REVIEW: HBO's 'The Penguin' Doesn't Need Batman To Be Your New Favorite Crime Drama

You don't have to be a comic book fan to get sucked into the criminal underworld of HBO's brand new ‘The Penguin’ series that debuted Thursday night.

Taking place soon after the chaotic events of 2022's The Batman movie, which starred Robert Pattinson as the Caped Crusader who failed to stop The Riddler from blowing up New York City's sea wall and flooding Lower Manhattan, The Penguin brings excitement, intrigue and also a damn good show to keep us entertained when football can't!

THE PENGUIN LIVES UP TO THE HYPE

A barely recognizable Colin Farrell returns to his role as The Penguin that he debuted in director Matt Reeves 2022 ‘Batman,’ and is the perfect character for the mayhem that is now Gotham City. Without giving away too much of the plot, essentially all hell has broken loose among the crime bosses in New York City as they all fight, kill, bribe and do whatever they can to fill the void in the criminal underworld.

The good part is that anything you need to know about the backstory, the series explains within 1 minute of the show so that you are all caught up AND you don't have to be a Batman or comic book aficionado to appreciate the show. The show is that promising thanks to great storytelling, acting and also the desire we all have to try to get a good mob-style show back into our watch schedule.

Don't believe me? Critics on RottenTomatoes have given it an 88% score, while average viewers have given it an 89% rating - practically unheard of in the divisive and holier-than-thou comic book world where everybody has an opinion on how the lore should play out. That right there shows just how good The Penguin can be as it's truly a badass show (so far at least) that is making both the die hard and casual comic book fans happy, as well as those that don't know the first thing about any of that.

LEAVE THE MUSICALS FOR JOKER 2

In contrast, Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga's upcoming Joker movie sequel, "Folie a Deux," is at 56% from the RT critics right now with deep concern that the film is actually a musical, which fans of the original thriller aren't remotely interested in.

Let's be honest, we're all looking for something to watch these days - and many times we're left disappointed. The positive news is that with The Penguin you won't be as it's actually a good show that has me frustrated. I have to wait 10 more days to see what happens next.

The Penguin will air new episodes every Sunday on HBO at 9 p.m. ET beginning Sept. 29. 

HAVE YOU SEEN THE PENGUIN? WILL YOU WATCH IT? TWEET ME: @TheGunzShow