Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for The Penguin episode 8Oz Cobb's actions in the Riddler's brutal murder of Gotham mayor Don Mitchell Jr., beating him to death with a shoehorn. The Riddler also kills Gil Colson with a collar bomb and Pete Savage with a trap box filled with hungry rats, and it's implied that Selina Kyle was one of many women who died a painful death at the hands of Carmine Falcone — the real Hangman.
Batman is a comic book character that can easily be adapted as dark or as lighthearted as possible. Movies like 1966's Batman, Batman Forever, and Batman & Robin take an unapologetically light and colorful approach to Batman's mythos, with a large dose of comedy and a very unrealistic plot. Meanwhile, Christopher Nolan's highly-acclaimed Dark Knight trilogy and Matt Reeves' The Batman franchise ground Gotham in reality. The latter approach opens the door for darker stories, a more serious tone, and many brutal moments.
The Dark Knight Was The Most Brutal DC Adaptation
Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Doesn't Pull Any Punches
Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight pushed the boundaries of live-action Batman adaptations. In The Dark Knight, Heath Ledger's Joker kills a bank manager by detonating a bomb in his mouth and kills Rachel Dawes in an explosion, which also burns Harvey Dent's face and body with burning gas. The Joker then tortures Harvey Dent psychologically and toys with two whole ferries' worth of people by putting their lives in each other's hands. The Dark Knight's most brutal scene is undeniably the Joker's "disappearing pencil trick", in which the Joker slams a mob boss' head into a pencil.
No Batman villain came close to the shameless brutality of Heath Ledger's Joker
Other Batman movies include their fare share of violent scenes. For instance, Michael Keaton's Batman makes his first appearance in Tim Burton's Batman killing a group of henchmen, one of them with his own bomb. In Burton's Batman Returns, Danny DeVito's Penguin dies a long and agonizing death as he bleeds out. In The Dark Knight Rises, Bane breaks a scientist's neck in front of a whole stadium after murdering two football teams, and he likely prolonged the same process for John Daggett off-screen. However, no Batman villain came close to the shameless brutality of Heath Ledger's Joker.
The Penguin's Victor Scene Went Further Than Even Nolan's Joker
Oz Cobb's Murder Of Victor Aguilar Is Messed Up In Many Ways
The most brutal scene in all Batman media is definitely Victor Aguilar's murder in The Penguin finale. Not only does Oz catch Victor with his guard down and suffocate him to death, but he also does it precisely when Victor feels the most comfortable around Oz. Oz genuinely thanks Victor for his loyalty and praises his skills and character as a sign of gratitude for his help, and right afterward, Oz wraps his arm around Vic's neck and strangulates him. Victor Aguilar's death is certainly darker than the Joker's pencil trick scene due to its deeply personal connotations.
The Penguin’s Tragic Finale Sets The Stage For One Unexpected DC Character’s Long-Awaited Introduction In The Batman's Future
The Penguin finale's tragic character death opens the door for a long-absent DC hero's debut under the Dark Knight's tutelage in The Batman - Part II.
Victor Aguilar had all the makings for a redeemed character. The Penguin's flashback to Victor Aguilar's origin story revealed why he had to resort to crime, and his missed opportunities to leave Oz due to his sheer sense of loyalty suggested he would eventually free himself from Oz's influence. What's more, Victor made it all the way to The Penguin episode 8's ending, yet he died at the hands of the person he fought so hard to defend. Oz's cowardly murder method and flimsy reasoning plus Victor's unblemished innocence are what make Vic's death so tragic in The Penguin.
The Penguin Is Now DC's Most Brutal Adaptation And It's Not Even Close
The Penguin Is Hands Down The Darkest Release In DC History
The Penguin is extremely dark from beginning to end. Oz's rushed decision to kill Alberto Falcone kicks off a chain reaction that leads to many deaths, betrayals, and tragedies for everyone involved. For instance, Oz burns Sal Maroni's wife and son and teases him with the description of their burning bodies. Sofia Falcone also kills her whole family and shoots Johnny Viti in the head in front of her criminal organization. On a darker note, Oz keeps his own mother as a trophy after she suffers a stroke that leaves her in a vegetative state.
The Batman's Spinoff Just Set An Even Higher Bar For The DC World's Joker
The Batman's universe is already making waves with despicable villains, but with such a twisted Penguin, getting the Joker right is even harder.
All the violence in The Penguin is a result of more violence in each character's past. In The Penguin episode 4's flashbacks to Sofia Falcone's Arkham days, Sofia lashes out and beats Magpie to death shortly after being beaten up by a fellow patient — all of this as a consequence of Carmine Falcone's manipulation. The Penguin also reveals that Oz killed his own brothers just to keep his mother's attention exclusively on him. The cherry on top is the fact that Oz pays Eve Karlo to dress like his mother, adding an Oedipal layer to an already twisted mother-son relationship.
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The Penguin
9/10- Release Date
- 2024 - 2024-00-00
- Showrunner
- Lauren LeFranc
- Directors
- Craig Zobel
Cast
Oz Cobb
Sofia Falcone
WHERE TO WATCH
StreamingBUY -
The Dark Knight
- Created by
- Christopher Nolan, David S. Goyer
- First Film
- Batman Begins
- Latest Film
- The Dark Knight Rises
- Cast
- Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Heath Ledger, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Liam Neeson, Aaron Eckhart
- Movie(s)
- Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises
- Character(s)
- Batman, Alfred Pennyworth, Commissioner Gordon, Lucius Fox, Bane, The Joker, Catwoman, Two-Face
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