In this review of The Penguin #12, we get the conclusion of Tom King’s story of Oswald Cobblepot’s return to Gotham.
The Penguin #12 main cover by Carmine Di Giandomenico
Title: The Penguin #12
Writer: Tom King
Artist: Rafael De Latorre
Colors: Marelo Maiolo
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Main Cover: Carmine Di Giandomenico
Variant Covers: Felipe Massafera
This review contains spoilers
The Penguin #12 begins immediately after the end of the last issue, where the Help has informed Batman of the hit on the Penguin. Batman is racing in the Batcave with Penguin by his side thinking about how he encountered hundreds of hitmen and got hit in the crossfire. Batman is thinking about how when he was younger, his body would go into shock when he would get hit but that slows down the reflexes so now he has trained his body to stay awake when he gets hit and now he feels everything. We then see that Penguin is wounded in the Batmobile with Batman and Batman thinks to himself how he is not dying for the Penguin.
Cut to immediately after Penguin killed Aiden. Penguin is cleaning himself up as Batman barges in. Black Spider has a gun set on Penguin and is prepared to kill him for all that he has done. Spider fires and Batman jumps in between and Batman and Penguin get blasted out the apartment. Batman is able to get them to the car but they are both badly injured. Hurt enough that Batman is swerving around in the car and drive off a cliff. So now we are back to where we first started this series with Batman and Penguin sinking into the water in the Batmobile with no hope to escape.
But like any good butler, the Help is there to pull Batman and Penguin out by lifting the Batmobile up via helicopter. While Help is nursing Batman back to health, Penguin goes to see his daughter Addison. She asks about her brother and Oswald lets her know he killed him. She asks if he is going to kill her and he says he never could and gives her a hug. Just then Black Spider puts a bullet in the back of her head. Black Spider pledges his allegiance to the Penguin of Gotham while Oswald celebrates in the back of a limo with Lisa.
Batman and Penguin talk. Batman is very upset at Penguin but Penguin says they have two options. Batman and Penguin do the old thing where they fight and again and again. Or the same deal as before where Penguin works for Batman and Batman lets Penguin operate freely.
The Penguin #12 ends with Penguin feeding the bird in the park and being proud that he has taken back his city.
Analysis: These last two issues are really strong and Tom King wrapped everything up nicely. The art remained consistent throughout the story which is always appreciated. As far as all time Penguin stories, this has to be high on the list. Not many times have we gotten such an extended look at one of Batman’s all time rouges. There were a few times throughout the run of the classic Tom King tropes that we have come to expect. Flashbacks, flashbacks within flashbacks, characters swearing up a storm but overall I really liked this story. Of Penguin starting with noting and manipulating and lying and killing his way back to the top. It puts Oswald back to where we have always known him. No kids, presumably back at the Iceberg Lounge and back on top of the underworld of Gotham. Well done.
