The Penguin First Reactions – New “Twisted” and “Gritty” Colin Farrell Series Gets Rave Reviews

It is less than a week until The Penguin hits HBO and Max, following Colin Farrell as Oswald Cobblepot, aka The Penguin, as he attempts to seize the reins of Gotham's crime world in the series that follows on from Matt Reeves' The Batman (2022).

Reeves' film was a hit with audiences and critics, who rated it 85% on Rotten Tomatoes, but is it possible they're loving The Penguin even more?

The series from Craig Zobel has earned itself an impressive debut score of 93% from 45 reviews, which cannot be compared – just yet – to The Batman, which has over 500 critic reviews.

Still, it appears people are loving this new chapter of the DC Universe, with Variety calling it "twisted, disturbing and deeply enthralling" and "a mesmerizing crime drama".

Jacob Fisher at Discussing Film gave the series five stars, saying, "The Penguin is unbeatable when compared to other comic book adaptations on television", extremely high praise considering how many comic book adaptations currently populate streaming services.

Fisher also says the series "can be so cruel, brutal, and unforgiving, but that's why it works terrifically."

Cinema Blend's Sean O'Connell says "Colin Farrell does INCREDIBLE work" in the series, and Austin Burke says The Penguin "elevates an already compelling character from the film that preceded it."

Critic Simon Thompson calls it "one of [his] favorite shows of the year" and Darren Mooney teases the tone, saying, "It is to “The Sopranos” what “The Batman” was to “se7en.”"

The Penguin hits HBO and Max on September 19.

Read more first reactions below.