The Penguin

Set in the gritty corners of Gotham, The Penguin (2023–2024, DC) repositions Oswald Cobblepot as a cunning underworld strategist navigating a city in flux. Over 13 issues, a rotating team of top talent—including writers Tom King, Brittany Holzherr, and Chip Zdarsky, with artists like Rafael de Latorre, Stevan Subic, and Belén Ortega—explores the mob boss's ruthless ambition and fractured humanity. This series matters for its unflinching, character-driven take on a classic rogue, stripping away camp to reveal a cold, calculating survivor at the heart of DC's crime saga.