How ‘The Penguin’ Succeeds as a Comic Book Adaptation in an Era of So-Called Fatigue

Image from The Hollywood Reporter

• The series consolidates elements from past Penguin adaptations to create a unified vision of the character, with Colin Farrell's Oz Cobb as a thief posing as a man of class who proves ruthlessly violent when mocked.
• By exploring Oz's backstory and motivations, such as his fraught relationship with his mother, the show contextualizes his cruelty and inability to reckon with his own monstrous behavior, making him a compelling foil to Batman.