Top 10 Penguin Stories!

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 writers who have gotten past the character's surface level attributes and have presented Cobblepot as the intriguing rogue he is meant to be. These ten stories are going to demonstrate what I mean by this.

10.) Snow and Ice

by Alan Grant & Norm Breyfogle 

After the Penguin apparently dies in prison, a funeral is held for the birdman and his body buried in the Gotham Cemetery. However, this all turns out to be an elaborate escape ruse as Cobblepot was merely placed into a death-like trance by the hypnotist Mortimer Kadaver. But Kadaver is not willing to wake the Penguin up unless he agrees to sharing the loot from his next caper.

While the premise and characters (Kadaver especially) are pretty silly here, Snow and Ice manages to be a really fun story that makes good use of its bizarre setup. Mortimer Kadaver is a thoroughly ridiculous and lame villain, but writer Alan Grant seems to understand this and leans into the character's absurdity at every opportunity, which makes for some highly entertaining interactions with the much more strait-laced Penguin. 

Both men are ready to backstab the other at any given moment, but they need the other for different reasons. Their banter makes for a consistently amusing story and the climax shows how nasty Oswald can be in the name of winning.

09.) The Penguin Affair

by Marv Wolfman, Alan Grant, Jim Aparo & Norm Breyfogle

 

Enlisting the aid of Harold, an outcast hunchback highly skilled with computers, the Penguin is soon in possession of a device that can control any bird to do his bidding. Cobblepot quickly plunges Gotham City into chaos as his birds attack anybody around them. steal precious jewels and even kidnap a TV actress that the Foul Fiend has become infatuated with! After this successful demonstration, the Penguin plans to sell his new device to the highest bidder.

The Penguin Affair is definitely one of Oswald's grandest schemes as he effectively turns Gotham into a frantic war zone... but with birds! Even the Dark Knight himself is barely able to overcome his army once the follow him back to Wayne Mannor! Beyond the scale of Penguin's scheme, this story really shows how twisted manipulative and downright nasty the little man is. He expertly plays to Harold's insecurities and desire for acceptance by pretending to understand and befriend the poor man, when in reality he is merely using Harold for his mechanical expertise and plans to eliminate him once he has served his purpose. But perhaps of most interest is Oswald's twisted infatuation with actress Sherry West, or rather the character she plays named Heron.

It might seem like an odd creative choice to have the Penguin of all people fall for a soap opera character, but I think it is really intriguing. Despite his claims to the contrary, Oswald has always been desperate for love and acceptance but knows he can never get it. With "Heron", a ruthless widower who murders her husbands to inherit their fortunes, Penguin does not view her as an actual person, but rather an evil caricature that he can project his own twisted fantasies onto. It makes for a really creepy yet fascinating interpretation of the character. 

08.) Penguin Dreams

by Ed Brubaker & Scott McDaniel 

While fleeing Gotham City in his yacht, the Penguin gleefully recounts the events of the prior days, where he lured Batman into an elaborate trap and finally managed to kill his hated nemesis once and for all. Or did he...?

As you might have surmised from the title of this story, Penguin Dreams is all about Oswald daydreaming about finally triumphing over the Caped Crusader. Despite not being "real", this offers a great look into the Penguin's mind and character. While he typically presents himself as calm and collected in front of his foe, Penguin truly loathes Batman with every fiber of his being and the twisted fantasy that plays out in his head demonstrates this perfectly.  

Beyond this bloodlust, Penguin Dreams also shows how delusional Cobblepot really is, as he views himself as the true victim here. Because the Penguin has been mistreated by society, he sincerely believes that he is justified in his criminal endeavors and that Batman is nothing more than a bully denying Oswald what is "rightfully" his. It's part of what makes the character so interesting. 

07.) The Monkey Trap

by Dennis O'Neil, Klaus Janson & Tony DeZuniga 

During his latest black market dealing, the Penguin comes into possession of a special toxin that does not harm men but will kill women and children within minutes. Batman is naturally on the case to stop Cobblepot, but it turns out the bird-based bandit is not the only party after this toxin. Ra's al Ghul wants the toxin for his own nefarious purposes and has sent his daughter Talia to obtain it. Talia and Batman must put aside their feelings for one another and work together to stop Penguin before he puts the toxin to lethal use. 

While The Monkey Trap does not explore the Penguin's character in any meaningful way, it contains one of the most ruthless and threatening depictions of the Foul Fiend in his history. The glee and satisfaction Oswald takes here at the notion of exterminating huge numbers of women and children is chilling and makes sense for the character. Children mocked him endlessly growing up and women have never done anything but reject him, so you better believe Penguin is not about to show any remorse over using this toxin. A man who has never been shown empathy in his life will not have any for his future victims. This cold detachment makes for a very sinister portrayal of the character.

Beyond this chilling Penguin depiction, The Monkey Trap also contains one of the best portrayals of the Batman/Talia relationship and is a strong reminder of how great a character Talia was before Grant Morrison ruined her. 

06.) Bread and Circuses

by Ian Edington & D'Israeli

During the No Man's Land event, Batman is looking for a faster, more efficient way of telling the people of the destroyed Gotham City that he is back since there is not any electricity. The Caped Crusader soon finds this opportunity in the form of the Penguin's gladiatorial fights. Thriving in the chaos, Cobblepot has set up a barter system where the citizens can trade for food and supplies, but if they cannot afford anything, they can fight for supplies in a series of gladiator-like battles. The Batman arrives to one of these events to announce his return to Gotham and put Penguin in his place, but the Dark Knight soon finds himself fighting for his life against Cobblepot's "gladiators". 

The Penguin had a lot of standout moments throughout No Man's Land, but Bread and Circuses might be the highlight. It skillfully shows just how much power Oswald has amassed during the earthquake crisis and how desperate the people of Gotham are to have even a fraction of the goods he is offering. Penguin is fully aware of this and makes sure these "plebes" are aware of who is in charge and who holds all of the cards. 

But of course, the standout sequences are when Batman arrives on the scene. Penguin holds all of the power here and Batman knows it, so he must play the Foul Fiends' game if he is to have any hope. This culminates in a great climax where Oswald realizes all too late that the Dark Knight has been playing him from the start.

05.) The Killing Peck

by Alan Grant & Sam Kieth 

The Penguin abducts a low-level mob enforcer known as "Sharky" form custody and begins to torture his unsuspecting captive. While doing so, Cobblepot recounts how Sharky bullied him relentlessly when they were children and is a big reason Oswald became the man he is today.

After decades as one of Batma's most prominent foes, The Killing Peck finally provides Oswald with a backstory, and it is a good one. Many of us have that one bully that sticks in our minds throughout life and Sharky is that unpleasant memory taken to the extreme. We feel for Oswald in these flashbacks as Sharky tormented him to no end, making his life miserable every step of the way.

We actually kind of root for Oswald here when he begins training himself in martial arts and gets into shape so he can finally stand up to his abuser. The ensuring beatdown is glorious, but Sharky retaliates in such a way that only pushes Oswald further into darkness and down his path to becoming the Penguin. However, the present day events remind us of how ruthless the Penguin is, while reinforcing the old adage of "be careful who you bully".

04.) Bullies

by Frank Tieri & Christian Duce

Governor Carter Winston is determined to clean up crime in Gotham City and has set his sights on the epicenter of it all: the Iceberg Lounge. However, it turns out that Winston is actually childhood friends with Oswald Cobblepot (his only friend), so the Penguin invites him over to dinner to clear up any "misunderstandings". Winston refuses to back down though, letting Cobblepot know that his criminal activities have gone too far and he is going to shut him down. Disappointed that his old friend failed to see reason, Penguin decides to sway him with more... persuasive methods. 

Few stories show just how scary the Penguin can truly be like Bullies does. Oswald Cobblepot is a man who is accustomed to getting what he wants and making people fall in line, but when they refuse... it gets ugly. The fact that Carter was Oswald's only real friend as a child makes what the Penguin ends up doing to him all the more despicable and sinister. 

There is nothing silly about the Penguin here at all, as Bullies portrays him at his most frighteningly realistic: a vicious mobster with immense power and connections who can and will completely destroy your life if you cross him. This story makes you feel really bad for Carter since he was a good man trying to do the right thing, but even he did not realize just how evil his former childhood friend had truly become.

03.) He Who Laughs Last

by Jason Aaron & Jason Pearson

While attending an underground auction, the Penguin comes across a captive sex slave named Violet. Feeling drawn to and taking pity on the abused woman, Cobblepot purchases Violet and grants her freedom. Overjoyed, Violet falls in love with her liberator and the two begin a loving romance. However, things take a turn for the worse when Violet slowly starts to realize that her lover has a major dark side...

He Who Laughs Last really highlights what makes Oswald Cobblepot such an intriguing, layered character. Despite his darkness, he is also capable of compassion and will do everything he can to support and reward somebody that he truly cares about. However, that aforementioned darkness is far too prevalent within him and will eventually ruin any chance Oswald might have at true happiness. 

Due to his painful past (which is shown effectively here in more flashbacks), Oswald cannot stand being laughed at for any reason, even if the person laughing was not trying to offend him. When he feels disrespected by somebody, Penguin will go to great lengths to destroy every facet of their life and savor every moment of their suffering. Violet only realizes how monstrous her savior his far too late and without spoiling the outcome, there is no happy ending in sight for the poor lady.

02.) The Penguin Returns

by Doug Moench & Kelley Jones

Tired of sitting around the Iceberg Lounge and letting his underlings do all of the dirty work, the Penguin decides it is time to get back into the fray himself like the good old days. Cobblepot proceeds to plan and execute a series of heists on his own, all the while Batman is in hot pursuit of his old nemesis.

While the more modernized mob boss version of the Penguin is probably my preferred take on the character, The Penguin Returns acts as a strong reminder of what made the classic version of Oswald so memorable. While money is nice, Penguin was never truly in the criminal business for greed, but rather for the thrill and glory of pulling off complex crime capers and matching wits with the Caped Crusader. Oswald's new position as a legitimate businessman who deals in crime from the shadows may be safer for him, but it is far less exciting and rewarding than being on the frontlines. 

 The Penguin Returns acts as a fitting swan song for the classic criminal version of the character, while simultaneously reinforcing that the new mob boss version is here to stay. In many ways, this story is the best of both worlds for the character. making it one of Penguin's strongest outings.

01.) Pain and Prejudice

by Gregg Hurwitzz & Szymon Kudranski 

While running his criminal organization, the Penguin reminisces about his childhood, the cruelty he faced from his own family and strangers alike and how he became the man he is today. While remembering, he meets a blind woman named Cassandra and begins to date her. However, Cobblepot is determined to keep his criminal life a secret from Cassandra, which he becomes increasingly difficult as Batman begins closing in on him and Penguin grows increasingly unstable.

Pain and Prejudice provides what is, by far, the most in depth and layered look at Oswald Cobblepot as a character that we have ever seen. Starting from birth, the odds were stacked against Oswald as only his mother was the only person to every show the deformed boy any kindness; even his own father and brothers were disgusted by him. The unending torment and scorn he received from other children and even his own family made Oswald into a bitter, hateful man whose only real goal is his own satisfaction and well-being. While his actions are inexcusable, we understand exactly why Oswald is the fiend he is today and why he has no empathy for anyone else. Monsters are not born, they are made, and we see that in full force here. 

Despite his undeniable cruelty, Pain and Prejudice also does an excellent job at showing Oswald's humanity. For all of the evil within his soul, the Penguin is also surprisingly capable of genuine acts of kindness. People like Cassandra, his mom and even her caretaker are some of the few people who have shown compassion to Oswald throughout his life, so he will do everything he can to make sure they are happy and well off. Unfortunately, Penguin's dark impulses always seem to win out in the end, regardless of initial intent. Still, this contrast in his character makes for a truly fascinating read and easily the best story to ever feature the character.