The Penguin might not be as maniacal as The Joker or as powerful as Bane, but he still ranks among Batman's greatest foes thanks to his formidable criminal empire. Soon, fans will get to see a lot more of Gotham's crime kingpin with HBO's upcoming The Penguin TV series premiering September 19. The show is a spin-off of director Matt Reeves' 2022 film The Batman and sees Colin Farrell reprise his role as The Penguin.

While the new TV series will be the most on-screen time The Penguin has seen yet, the character has also starred in his own comic storylines and one-shots over the years, and we've rounded up a brief list highlighting some that are worth reading to see the origins of the tuxedo-and-top-hat-wearing villain and some of his biggest clashes with Gotham's caped crusader.

If you're looking for more Batman comic recommendations--perhaps because the new Penguin series doesn't feature Batman or Bruce Wayne at all--then be sure to check out our giant roundup of the best Batman graphic novels to read in 2024.