In the “House of Gotham” finale from Detective Comics #1058, the Penguin proves beyond a doubt that he is Batman’s most heartless villain.
WARNING: The following article contains spoilers from “House of Gotham: Finale” in Detective Comics #1058, on sale now.
In discussions of Batman’s worst enemies, the usual suspects are villains such as the Joker, Bane, or Ra’s al Ghul. While all of them have earned their place as dangerous opponents of the Dark Knight, another Gotham City nemesis may have just proved to be the most heartless.
In “House of Gotham: Finale” from Detective Comics #1058 (by Matthew Rosenberg, Fernando Blanco, Jordie Bellaire, and Rob Leigh), the Boy finally had his ultimate confrontation with Batman, at the last moment electing to spare both the Caped Crusader and the Joker. After deciding to change his life for the better, the Penguin shows up and takes lethal revenge on the Boy for a perceived slight committed against him years ago. In doing so, the classic Gotham City villain established himself as the most cold-blooded of all of the Dark Knight’s foes.
The Boy and the Penguin had not seen each other for years. They had met when the Penguin “adopted” the Boy, rescuing him from an orphanage and giving him a job in the Iceberg Lounge. It was an unexpected act of kindness that the Boy acknowledged as an example of compassion coming from an unexpected place. However, the Penguin’s generosity only goes so far and when the Boy trapped him in a room with Batman while escaping he earned the spite of one of Gotham’s most notorious criminals.
It was for this reason that the Penguin confronted the Boy here, having spent years tracking him down just to settle the score. While the Boy tried to plead his case and state his intent to make Gotham a better place, the Penguin literally shot down his dreams, tragically reinforcing the horrible things the Boy believed about Gotham.
This was an uncompromising and unnecessary act of cruelty on the part of the Gotham City villain. Although there is no doubt that the Boy wronged the Penguin, his actions are sure to have been a minor inconvenience for the established criminal. Even if he did end up being being caught by Batman as a result of the Boy’s actions, tracking him down over the course of years just to execute him in a cold, dark sewer was an extreme reaction, especially in light of the Boy genuinely wanting to change his life and help the city.
The Penguin’s actions here were cruel, petty, and pointless. His actions appear to have been done out of a need to save face and redeem his reputation after the Boy’s actions against him, but it was still ruthless to terminate him for an offense he committed as a child. This entire endeavor felt like little more than the vindictive whim of a petty, insecure man, and proved just how heartless the classic villain can be.
About The Author
For all the latest Comics News Click Here
For the latest news and updates, follow us on Google News.
