“Good Old Bruce”
Writer: Tom King
Artist: Rafael De Latorre
Color Artist: Marcelo Maiolo
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Review by Philip Clark
The Penguin #9 continues King’s incredible run with this character. Oswald’s got Batman running all over Gotham trying to pick up sprinkled clues, in this issue.
Edging closer and closer to a war between children and father, tensions are rising in the city, now that Cobblepot’s back in town.
Flock, or Family?
Things seem to be coming to a climax within the pages of The Penguin. Batman’s playing into Oswald’s flippers perfectly, and everything’s lining up as it should fit the villain. Or so it would seem. With King at the helm, anything’s possible! We’ve already been on so many twists and turns in this series.
What we do know is that the flock Cobblepot’s put together is unquestionably loyal to the ex-crime boss. I mean, when you have the reputation The Penguin does, wouldn’t you be too? For a flightless bird, he tends to fly off the handle a lot. With his family on the line, Oswald will do anything to protect them. No, not his children. His wife, his love that he will break down and be vulnerable in front of. There’s no Penguin with her, only Oswlad Cobblepot.
Bat-Brained Detective
Speaking of family, it’s an attack on the Wayne legacy that brings Batman back into the equation. Bombings and clues alike are scattered throughout the streets of Gotham. All intricate parts of Penguin’s plans of course, and the roles are played perfectly by his little flock.
What really brings this issue to life is De Latorre’s artwork, and his Batman is fast becoming one of my favorites, the commanding presence he has on each panel makes it feel like we’re there with him. Whether it’s on the rooftops of Gotham, or threatening people with Polar Bears; Batman owns every page he’s on.
As always, Penguin is exquisite. I can really feel the character getting back to his roots through De Latorre’s art. Gone is the timid man from issue one; now we have Gotham’s true crime boss back.
Conclusion
Honestly, I don’t know what more this creative team can do to make these issues any better. The Penguin #9 is by far the best issue of the bunch. Honestly, King is quickly cementing himself as one of my favorite comic writers, as this run has been simply stellar.
I can almost guarantee you that if you reread these issues ten times, you’d find something different with every reading.
Images Courtesy of DC Entertainment