The Penguin #10 – Tom King, Writer; Rafael De La Torre, Artist; Marcelo Maiolo, Colorist
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: Penguin has returned to Gotham, and predictably his attempt to parlay with his daughter and her empire has failed miserably—which means it’s time for war. The first part of this series was about Penguin gathering his forces, while the second was all about his unique partnership with Batman and how it fell apart (or did it?) so it’s not surprising that all those elements come together in this issue as the war for control of Gotham begins. Batman and Penguin are working together again, somewhat reluctantly, as they start to take on the criminal industry built by Penguin’s daughter—right down to individual vendors trafficking illegal goods out of Gotham. Everyone has a role to play, with some like Black Spider playing both sides of the fence and being willing to take their hits (literally) to maintain the illusion. But there’s also something deeply personal about the way this war is being fought.
There’s a surprisingly intimate edge to this issue, as Penguin’s confrontation with his children leaves some serious scars. Addison is just as cruel as her father, targeting one of the few things he truly loves to make her point. Aiden, on the other hand, is a strong but dim lad who always wanted his father’s approval—and is denied in the most brutal way possible. That makes the stakes for the final two issues all the more important, as Cobblepot makes his moves and is threatened by the one betrayal no one thought possible. Of course, there is one missing piece to this puzzle—Cobblepot isn’t working for himself and has another agenda none of the combatants want. That plot point, that he’s doing this all under blackmail and may not even truly want his empire back, is likely to come back in a big way as Tom King heads toward the conclusion of another DC masterpiece.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
