Review: Penguin #6 - The Batman Universe (2024)

In The Penguin #6, readers are taken back in time to see how Penguin rose to power.

Title: The Penguin #6
Writer: Tom King
Artist: Stevan Subic
Colors: Marcelo Maiolo
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Main Cover: Carmine Di Giandomenico
Variant Covers: Stevan Subic, Rafael De Latorre
Release Date: January 23, 2024

This comic book review contains spoilers.

Penguin #6 opens with Carmine Falcone being served a drink at the Iceberg Lounge by a young Oswald Copplepot. Carmine’s having an inner monologue about how much Batman has changed the city and made it a lot softer in many ways. Falcone does not like the smile that Oswald has on his face and throws the drink back at him.

Penguin spends time on a rooftop with an old woman who takes care of the Gotham birds (think the old woman from Home Alone 2 but a gritty Gotham version). She tells Oswald how she saw Batman and that he is just a person like anyone else.

Batman busts up a bank robbery and then finds a note on the Batmobile from Oswald saying he knows who is calling all the shots in Gotham. Batman asks why he wants to take down the Falcones. Oswald illustrates his background as a child who grew up in the foster care system and was beaten and bullied all his life. Though Oswald’s 7th grade education won’t get him far in life, he figures he can try to take down some of the bad guys.

Over the next few months, Batman uses Cobblepot’s information to bust up drug deals, mob hits, and human trafficking rings. Batman’s inner monologue reveals that he has been keeping tabs on Oswald this whole time and that Cobblepot is who he claims to be, just a lost soul trying to make a buck and help along the way. Slowly, Batman, with Oswald’s information, is taking apart Falcone’s empire, including one raid at ACE Chemicals in which a goon falls into a vat of green chemicals.

Oswald reports to Batman that Falcone is planning a night of murder and chaos in order to tire Batman and then put an end to him. Batman comments on how Oswald is scared, and Oswald says he is scared of what will happen to him and the bird woman if either Batman or Falcone is successful in stopping the other.

Batman is able to stop Falcone’s plan and Falcone himself. Batman and Oswald come to an agreement to let Oswald own the Iceberg Lounge and feed information to Batman. The issue ends with Oswald telling the bird woman (revealed to be his foster mother) how important she was to convince Batman that he was a good person and then tossing her off the roof.

Tom King really makes you earn it. Here King drops a prequel issue in the middle of his storyline, which is not all that uncommon for his style. One problem that I could see that people might have this issue is the retcon of Penguin’s origin. Here we have a Penguin who grew up in the foster care system and does not have much of an education to speak of. Now this could be part of the long con that Penguin is playing on Batman, and that he’s lying, but I’m willing to bet that Batman has done his homework. As I have become a more experienced comic reader, I understand the need to reinvent characters in different ways to keep them fresh and update their origins. However, I am partial to the Cobblepots being one of Gotham’s premiere families. I like Penguin as the Gentleman of Crime with his top hat, monocle, and cigarette holder.

For this gritty, grubby new Penguin origin, the art is appropriate. Subic’s art, along with Maiolo’s colors, add to the seedy, crime thriller tone of the book. That’s nothing new, as the art has been strong in the series throughout.

Despite my issue with the retcon, I actually like this issue and am interested in the next part of this mini interlude before we get back to the main story.

Editor’s Note: DC Comics provided TBU with an advanced copy of this comic for review purposes. You can find this comic and help support TBU in the process by purchasing this issue digitally on Amazon or a physical copy of the title through Things From Another World.

BJ Shea

BJ has had two passions in his life: sports and comic books. Specifically Batman and Robin. Not a day has gone by where BJ hasn’t watched or read something Batman-related. Currently, his goal is to collect as many Dick Grayson (his favorite character) issues as he can. Doesn’t matter if he’s Robin or Nightwing or Agent 37, he wants them. Another goal he has is to collect the complete Robin run of Tim Drake’s classic series. Raised on reruns of Adam West and was there for the animated series, BJ is down for any version of Batman. The Dark Knight is his favorite movie ever. On any day, BJ is most likely watching sports, watching anything Batman, or The Office.