Besides the Joker, comic fans can now look forward to another adaptation of a villain from the Batman universe. The Penguin will start next week with its own HBO-series The Penguin. The first reviews hint at the grand series that awaits you.
What kind of series is this? The Penguin centers around protagonist Oswald Cobblepot, aka the Penguin, who aims to rise to the leader of Gotham’s underworld after the death of Carmine Falcone. He wants to provide a life for himself and his mother that they both believe they deserve.
However, he faces opposition from Falcone’s heirs – Sofia and Alberto. The two are determined to expand their power beyond Gotham. To take on Falcone’s children, the Penguin must team up with the leader of a rival clan, Salvatore Maroni, and his wife Nadia.
The mini-series takes place a week after the events of The Batman (2022) and bridges to The Batman 2, which is set to hit theaters in 2026.
You can watch the trailer for The Penguin here:
The Penguin is compared to The Sopranos
How is The Penguin received by critics? The first reviews for The Penguin have now been published. On the rating platform Rotten Tomatoes, the comic adaptation has a recommendation rate of 93% based on 45 reviews. This value may change with more reviews, but it already reflects the general sentiment.
- Kotaku writes that the series is “well-written, has a proper pace, and brilliant actors.” The episodes are “short and intelligently structured.”
- For Variety, The Penguin is “a masterful examination of crime, twisted, disturbing, and deeply gripping.”
- X-user Jonathan Sim even compares the DC series to The Sopranos, just that it would take place in Gotham. The Sopranos is one of the best mafia series of all time.
More positive than negative impressions of The Penguin can be found. Accordingly, fans of Batman and the DC films should not miss the series.
When does the series premiere? The Penguin will be released in Germany on September 20, 2024. Comic fans can watch the series on Sky or WOW. There will be a total of 8 episodes released weekly. The series will be available in both English and German.
The Joker is also a villain that Batman must contend with. In earlier films, he was portrayed by Heath Ledger. One of his quirks was constantly licking his lips. This wasn’t an intentional trait but tied to his costume: The Joker’s lip licking in The Dark Knight has nothing to do with his past – it’s his costume’s fault.
