A recent Batman comic set in the world of Batman: The Animated Series provided an explanation for the classic cartoon’s two differing designs for The Penguin. While this explanation was probably unnecessary, it was also a solid shoutout to an interesting bit of animation trivia.
Batman: The Animated Series premiered in the fall of 1992, just three months after the release of Batman Returns. While the design team for the show was generally given free rein to do what they wanted, they were asked to make their versions of The Penguin and Catwoman look more like the characters as portrayed by Danny DeVito and Michelle Pfeiffer. This resulted in a blonde Catwoman when Selina Kyle had always been a brunette in the comics, and The Penguin being a grotesque, web-handed monster who barely looked human. Three years later, the art team was given a chance to change things when production started on The New Batman Adventures, which was set in the same world as Batman: The Animated Series but technically a new show. Catwoman went back to having dark hair and The Penguin was transformed from a scary sewer-dwelling mutant to a rotund gentleman thief playing at being a respectable businessman, like in the comics, without any explanation or fanfare.
An explanation was finally provided for those who might require one in a throwaway line in Batman: The Adventures Continue #16, which was largely centered around Harley Quinn’s efforts to organize a holiday party for all of Gotham’s supervillains. With Poison Ivy refusing to open her home up to the likes of Scarecrow and The Mad Hatter, Harley needed a new venue and hit upon the idea of using The Penguin’s nightclub, The Iceberg Lounge. The Penguin was unaware he was hosting this party, however, as Harley had paid off the contractor who was in the middle of renovating the club while The Penguin was on vacation.
One might expect The Penguin to seek colder climates to relax, but it was revealed that the crime boss had a tropical getaway dubbed Key Nest. It was here, while speaking with his half-man/half-bird servant Mr. Wing, that The Penguin revealed that he’d had some work done while recovering from injuries inflicted on him by the second Robin, Jason Todd. The doctors’ work appeared to be more than cosmetic, however, as the “upgraded” Penguin now seems to have normal hands rather than webbed flippers, in addition to being a little more light on his feet.
It’s no surprise that Batman: The New Adventures contains this sort of deep cut, as the comic is written by Batman: The Animated Series producers Alan Burnett and Paul Dini. The nod to the changing appearance of The Penguin is only one of a number of Easter eggs contained within the issue. The character of Mr. Wing, for instance, is a reference to the “Tyger, Tyger” episode of Batman: The Animated Series, as Mr. Wing was the creation of Dr. Emile Dorian; a mad scientist who created human-animal hybrids, whom Batman fought after Dr. Dorian tried to turn Catwoman into an actual cat woman. Artist Ty Templeton gets into the game as well, placing a few familiar faces from the Suicide Squad and the Harley Quinn animated series (including King Shark) in the background of Harley’s party.
