There’s a certain inevitability to The Penguin #12, the belated finale to Tom King and Rafael De Latorre’s DC Comics series. Given most of the action and revelations have preceded this issue — The Penguin #11 came out in June — this serves more as a coda to the action than anything else. The point is, you know where things are going before you even open up the cover. But that doesn’t mean this isn’t a darn fine crime comic, anyway.
The whole thrust of the 12-issue series has been that Penguin, at the behest of the FBI, has made his move back to Gotham to retake his place as the city’s crimelord. But first, he has to eliminate his own children, who have taken his place in his stead. Along the way, it was revealed that since nearly the beginning of Batman, Bruce and Oswald have been working together — a massive retcon that recontextualizes everything we’ve known about both characters. In the case of Batman, it potentially tarnishes his whole war on crime. In the case of The Penguin, it explains why a goofy guy with an umbrella and a monocle has kept his place as one of Batman’s biggest enemies.
However, King’s goal seems to be more structural in this book, something that comes out in the issue. His theme is perspective, which should have been abundantly obvious with how he’s approached the series so far. Each issue has come from a different character’s perspective, and sometimes more than one per issue. But this isn’t your classic “story about stories,” it’s more King exploring how you see yourself, and how that might be different from how someone else sees you. The world sees Penguin as a goof. He knows better, and now so does Batman. It’s also not “you are the hero of your own story” so much as “Who is the villain of yours?”
The other thing King is layering in here is a stealthy run on Batman told through various miniseries. That started with the extremely fun Killing Time, which continues here in The Penguin. And there’s a tease that more is to come. Though what that is, is TBA as of this writing.
None of this would work without De Latorre’s art which excels particularly when it comes to the stoic, calculated take on Oswald. The rounded but pronounced nose, the rotund body, the way he controls the room while barely moving… It’s a powerhouse depiction from the artist, and the character’s presence is felt throughout the book.
To loop back to what I said up top, situations that have been dangling since issue one are all resolved neatly by the end. And the lack of surprise is part of the point, too. Penguin planned this whole thing from the beginning. So did King. What their next move is together? That’s a story for another time.
The Penguin #12 Rating:
The Penguin #12 Official Synopsis:
Oswald Cobblepot’s master plans for Gotham had him feeling like he had the whole city in the palm of his flipper. But it’s all gone so very wrong. Now, trapped in the Batmobile alongside his most hated enemy, sinking into a watery grave, the Penguin has found himself wondering if it was all for naught. But Batman’s avian adversary may have one more scheme up his feathered sleeve—if it isn’t too late. The Penguin’s epic saga ends here!