The Penguin #4 – Tom King, Writer; Rafael De La Torre, Artist; Marcelo Maiolo, Colorist
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: Tom King continues to write his comics in a different way than any other writer at DC, even when they’re part of the larger DC tapestry. It’s common for settings and characters to shift dramatically as they come in and out of the orbit of our lead character—no matter whether that character is an icon like Wonder Woman, or a rogue like Penguin. Oswald Cobblepot has assembled his team to take back Gotham, and now he just needs one more piece. It’s going to bring him to the most elite casino in Las Vegas, the St. Clair, where he aims to meet with one of the most powerful casino bosses in the world—the mysterious Lisa St. Clair. This femme fatale knows Penguin is coming for her, and she’s assembled quite the welcome—including a penthouse suite, and a trained assassin ready to target him at a moment’s notice. After all, she knows him well—she was married to him.
King and Zdarsky both fleshed out Penguin’s family circle a little, but we’ve never met a Mrs. Cobblepot until now—and it’s easy to see how Lisa St. Clair could have kept pace with the crimelord. The dinner between them as they dance around their plans for each other is highly entertaining, with shades of classic plays like “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf.” The caustic energy builds to a brutal explosion—that then turns into wheels upon wheels, as it becomes clear that both these masters of manipulation were playing with each other and the audience. Could the two of them actually see that spark reignite? It’s not clear if either has the humanity to want it, but what is clear is that they’ll make a formidable duo as they head to Gotham. Creating a series centering around a villain is always tricky—see the recent Joker series—but this one seems to be turning Penguin into an iconic crime antihero.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
