Summary
The people in charge of HBO Max’sThe Penguinmade an excellent decision when they decided that the show would absolutely focus on the famous Batman villain and not on the man who routinely stops him in the comic books, television shows, and movies that came before this version. It has made the show quite a bit better because it hasn’t had to worry about showing the Dark Knight swoop in at the last moment and suddenly turn the entire world the show is building on its ear.
Having said that, it is a bit strange at this point inThe Penguinthat TheBatman is nowhere to be seen. And while that’s obviously intentional from the people in charge of the show, it’s becoming harder and harder to ignore. It doesn’t make a lot of sense that he’s simply ignoring things. Even if Gotham is a big city. He seems to be on the pulse of things. And that’s why it’s possible that Bruce Wayne isn’t even there. In fact, when looking at everything, that seems like the only solution.
Early inThe Penguin, the fact that noone mentions Batmanmakes some sense. Things were relatively under the radar. There was just a massive flood that occupied the time and attention of every bit of law enforcement in the city, and the show’s realism really illustrates just how hard it would be for the vigilante to be everywhere all at once.
The Penguin
Cast
Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz, Deirdre O’Connell, Clancy Brown, Carmen Ejogo Michael Zegen
Writer
Lauren LeFranc
The show does a good job of illustratingwhy the Bat Signal exists. Even if he spent all night tooling around Gotham looking for crime, he’s not going to see everything going on. The Penguin and his ilk aren’t the comic book villains who did everything loud and raucous. They know things need to be under wraps.
However, as several plans all unfold at once it sure feels like even Batman would notice something was up. And WhenSofia Falcone pulls off her takeover, it feels like things would be very hard to ignore.
Mass Murder Of A Prominent Family Can’t Be Ignored
Some things can be ignored for sure. It’s possible that the Batman might even decide that a petty turf war between gangsters is something he can allow to go on. After all, it’s not like he can take sides. But whenSofia Falcone kills her entire familyexcept for her niece. When she reports it to the police and are cars and ambulances and all sorts of emergency vehicles all over the grounds, even Bruce Wayne sleeping things off the night before would notice that kind of a commotion.
There was also the shootout between the Falcones and the Maronis that made sure Sofia and The Penguin are no longer on the same side. Even if Batman couldn’t be there while that was all going on, the amount of gunfire and cars crashing and people dying would almost certainly draw his attention. He’d have to wonder what was going on and get involved. That all of this takes place just a few weeks after the head of the Falcone family was killed means that Batman would almost certainly have his antenna up already. He’d bepaying attention to the power vacuum. And once it became clear people were making power moves he’d be there. Unless he wasn’t there at all.
Batman Learned A Lesson He Might Have To Unlearn
At the end of The Batman, it’s clear that the vigilante crime fighter is rattled a bit. He’s wondering if he’s doing more good than bad. This isn’t new to Robert Pattinson’s version of the character, but in this ultra-realistic story, where a group ofloonies blew up the sea wall, he might be even more convinced that things were only getting worse while he was around.
So, Batman might be gone. Whether it’s vacation, or resting or helping fight crime somewhere else, he’s not in Gotham City. Leaving thingswide open for The Penguinor Sofia to take over crime in the city. All of this could in fact, be a heck of a setup forThe Batman 2.
Officially, the showrunners have said that Batman will not appear, but that could be a misdirect
There are just a few episodes ofThe Penguinleft, but it seems as if things are going to come to an explosive conclusion leading into the second movie. It’s possible that whichever mob boss makes the move to really seize power, what they do, and how they do it could be the thing that finally convinces The Batman he has to come back to town. It could even be a very nice touch at the very end of the season, forPattinson to make just enoughof an appearance to explain where he’s been and he’s suiting up again in order to stop the slide started in Episode 1.
Created by Lauren LeFranc and starring Colin Farrell, The Penguin builds on 2022’s The Batman. The Max series chronicles the eponymous villain’s attempt to reach Gotham’s criminal peak, rising through the underworld in the middle of a power struggle.
