellent work by two masters produced during one of the most exciting periods in comics, and simply one of the best comic books of all time.
2
Batman: Dark Victory
by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale
Sofia Falcone really comes into her own with this sequel to Loeb and Sale’s previous series The Long Halloweenwhile Batman finds himself on the trail of the Executioner’s killer. Black Victory continues the examination of Gotham’s underworld begun in The Long Halloweenshowing how a city of traditional mobsters gave way to the bizarre supervillains who took control of the criminal underworld in their wake.
The Falcone family saga is cemented here, and it is easy to see how Sofia’s representation in Black Victory influenced the character as she appears in The penguin series. Loeb and Sale’s clean narrative does Black Victory an easy read for those new to comics, and the story even finds a moving way to retell Dick Grayson’s origin as the first Robin.
1
Batman: The Long Halloween
by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale
Very similar Year One, Batman: The Long Halloween has gone on to influence every Batman adaptation since its original publication, including Christopher Nolan’s films and the more recent Batman. Reading the landmark series, it’s easy to see why, as Loeb and Sale’s deceptively simple approach remains captivating from the first page to the last.
The story follows Holiday’s killer, a mysterious assailant who has been destroying key figures in Gotham’s criminal hierarchy in the Holidays over the course of a year. This may be the late Tim Sale’s greatest work as an artist, as writer Jeph Loeb crafts a story that allows Sale to shine as the creative team explores every corner of the Bat mythos in this crime noir masterpiece. Simply put, The Long Halloween is a great murder mystery that fans of Batman and The penguin The TV show is a must-read if you’re looking for more Gotham City decadence.