The first episode of HBO’s The Penguin has already greatly expanded the universe of Matt Reeves’ Gotham City, filling in some of the details left fuzzy by the original film. Reeves’ The Batman provided one of the most starkly realistic and down-to-Earth versions of the Batman mythos yet — A low-tech, crime-ridden city that feels lived in and genuinely dangerous. The spin-off series focusing on Collin Farrell’s Oz Cobb has continued to build this world, forever changing The Batman.
Taking place a mere week after the tumultuous ending of The Batman, The Penguin centers on Oswald Cobb’s journey to take his place among the swirling power vacuum within Gotham’s criminal underworld following the death of mob boss Carmine Falcone. During his escapades in the first episode, the series surreptitiously reveals some key details surrounding the history and current events of Gotham City in the wake of The Riddler’s terrorist attack. Through the viewpoint of Oz, a lot is unveiled about how the universe of The Batman operates.
9 The Batman Now Has A New Nickname
Batman seems to have a long way to go in the public eye
A big theme of The Batman is the Caped Crusaders slow turn from a symbol of vengeance to be feared by common criminals to a bright beacon of hope that shines for its law-abiding citizens to follow. This is exemplified in the final scene in which Batman leads the relief effort for the victims of the bomb attacks, literally lighting the way forward with a brilliant road flare. Despite the turning of his new leaf, it seems Batman still has a lot of negative publicity to work against in the Gotham public eye.
The only time Batman is mentioned in episode 1 of The Penguin is during a brief news report Oz catches a snippet of, which refers to The Dark Knight as “The Batman vigilante.” This emphasis on Batman’s status as an actor not bound to the common laws of the people brings a negative connotation with it, though the reporter gives credit towards Batman’s actions in the relief effort. It remains to be seen if this nickname will stick around in the future as Batman’s PR improves.
8 Carmine Falcone Has More Kids Than Just Catwoman
Catwoman is far from Carmine’s only child
In The Batman, it’s revealed that Selina Kyle, a.k.a. the burglar Catwoman, is actually the illegitimate daughter of mob kingpin Carmine Falcone and waitress Maria Kyle. Though Carmine never knew of Selina’s existence, the young girl who would grow up to become Catwoman loathed her father for his lack of presence in her and her mother’s life. This must’ve been made all the more painful by the fact that Carmine apparently had two legitimate children, Sofia and Alberto.
Alberto gets a shockingly brief amount of screen time, depicted as a drug addict struggling with an affinity for Gotham’s signature street drug, referred to as Drops. After insulting Oz, he catches several bullets for his trouble, making him a brief-lived successor to his father. Meanwhile, his sister, Sofia Falcone, is released from Arkham Asylum, taking a place back at the head of Falcone family operations. Just like in the comics, Sofia Falcone’s backstory is explained to be that of a serial killer, institutionalized for years due to her murderous rampage.
7 Gotham Is Broken, But The Elite Stay Rich & Prosperous
The gap of inequality is alive and well in Gotham
One thing The Penguin has already done quite effectively is show off the utter gap in disparity between Gotham’s elite higher echelon and its poorest residents. The same newscast at the beginning recaps the havoc wrought by The Riddler’s seawall bombs, causing water from Gotham’s bay to come rushing in to the local diaspora. It seems as though the wealthiest neighborhoods were largely spared from the damage. Sure enough, the Falcones’ manor and the upper-crust community it’s nestled within seems quite pristine when Oz and Vic come to visit.
Meanwhile, the destruction caused by The Riddler is quite apparent during Oz and Vic’s many escapades throughout Gotham’s poorer areas. Oz thinks nothing of openly firing on petty criminals in the streets, and the surrounding environment of such areas looks as though it has been hit by a hurricane. Vic even has a personal stake in the destruction, having lost his home (and possibly family) to the raging flood waters.
6 Arkham Might Make Its Prisoners More Dangerous
Matt Reeves’ Arkham is just as brutal as any interpretation’s
In most Batman stories, Arkham Asylum has far from a great track record when it comes to the effective rehabilitation of the supervillains interned therein. It seems the emergency psychiatric facility has no better a reputation in Matt Reeves’ The Batman, which almost featured a deleted scene showcasing the Joker’s cell there. While torturing Oz, Sofia muses about her own foul treatment at the hands of Arkham’s staff, something she had to endure for years before being released.
Sofia mentions how she was “stripped bare” every day, dehumanized and made to feel like more of an object than a human being. It seems as though this brand of “rehabilitation” wasn’t very effective at curbing Sofia’s homicidal tendencies. If anything, she’s just as feral as ever, eating like a starving animal and mercilessly gunning down the truthful carjacker from the night of Alberto’s murder.
5 Carmine Falcone Knew Penguin Was Disloyal
Oz wasn’t as sneaky as he thought he was
Going into The Penguin, it seems as though Oz has already established quite a reputation for himself among Gotham’s criminal underbelly as a shrewd opportunist. This shines through in essentially every interaction he has with the Falcones’ leadership, who seem tired of his antics the moment he walks through the door. However, it was Oz’s blatant theft from Carmine that may have contributed to the Falcones’ less-than-favorable perception of him the most.
Alberto reveals that Oz had been “skimming off the top” of what was meant to be Carmine’s profits, something Carmine himself was aware of. While Alberto doesn’t seem too upset about it, acknowledging that Oz wasn’t overly greedy and was at least smart about his criminal embezzlement, he does call Oz out for his ultimate disloyalty. This comes as a shock to Oz, who seems to have thought he was being much more sneaky about his theft than he actually was.
4 The Riddler’s Gang Are Still Active
Edward Nygma’s influence seems to persist past his arrest
In The Batman, Paul Dano’s The Riddler is the primary antagonist, despite the fact that he is captured relatively early on. Even from within a cell at Arkham Asylum, the plans Edward Nygma set in motion persist, with his bombs ultimately going off in the film’s climax to cause widespread panic. His actions were possible thanks to the loyalty and devotion of his dangerous cult of terrorists. One week later, the gang seems to still be quite an active presence throughout Gotham City.
Wearing one of the group’s signature winterized combat masks modeled after The Riddler’s own, a member of the gang raises awareness for their goals on the subway, asking riders to scan a QR code to see “The true face of Gotham.” While Oz tells him to get lost without any trouble, the cult’s presence seems to be alarmingly accepted among Gotham’s average citizenry. After all, the terrorist organization is able to actively recruit in public spaces like the subway.
3 The Penguin Worked For The Maronis In The Past
Oz is something of a turncoat
Oz’s theft of Falcone’s earnings isn’t the only thing that may have contributed to his infamy in the Gotham organized crime scene. At one point, The Penguin goes to Blackgate Penitentiary to pay a visit to the imprisoned former Don, Salvatore Maroni. The Falcone’s rival family in Gotham, the Marnois were somehow taken out of the equation, with Sal imprisoned, thanks to some collusion from Oz.
During their conversation, Sal mentions how The Penguin once worked for the Maronis, ultimately betraying them when he allowed a massive sting to befall their drug operation, which he had been put in charge of. Whether this collusion was with the Feds or the Falcones remains unclear, but either way, Oz seems to have a mind for betrayal when it suits him. The Falcones may be aware of Oz’s previous lapses in loyalty, which may contribute to their own low opinion of him.
2 Batman’s Fight Is Bigger Than We Realized
It’s no wonder Bruce Wayne seeks to wage a one-man war on crime
If there’s one thing The Batman did well, it was establishing just how crime-ridden Matt Reeves’ incarnation of Gotham is. From thieves like Catwoman to dangerous figures like The Riddler and multiple long-standing mafia families, Gotham seems to have no end of dangerous criminals to watch out for. It’s no wonder Robbert Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne took it upon himself to don the cape and cowl in hopes of putting a dent in Gotham’s crime statistics.
The Penguin reveals even more dangerous criminal elements yet to be unexplored, with one of Oz’s men being attacked. There are so many dangerous criminals in Gotham that his other men aren’t even sure who the perpetrators could be, with names like The Odessa Gang and the Burnley Town Boys being floated as possibilities. It seems as though The Penguin has wasted no time in establishing some possible villain candidates for The Batman 2.
1 The Penguin Is More Of An Outsider
Oz has little love in Gotham’s criminal underworld
The Penguin quickly establishes that, for the Falcone crime syndicate, working with Oz Cobb is a necessary evil that they don’t enjoy. While The Penguin undeniably makes the family money, his ego, opportunism, and ultimate disloyalty combine with his “acquired taste” of a personality to make a decidedly difficult collaborator. The series seems to imply that, like in the comics, The Penguin has always been something of an outsider.
At the secret home of Oz’s mother, Vic notices childhood pictures depicting a young Oz already in a leg brace, implying that his club foot is something he’s had to live with all of his life. In a business as cutthroat and appearance-oriented as the mafia, this disability likely made Oz an outsider, not to mention his possible family history of lost wealth should the comics be a precedent. With no direct relation to anyone in the criminal underworld other than his immediate usefulness, The Penguin is undeniably an outsider looking in.