The Penguin #9 – Tom King, Writer; Rafael De Latorre, Artist; Marcelo Maiolo, Colorist
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: Penguin is back in Gotham—but he’s not getting the city back without a fight, as the Cobblepot twins have set out to make sure their father doesn’t get his foothold back in the city. Penguin’s daughter has seemingly unleashed a campaign of random bombings across the city, targeting businesses and charities—including the day care center founded in Martha Wayne’s name. This unleashes Batman in search of the truth—and he thinks his old enemy is the culprit. This is a side of Batman we don’t see all that often outside Miller works—truly enraged and dangerous, having no problem threatening people with death to force their confessions. First Penguin and then Black Spider tell him the same thing—it was the daughter—and even Jim Gordon (who seems to be back as Commissioner) thinks Batman might be losing it a bit. But that’s not going to stop him until he’s 100% sure he has the right target.
All the while, Penguin is increasingly torn between two masters. As he moves to get his empire back, he’s actually still in thrall to “Agent *****,” who has his past love interest in custody to force his cooperation. This character is a little over the top, especially when her narration includes half swears, but she makes a compelling foil here. And of course, Penguin’s devotion to his ex feels a little hollow when he’s falling into bed with his ex, Lisa St. Clair—the powerful casino executive key to his plan. This is a fascinating character study of one of Gotham’s most despicable men—who might also be one of the most human villains Batman has ever faced. Building his empire, controlling his piece of the pie is all Penguin knows, but there might also be a part of him desperate to escape and feel something real. This is very different from King’s past character studies, but just as fascinating.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
