A Bird in the Hand
It's been said over and over, but the comics adaption of the Batman: The Animated Series is some of the best Batman writing around, and it's sad that it gets constantly forgotten by so many.
Perhaps that is a fate shared by one Mr. Oswald Cobblepot, alias The Penguin, who writers struggle to write and characterize properly for fear of reprising the campy spirit of the '66 TV series. However, Paul Dini once again proves himself a masterful writer with his ode to a Penguin, "BIRDCAGE". The fourth isssue the animated comic rebrand that actually managed to show the Penguin as a cunning master of the avian world and a sympathetic rogue at the same time.
The story starts with Summer Gleeson reporting on a hostage situation at the Gotham zoo, and of course the Batman arrives on the scene. Penguin has been conducting a series of jewlery store robberies using rare birds, and this has finally culminated in the zoo showdown. The police are stalemated by the birds under Penguin's control, which they refuse to harm for fear of the hostages being harmed (that and they are rare birds after all). Batman manages to break through the feathered perimeter and makes his way to rendezvous with Cobblepot.
In creepy Alfred Hitchcock manner, the birds shepard Batman to the South American Pavillion of the zoo, where Penguin's goons await him
A point that writers have very seldom expanded upon is Penguin's near psychic bond with birds, and even though that's not the case here as we shall soon see, it makes wonderful sense if you take into account Catwoman's bond with felines and Batman's own use of his namesake. Why is it rediculous that a squat man who loves avians would use birds in the same way that Selina and Bruce use their own respected familliars? I chalk that up to Penguin's appearance, his bane in both the comics and real life that prevents him from reaching his true potential as a rogue worthy of Batman's time.
Perhaps if Penguin was some muscle-bound, gritty 90s killer writers would give a damn.
Moving along, Batman takes out Penguin's goons and contiues to follow the path of the Hedron heard, eventually meeting Penguin in his hideout.
Again, I love Penguin's recitation of Shakespere. It's a tiny gem that remains from the brilliant characterization from the Writer's Bible that got rejected in favor of Danny DeVito's grotesque Penguin. I also enjoy the nod to Jervis, and that in one quick mention he gets better service than in the last ten years of writing. He sold his device to Penguin, and wasn't fooled into thiking the Dodo from Wonderland was needing it for something, which is what most writers now would do.
On second thought, I do like the idea of Penguin as Carroll's Dodo, overblown speech and all.
However, it does also raise the interesting point of Arkham comreaderie, which is something I always loved in the animated series. You also have to love the poor bird in Templeton's art, that despite Penguin's genuine love for the animals he still is a heavy handed lout.
Now we get into Penguin's sympathies, he doesn't want to use these birds for crime, he wants to free them back into the wild becuase they were smuggled illegally into the zoo to begin with and the robberies were ways to secure quick funds for the project. This is a brilliant piece of Penguin writing that shows him as both selfish and saintly. He still plans on using the moment to kill Batman, but his ultimate goal is to free the birds.
You also have to admire the spiel about caging something because it's different, which is how Penguin views himself. He's not a criminal by choice, but becuase a cruel society mocked him and forced him into it, at least in his own warped views.
Penguin reveals that the "hostages" were really in his employ to buy him time, Batman then takes out the goons and Penguin sics his pets onto the Bat.
Now this is where Dini loses me somewhat, part of me can't see Penguin putting birds in any real danger (at least not any readily apparent in his mind) but then part of me loves Penguin seeing himself as a general. I still say Penguin is one of Batman's most intelligent foes becuase he has a brilliant millitary mind applied to crime, and he really does love his "soldiers".
Penguin metions that the birds are programmed to attack Batman, as his image is burned into their minds. Batman jumps in a mud puddle and confuses the birds by obscuring his image, and takes out Penguin. Mentioning that Penguin's own big beak was his downfall yet again.
I love that Penguin hoists his own petard, becuase it serves as such a perfect foil to Batman. Bruce is humble, and as Batman he never underestimates or overblows his true potential, Penguin lives on an iceberg of self-confidence that he has falsely built up to protect his fragile ego, which gives a great weakness to exploit. I don't know how I'd feel about this being used on Penguin constantly, becuase it would make him rather ineffectual, but it's still a great bit of storytelling.
Penguin is put in Stonegate (the DCAU's Blackgate) once again, and even though he was defeated, he got one minor victory.
This image is particularly touching for me, becuase much like Penguin, I was a social outcast who found solace in birds, and I found freedom from my own cage in photos of these wonderful animals free in the endless sky. Perhaps that is why I never will give up on Ozzie, becuase I know that horrible feeling of being caged with clipped wings. Writers make Penguin flightless becuase they limit him, when he could soar with the other rogues if taken seriously.
Until next time.