“Penguins (Usually) Can’t Fly”
Writer: Tom King
Artist: Rafael De Latorre
Color Artist: Marcelo Maiolo
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Review by Philip Clark
The Penguin #11 hits the shelves this week, shedding more light on Gotham’s seedy underbelly, specifically, The Penguin and his twin children; Addison and Aiden Cobblepot.
With the war between them coming to what appears to be a bloody head, the only question remaining is, can Batman save the day in time?
A Family Affair
Since returning to Gotham, Oswald’s had to deal with his errant offspring, who now run his criminal empire. Continuing his relationship with the Bat, Penguin sells some of his old secrets, giving over some of his empire for the Dark Knight to swiftly bring justice to.
This issue also gives us returns to story beats from previous issues, including a call-back to The Penguin #8 which finally lets readers see the attack on Oswald’s apartment. It’s a testament to King’s writing that seeds planted in issues past are now coming to fruition… so the final chapter promises to be an absolute masterpiece!
The art stylings of De Latorre once again shine in this issue. Bringing the seedy parts of Gotham to life with such realism is no small task, and the fight sequence in this issue is glorious.
De Latorre and Maiolo combined do a fantastic job; the contrasting colors on certain pages, and the heavy usage of red, I feel, all add to the shock of everything that’s happening.
Conclusion
The Penguin #11 was yet another spectacular comic but, sadly, has the unfortunate pride of being the penultimate issue of this fantastic series. That’s right folks, the next chapter will be the final one, so hold on to your hats because something tells me it’s going to be a wild ride!
Images courtesy of DC Entertainment
