Next week sees the launch of the new DC series The Penguin with Colin Farrell. The first reviews reveal what we can expect from the spin-off of The Batman
Before the blockbuster sequel The Batman Part II hits cinemas, the DC universe surrounding Robert Pattinson’s Batman is being expanded with a spin-off series revolving around the first part’s most striking villain. We’re talking about the Penguin aka Oswald “Oz” Cobblepot, played by Colin Farrell (Minority Report).
The project has been in development since September 2021. Now the moment of truth has finally arrived. Will The Batman work as a series? The first reviews are very enthusiastic about the spin-off and are even drawing big comparisons. The Penguin is said to be the Sopranos of superhero series
First reviews of The Penguin: DC blockbuster The Batman meets TV milestone The Sopranos
Both Collider and Digital Spy have the The Sopranos comparison. Both series delve into an underworld characterized by shady characters. Gangsters and other criminals are up to mischief here. There are influential mafia families and penniless henchmen – and of course a lot of betrayal and intrigue.
You can watch the trailer for The Penguin here:
The Penguin not only lives from its characters who are out to get each other, but also has a secret star, just like The Batman: Gotham City. Variety particularly emphasizes the city tempted by crime:
Gotham City is also an important character. The Penguin illustrates how corruption, abuse and the accumulation of wealth can stifle the lives of some citizens while uplifting others. The series takes apart the inner workings of Gotham, from the mayor’s office to the underworld of Oz, revealing the villainy that manifests and thrives at every level.
It sounds like the creative minds behind the series took another HBO classic as a model alongside The Sopranos: The Wire. There, too, we get to know a city in the fight against crime through different perspectives. The Hollywood Reporter shares yet another discovery:
Oz can carry the story, just not in a fresh way. That’s why attention will likely shift to [Cristin] Milioti’s Sofia, a character who comes with less baggage from the comics. Sofia resembles a female character like Cruella/Maleficent, whose dark path is set in motion by the assumptions and limitations of patriarchy. Milioti, strutting around in the show’s best costumes, makes Sofia more believable than Oz as a tragic victim and embodiment of everything that’s wrong with Gotham, a character you pity and fear in equal measure.
Rolling Stone is much more critical of the mixture of gangster story and comic book adaptation. Despite obvious references, the series takes too few risks to keep up with the aforementioned TV milestones.
But if The Penguin is just going to use the former Oswald Cobblepot to tell a traditional mob war story, [the series] needs to tell a much more interesting version of it, with a more compelling protagonist […]. The Penguin’s umbrella not only provides shelter from the rain, but also from the expectation that it’s worth throwing overboard what you know and like about the character.
The film magazine Empire disagrees and gives The Penguin a clear recommendation. Last but not least, the series is worth watching if you want to see Colin Farrell’s impressive interpretation of the character, of which he gave a taste in The Batman, alongside Cristin Milioti (How I Met Your Mother):
[The Penguin is] a spin-off that makes the return to Gotham feel necessary and deserved, with excellent performances from Colin Farrell and Cristin Milioti.
