Joshua's Jottings

Today, we are taking a look at the Foul Fiend himself, Oswald Cobblepot a.k.a. the Penguin! Created in 1941, the Penguin is easily one of Batman's most recognizable rogues and a staple of the Gotham mythos. After the Joker himself, the Penguin is probably the Dark Knight's most recurring foe, having appeared in countless comics. However, much like a lot of other prominent Batman villains, it can be tricky finding quality Penguin stories. This is because while most of the Caped Crusader's foes have an inherent "cool" quality to them, Oswald has always been on the sillier side. He is a short, fat man with a long nose whose weapon of choice is an umbrella concealed with hidden gadgets. Plus, "The Penguin" is not exactly a moniker that inspires intimidation in people. As such, the character can and often does come off as goofier than threatening, which rarely makes for a compelling villain. Despite these challenges, there have thankfully been plenty of write...

  It's time for the Prince of Panic; the Tyrant of Terror; the Master of Fear himself, Dr. Johnathan Crane a.k.a. the Scarecrow! Created in 1941, the Scarecrow is, in many ways, the perfect Batman villain. Both men utilize fear as weapons against their enemies, just in very different ways. This dichotomy should make for a whole plethora of great Scarecrow stories, but much like the Riddler, a lot of writers seem to struggle with the character. It's well known that the Scarecrow's primary weapon is his patented "fear gas"; a chemical that causes people to hallucinate their worst fears. While a cool concept with a lot of potential, too many writers become overly reliant on the fear gas, which has the unfortunate effect of making poor Johnathan seem like a one-trick pony. Not only that, but Scarecrow is often given weak motivations, such as simple greed, a desire to seek revenge on people who bullied him in high school (which is far better suited to the Penguin) or w...