The Penguin’s massive criminal enterprise makes him one of Batman’s deadliest enemies, even if he may not be as strong as Bane or as insane as The Joker. HBO’s The Penguin TV series, which premieres on September 19, will give fans many more opportunities to watch the crime kingpin of Gotham. Colin Farrell returns as The Penguin in this spin-off of director Matt Reeves’ 2022 feature The Batman.
The Penguin has starred in his own comic storylines and one-shots over the years. Oswald Cobblepot was a main villain in Batman Returns and a major villain in the CW Gotham television show. While the new TV series will be his most on-screen appearance to date, we’ve compiled a short list of comics that are worth reading to learn about the history of the tuxedo-and-top-hat-wearing villain and some of his most significant run-ins with Gotham’s caped crusader.
For simplicity, multiple comics of a storyline are listed as one.
1. Detective Comics #58 (1941)
By Bill Finger and Bob Kane
You can start at his first appearance if you want to follow the Penguin from the beginning. Oswald Cobblepot is a creation of Bill Finger and Bob Kane, who had his comic book début in December 1941 in Detective Comics issue 58. He wasn’t, however, quite the formidable crime lord that we are familiar with today.
During the Golden Age of comic books, Penguin was just a simple robber. He began as a burglar but was much more than that because he targeted expensive items. Eventually, a Gotham City criminal organization became aware of him due to his deeds and seeming expertise. Then, Cobblepot started working with an enigmatic character called “the Boss” to steal for the organization. It only made strategic sense for the Penguin to promise more resources and loot-sharing opportunities in exchange for growing his empire. You can buy it individually or collect it in Batman Arkham: Penguin.
2. The Penguin #0-12 (2023)
By Tom King, Chip Zdarsky, Rafael De Latorre, Stevan Subic, and Belen Ortega
Synopsis: “Since his ‘death’ and subsequent return to Gotham City, Oswald Cobblepot’s world has been anything but mundane. Now he finds himself in the perfect position to make the ultimate power grab for Gotham’s underworld, but it won’t come without a price! Are the risks worth the potential rewards? Or will Oswald’s gambit prove to be a deadly miscalculation with even deadlier consequences?”
The character’s most recent tale, The Penguin, is among the most significant places to begin. The title character of this 13-issue comic book series, which concluded earlier this month, is back in Gotham after years away serving as a covert informant for the US government.
As part of the “Dawn of DC” relaunch in 2023, Penguin got his self-titled series. Issues 1-6 of the series are collected in The Penguin Vol. 1: The Prodigal Bird, the first trade paperback published in June. The Penguin Vol. 2, available for preorder on Amazon and debuts on February 25, 2025, will collect issues 7–12. The complete series, including the prelude Issue 0, isn’t included in either trade paperback edition but is also available for download in digital Kindle format.
- The Penguin Vol. 1: The Prodigal Bird
- The Penguin Vol. 2 (Preorder February 25, 2025)
- The Penguin #0-12 on Kindle
3. Detective Comics #683 (1995)
By Chuck Dixon and Graham Nolan
This issue is the first appearance of Cobblepot’s favorite hangout and one of the key locations in The Penguin limited series. The Iceberg Lounge, Penguin’s nightclub, is one of his most well-known haunts. Penguin eventually gave up on operating a criminal enterprise and operated the Iceberg Lounge as a legitimate enterprise. Birds of a feather, however, tend to cluster together. Penguin’s henchmen and cronies remained in his service, and the mobster would once more dabble in crime. The Penguin eventually used the Iceberg Lounge as a front for his illicit operations, which were still taking place in the shadowy parts of Gotham City.
Batman knew where to look to find the answers from the Penguin. The Iceberg Lounge also drew in Penguin’s cronies and allies, many of whom were other well-known supervillains from Batman’s rogues gallery. Even though it might have been suicide to enter the criminal haven, Batman, being as brazen as he is, never let that stop him. In the virtual environment of “Batman: Arkham City,” gamers can visit the Iceberg Lounge. According to the story, Penguin kidnaps Mr. Freeze and is armed with his freeze pistol. Players must fight the Penguin in the Iceberg Lounge as he tries to kill Batman with the freeze pistol.
Penguin renamed the Iceberg Lounge the Iceberg Casino following the Flashpoint storyline in 2011, which changed certain continuity within the DC reality. As the name suggests, it is now a hotel and casino outside Gotham. But like the old nightclub, it never fails to draw in the shady citizens of Gotham City.
4. Batman: One Bad Day – Penguin (2022)
By John Ridley and Giuseppe Camuncoli
Synopsis: “BUILD YOUR EMPIRE BACK. The Penguin’s criminal enterprise and the Iceberg Lounge have been stolen out from under him by his former associate the Umbrella Man. The Umbrella Man has removed all the rules for crime in Gotham City that the Penguin put in place, and the city is in chaos. The Penguin is a broken man, and he’ll have to travel through the burning streets of Gotham with a gun and a single bullet putting together a new crew to take back what he’s built. Will Batman help the devil he knows or face the devil he doesn’t in the form of the Umbrella Man? Collecting the crime epic Batman – One Bad Day: Penguin #1, from the critically acclaimed creative team of John Ridley (I Am Batman, The Other History of the DC Universe) and Giuseppe Camuncoli (The Joker, The Other History of the DC Universe).”
The Penguin has made numerous previous appearances in DC comics and graphic novels, including a narrative in the anthology Batman: One Bad Day. The series focuses on the “bad days” that drove eight of Batman’s most recognizable villains—The Penguin, The Riddler, Two-Face, Mr. Freeze, Catwoman, Bane, Clayface, and Ra’s al Ghul—into lives of crime and villainy.
You can purchase The Penguin’s story as a stand-alone graphic novel or the Batman: One Bad Day Hardcover Box Set, including all eight stories and a special edition of Batman: The Killing Joke. Kindle Unlimited subscribers can also access the series as part of their $12/month subscription.
- Batman: One Bad Day – Penguin #1
- Batman: One Bad Day Box Set (Also included in Kindle Unlimited)
5. Penguin: Pain and Prejudice #1-5 (2011)
By Gregg Hurwitz and Szymon Kudranski
Synopsis: “The painful and dark past of one of Batman’s most devious foes is examined. How did young Oswald Cobblepot go from being the apple of his mother’s eye to the leader of underworld gangs and adversary of the Caped Crusader?”
Penguin: Pain and Prejudice provides viewers with an alternative perspective on the beginnings of Gotham’s crimelord by illuminating Penguin’s early years and his ultimate ascent to the position of Gotham gang leader. 2012 saw the compilation of the entire 5-issue series into a 142-page graphic novel. While it’s challenging to locate physical copies at reasonable costs, third-party merchants on Amazon provide the paperback version. The graphic novel is also available for digital download on Kindle, or you can read it as part of Kindle Unlimited.
- Penguin: Pain and Prejudice Kindle edition (Also included in Kindle Unlimited)
6. DC Comics Encyclopedia – New Edition (2021) and DC Comics: Ultimate Character Guide, New Edition (2024)
By DK, Melanie Scott, Matthew K. Manning, Stephen Wiacek , and Jim Lee
Synopsis “The definitive encyclopedia to DC Comics characters. Is Superman the World’s Greatest Hero? Where is Wonder Woman from? Is Darkseid the baddest Super-Villain ever? Who is the Fastest Man Alive? Who are Batman’s greatest foes? Written by a DC expert, this beautifully illustrated encyclopedia features more than 230 incredible DC characters, including Batman, Harley Quinn, Justice League, Aquaman, and so many more. Featuring the latest, updated material from the DC Universe. Over 230 DC character profiles, complete with facts and beautiful, official artwork. The perfect entry-level introduction to DC characters, written for younger readers and newcomers to the comics.
Updated character profiles for popular Super Heroes and Super-Villains, including Shazam, Superman, Amanda Waller, Black Adam, Titans, Harley Quinn and hundreds more. Now with even more of the most awesome Super Heroes and scariest Super-Villains! The epic, DC universe-changing Rebirth event was followed by the momentous Dawn of DC, which affected many characters and their stories. This comprehensive character guide explores these changes alongside stunning new comic images, vital statistics, and key details of each character’s powers, from super-strength to sorcery. The DC Ultimate Character Guide: New Edition is guaranteed to enthrall young comics fans for hours on end.”
Synopsis “Iconic Super Heroes Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and The Flash have been transformed in recent years, along with many other DC characters. This new edition of the most comprehensive A-Z guide to DC’s pantheon of Super Heroes and Super-Villains includes the latest earth-shaking developments in the DC Multiverse, with profiles of more than 1,200 characters. Created in full collaboration with DC, the encyclopedia features characters and art from every key crossover event, including Dark Nights: Metal and its sequel Dark Nights: Death Metal. With a foreword by DC legend Jim Lee, a brand-new cover design, and thrilling comic artwork, the fun and excitement of more than 80 years of comics history explode off every page.”
The Penguin is also highlighted alongside over 1,200 other DC characters in the massive DC Comics Encyclopedia – New Edition, which is on sale now. For a more compact option, there’s the upcoming revised edition of the DC Ultimate Character Guide launching on November 5 which narrows its scope down to just 230 DC heroes and villains–including The Penguin and other members of Batman’s rogue’s gallery. You can preorder the DC Ultimate Character Guide – New Edition.
- The DC Comics Encyclopedia – New Edition
- DC Ultimate Character Guide (Preorder, releases November 5)
7. Detective Comics #610-611 (1990)
By Alan Grant and Norm Breyfogle
Synopsis: “Even death can’t stop the menace of the Penguin as he rises from the grave and begins to plot against Batman and all of Gotham City.”
The two-part Alan Grant story “Snow & Ice” from Detective Comics #610–611 includes the Penguin, Batman villains Scarface, the Ventriloquist, and assassin Mortimer Kadaver, who don’t get much attention elsewhere. In this dark comedy, Penguin continues to work his felonious magic while being thought to be dead.
“Snow & Ice” has much to offer those who enjoy Cobblepot less seriously and also desire a story with multiple layers. The Penguin’s uniqueness is best seen when his dastardliness is juxtaposed with others, as it is given ample space to exist here.
The story is available as individual issues on Kindle and collected in Batman Arkham: Penguin
8. Secret Origins Special #1: Batman’s Vilest Villians – The Riddler, Two-Face, and the Penguin (1989)
By Neil Gaiman and Mike Hoffman
Synopsis: “Against the warnings of Batman, a news team produces a show about Gotham criminals, featuring interviews with a Penguin henchman, the wife of Two-Face, and the Riddler himself. The stories included: ‘The Killing Peck’: The Penguin kidnaps his childhood tormentor, now a steel-toothed criminal named Sharkey, whom he proceeds to torture while recounting his life story. At Cobblepot’s hands, Sharkey learns that revenge is indeed a dish best served cold, cold as a raw fish.”
Neil Gaiman writes one of the most twisted Penguin stories of all time. It’s no secret that Oswald Cobblepot was bullied as a child, primarily because of his appearance. However, author Alan Grant made a strong case that the people who tormented him as a boy produced a monster. Within the DC universe’s post-“Crisis” chronology, Grant once more provided an origin story for the murderous gangster in “Secret Origins Special #1.” The narrative, titled “The Killing Peck,” chronicled the Penguin’s abduction of a criminal named Sharkey. But Sharkey has a cruel destiny in store for her from the Penguin.
First, Oswald feeds the gangster fish by force before fusing his metal teeth shut. He then tells Sharky about their shared past. Oswald’s first encounter with the nickname “Penguin” for his appearance came from Sharkey when he was a small child. During school lunch, he beats Oswald and dumps fish all over the poor kid. He even made Oswald wear a tuxedo that was too small for him. Once he felt more confident, young Oswald decided to act alone. He startled Sharkey one day by knocking out his teeth with a punch.
After forcing Sharkey to endure another round of agonizing memories, Oswald gives him a severe beating before carrying him to the zoo, where the tigers will eat him. But Batman has been observing the Penguin’s actions and manages to rescue Sharkey from the tiger pit.
9. Batman #169 (1965)
“Partners in Plunder,” a Silver Age tale by author Ed Herron from Batman #169, is a timeless piece of literature. Although the retro artwork might put some people off, the plot is excellent.
In it, the Penguin employs many of his well-known trick umbrellas to launch seemingly arbitrary attacks on Gotham, leaving Batman to figure out why everything is going down the way it is. Batman is unaware that the Penguin is taking advantage of his opponent’s weaknesses, allowing the World’s Greatest Detective to devise the Penguin’s scheme on his behalf. Regarding comic book crimes, “Partners in Plunder” proves the reverse.
10. Showcase ’94 #7
By Kurt Busiek, Peter David, William Messner-Loebs, Mike Barreiro, Michael Gilbert, William Hodge, Jason Minor, Tom Reyn, Jae Lee, and Michael T. Gilbert
One of the best Penguin comic books for illustrating just how painfully bare the Penguin can be is Showcase ’94 #7. This 1994 one-shot revolves around a negotiation between Jim Gordon, whose wife the Penguin has abducted, and Penguin.
The narrative pushes both guys to the breaking point, as Gordon goes too far and beats the Penguin to extract information. P. Craig Russell’s illustrations and Peter David’s writing create a tight, powerful story.
11. Batman Arkham: Penguin (2022)
By John Ostrander, Doug Moench, Alan Grant, and Paul Dini
If you want to read many of Penguin’s most outstanding issues, you can get the graphic novel Batman Arkham: Penguin, which collects ten comics from across the decades. They include Detective Comics #58, Batman #155, Batman #374, Detective Comics #610, Detective Comics #611, Batman: Penguin Triumphant, Batman #548, Batman #549, Detective Comics #824, and Joker’s Asylum: Penguin #1.
What do you think of Gotham City’s Gentleman of Crime? Which are your favorite Penguin comic books?
