Part of the appeal of so many of Batman’s villains has been their ability to be rehabilitated, whether explicitly stated or simply implied. Everyone has big opinions about which Robin is best and which bad guy is the most terrifying, but for me that latter question has always been an easy one to answer. There’s too many beloved sidekicks, even the ones everyone voted to kill off, and too many iconic villains in his Rogues Gallery to ever just talk about Batman. There is of course the question of what version of Batman is the subject at hand: are you talking about Miller or Morrison or Snyder if Snyder, which one? But people rarely talk about Batman in a vacuum. Talking about Batman is never just talking about Batman, especially not these days. But who or what is his greatest foe? Shelfdust asked some of our favourite comics critics to pick Batman’s Greatest Enemy… but who do YOU agree with? By Caitlin Rosberg ![]() ![]() The Penguin #1 just takes this idea to its logical conclusion, giving him a reason to use his skills to tear down Batman's world and highlighting how dangerous he really is.Batman has been in fights all his life: physically, mentally, spiritually. He can operate in broad daylight and, as infamous as he is, he can garner power while not attracting the Justice League's attention. In this sense, Penguin truly is one of Batman's most dangerous foes. Whatever the tone of the Batman story around him, Penguin remains capable of killing on a whim and escaping any real consequences. Penguin is ruthless in a realistic way, a vengeful crime lord who can shake hands and smile with politicians while sliding the knife into an innocent man's back.He relies on his ruthless wits to survive and thrive regardless of the situation. The Penguin #1 embraces the dark direction DC's been steering the character in and casts him as someone even Amanda Waller recognizes as genuinely dangerous. In 2022, The Batman cast the Penguin as one of Gotham's most effective criminals, a crimelord capable of using almost any crisis to his advantage. But what separates the Penguin from other Batman villains, even across other media, is how realistic his brand of villainy is. Most of Batman's rogues have been played for horror over the years, and The Joker and Poison Ivy's modern solo titles have illustrated what makes them so unpredictable and frightening. It quietly makes him frightening in a way other Batman villains aren't. ![]() The Penguin is just a man, but one who highlights just how much a doggedly determined person can do to change the world around them. In a world full of Killer Crocs and Jokers, it's easy to mistake the rotund little man for a laughable nonentity. ![]() The end of The Penguin #1 suggests that even Batman has always underestimated the Penguin and it's no wonder. Penguin doesn't just survive in a peaceful world, he thrives. Other stories like One Bad Day: The Penguin #1 (by John Ridley, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Cam Smith, and Rob Leigh) highlighted how Batman may have been forced to accept Penguin as one of Gotham's more reasonable devils rather than risk the pain and chaos of an uncontrolled crime-war in his city. What truly makes the Penguin so frightening is the way he can operate in the world around him while still retaining his dangerous qualities.
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