The Penguin

The Penguin—premiering September 19 on HBO and Max—arrives amidst a shifting mood in a space that’s been overdone. It’s another small-screen extension of a superhero movie. Who asked for it? This kind of blatant intellectual property exploitation, solely greenlit to boost a streaming service devoid of an identity, that expands the lives of minor Gotham characters and crime families. Comic book storytelling has already taken over everything. And, what, it’s on HBO too now? (The Penguin was greenlit as a Max original in 2022, but in July, the executives pivoted and stuck the HBO sticker on it.) Isn’t anything sacred anymore? Here’s the good news: infused with the energy of an all-time HBO hit, The Sopranos, the new DC spin-off miniseries is worthy of the HBO branding.