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Ason Smith

The Penguin: Redefining a Saturated Genre

Comic books and the media they have inspired in the last few years have created a burgeoning movement, where the classic genre of animated, colorful characters, can be celebrated unabashedly. However, as the bygone decade of Marvel super blockbusters fades away, and the lingering dopamine hit of watching our favorite characters thwart galactic terrors dwindles, we’re left with but a modicum of the high-level storytelling that brought us to that place in the first place. You see, people don’t love comic book movies anymore, and this sentiment has been growing ever since our favorite purple utilitarian snapped his fingers. Now don’t get me wrong, there have been a few moments of hope for those of us who love watching our favorite comics come to life, Deadpool & Wolverine most recently, Black Panther 3, and from the sounds of it, Agatha All Along is slated to be in that realm of superhero media that pushes the envelope, even if it is only a little bit. The show that I want to focus on that has gripped me from episode one and beyond is The Penguin.

 



Focused primarily on Oswald Cobb, the Matt Reeves version of Oswald Cobblepot from DC Comics; played by Colin Farrell and introduced in The Batman. The show forgoes the typical multiverse-level storytelling that has become all too prevalent recently, instead opting for a gritty, gangster story that shows the rise of our titular protagonist and his sidekick in crime, Victor Aguilar, played by Renzy Feliz. Without completely spoiling the plot, the show is a very dark, brooding, and dramatic dive into the Gotham city underbelly that we only got glimpses of in 2022. With the focus being on Oswald and his dark machinations as he plays every single person in his life, I can’t help but feel an almost Scorsese-like influence that permeates every episode as the lone gangster feels the heat of rivals, police, and his guilty conscience that weighs heavier with each person that falls victim to his rise to prominence as the curtain falls on Gotham and Sophia Falcone, played by Cristin Milioti, draw near. The result is a weighty breath of fresh air, and a renewed excitement for what superhero media can be. As I close in on the final episode of the series, I ask myself how a show of this caliber is only now being made. Without taking a backseat to poorly-written comedic moments, or completely altering the subject material, The Penguin cements itself as one of the best TV shows this year, and perhaps the best TV show in the superhero genre but instead of telling you that, I would rather let you decide.

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