Warning: Spoilers for The Penguin #3
The Penguin is raising an army as he works toward reclaiming his spot as one of Gotham’s greatest crime lords, but Batman has no idea how many moving pieces are on the board. As one chapter of the Gotham War closes, another one is beginning to unfold. This time, Oswald Cobblepot is recruiting some of its soldiers with interesting proposals — including arranging meetings with other rogues.
In The Penguin #3 by Tom King, Rafael De Latorre, Marcelo Maiolo and Clayton Cowles, the Penguin brings the once-defunct Force of July team back into the fray. Oswald applies some of the usual tactics of bribery and threats to get his point across, but he also makes a startlingly insightful offer to Mayflower: join him and meet Poison Ivy.
While it’s unlikely that Oswald would’ve taken no for an answer, his proposal opens up the door for Pamela Isley to join the fray just as she returns to Gotham. The Penguin isn’t the only player on the board, but he is reining in Gotham’s chaos to his favor before setting foot back in the city.
Penguin is Collecting Powerful Allies
Although the Penguin is returning to Gotham at Amanda Waller’s insistence, he’s doing things his way. He has already signed the Help onto his plan, officially putting one of the world’s best fighters on his payroll, and in The Penguin #3 he taps into his new U.S. government resources to track down former Outsiders’ villains: the Force of July. The team consists of Major Victory, Lady Liberty, Silent Majority, Sparkler, and Mayflower, all of whom get a different sort of recruitment speech. For Mayflower, who possessed the ability to grow plants at will and control them, meeting Poison Ivy was more than enough of a draw.
When Oswald finds Mayflower, he follows her out to her barren yard, telling her that he has an “old acquaintance” who owes him a couple of favors. He quickly reveals he’s talking about Poison Ivy as Mayflower wanders the dead soil, sprinkling it with water and pondering about how her “garden is needy.” She tells the Penguin that she would like to meet Pam and soon joins the rest of her old team. Given Oswald’s willingness to make good on his threats, it’s just as likely that he’ll make good on his promises, too. Mayflower’s particular plight could tug at Pam’s empathy, as she was also reeling from the loss of her own powers in Poison Ivy #1 by G. Willow Wilson, Marcio Takara, Arif Prianto, and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
Poison Ivy and Penguin are Both Bringing Threats to Gotham
Even if Ivy only agrees to a single meeting, it means she is aiding the Penguin in his quest to take back Gotham. Penguin is using Poison Ivy as a carrot-on-a-stick at a time when she’s just returned to the city ahead of her lamia spore outbreak, potentially combining multiple threatening situations into one. If they end up on the same side, as a shallow alliance or something more, it could make them an alarming pair. Especially as these events all come on the heels of Vandal Savage’s power moves during and after the Gotham War story, which has left the whole Bat-Family reeling. Batman is ill-prepared for what the Penguin is planning, but it will shape Gotham’s future.
THE PENGUIN #3 (2023) | |
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