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maxwell-grant · 3 months ago

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do you have any favorite batman henchmen?

I put a lot of stock into how a Batman work tackles the resident henchmen and assistants and organization surrounding any specific Batrogue and how those intersect with each other so yes, absolutely I have Bat-henchman opinions, and favorites per villain. I'm gonna about pick about one or two among my favorites and name a few honorable mentions, with one exception and that's Rhino, Scarface's muscle. I know he's sort of a package deal with Mugsy, and Mugsy's pretty good too, but Rhino's the one I love.

I have a huge amount of fondness for Rhino and Rhino specifically because of his showing in "Read my Lips", as one of my favorite musical pieces for the series is the leitmotif that plays specifically for Rhino's moments in the opening heist and his brawl with Batman in the climax, and frankly he earns a top spot for me solely on the basis that he has his own theme and it's a banger on top of that. Scarface is exactly the kind of Bat-villain you want funny stereotypical cartoon gangsters attached to, and the big dumb grunt archetype is always more fun when paired with a proportionally much smaller partner or boss. And in Rhino's case, not only is he a titanically strong wall of muscle taking orders from a hand-held puppet dressed like a gangster, but cowering in fear when said puppet gets angry at him and relieved when reminded that he's too stupid to betray da boss. They made a lot with very little out of a bit character and it makes me love the episode so much more, and again, he has his own theme song and it opens the episode even, pretty hard to top that.

Penguin: My favorite overall has usually been Lark, specifically the version of her that was introduced in Tony Daniel's run. Like with Rhino and Scarface, the tiny funny-looking Oswald Cobblepot having a tall, intimidating lady chaffeur following him around makes for good contrast, and although I didn't like "Bullies" much at all, I really liked that scene of them being on friendly terms with each other, how much Penguin trusts her with his life and what he does. I like she is not abiding by any kind of formal dress code, like everyone else who tends to work at the Lounge, she's got almost like a punk thing that really contrasts with Oswald's own outfits and I always liked that, her individuality.

A more recent favorite would be Lili Kwan from Penguin: One Bad Day, someone who is far more marginalized than Oswald, and someone who was marginalized and pushed aside BY Oswald, but who joins up with him because he is the best lesser evil she is going to get and because they have enough in common that he can relate to her and respect her and ensure she is respected, but she pointedly does not mince words around him and does not entertain Oswald's delusions and self-loathing. She kinda demands Oswald to be the better class of criminal he paints himself as, to learn from his mistakes and earn having her by his side because "a king can't have illusions", and that's an incredibly interesting dynamic to me, this person with a vision of what Penguin and his empire should be like and in a position to have Penguin listen to her about it, not just muscle by his side but a voice in his ear pushing him to get his head in the game, be someone who deserves the loyalty he has from the underprivileged and the outcasts he claims to be a part of.

Honorable mentions would be the Red Triangle Gang from Batman Returns. I don't think they would really belong in any other version of the Penguin, and I have some very mixed feelings on Returns still, but I like the history they have with this Oswald and I like them in the movie proper, my favorite is the Poodle Lady for no real reason. I would also name the Kabuki Twins from The Batman cartoon, and Mr Decondor from The Batman Audio Adventures.

Joker: I gotta go with Bob the Goon, the Number One Guy. He is not even called Bob the Goon in the movie, he's just become so emblematic a figure for goons everywhere that he earns that name, Bob the Goon. See, I actually don't think the Joker should employ clowns in his gang, I think if you have more than one clown going around doing crimes, then they're not that special individually, I don't see the Joker surrounding himself with people who look or act even half as outlandish as himself, and that’s part of why Bob works for me, this comically ordinary schlub grunt who nevertheless endears himself to our sympathies for putting up with the Joker, being endlessly loyal to Napier before and after his accident. We like him in no small part because the Joker clearly likes this guy as much as he's capable of liking anyone on the planet, which is why it actually lands when the Joker guns him down just to vent. Rest in peace Bob, an example to low-lives everywhere.

If I had to name another favorite, and one I think works better on a reocurring basis, it would be Charlie Charleyhorse, from The Batman Audio Adventures. Charleyhorse has the mannerisms of a smooth-talking wise guy and is the guy who handles the day-to-day businesses of the Joker, sweet-talking recruits and negotiating deals and convincing rookies to eat poison and even hosting his broadcasts, and in contrast to the other villain sidekicks in the show who provide comedic contrast he is this very efficient, very charming and dangerous man, fully cognizant of the cruelty he's assisting and the man he works for. To me he feels like a very organic way of establishing how much more dangerous the Joker is compared to the other villains, that he runs his disorganized crime with the efficiency of a well-oiled machine, that behind all the chaos and mayhem there is an unfathomably brilliant mind at work and a smart, affable businessman to act as a conduit between that mind and the city, as if the Joker plucked the ghost of Jack Napier from his soul and found a sweet deal that lets them both happily exist.

Honorable mentions would be Prank, from The Batman cartoon. I think Joker gunning for his own Robin is an idea with legs (Harley never really counted in that regard), I really liked his design, a perfect combination of Robin aesthetics with a clown/jester motif, and I thought he had one of the more interesting set-ups for a "Joker corrupts people into extensions of him" story, definitely one of the better Joker episodes in that show. Other honorable mentions would be Jackanapes and Captain Clown from TAS, because the Joker getting unreasonably attached to a horrible giant clown android is a pretty funny concept to me.

Riddler: God, what a perfect character Miss Tuesday is. Pairing up the self-obsessed artist of crime with the harshest critic of all, the disinterested judgemental teenager, is such a perfect combo and it does so much to breathe new life into a very classic take on Riddler. The fact that she regularly stays in touch and coordinates stuff with other villain interns is amazing and part of the incredible worldbuilding The Batman Audio Adventures has in general. Miss Tuesday is this physical embodiment of ennui to deflate his cartwheeling histerics, manifesting every bit of self-awareness that the Riddler completely ignores, annoying him just as much as he annoys everyone else (her included).

It's punctuated by her being casually murderous to an extent that even surprises him, and the fact that she is just as smart as he is, so by the standards he lives his life by, he can't brush her off as another small-minded knuckle-dragging ignoramus like he does with everyone else, no, he can't tell himself that she simply doesn't understand what he is doing. She does understand him, she is just not that impressed by him, and Eddie will simply have to roll with the barbs and work harder if he is to prove himself. She is the closest The Riddler has to a conscience and thus her job is not to push him towards any kind of moral self-improvement or an approach to his work that doesn't involve murder and terrorism, but to dunk cold water on his head and call him cringe when he gets in too deep or for doing this instead of, like, making money off this crap or something.

The other candidate would be the Riddler's Followers from The Batman. They're not a concept I think would work for a more traditional version of The Riddler, but God they work SO well for that movie and that version of him, marking Eddie Nigma's transition from malajusted murderer into not just a supervillain with a city-destroying plot, not just the rise of supervillains as a thing Gotham is gonna have to deal with forever, but as a sickness aimed at the heart of the city, and a sickness that Batman is indirectly responsible for and that he must owe up to. I really like how The Riddler: Year One elaborates on them with "He doesn't trust people. But numbers never lie." His "henchmen" are numbers, numbers on a screen he never has to actually interact with, but can still send on to be proxies of him, embodiments of how much bigger this is than anything Batman could have imagined it being.

Honorable mentions would be the classic duo of Query and Echo, and much like Bob, we gotta bring up his henchgirl Molly from the Batman 66 pilot two-parter, who tragically died by falling into the Batcave's nuclear reactor. "What a way to go-go".

Two-Face: It's common for Two-Face to have twin sets of named thugs but I can't say any of them have ever been particularly memorable to me, but one that does stick out to me is Benny from Long Shadows. I'm of the opinion that if any Batman villain should be establishing a working relationship with a henchman/assistant, if any Batman villain really needs to be depicted putting in the work as far as convincing people to work for him, it should be Two-Face, the former widely-beloved District Attorney/politician turned crimelord who somehow stays a dominant player in the Gotham underworld despite everything stacked against him (his face, his reputation, his past being public record, the coin-based decisions, etc). I think Two-Face needs to be some degree of charismatic and conversational and convincing, he's someone with more tangential history in this world than the other villains and should be willing and able to engage with people at any level, even if, and especially if, he's going to betray or save them at the flip of a coin, and the closest anyone's ever come to capturing that for me has been Benny, this guy who's willing to question Two-Face's decisions and is smart and sensible and generally pleasant enough that Two-Face lets him do it (with some limits, of course) and lets him in on what he's planning. Being drawn by Mark Bagley, who can convey a lot of expression and personality on any character, is definitely a bonus.

Scarecrow: Not so much of a henchmen since this was technically a villain team-up, but Scream Queen as she was featured in that Brave and the Bold segment has literally nothing in common with comics Scream Queen as debuted in Scare Tactics to the point she is a new character in every way. I like comics Scream Queen quite a lot, and I wouldn't want her to be any kind of underling to Scarecrow, but BATB Scream Queen is a very cool design and concept and in general I think Scarecrow could stand to have some cool and inventive henchmen, I wouldn't be opposed to seeing BATB Scream Queen turn up again so long as she had a different name. I'm also extremely partial to the Strawmen and the idea of him employing former students and offering them teaching exercises mid-crime.

Bane: There's really only one form of Bane henchmen that matter and it's Bird, Zombie and Trogg, the Fabulous Five to his Doc Savage (I always felt like there could be two more members to actually make them five, I know it doesn't have to be an exact reference but). I like them as they are in regular canon but my favorite depiction of them so far has been in the Batman 66 comic by Jeff Parker, which retrofits Bane to fit the 66 aesthetic and tone by further emphasizing his lucha motif, and having his Fabulous Three all dress up in distinct masks of their own referencing existing iconic luchadore characters.

Black Mask: I think the False Face Society is one of the more interesting parts of Black Mask's concept and it really doesn't come up enough, and when it does it gets folded into just being a name for his gangster lackeys instead of the weird cult aspect it acquired when it was folded into his character, I'd like to see that stuff get folded back in.

Hugo Strange: Honestly I love all of Hugo's varied forms of henchmen over the years, all of them have their place in the grand tapestry of his designs (I'm not too big on Sanjay from Batman and the Monster Men, there is stuff to like about their dynamic but I don't think the pulp racial manservant is a thing deserving of the charming throwback treatment). The gangsters from his debut, the androids/mannequins, Night Scourge, the TYGER guards/troopers from Arkham City, the mind-controlled villains and inmates from his Deathstroke arc, and of course the Monster Men. I do prefer the horrific body horror kaijus from Night of the Monster Men, but I also like the mutated giants, especially when they dress up in oversized trenchcoats and slouch hats.

There are a few others but I'm lastly gonna say Mr.Freeze and his polar bears Notchka and Shaka, from Batman and Mr.Freeze: Subzero. I'm not opposed to Mr.Freeze having regular henchmen, or even ice-themed henchmen like in Batman and Robin, there are ways to have it make sense, but the polar bears I think have this sort of almost innocent fairytale logic to them that just fits Mr.Freeze and his imagery a lot better, abstract guardians of the concept of the arctic that Mr.Freeze claims dominion over. Even at their most benign, you can't extricate human henchmen from the inherent brutality of their profession, but when it's trained animals defending a master, it's easier to find innocence and sympathy, traits that fit well with Mr.Freeze. If there's anything in that movie I remember, it's the bittersweet ending where they walk off into a blizzard together, his sole two companions into this new life he's cursed with.

Does it really make any sense for Mr.Freeze's established skillset and character for him to have a duo of trained polar bears on call to do crimes with, the way Penguin and Catwoman have their own trained animals? No. Is it corny? Arguably yes. Do I think it's cool? Is it a cool image? Very much so, and when it comes to Batman, that tends to be the final word in things.

#replies tag #batman #comic books #superheroes #dc comics #dc #joker #penguin #the penguin #riddler #miss tuesday #mr freeze #two-face #scarecrow #hugo strange #bane

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ghost-bxrd · 10 months ago

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Okay so I know this wasn’t the intention, but I read the most recent part of Owl Song and now I can’t stop thinking about Ivy, Jason, and Dick.

Like, in canon she fought both of them as Robin (I think??? I’m pretty sure she was around for Dick’s Robin) and she’s one of the better Rogues in terms of motive and morals. She probably cared for both of them somewhat, so how do you think she (and the other semi-decent rogues) took it when Jason died?

Ah I see how it is, we’re unpacking the good questions now!!!

So at first Ivy probably didn’t notice. Let’s be real, she’s got better things to do then play “keeping up with the batfamily”, and yeah, sure, some of her plants have been getting agitated the more days went by without sightings of either Robin or his loyal shadow (either Batman or Talon/Nightwing), but eh, maybe they’re on vacation or something.

But then Batman is back on the streets and it’s BadTM. Even simple thugs need to be hospitalized, more than one comes close to actually dying (one even flatlines for a moment) and Ivy gets suspicious. Not enough to raise any alarms just yet, still, odd. And still no sight of Robin anywhere.

And then the Joker keeps being found. All over Gotham. Her plants her agitated, they keep whispering about the child-from-the-clocktower and the-one-who-is-cold. And even Ivy can’t keep turning a blind eye.

At first she checks in with Harley, but her girlfriend she doesn’t have any insight either having just returned from a mission with the Birds of Prey (timeline? What timeline). So, dead end. And Crane is a no-go because the Bat hospitalized him with way too many broken bones just the other day.

Two-face it is, but Harvey (both sides of him) are equally as disturbed by the Bat’s sudden volatility as Ivy and he is now on board with trying to find out just what made the Bat snap.

(At this point she’s having a veeery bad feeling about this. Especially because even weeks later Robin is still suspiciously absent from the streets, and there are only whispers of Talon/Nightwing and even her plants can’t seem to pin down either of them.)

Next up is the Riddler, who is already neck-deep into investigation (because how dare Batman not appreciate all his carefully laid riddles and instead punch in faces of low time criminals! And also he may be a teeny-tiny bit worried about the sassy sidekick but SUE him, the kid grows on you like a particularly stubborn case of the pocks ok!?) and immediately agrees to a temporary ceasefire.

So now we have part of the rogue gallery joining forces to find out just wtf is going on, and their next bet is the elusive Catwoman.

And let’s say Selina doesn’t know who Batman is but she’s got soft spot for the big burry anyway so she’s CONCERNED ok? It doesn’t take much persuasion to join forces with the rest of the rag-tag group of high profile rogues to figure this out, and her next proposition is this: grill the Penguin for information.

Oswald Cobblepot is SO not prepared for the joint forces of Catwoman, Two-Face, Riddler, Harley, and Ivy and before long he’s telling them what little he knows about the Joker and his excursion to Ethiopia.

And they all just kinda— freeze. Because— what? No, Robin can’t be dead. Robin is magic. That spunky little kid who’d throw pebbles at Riddler, the one who’d always try to pick-pocket Catwoman, the one urging Harley to leave-the-Joker-he’s-an-ass, the one who always drives Harvey insane with his prime numbers, the one who’d stalked all the way into Robinson park just to ask Ivy how to save the little potted plant he’d been gifted—-

No, no he can’t be dead… right?

But he is. And the talon who’d always kept him safe? That one is gone, too. Nobody knows where he went, but Batman is unspooling, and unspooling fast. And the rogues… well, for once they keep quiet. they don’t give Batman any additional grief (god knows he’s got enough) and instead now make it a point to keep kids out of their business in silent solidarity.

From that day forward any and all people who try to associate themselves with the Joker get taken down by them with extreme prejudice. You think Batman is bad? Try spouting some Joker loving bullshit in front of Ivy. She doesn’t even have to ask her plants to gut you and hang you from the carousel at amusement mile like a Christmas ornament. And god forbid you say anything negative about Robin.

#listening to Batman audio adventures really made me appreciate Harvey #and also Catwoman #and also riddler he’s hilarious #but I have a SOFT SPOT for Ivy #always #the rogues loved Robin in their own way #at least some of them #they also hated his guts #but still #that was THEIR Robin #how dare joker take him away #and where is the talon?#owl song #ghost talks #jason todd #batfamily #dick grayson #bruce wayne #robin

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factual-fantasy · 1 year ago

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I have 25 Asksskssks :0000

No one in the group can pacify, no. <:/

But this just made me imagine Seam pulling up with a Ralsei and he's just like "Ok do it now-" Ralsei pacifies Jevil and he falls flat on his face. Totally asleep, just- dead to the world.

"Thank you, I can never get him to sleep. What a stubborn jester he is." Seam picks Jevil up and just walks away with him XDD

@dragonlover123456

Whenever I feel like drawing it. Heck, I might not draw another series at all 🤷‍♂️

Yeah! I figured it would be restricting if the clothes on the animatronics were real <XD

Also THANK YOU! :DDD I'm usually not so sure about that part of my comics, so I'm glad to hear that you like it! :}}}

Oh! No no, Sunny and Moony are the same person. The daycare attendant is 1 animatronic, with 1 personality. He is 1 person.

In the true swap, DA swaps with DJMM.

In the partial swap, DA doesn't swap with anyone. Him and DJ's theme both just get changed up a bit.

@scrimbly-mc-scrombly-iii

AAAA THANK YOU SO MUCH!! :DDDD 💖💖💖

@kaiserdarken

I don't think the animatronics would understand the significance of Christmas like we do..

To them, Christmas is just that time of year where the Pizzaplex gets decorated with trees and shiny things. Their cued songs change and they get temporary redesigns for about a month or so. Then suddenly all the decorations get torn down and everything goes back to normal. :/

I can see Freddy liking just a simple Pepperoni. :) Same with Bonnie!

Chica probably likes all pizzas, but maybe her favorite is a pizza with absolutely all the toppings. Spinach, Black olives, Sausage, extra cheese, Mushrooms, onions- just put everything on there! XD

I'd like to think that Foxy is surprisingly a bit picky with his pizza and prefers a plain cheese. :00

Monty probably likes most pizza's but maybe he openly prefers Hawaiian pizza?

Roxy probably also likes Hawaiian pizza but is afraid of being judged so never eats it :(

@thelocalbadartistta

I DO love slime rancher! :DD I "beat" the first game and I forgot to play the second one- :x

Also thank you! :DD

Thank you!! :DD I'm glad you like what you see! :}}

@insanityislife101

I have seen that episode but I don't remember much of it... what headcannon are you referring to..?

Jevil would probably see all these people who are trapped and losing their minds and offer to take them all with him. Out into the multiverse to find freedom and a new home..

Although I wonder if he could even do that. Their digital nature might prevent them from traversing into the multiverse <XD

@badlyblurry

Those penguins look like they live an a tropical environment.. Which Peso's family does not... :((

Also my Peso isn't an Emperor, he's a Royal! :)

AWWWW I LOVE THAT IDEA!! I think I've seen the comic you're talking about! :DD

@trainer-sean

@itsgemystic

In the edn..

In the... eden...

In.. the...... e d e n

Google seems to say that male calico cats are possible. They're just extremely rare (1 in 3,000 up to 1 in 10,000) and they have an XXY chromosome which can cause Klinefelter's Syndrome.

After all the googling I did I decided to add this fact to my Calico Jack lore XDD

SO my new canon is, on Kwazii's mom's side of the family there are generation after generation of Calico daughters. Having a male calico is extremely rare so most of his moms family are all female calicos. BUT, his great, great, great, etc- Grandfather was a rare male calico. His name was Jackson something Calico. He was pirate legend and all that stuff.

Jackson had some daughters and then generations later the second male would be born to the calico line. Kwazii's grandfather! They named him Jackson too after the first male Calico in their bloodline. Jack is aware of his rarity and is very proud to bear the name Jackson.

Now Kwazii's dad was an orange tabby. So he was born male and has most all the fur patterns his dad did. Say for there being a little more white than is usually seen in tabby's coat. Maybe he got a bit of that from his Calico mom.?

@yeetmysoulintothevoid

SKLSKASJN WAAAA THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! THAT MEANS THE WORLD TO MEEEEE!!! 😭😭😭💖💖😭✨✨

Also I actually haven't heard of that game.. it sounds interesting though! 👀

Bash would probably take all the clay, make it into a ball, and then add spikes to it. Wait till it hardens, and then through it at people XDD

@dovelylittlebird

WAAA THANK YOU VERY MUCHH!! THAT'S SO KIND OF YOU TO SAYYY WAAAA💖💖💖

I don't recall making a post like that.. anyhow, my algorithm now is "I post whatever I want, whenever I want" <XDD

I don't have a schedule or an algorithm I'm trying to follow. I just draw whatever I want and post them whenever I want to.

The ask posts though, those are dependent on my followers. Usually when I get to 30-40 askes stored up I compile as many as I can and answer them in one go. :0

I don't take any requests, no. But if someone asks about my AU's and wants more insight on something, that usually interests me enough to want to draw something for it. Like just now I have two asks stored away because I'd like to draw something for them..👀

But that doesn't mean that every ask like that will get a drawing. A lot of the time those asks just make me think and I type out a response instead. I'm always open for those asks though and would read all of your suggestions! Just don't ask them expecting me to draw them because 9 times out of 10 they wont get a drawing-

@skellacant

My advice would be to base your OC on an already existing animatronic. That way it looks related to the other animatronics and fits in a little better :0

So in my opinion your options are animatronics like Ballora, Circus Baby, Puppet, Ennard, Balloon boy.. you know, the "human" characters. You could use one of them as a reference and make something similar but with a skeleton theme.

For example, the Puppet. You could make your own puppet with maybe different proportions, and a skull mask instead of a clown(?) one. Maybe instead of stripes on the arms it could be a cartoony bone pattern. Instead of buttons on the chest it could be 2-3 ribs on each side. Stuff like that! :}

Oh no no- The partial and true swap follow the formula of the classic AU.

So in the partial swap, Foxy was sane and helped guide Gregory through the pizzaplex. Gregory escapes with Foxy's help, but later returns. Foxy takes him to the basement where Gregory snoops around and finds Chica. Later on Chica and Gregory snoop around and find Freddy. Monty, Roxy and Bonnie don't remember Gregory and they're not aware that he's in the basement.

Now in the true swap, Bonnie was sane and helped guide little Vanessa through the pizzaplex. She escapes with Bonnie's help, but later returns. Bonnie takes her to the basement where she snoops around and finds Chica. Later on Chica and Vanessa snoop around and find Freddy. Monty, Roxy and Foxy don't remember Vanessa and they're not aware that she's in the basement.

Seam is currently collapsed in the snow somewhere having big old man sleepy time✨

@beryl-shade

Actually, in the most recent FNAF comic that I made, that's exactly what Gregory was doing! :00 He was trying to take the arm off to hopefully tape it onto Bonnie and give him a new arm <XD

Who's to say it would have worked-

#my response #fnaf security breach #octonauts #deltarune #undertale #transformer ocs

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book--wyrm · 16 days ago

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speaking of Sal, do you think he's still going to be involved in the creation of TwoFace like he is in the comics? considering how he has already lost what's most important to him (his family) and how Harvey Dent doesn't seem to be a prominent figure in Gotham yet / isn't the DA (yet; the death of the old DA in the movie seems to be setup for Harvey to take over the job) it doesn't seem to leave as much room for something to happen that would be bad enough for Sal to attack a DA with acid in the courtroom (or burn his face off)....so maybe someone else might, this time around?

also what's your thoughts on Eve potentially becoming Clayface (maybe the classic version that doesn't have magic and uses masks and disguises) due to sharing surnames with Basil Karlo and her 'disguising' herself being pointed out by Sofia? love your analyses btw!

Unfortunately i do not think Sal is surviving episode 7. T_T

Regarding two face, I feel like maybe the best we can hope for is that Sofia goes back to Arkham at the end of the series, and then comes back for the Harvey Dent movie or whatever and is the one who acids him. There's already a very tenuous idea of Sal kinda passing on Nadia's recipes to her, maybe Sofia will inherit his narrative role too.

Regarding Eve, hard to say. On one hand, in a more grounded batman verse, Clayface being a social chameleon and a master of disguise is the perfect way to bring in that character. On the other hand, there's a huge gap between Eve right now, who excels at shifting within a particular role and context, and Clayface, being able to be anyone anywhere, you know?

There's a part of me that feels like Eve might just have the Karlo name to signal to batman fans that she has this similarity, without actually being a literal connection to Basil.

But in my most self indulgent heart of hearts. I want to believe that at the end of the series, Oz will be on top, and he will hold a grudge against Eve for selling out to Sofia the location where he was hiding his mom (even tho she didn't know that.) Maybe then Eve and her girls will have to go into hiding, and have to learn to turn their tricks from "play the role for the client" to "play the role all the time".

Imagine if "Clayface" is actually like this whole gang of sex workers on the run from the penguin lmao. That'd be so fucking sick.

#eve karlo #sal maroni #sofia falcone #sofia gigante #oz cobb #hbo penguin #clayface

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jacksdinonuggets · 5 months ago

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Cg Charlie and little Vaggie having a fun day at the aquarium?

Here you go! I'm writing fluff for once and not just angst

Vaggie was really excited! Charlie was going to take her to the aquarium today and she couldn’t be more happy. She had always wanted to go to an aquarium and Lucifer had just opened a kid friendly one up near his theme park.

Charlie got her changed into a fresh diaper and shortalls before taking her downstairs to feed her some breakfast. She was a little messy with her food but luckily, she had a bib on.

The aquarium was opening up soon so she got her all cleaned up and packed up the diaper bag before helping Vaggie get her shoes on.

“M excited!” Vaggie said while flapping her hands. Charlie thought her happy stims were so cute.

“I bet you are~” Charlie cooed while tying her shoes.

When she was finished, she led her to the car where she buckled her in her car seat. As she drove, Vaggie played with the little activities hanging above her baby carseat. Charlie could hear her make cute babbles in the back.

As she pulled into the parking lot of the aquarium, Vaggie was bouncing with excitement and happiness. Charlie parked the car and got out, unbuckling her little angel and taking her out. She debated whether she should use the stroller.

“Hey, baby? You feeling old enough to walk?” she asked her little one in her arms. Vaggie nodded.

“Alright, but don’t you go wandering off, okay?” Charlie said, setting her down next to her before grabbing the diaper bag and closing the door and locking it.

“You ready?” She asked. Vaggie nodded, bouncing on her heels. Charlie held her hand as they walked across the parking lot and into the aquarium.

Charlie payed for her ticket and was about to pay for Vaggie’s but the receptionist stopped her.

“How old is she? She’s a little right?” she asked.

“Yeah, she’s 2 right now,” Charlie said.

“Well, then she gets in free. Little’s under 5 get in free to the aquarium, dinosaur museum, and the theme park,” The receptionist explained.

“Oh, thats great! Thank you!” Charlie said, grabbing her and Vaggie’s ticket.

Vaggie held Charlie’s hand as they went through the first exhibit. It was a room with medium sized tanks and plaques that gave information about the type of fish inside them.

“Vaggie, look! It’s angelfish!” Charlie pointed to one of the tanks where a school of angelfish were swimming around.

“Woah! Dey look wike da angels!” Vaggie said. Some of them were white with little black stripes which kind of reminded her of the exorcists. But then there were really pretty ones!

They went through the fish area, Charlie reading the plaques out loud for Vaggie. When she got bored of the fish, they went to see the penguins. Vaggie got really happy when she saw the penguin exhibit. They were playing a game and Vaggie desperately wanted to join them.

“Wanna pway wif dem!” she told Charlie.

“I know, dear, but it’s dangerous. How about after we go through the exhibits, you pick out an aquatic friend from the gift shop?” Charlie compromised.

“Otay!” Vaggie agreed. They watched the penguins for a little bit and Vaggie did some of the educational activities they had in the penguin area. After a bit, vaggie finally got bored and they moved onto the next area.

The next one was the stingray exhibit. They were allowed to touch them but Charlie was a bit worried about Vaggie touching them but the employee said it should be fine as long as Vaggie was being held and guided by charlie.

The texture was weird but very interesting to Vaggie; she didn’t have a negative reaction to it and kept petting the animal.

They kept going through the exhibits and doing some educational activities. They took a break for lunch and a diaper change before going over to the kids play area. Vaggie had a blast at the play area. She climbed up a whale themed slide and looked over to charlie.

“Mama! Mommy! Look!” she tried to get the attention of her caregiver.

“I see you, sweetie,” Charlie said as she slid down the slide and clapped happily.

“Good job, Vaggie!” the princess congratulated her.

Charlie watched her play for almost an hour. Vaggie really was enjoying her time. They finally moved onto the last exhibit once she started to get sleepy. Charlie had to hold her because of that.

Vaggie looked up from where she was snuggled against Charlie and saw a big shark staring her down. She squeaked and tried to hide in her caregiver’s arms.

“Aw, it’s okay, sweetie, they’re behind glass, they can’t hurt us,” Charlie rubbed her back and kissed her forehead. Other kids there were enjoying the shark but Vaggie was the only one afraid of it. It was okay though, she was just a shy little baby.

Charlie knew it would be best if they left that exhibit for now. But luckily, they walked right into the gift shop!

“Okay, baby, pick out anything you want” Charlie said. Vaggie looked up and began to scan the room. Charlie walked around with her in her arms and made sure she got to see every type of merchandise they had. Vaggie really wanted the penguin plushie. So Charlie picked it up from the shelf and handed it to her. She gave it a squeeze and hugged it.

After Charlie had finished paying for the stuffy, Vaggie soon fell asleep in her arms, cuddling her new toy and softly snoring. It was about nap time too so it made sense. After the fun day they had, she wasn’t surprised her little one was exhausted. All that excitement was bound to be tiring. So Charlie carried her back to the car and buckled her in where she slept and would soon be carried back into the hotel.

#hazbin hotel agere #sfw agere #age regression #agere fanfic #padded agere #hazbin hotel age regression #fandom agere #little!vaggie #littlevaggie #hazbin hotel agere fics #hazbin hotel agere fanfiction #cg!charlie

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about-faces · 1 year ago

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Hi, I want to read some DC comics about how Harvey transformed from former DA to the criminal mastermind who ruled half of Gotham's Underworld (against the Penguin). I've already read/seen: Two-Face: A Celebration of 75 Years Batman: The Long Halloween Batman: Dark Victory (1999) Batman '89 Batman: The Animated Series Batman: The Audio Adventures

Any other reading recommendations? Thanks a lot for your help. :)

So you're looking for origin stories, or at least ones that shed more light on Two-Face's origin? Well first off, I'm glad you read the 75th Anniversary collection, because that has three of my very favorites: the original Harvey Kent trilogy from 1942-43, the Grace Dent story from Secret Origins Special (1989), and "Eye of the Beholder" from Batman Annual #14 (1990).

Besides those, and the ones you've listed, here are a few others to check out. Some are great, some are mixed bags, and some are downright lousy.

First and foremost, I STRONGLY recommend the 1989 Batman newspaper comic strip, which I loved so much that I posted the whole two-year saga on its own tumblr account. You can start from the very beginning right here, but keep in mind that Harvey's storyline--which runs all the way to the very last strip--doesn't really start until the second arc.

Next, Batman: Dual to the Death by Geary Gravel is a YA novelization of the BTAS origin, seamlessly combined with the two-part Batgirl origin episodes. It improves on both the animated versions in small but crucial ways, and it's highly recommended for BTAS fans. Unfortunately, it's pretty hard to find.

On a similar note, Peter David's movie novelization of Batman Forever can be found more easily, either in used book form or on the Internet Archive, and it's absolutely worth reading. I love the movie of Batman Forever, but it's objectively a terrible take on Harvey. The novelization adds SO MUCH, including an original prequel scene with D.A. Harvey Dent, and his ending is far more satisfying.

Cartoon Network's CGI animated series Beware the Batman (2013) also features a series-long origin arc for Harvey Dent, but it's one of the worst takes I've ever seen on the character. He's a petty, selfish, ambitious little prick, an absolute scumbag, completely devoid of depth or tragedy. Thankfully, few have seen this arc, since the majority of Harvey's episodes were never aired after the series was cancelled, but they're all available to watch for those morbidly curious to see just how badly someone can screw up Harvey as a character.

"The Big Burn" from Batman and Robin, vol 2 #24-28 (2014), also collected in B&R volume 5. After the huge DC reboot, this was Harvey new origin, which tried some very different things with him. A VERY mixed bag, but one that ended in a hugely exciting way that makes the whole thing worth reading. Follow it up with its sequel, "Ugly Heart," from Detective Comics #1020-1024, collected in Detective Comics Vol 5: Joker War.

Finally, watch the entirety of the recently-released/cancelled CW series Gotham Knights, with Misha Collins performing a surprisingly rich, interesting, and flawed Harvey Dent origin arc. The show got a lot of shit, some of it undeserved, but Collins' Harvey was an intriguing surprise, and I fear nothing we see from Harvey in any Reevesverse media will bring half as much care and interest to Harvey as GK did, for better or worse. All 13 episodes can be watched for free on CW Seed, region permitting.

EDIT: Oh right also the Telltale Batman video game! I haven't actually played that yet because I know enough about what happens and the illusion of meaningful choice indicative of Telltale games that I just don't feel like putting myself through that. People seem to like it a lot, though! I just... don't put me in a position of choosing to save either Harvey or Selina if you're just going to cheat and have him go evil anyway.

#ask hefner #harvey dent #twoface #two face #two-face #dc comics

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nyxnygma · 2 years ago

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A m!reader or gn! Reader with zsasz? (Smut if you’re comfortable) breaking into Penguins house looking for info and Zsasz catches them

Caught || Victor Zsasz

[Victor Zsasz x M!Reader]

Summary: you get caught by Zsasz that results in the you and the assassin participating in flirty banter

Warnings: sexual innuendo, violence, held captured, knife stuff

Masterlist

A/N: I haven’t watched Gotham in ages and I’m tired so I apologise if it’s rubbish. I’m also sorry this took so long. Also no smut for male readers cause I don’t want to make it seem like I’m sexualising the relationship and also idk how to write them

You knew it was a dangerous mission, but you took it anyways. Tabitha hired you to find any information that could assist in bringing down Penguin and she was offering big bucks.

Slowly, you snuck through the window of the office and let your eyes to adjust to the dark atmosphere. You head straight for the desk; you knew Penguin would not be so stupid to have his dark secrets spilled out on the desk for anybody to find but you had to start somewhere. The papers were stacked neat upon the in table and you flicked the through them quickly but only found bills and receipts, just as you expected.

Moving to the bottom draw, you feel a floorboard creak beneath your foot. You knew it was cliché but you moved and lifted the wooden panel to find a large tin box. “Jackpot,” you whisper under your breath.

“Jackpot indeed,” another voice chuckled before you were knocked out.

Your eyes slowly opened. You must be wearing a blind fold because you couldn’t see your surroundings. “Shit,” you murmur. You couldn’t believe that you were caught.

“Have a nice sleep?” The voice spoke again.

“Tell me who you are,” you demand.

“Alright, Zsasz,” he chuckles, “you could’ve just asked though, no need for the attitude.”

“Oh yeah; no need for attitudes. I’m just tired to a chair and blindfolded,” you scoff. You had heard of Zsasz, everyone has. He is notorious for being the most sadistic sociopath in Gotham, which is quite the accomplishment.

“You’re a snarky one, aren’t you?” He sniggers, “If it makes you feel better you look hot tied up.”

“Did you just- are you flirting with me?” The shock in your voice was evident.

Zsasz chuckled once more, “You wouldn’t blame me if you saw yourself.”

“Take this blind fold off then,” You shrug. You were about to open your mouth to speak again but was stopped when you felt the cold metal of a blade being dragged across your cheek before cutting the fabric over your eyes.

You blinked hard four times as you eyes settled to the bright room. You must have been out for the whole night.

“Ta-Da!” Zsasz smirks. You examine the assassin before you; admiring the black fashion that adorned him. You also took in account the weapons that decorated he belt. “Checking me out, huh?”

“Just finding a way to get out of here,” you smile smugly up at him.

He shakes his head, “you can try but you will not succeed.”

“We’ll just have to find out, won’t we?” You roll your eyes. You flinch as a strong gloved hands held your chin and jolts your head up.

“You have such gorgeous eyes,” he hums before revealing the small knife in his other hand, “it’ll be a shame if I had to remove them.”

“What do you want?” You sigh in -embarrassing quick- defeat.

“That’s better, handsome,” Zsasz stepped back, letting your chin go, “I want to know why you were snooping around the boss’ office. Who sent you?”

“What makes you think I was sent?” You tilt your head.

“Since Penguin has no affiliation with you and you obviously look like a common thief so why would you go to his office when it is public knowledge the valuables are upstairs?” he shrugs.

You blinked.

“Oh come on, pretty boy,” he sighs dramatically (you blush at the nickname), “it’s Penguin who wants to know. I was happy to kill you right there and then. So who sent you?”

“Give me a kiss and I’ll tell you,” you smile smugly up at him. You decided to play along with his flirting game.

You weren’t expecting the assassin to do it but he held your chin once more and brought your lips together but it only lasted fifteen seconds. “So. Who sent you?” You looked up at him wide eyed with blushing cheeks. “Oh come one, handsome, a deal is a deal.”

“This woman at the Siren,” you break the eye contact and look down to the carpeted floor.

“Which woman?” He presses for more information. He moved to stand behind you and held your shoulders, the contact making you jump a little.

“I don’t know her name.”

“Yes you do.”

“I don’t!”

“Hmmm.. yeah you do.”

“This woman just walked up to me and knew who I was.”

“Barbara or Tabitha.”

“What?”

“The Siren, right?” He leans forward so his face was beside yours, “so was it Barbara Kean or Tabitha Galavan?”

“I didn’t catch her name, sorry,” you shrugged.

“Oh honey,” you for his hot breath on your neck, “this is gonna be a long night.

#Gotham #male reader #zsasz x reader #Zsasz #victor zsasz #victor zsasz x reader #gotham x reader #gotham fic #gothamsmut #gotham headcanon #gotham series #gotham x male reader #Zsasz x you #the penguin #oswald cobblepot

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asingingpenguin · 6 days ago

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Still thinking about being in the Treviso market and Harding saying she wanted a Ham and Jam Slam. I know country girls make do, but girl, please.

#Penguin plays DA #DATV Spoilers #Lace Harding #Ferelden out here rightfully being food shamed by all other companions

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the-inkwell-variable · 3 months ago

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OC Questionnaire

Thanks for the tag, @leahnardo-da-veggie!! I'm going to use EVERYONE for this so hang on tight!

My questions are:

What was your favorite hobby as a kid?

KIA - - - I loved taking things apart and putting them back together. I wasn't that great at it back then, not like I am now. The very first thing I successfully dismantled was a drone that was flying around with a fucked-up fuselage. Fixed that in about ten minutes, sent it on its little way. Turns out it belonged to Penguin, and that's how I started working for that crusty old toad.

ASHLEE - - - I loved swinging on a swingset. Didn't matter if it was a tire attached to a tree or a real swingset like they have at parks. I just loved swinging on those things. I guess I still do. I'm not sure? I haven't tried. I've been to parks with the kiddos, but I haven't tried a swingset. Seems too childish for a grown-up to really get back into, you know?

KIRA - - - gardening with Granny! Love getting my paws in the dirt. I don't garden as much anymore. No point since I'm constantly moving. But once I find a place where the Inquisitors can't find me, I'm going to have a garden as big as Ycaea itself!

TIATHA - - - goodness, that was quite a long time ago. Much of my childhood is a blur, you understand. I recall playing with a small doll. Perhaps made of cloth or yarn, with a wooden face and hands. I used to make her dance, if I remember correctly - the first sign of my magical prowess.

XAENTE - - - I didn't play as a kid, are you kidding? I worked at my da's pub. Ma had a garden out back; I was expected to tend that, as well as watch the youngins. Being the oldest meant you didn't get free time to play. Ugh, can you imagine?

AMARA - - - I've always been able to cast illusion magic, so I would magic myself up a little toad or a turtle to play with. I was a servant in the drow lands, so I didn't get a lot of free time, nor did any of the other children want to play with me. No, that doesn't make me sad, why do you ask? I look sad? Don't be silly, that's how I always look.

ASTARIA - - - Mother encouraged us to have hobbies. I chose reading. You can learn so much through reading! And sometimes the Sisters would leave their silly little romances lying around, so I'd fly through one of those. Those were my favorites. I love to learn, but I love finding out if Fabio will get the girl much more.

TAGGING @8-bit-writers - @koiwrites - @theslpr - open tag!

Your Question Is: What was your favorite color as a kid, and what is it now? What made it change?

#talia writes #oc tag game #oc questionnaire #writing tag game #love these things #invite me to more!#i have so many snippets to share and i'm too shy to share them!#kitty get off my keyboard

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its-to-the-death · 10 months ago

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Bracket A Matchups

Round 1

This is How We Will End It (Total Drama) vs Charming (Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812)

Coraline (Coraline) vs Don't Make Me Laugh (The Pebble and the Penguin)

The Rake's Song (The Hazards of Love by The Decemberists) vs Little Girls (Annie)

Everything You Ever (Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog) vs Get In the Water (Epic: The Musical)

We Don't Talk About Bruno (Encanto) vs No One Remembers Achmed (Twisted)

The Plagues (The Prince of Egypt) vs The Imperial March (Star Wars)

Senkin Daur da Bláo (Sympogear) vs Herbert Style (Club Penguin)

Megalovania (Undertale) vs Peaches (The Super Mario Bros. Movie)

K Rool's Finest Hour (The Donkey Kong Country cartoon) vs I'm the Music Meister (Batman: The Brave and the Bold)

How Can I Refuse? (Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper) vs Toxic Love (Ferngully)

Wonderful (Wicked) vs Pretty Women (Sweeney Todd)

Come Wayward Souls (Over the Garden Wall) vs Sweet Transvestite (Rocky Horror Picture Show)

We Live For Danger (Play It By Ear - Space Rocks!) vs Jaws theme (Jaws)

It's Gonna Get Weird (cut from Gravity Falls) vs The Edge of Dawn (Fire Emblem: Three Houses)

Poor Unfortunate Souls (The Little Mermaid) vs Shiny (Moana)

Dancing Mad (Final Fantasy VI) vs Empire (Monster High Boo York)

Round 2

Charming (Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812) vs Coraline (Coraline)

Little Girls (Annie) vs Everything You Ever (Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog)

No One Remembers Achmed (Twisted) vs The Plagues (The Prince of Egypt)

Senkin Daur da Bláo (Symphogear) vs Megalovania (Undertale)

I'm the Music Meister (Batman: The Brave and the Bold) vs How Can I Refuse? (Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper)

Pretty Women (Sweeney Todd) vs Sweet Transvestite (Rocky Horror Picture Show)

Jaws theme (Jaws) vs It's Gonna Get Weird (cut from Gravity Falls)

Poor Unfortunate Souls (The Little Mermaid) vs Dancing Mad (Final Fantasy VI)

Round 3

Coraline (Coraline) vs Little Girls (Annie)

The Plagues (The Prince of Egypt) vs Megalovania (Undertale)

How Can I Refuse? (Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper) vs Sweet Transvestite (Rocky Horror Picture Show)

It's Gonna Get Weird (cut from Gravity Falls) vs Poor Unfortunate Souls (The Little Mermaid)

Round 4 (Bracket Semifinals)

Coraline (Coraline) vs The Plagues (The Prince of Egypt)

Sweet Transvestite (Rocky Horror Picture Show) vs Poor Unfortunate Souls (The Little Mermaid)

Round 5 (Bracket Finals)

The Plagues (The Prince of Egypt) vs Poor Unfortunate Souls (The Little Mermaid)

Winner: The Plagues (The Prince of Egypt)!

#vss bracket a #villain song showdown

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maxwell-grant · 12 days ago

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The Penguin: Episode 6 "Gold Summit" Breakdown

To taking back Gotham

(Episode 1) (Episode 2) (Episode 3) (Episode 4) (Episode 5)

"His family's still fucking ash" lmao you fucking piece of shit

Rules that this follows directly from last episode's triumphant ending and that here we open in what could be an opening monologue for The Batman 2: On Ice. Shots of the city interspersed with a biker making his way underground to the sound of music while we hear our protagonist talking about the changing tides for the city that eventually turns out to be happening in real time (Bruce writing down on his journal - Oz giving a pep talk to his dealers). Love that this opening speech is Oz's take on the Something In The Way Hmmmmm Monologue.

Gotham already divided into feudal warlordism with the gangs scrapping for territory amongst each other and Oz the guy who's most qualified to seize them as clients because he's under all of them and knows the city like the back of his hand

I love the opening speech he gives to Victor and I'll quote it here

"Look around. Look at what we got, kid. The good people of Crown Point, hard at woick, right? Protectin us. Keepin this whole fuckin ting quiet. We got their loyalty. And we got their love. You know why? Cause we pay 'em. You know how meaningful that is, Vic? To be da guy in the neighborhood who takes care a'people? They're gonna tell stories about us one day, kid. Victor Aguilar....and Oswald Cobb...yeah. Our names are gonna live forever...

I love the way he delivers these last lines, like he can't even believe it himself. He says Victor Aguilar in friendly pep talk mode and then stops and sobers up once he says his own name, like he can't even believe that he's not bullshitting anymore and this is all actually happening. Maybe the first time he's ever opened his heart about his dream to anyone other than maybe his ma, and wasn't rebuffed or dismissed for it, the first time he ever seriously meant it

Oz openly admits that he's paying for their love and regards having that love as an unbelievable personal milestone because the dude cannot conceive of non-transactional love

Oz 100% convinced that being the guy who sells drugs to the community and implicates them all in his underground black market is him being the great neighborhood guy who takes care of people is just so Oz, such a Penguin thing from him. So sincerely and utterly childishly convinced of his own hype, the most ardent believer in his own bullshit.

It's great that for Sofia, the hardened gangster and family enemy is this warm father figure here to mostly lend moral support and steer her right as best he can, and the repentant "nice guy" therapist devoted to her is the dark twisted bad boy she can fuck and workshop forms of torture with.

Clancy Brown in his natural element playing a criminal dad. I love that he gets a role here where he can bring so much warmth and affection and sorrow to it.

I love that Sal Maroni, partially because of his role as the opposite of Carmine Falcone, is kind of an easily-played chump, and this is prominent in the scene they'll have later at Oz's apartment with Sal blinded with rage smashing anything he can find while Sofia's the one who actually finds a path to Oz, but I also like their conversation here where he corrects her in thinking that the Triads won't back down on their deal, providing some needed experience and street knowledge to Sofia, who is still relatively naive given her upbringing and isolation.

I love the contrast set this episode, between Oz and Sofia's family units, both with their sidekick and their family member. Sofia and Sal with a lovely dinner made from an old family recipe inside the opulent Falcone mansion, while Oz and Victor and Francis squat in a stolen apartment on the the apocalyptically shitty Crown Point over scrambled eggs not even with any electricity in the building.

Every scene with Francis just crushes me, trust me if I don't talk about her enough it's certainly not because there's nothing to talk about. I don't wanna think about what kind of horrible bomb they're sitting on regarding how Oz's brothers died, I don't even wanna think about Francis' scenes in general even if they're all terrific.

This one line does so much to explain what is up with Oz's worship of Rex Calabrese. He wasn't just this cool guy who ran the neighborhood and had a cool chariot and took care of people and died the kind of death Oswald desperately wants to have, he was the guy who got shit done, the guy that Oz's mom relied on more so than his actual dad. He was the guy who got the closest to achieving the main and only thing Oz wants, to be the guy who can take care of his mother.

The whole bit with Jack is even more crushing. You get where Oz's hurt is coming from, you get why he think Victor's crossing a line, you get he doesn't want to set her up for even more dissappointment and why he needs to be hard and real with her as she is to him, but at the same time, you also get why Francis is so miserable a lot of the time. Victor actually is vastly more qualified to tending to her emotional needs than Oz, he actually does have nurse-like qualities as a result of his mom, he's doing what you're instructed to do with dementia patients and Francis gets the tiniest little nugget of joy and relief, before Oz rips it away and stomps on it, in no small part because he still refuses to admit what's happening to her, and he cannot accept that he's not taking care of her the way she needs someone to. Oz is trying his damndest to and it's not working, he's not good at it. Even besides the shithole they're in because of his actions, he's not good at being warm and thoughtful and considerate to other people, and he was never raised to be. This is the one thing in the world he wants and needs to do more than anything else, and he just sucks at it no matter how hard he tries.

"The hanging and the pinky? Jesus Sofia, pick a fucking lane" lmao

Just in case you forgot that this is a guy who cares about the branding, the trademarks of how you murder people and sign your name on it, seen all the way from bickering with Victor in Episode 1 over the best way to deliver the corpse to the Falcones. Of course he cares about the branding, he's a Batman Villain.

Love the creeping musical sting that plays as he figures out what to do, when he gets his impossible idea to solve an impossible conundrum. Love the cigar that teleports into his lips mid cut.

What Sofia says here, that Oz's greatest asset is that he has nobody he cares about. It isn't true of Oz for now, but it definitely rings true of her, that there's not really anyone she cares about that is still alive and thus Oz can't hurt her nearly as much as she can hurt him.

LEFRANC: We know Oz's brothers have died, and we don't really know why or how it happened. But with that, I think, comes a very heightened relationship between Francis and Oz. It's just the two of them now. So all the love that Francis had across three boys is put into one man, and every - all her hopes and dreams for whatever this person could do across three boys is all put into one person. And it felt interesting to explore, in part, why she's so intent on having him succeed. O'CONNELL: There is nobody. It's just the two of them They had to let go of a lot of relationships to just keep this clarity. I think they moved through a lot of people - The Penguin Podcast Episode 6

I totally forgot that Oswald giving his mother jewelry he attained from bloody methods comes from Pain and Prejudice and honestly I kinda forgot most of that comic in general, although I'm not surprised to hear directly that this was the Penguin comic Lauren LeFranc named as a reference, that much is kinda obvious.

I think I said before that I'm not too big a fan of Pain and Prejudice and that my feelings on it only really got more mixed to negative over time, even though there are still things about it I do very much like. It doesn't actually matter that much because the show doing incredible redefining definitive stuff out of largely mediocre comics is something this saga has been doing since the movie (Long Halloween, Hush, fucking Earth One), spinning gold out of manure is one of the strongest points of adapting this stuff in the first place. I'm mostly bringing this up because I don't want to talk about that scene, some scenes I just wanna digest privately and not pour a ramble on top of them.

Cannot get over the close-up of Oz putting lipstick on his mom while we see the dirt beneath his fingers.

Love that Victor's eventual decision to murder Squid starts from this scene where he tries to reach out to Oz for a solution to this problem, and sees that Oz is not even remotely in the mental space to think about this right now, and so Vic sidesteps the issue and decides to try and handle it solo with money. I love that Victor's first murder comes not from Oz telling him to do it, not even implying it, but from Victor's emotional intelligence leading him to figure out where Oz is at and decide not to overload him with another burden, correctly trying to handle the situation himself but incorrectly assuming he could just appeal to cash-based compromise like he could with the cop. I like that it's specifically a very Victor decision and situation to arrive at, done not because of anything Oz decides but to protect Oz and Francis as his new family.

I like that "he has nurse-like qualities" wasn't just a dumb joke, but an extremely accurate assessment of Victor's character disguised as a dumb joke.

Hahaha fuck yeah they did a "Could be worse, my nose could be gushing blood" bit.

This isn't a show that's really committed to nerd references but there were definitely a lot more than in most previous episodes and that includes what feels like several references to Batman Returns. The coat he wears underground, the politician nose mangling, the cold underground hideout, power being siphoned from the city, I was kinda parsing them as mostly coincidences and then it turned out that Oz's cold miserable apartment was in the fucking Zoo of all things.

I've grown increasingly mixed-to-negative feelings on comic book villains, and specifically Batman villains, painted as overtly sympathetic and justified anti-heroes scrapping against bigger and more blatantly uncomplicatedly evil targets like the government and Elon Musk pastiches and yadda yadda, largely because I increasingly do not care for dumb simplistic toothless bullshit done with characters sold as violent and edgy and morally complicated and etc, that's a whole other thing. I'm just prefacing this because, all else said, Penguin threatening and sticking pliers up a corrupt politician's nose to force him to put the power back on a poor neighborhood, even if it was really just for his mom and criminal operation, was extremely cool and good and I was rooting for him the whole time (well, more so than I already am).

"You think you can just raw dog the people of Gotham with an invisible dick?" Thank you Dan Fuchs, this Fuchs, I know you're very happy you got this through WB.

BADIE: You would think Eve's apartment, the way she presents herself in her outdoor appearence, you would think she'd be slightly more pulled together, but you see she is vulnerable. You did see wigs cause that's her thing. She's costuming. She plays characters all the time in her world, and with Oz and with everybody. Just like she said, Oz doesn't like to see her in her natural state. They want the fantasy. - The Penguin Podcast Episode 6

Much like the scene with Francis at the bathtub was a keystone they used to figure out the rest of the character, the scene with Eve here definitely feels like the scene that informs her entire role and justification for being here, a real highlight of the series.

Excellent twist for a start, leading us (and Sofia) to assume Roxy was selling out Eve, using Sofia's natural expectations towards distrust and backstabbings and her preconceived notions about these people as well as ours, playing off how we were already narratively primed to mistrust Roxy based on her prior appearences, before revealing Eve asked her to do it so she could take the bullet for her girls. LeFranc calls them the strongest family unit in the show and this scene proves it (and also makes me think Oz will definitely ruin it down the line)

Extremely good tennis match scene between them, Eve trying to maneuver herself into the least disgraceful way to die while Sofia tries to maneuver her into a more justifiable victim, and then the Hangman is brought up and then turned around and it sinks in for both of them that this is not going where they expected it to, and how they both have more in common than realized until by the end they're almost on the same page, because Sofia maneuvered Eve into a position where she cannot blame Sofia for what she's doing / condemn her as a privileged monster, and Eve maneuvered Sofia into a position where she can't kill her without proving her right / becoming her father.

I didn't think they were neglecting the severity of it, but I'm glad to see it spat out on such clear terms here that Oz was complicit in the horrible shit Carmine did to those sex workers, that Oz sold out Sofia for a job promotion, that he knew that Carmine killed his wife and those women and knew that he'd keep on killing and kept quiet about it, that he has no business parading himself as an ally and a friend to Eve and her girls when he helped cover up the brutal murders of her friends.

Sofia goes into that interaction with a lot of preconceived notions about who this person is and a lot of judgments about why would you perform for men? Sofia comes from her own very privileged life, even though her life has been absolutely and utterly awful. She still, I think, comes in with a lot of judgment and disdain. Also, she knows Eve has been part of the lie about the death of her brother, and that is such an engine for her that everyone must pay for her loss. But she sees in Eve someone who has also been underestimated and overlooked. Who she encounters is actually extremely smart and real, and I think just gets through to her. Clearly, Sofia’s body count at this point in the show is so many. [laughs] But she still has a very specific code of villain ethics. She can’t be responsible for taking the life of someone in the way that she was accused of. It’s almost like Tony Soprano with the Ducks. She spares a child. She won’t engage in the type of murder that she was accused of, especially when she connects with someone. But then when it comes to her family, other people on the show, it’s not even a thought. - Cristin Milioti

Eve with the umbrella symbol, the person in the show who is most concerned about protecting her family / the people under her from the world surrounding them, to the point she is willing to die not just for the girls but for Oz, until it sinks in just how deeply Oz has always been betraying her and she's willing to let Sofia have her chance to kill him even when she's already out the door sparing her.

This is part of why LeFranc has repeteadly stressed that she wanted Oz to be a man who respects women, who relates and acts differently towards them than other gangsters. Not just because of how it reflects his relationship with his mom, but because of his relationship with Eve and this scene. The actions he takes and the brutality against them he's complicit in, no matter how nice and respectful and upstanding he is at them to their faces, because he still backstabbed them and fed their friends to the meat grinder. Even if there was nothing he could do against the Falcones and he had his mother to take care of first and foremost, even if he had his reasons, he still pushed them under the bus and profited from his silence and acted like he was such a big fucking friend to them all.

Someone who can be the biggest feministest ally of all time to women they're friends with / want to fuck / will do things for them, not even entirely in a fake self-serving way but actively believing they're being a good guy doing right by them, and still be passively and actively complicit in horrific misogynistic brutalities, and they will even be rewarded for it.

If you don't know someone who calls himself your good ally, and who would sit by and let the Hangman cruelly butcher you and your loved ones, in return for a promotion or out of mere personal convenience and never even think twice about it, well who am I kidding, you obviously know someone like that, you know a thousand someones like that.

Extremely rules that we get Sofia and Eve, embodying the two different extremes of Gotham, coming together to realize how they've both been used and discarded by Oz, on the same episode he ends by giving his big Independence Day speech to rally the gangs in class warfare. I'm sure the future images we've seen of him in the fucking top hat bode extremely well for this revolution of theirs.

Lmao I was comparing him to Paulie day one and then he does the patented Sirico finger point. Surviving the Gotham wars by the skin of his nuts.

I love Gotham mob hierarchies, I would like to learn more about these guys. Love that this moment of Oz rallying up forces against the upper strata of Gotham crime families, the first time he assembles an actual criminal empire to help him, involves him calling together his own Five Families. A Five Families made from Gotham street criminals uniting under his banner to take out the last and greatest titans of the upper class organized crime that ruled the city for the past 20 years.

"They don't even know your fucking nAAAAAME"

Beautifully elegant directing, using the crackling beers in place of where any dialogue would feel a tad too corny.

Oz driving to a meeting full of gangs lining up to kill him and getting them lining up to join him is maybe a first, or at least very rare, as far as The Penguin, really any version of The Penguin, showing actual leadership skills, showing how does he get people to work for him and give him things even when he's in no position to threaten them and they disdain him and know he is not to be trusted.

(Edit by thebatfilm)

Oz taking over the world with a giant ice box

Love how Oz responds to the interruptions in the speech, how good he is at turning those extremely valid criticisms and reads around as reasons they should join up him.

People don't trust you Oz, you're a piece of shit, and you're ugly, and you ooze sleaze and you're very very ugly

I made the comparison above between Oz with the beers and Bruce with the flare because to me, this feels like Oz's pivotal moment, this is his flare moment, the scene where you can see the legend of what this man is and will become take form in front of the city. The moment this classless codeless fool, this crude little backstabber hated more than any other criminal in town, a bargain-basement hustler derisively named The Penguin, rises through the ranks to become the king of the city.

The Penguin ready to take over as soon as winter rolls into Gotham.

(Credit to @postbusters2k16 on twitter for pointing this out)

Once again, the happiest moments we'll ever see Francis in, and Oz is not there to see it.

And oh hey there's one more set of parallels, probably not intentional, but it sure seems like Victor's speedrunning his way through Jason Todd-isms. Starting off by attempting to steal the hubcaps off the Penguinmobile was one thing but this episode goes all in. The motorcycle, the gun, a criminal named Squid (who was a part of the storyline that introduced Jason Todd and Killer Croc), shooting his first criminal dead, being traumatized, getting pulled deeper into the deep end, ending the episode with a Batman Villain holding a crowbar while looming over him and his (new) mom.

Fun times ahead for everyone.

#dc comics #the penguin #the penguin hbo #hbo #max #colin farrell #cristin milioti #rhenzy feliz #deirdre o'connell #sofia falcone #the batman

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