'Penguin: Pain and Prejudice' #1 Comic Book Review

"Penguin: Pain and Prejudice" #1
"Cold World"
Written by Gregg Hurwitz
Art and cover by Szymon Kudranski
On Sale October 5, 2011
DC Universe; 32pg.; Color; $2.99; US

There are very few Batman characters and villains left that haven't been completely explored over the years as far as their backstories go. Many of the members of the Dark Knight's gallery of rogues were introduced from the very beginning of their criminal careers or have had their stories told through flashbacks or other similar plot devices. The Joker, Catwoman, Clayface, and Mr. Freeze have been thoroughly exploited and had their origins told several times in comic books and movies.

One villain that hasn't had his past fleshed out as much as others is the Penguin. DC Comics is giving the squatty birdman his 15 minutes of fame with the new mini-series "Penguin: Pain and Prejudice." It will consist of five issues and will tell the story of Oswald Cobblepot's rise to infamy in the crime-ridden streets of Gotham City.

The first issue of "Penguin: Pain and Prejudice" reveals "the painful and dark past of one of Batman's most devious foes." It answers the question, "How did young Oswald Cobblepot go from being the apple of his mother's eye to the leader of underworld gangs and adversary of The Caped Crusader?"

Writer Gregg Hurwitz has penned a gripping story that shows the Penguin as a heartless and very methodical businessman. People do not cross him or get in his way. He's a very different Penguin than we see a lot of times on TV. This isn't the Burgess Meredith version of the character many grew up watching. This is more in the vein of an angrier Danny DeVito or the version of the character we've seen on the animated series "The Batman."

Artist Szymon Kudranksi brings Hurwitz's grim words to realization with darkly penciled images. The panels are at times both disturbing and captivating. The coloring by John Kalisz adds a depth of gloom and doom through the different tones he uses.

"Penguin: Pain and Prejudice" does a superb job giving us background on one of the most famous villains in Batman lore. It simultaneously makes us detest and feel sorry for this tragically twisted character. I look forward to seeing what direction things will go in as the Batman introduces himself to the scheming birdman of Gotham.

For more articles by Eric Shirey, check out:

Writer Gregg Hurwitz Gives Us History of 'Penguin: Pain and Prejudice'
Writer Judd Winick Introduces Us to Africa's Batwing
Geoff Johns Convinces Us Why Aquaman is Cool

Eric Shirey is the founder and editor of Rondo Award nominated movie and comic book news websites MovieGeekFeed.com and TheSpectralRealm.com. His work has been featured on Yahoo!, DC Comics, StarWars.com, and other national entertainment websites. Besides his three decades long obsession with everything sci-fi, horror, and fantasy related in TV and movies, Eric has what some would call an unhealthy love for comic books. This has led him to interviewing and covering legendary writers and artists in the medium like Geoff Johns, Scott Snyder, Steve Niles, Bernie Wrightson, and Howard Chaykin.