Matt Reeves’ crime noir version of Gotham City is an interesting place, from the retro and rundown downtown district, to the seedy underbelly of the Iceberg Lounge. And while a sequel is currently planned for 2026, you don’t have to wait that long to once again immerse yourself in this darkly fascinating world.

HBO’s The Penguin is a new television event that picks up where The Batman left off. In fact, according to Reeves, who’s executive producing the series, The Penguin will serve as a bridge between The Batman and its upcoming second chapter. So, if you’re a fan of Robert Pattinson’s Batman, you’re absolutely not going to want to sleep on it.

If you’re dismissing this series because it’s another Gotham show without Batman, then you’re missing the big picture. Shifting the focus from Batman to Penguin allows the series to explore a very different side of Gotham. Bruce Wayne and Oz Cobb may walk the same streets, but they’re in two very different worlds. If you recall, Batman didn’t even know about Penguin’s operations in the film until Jim Gordon filled him in. There’s an entire ecosystem in Gotham’s criminal underworld that the Dark Knight is unaware of. We saw a glimpse of it in The Batman, but The Penguin takes us much deeper inside.

The series follows Oz in the aftermath of The Batman. The Riddler has blown up Gotham’s seawall, and while Batman was able to save the day, the city is still reeling from the tragedy. Gotham’s infrastructure has collapsed, the economy is in critical condition and the city’s worst criminals are taking advantage of the chaos.

Speaking of chaos, the death of Carmine Falcone has created a power vacuum in Gotham’s criminal underworld. This puts Oz in an interesting situation. The Penguin was an important person in Carmine’s empire, but with the head of the Falcone crime family dead, where does that leave him?

The arrival of Carmine’s daughter Sofia Falcone complicates things, and it isn’t long before she and Oz start clashing. If you were a fan of Gotham, then the Penguin/Sofia Falcone conflict might seem familiar to you, but Colin Farrell and Cristin Milioti have a new take on Ozzy and Sophia’s criminal rivalry. It feels familiar while still exploring new and interesting places. The Penguin takes the crime family dynamics of Gotham to a more adult and violent level that feels perfect for HBO and is well suited to the more grounded world of Reeves’ Batman.

The Penguin builds on the world we were introduced to in The Batman, expanding on many of the themes and concepts. For example, the 2022 film alluded to a drug known as ‘drops’ that was plaguing Gotham. The Penguin shows us more of the epidemic and reveals how the entire drug operation works. We also see how ground level citizens and criminals are coping with the aftermath of the Riddler’s attack. Expect to learn some new and interesting things about the world that was set up in The Batman.

Speaking of The Batman, one of my favorite things about that movie is how it felt a bit like a Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale graphic novel in live action form. The film was a grounded crime thriller that evoked the tone of classic Batman stories like The Long Halloween and Dark Victory. The Penguin gives off a similar vibe. While neither of these Reeves’ projects are straight adaptations of Loeb and Sale’s work, they’re both sagas about Gotham’s crime families and their rivalries—The Penguin even more so than The Batman. If you’re a fan of these books, it’s hard to imagine you’re not going to really enjoy what you’ll see in this series. The writers of The Penguin are clearly fans of those classic comics as well.

For example, it features quite a few familiar faces like Alberto Falcone, Sofia and Sal Maroni. Even without Batman’s presence, there is so much intrigue, drama and mob violence going on that you won’t miss the Dark Knight. This is Ozzy’s show all the way, and the Penguin knows how to entertain.

Which brings me to my last reason why you should be watching it—it’s so good! Even if you ignore The Batman connections, this is an entertaining crime thriller. Farrell knocks it out of the park as Ozzy, and the series also has a talented cast that includes Milioti, Michael Kelly, Clancy Brown and more. This is some of the most exciting television I’ve seen in quite a while and if you’re anything like me, you’ll be addicted from the first episode.

The Batman sequel may not be here yet, but The Penguin is an exciting and entertaining story that will whet your appetite for the next film. Don’t sleep on this series because you have no idea what Ozzy is capable of.
 

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Joshua Lapin-Bertone writes about TV, movies and comics for DC.com, is a regular contributor to the Couch Club and writes our monthly Batman column, "Gotham Gazette." Follow him on Twitter at @TBUJosh.

NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this feature are solely those of Joshua Lapin-Bertone and do not necessarily reflect those of DC or Warner Bros. Discovery, nor should they be read as confirmation or denial of future DC plans.