Penguin appreciation thread

**Keehar** · 12-18-2010, 10:49 AM

Originally Posted by Aelle3

I have #548, but not 549 or 550, could you tell me when does the penguin story finish? might have to ebay it. thanks

It's a two parter. It finishes in Batman #549. I love the cover to it:

**NathanielEssex** · 12-18-2010, 11:10 AM

Originally Posted by RedliwNala

Depends on who writes him, I'd say (I guess this could be said for Penguin too). I've always thought of Riddler as having an obsessive compulsion, he HAS TO leave clues at the scenes of his crimes, whether he wants it or not.

Is there anything to suggest that Deadshot is insane in some way? Or Bane?

In an issue from the 90's, Robin snickers when Batman mentions how dangerous the Riddler is, and Batman says something to the effect of, "Don't laugh. He's smarter than I am, and the only thing keeping me alive when I go after him is his compulsion to have a solution for his traps".

I remember in Penguin Triumphant that Batman also admitted that Cobblepot is smarter than he, it's just that his ego gets in the way of true victory.

Really, these are the only two that he's admitted to being more intelligent. I've never seen him say Joker or Ra's were smarter, I remember them being referred to being as smart as he is (don't remember if it was by Batman or not).

Deadshot's death wish certainly counts as a mental illness, but probably not the clinical definition of insanity.

**Aelle3** · 12-18-2010, 11:31 AM

Originally Posted by NathanielEssex

In an issue from the 90's, Robin snickers when Batman mentions how dangerous the Riddler is, and Batman says something to the effect of, "Don't laugh. He's smarter than I am, and the only thing keeping me alive when I go after him is his compulsion to have a solution for his traps".

I remember in Penguin Triumphant that Batman also admitted that Cobblepot is smarter than he, it's just that his ego gets in the way of true victory.

I was going to say that same scene happened in Penguin Triumphant, Robin does alot of underestimating.

Id actually love to see Penguin turn up in Red Robin (really enjoying the book).

And i was wondering did Penguin show up in Gotham central? People have been saying good things and i want to pick up the trades (it would be even sweeter if Oswald shows up).

**Aelle3** · 12-18-2010, 11:32 AM

Originally Posted by Keehar

It's a two parter. It finishes in Batman #549. I love the cover to it:

Thanks, going to have a look for it.

**T-Bolt** · 12-18-2010, 03:03 PM

Originally Posted by Aelle3

Nicely done, its really scary. Did you make the top hat to?

I believe the top hat is from a Mezco Jack the Ripper figure.

**Keehar** · 12-18-2010, 10:26 PM

Originally Posted by NathanielEssex

I remember in Penguin Triumphant that Batman also admitted that Cobblepot is smarter than he, it's just that his ego gets in the way of true victory.

A triumph for Pengy with Batman admitting that.

**Aziz Abbasi** · 12-19-2010, 01:14 PM

Originally Posted by Nefarius

I love Penguin.Both as an eccentric gentleman of crime and crime boss.He is such an underrated villain.

Pinned it down for me

**Mistah K88** · 12-19-2010, 01:48 PM

This is my kind of thread.

Growing up, Penguin was always my favorite Bat villain. And as with most of my Batman beginnings it all started with BTAS. Maybe it was his trick umbella weapons, maybe his charm, but there was something about this "gentleman of crime" that really intrigued me...even more so than more popular villains like Joker (who's become kind-a one note as of late but still). Heck Penguin was one of the "Big Four" of Batman for the longest time (for me he still is) Unfortunetly he's fallen off of that boat for most Bat fans... Replacing him in the "big four" are people like Two Face and Ra's al Ghul. Heck some people prefer some characters like Black Mask simply because he looks cool (even though he kind of seemed like a poor man's Penguin at one point).

The way I see it, where Joker is the anti Batman, Penguin is the anti Bruce Wayne. Bruce is handsome, generous, and seems to even forget that he himself is very wealthy. Oswald however is pretty ugly, greedy, and feels the need to throw it in your face that he has more class than you.

I didn't really like Burton's take on the character, even though to some it made the Penguin "an interesting character". To me Burton's Penguin is in name only, and could have even been an original character...Max Schreck was actually closer to Penguin in terms of personality... I don't relly care for the deformed, sewer dweller, flipper hands look that Burton started. I instead prefer the long nosed, balding, fat normal man that he started out as (especially since he's not one of the Arkam crazies). However I still will take the over done mutated Penguin if they get his personality right...

I wish to see Penguin get some justice in the Nolan Batman movies, but it seems Nolan doesn't like Penguin (some say he's too "unrealistic" whereas I think he's more "realistic" as is than most Bat-villains...even Joker [who still had to change aesthetically to fit in]) Heck, he's the kind of crime boss who will be completely different from Falcone, Maroni, and whoever else they think of. Penguin has his personality quirks that make him different from you average mob boss. He's the kind of guy who can order someone to be brutally murdered and then go the the opera right afterward. He relies more on manipulation than fear...I swear, if Penguin is not in the Dark Knight Rises I will only see it 15 times...the day it comes out...

**Keehar** · 12-19-2010, 03:56 PM

Originally Posted by Mistah K88

This is my kind of thread.

Growing up, Penguin was always my favorite Bat villain. And as with most of my Batman beginnings it all started with BTAS. Maybe it was his trick umbella weapons, maybe his charm, but there was something about this "gentleman of crime" that really intrigued me...even more so than more popular villains like Joker (who's become kind-a one note as of late but still). Heck Penguin was one of the "Big Four" of Batman for the longest time (for me he still is) Unfortunetly he's fallen off of that boat for most Bat fans... Replacing him in the "big four" are people like Two Face and Ra's al Ghul. Heck some people prefer some characters like Black Mask simply because he looks cool (even though he kind of seemed like a poor man's Penguin at one point).

The way I see it, where Joker is the anti Batman, Penguin is the anti Bruce Wayne. Bruce is handsome, generous, and seems to even forget that he himself is very wealthy. Oswald however is pretty ugly, greedy, and feels the need to throw it in your face that he has more class than you.

I didn't really like Burton's take on the character, even though to some it made the Penguin "an interesting character". To me Burton's Penguin is in name only, and could have even been an original character...Max Schreck was actually closer to Penguin in terms of personality... I don't relly care for the deformed, sewer dweller, flipper hands look that Burton started. I instead prefer the long nosed, balding, fat normal man that he started out as (especially since he's not one of the Arkam crazies). However I still will take the over done mutated Penguin if they get his personality right...

I wish to see Penguin get some justice in the Nolan Batman movies, but it seems Nolan doesn't like Penguin (some say he's too "unrealistic" whereas I think he's more "realistic" as is than most Bat-villains...even Joker [who still had to change aesthetically to fit in]) Heck, he's the kind of crime boss who will be completely different from Falcone, Maroni, and whoever else they think of. Penguin has his personality quirks that make him different from you average mob boss. He's the kind of guy who can order someone to be brutally murdered and then go the the opera right afterward. He relies more on manipulation than fear...I swear, if Penguin is not in the Dark Knight Rises I will only see it 15 times...the day it comes out...

Great post.

**Aziz Abbasi** · 12-19-2010, 04:06 PM

Originally Posted by Mistah K88

The way I see it, where Joker is the anti Batman, Penguin is the anti Bruce Wayne. Bruce is handsome, generous, and seems to even forget that he himself is very wealthy. Oswald however is pretty ugly, greedy, and feels the need to throw it in your face that he has more class than you

How they were depicted in "The Batman" then is accurate to their comic counterparts? Joker, Bruce Wayne, and Oswald Cobblepot?

**Aelle3** · 12-20-2010, 12:10 AM

Originally Posted by Mistah K88

The way I see it, where Joker is the anti Batman, Penguin is the anti Bruce Wayne. Bruce is handsome, generous, and seems to even forget that he himself is very wealthy. Oswald however is pretty ugly, greedy, and feels the need to throw it in your face that he has more class than you.

I didn't really like Burton's take on the character, even though to some it made the Penguin "an interesting character". To me Burton's Penguin is in name only, and could have even been an original character...Max Schreck was actually closer to Penguin in terms of personality... I don't relly care for the deformed, sewer dweller, flipper hands look that Burton started. I instead prefer the long nosed, balding, fat normal man that he started out as (especially since he's not one of the Arkam crazies). However I still will take the over done mutated Penguin if they get his personality right...

I wish to see Penguin get some justice in the Nolan Batman movies, but it seems Nolan doesn't like Penguin (some say he's too "unrealistic" whereas I think he's more "realistic" as is than most Bat-villains...even Joker [who still had to change aesthetically to fit in]) Heck, he's the kind of crime boss who will be completely different from Falcone, Maroni, and whoever else they think of. Penguin has his personality quirks that make him different from you average mob boss. He's the kind of guy who can order someone to be brutally murdered and then go the the opera right afterward. He relies more on manipulation than fear...I swear, if Penguin is not in the Dark Knight Rises I will only see it 15 times...the day it comes out...

Great post, I said something quite similar in an old Penguin thread so I totally agree

. It was one the things i really liked about Gotham Underground was the few pages of Cobblepot family history and how if the Waynes are the first family of Gotham, the Cobblepots were the second. Making the Penguin the sort of fallen son of Gotham. I have the same feeling about him being the anti-bruce as well, the ugly side of wealth and class snobbery.

**Mistah K88** · 12-20-2010, 11:59 AM

Originally Posted by Aziz Abbasi

How they were depicted in "The Batman" then is accurate to their comic counterparts? Joker, Bruce Wayne, and Oswald Cobblepot?

I didn't really like The Batman too much when it premiered, it did get better as time passed...Penguin wasn't all that much of a gentleman in the show, settling for being more of a crook, but he did have his moments. Also, if I remember correctly, they did do somethings with his origin and giving him motivation in being a crook (to regain his family's lost fortune).

In BTAS, Penguin, along with Joker were the only two villains from memory that didn't get origin episodes (meaning they were thorns in Batman's side before the series even started). As much as I like a villain being a threat, I didn't care much for Penguin being able to do all these karate esque fighting he was able to do in The Batman. Penguin is more of a cerebral villain. I do like that in almost every animated series, Penguin is only second to Joker in terms of episode count.

I do wish they used the original design they were going for Penguin instead of going with the Burton-esque design they went with...even if his monocle is on the wrong eye.

One of my favorite Penguin quotes is from the BTAS episode Birds of a Feather
Batman: Wherever you go, I'll be right behind you.
Penguin: Precisely where you belong.