There is no doubt that The Penguin has stood out like few other Batman villains on the small and big screen. Burgess Meredith’s memorable portrayal in the 1960s television series influenced the comic book representation of the character, while Danny DeVito’s iconic portrayal in Batman Returns delivered the scariest version of Cobblepot. Played with gusto by Robin Lord Taylor, The Penguin was also the breakout character of the show Gotham. And now, Oswald Cobblepot headlines his own television series, played by Colin Farrell, reprising his role from the 2022 movie The Batman.
In a way, The Penguin is one of those characters (like Lois Lane) who are more famous for their representation in other media than in comics. Despite being introduced more than 80 years ago, The Penguin has remained an obscure antagonist for a long time. More often than not, he is part of a larger event or story but rarely in the spotlight. Oswald Cobblepot likes to stay in the shadows so much that there are relatively few stories focused solely on him compared to some other members of Batman’s rogues gallery.
For new readers who want to learn more about Oswald Cobblepot or seasoned readers who want to reconnect with the character, here is a recommended reading guide for The Penguin.
Recommended Penguin Comics To Read
Discover the creation and origins of the character: Who is The Penguin? The Origin Story of Oswald Cobblepot
Where to Start with The Penguin?
The Origin Story of Oswald Cobblepot
Created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, The Penguin was introduced in Detective Comics #58 in 1941. While some little bits of information were given there and there about the character, it took more than 40 years before DC Comics explored his origins in Secret Origins Special (Volume 2) #1. For new readers, the subject has been revisited in more depth in the Penguin: Pain and Prejudice limited series (2011-2012)
Secret Origins Special (Vol. 2) #1 – In the story “The Killing Peck”, writer Alan Grant and penciler Sam Kieth gave us the first story exploring the origins of The Penguin, a tale of a victim.
Penguin: Pain and Prejudice – How the Young Oswald Cobblepot became Batman’s notorious foe and the leader of the underworld gangs? This is an exploration of the dark and painful past of The Penguin! From writer Gregg Hurwitz and Artist Symon Kudranski.
More Classic Tales with The Penguin
Throughout the years, several stories explored The Penguin’s story and cunning personality. DC Comics collected the most noticeable ones in Batman Arkham: Penguin:
Detective Comics #58 (One of the Most Perfect Frame-Ups) – This is Penguin’s first appearance by Bill Finger and Bob Kane.
Batman #155 (The Return of the Penguin) – The Penguin comes out of retirement to prove he is not a “has-been” in this story by Bill Finger and Sheldon Moldoff.
Batman #374 (Pieces of Penguin!) – The Penguin is on a quest to steal the Pentagon’s alarm system. By Doug Moench and Don Newton.
Detective Comics #610-611 (Snow and Ice) – The Penguin rises from the grave and begins to plot against Batman and all of Gotham City. By Alan Grant and Norm Breyfogle.
Batman: Penguin Triumphant – The Penguin reinvents himself as a white-collar criminal in this one-shot by John Ostrander and Joe Staton released to coincide with the film Batman Returns.
Batman #548-549 (The Penguin Returns) – Oswald reminisces about the past and decides to go back to the basics by starting a crime spree. By Doug Moench and Kelley Jones.
Detective Comics #824 (Night of the Penguin) – Penguin feathers a new nest with lies, deceit and murder in a story By Paul Dini and Don Kramer.
Joker’s Asylum: Penguin #1 (He Who Laughs Last…!) – Narrated by the most unreliable narrator of all time (the Joker), this is the classic tale of the Penguin falling in love and shredding someone else to pieces. Also collected in Penguin: Pain and Prejudice.
More Comic Reading with the Penguin
Now that you are more familiar with the Penguin, his origins, his personality and his talents as a criminal, you can continue to read more exploits by the famous “Gentleman of Crime”. Those stories have been released between 1987 to present day!
Detective Comics #473 (The Malay Penguin) – Cobblepot has his has on the Malay Penguin, a priceless and unique relic in this pre-Crisis story by Steve Englehart and Marshall Rogers. Collected in Batman: Strange Apparitions
Batman Annual #11 (Love Bird) – The Penguin is, once again, released from prison and claimed to be fully reformed but Batman suspects he is preparing something. By Alan Moore and George Freeman. Collected in The Greatest Batman Stories Ever Told Vol. 2.
Batman #448, Detective Comics #615, Batman #449 (The Penguin Affair) – Penguin manipulates Harold Allnut (Batman’s engineer) into creating a bird-controlling device. By Marv Wolfman, Alan Grant and Jim Aparo. Collected in Batman: The Caped Crusader Vol. 3.
Batman (Vol.2) #23.3: The Penguin (Bullies) – An efficient short story centered around The Penguin in which the criminal’s latest quest is here to remind why he should never be underestimated. By Frank Tieri and Christian Duce
Batman: One Bad Day – Penguin – A non-canon story in which the Penguin has to reconquer his criminal empire. By John Ridley and Giuseppe Camuncoli.
And finally, you can right now check out The Penguin, the maxiseries by Tom King and Rafael de Latorre released during the Dawn of DC era with Cobblepot forced back into the Gotham City underworld as a pawn for the United States intelligence community!
Other Stories with The Penguin
The Penguin doesn’t have to be the main character/villain in a story to shine. The proof with the following tales:
Batman: No Man’s Land – This is a big Batfamily event affecting Gotham City in which the villains took over after a cataclysmic earthquake hit the City. While the focus is not the Penguin, the character is reinvented here as a black market businessman, and shines when present on the pages.
Batman Earth One – This out-of-continuity story by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank have a badass Alfred but also a noticeable Penguin. This is the visual inspiration for the character for The Batman (2022).
Batman: The Audio Adventures – Don’t read, listen to the Penguin voiced by Bobby Moynihan in this radio drama podcast from Dennis McNicholas.
Want to learn more about other Batman Villains? Read about Bane, The Supervillain Who Broke Batman’s Back, then discover the origins of Poison Ivy.