Full spoilers follow. The PenguinThe opening episode of y The Batman.
The Penguin premiered on streaming services around the world, and its first episode has already filled Batman fans with joy or dread after the inclusion of a specific reference to the Dark Knight's 80-plus year history.
Episode 1, titled 'After Hours', reintroduces audiences to Colin Farrell's Oz Cobb, i.e. the title character, as he begins to try to become Gotham's new crime boss following the death of Carmine Falcone in The BatmanHowever, in a hair-brained opening 15 minutes before the cunning mobster can even put his plan into motion, he a) steals some expensive jewelry from Carmine's secret vault, b) impulsively shoots Carmine's son Alberto after he insults Cobb, c) nearly has his car's hubcaps stolen by a group of teenage delinquents, and d) uses one of them (Victor, played by Rhenzy Feliz) to help him dispose of Alberto's body. Quite a night, eh, Oz?
As Alberto's body is being disposed of, the most intriguing Batman Easter Egg in Max's crime drama series is revealed. In fact, when Cobb checks Alberto's phone, he opens up his calendar, which includes a meeting with a group called… Gotham Knights.
Now, fans of the Caped Crusader don't need me to tell them about the significance of this DC Comics reference. But, for anyone who isn't as big a fan of the Bat and the mythos that has surrounded one of the most iconic superheroes ever created for decades, here's what you need to know about the Gotham Knights.
Who are the Gotham Knights? And why are they mentioned in The Penguin?
At their core, the Gotham Knights are a super-team of Batman's sidekicks and allies who fight crime alongside the Dark Knight himself and in his absence. The group's first appearance came in March 2000's 'Batman: Gotham Knights' #1, with the intention that this multi-year comic book series would be used to introduce the exploits of the Dark Knight and the extended Bat-Family – namely his close confidant Alfred Pennyworth, as well as Batman-trained crimefighters (Robin, Nightwing, and Batgirl) and other characters allied to the legendary vigilante, including Oracle and Catwoman. Devin Grayson, the first female writer to helm a Batman comic book series, was the brains behind the operation.
Batman: Gotham Knights ended in April 2006, but a new team, simply called the Gotham Knights and created by James Tynion IV and Eddy Barrows, made its literary debut in Detective Comics #934 in June 2016. This supergroup was formed by Batman and Batwoman, with the latter eventually leading her fellow vigilantes (minus Batman) on numerous missions to clean up the streets of Gotham. The team's original lineup consisted of such crimefighters as Robin, Spoiler, Orphan, Azrael, Batwing, and Clayface.
As to why they are referred to in The PenguinI have no idea. It's possible that it's just one of my easter eggs that Batman fans will want to keep in mind during the eight episodes of the HBO miniseries. It's also plausible that Gotham Knights is the name of a group of vigilantes who, after the events that unfold at the end of The Batmandecides to follow in their footsteps and start fighting crime to rid Gotham of its deep-rooted criminal community. However, that would be a disservice to the Gotham Knights as they are depicted in the comics.
Of course, the other and most obvious option is that we see a version of the Gotham Knights in Batman part 2After all, plot details on the sequel to one of the best Batman movies ever made are a closely guarded secret, and since filming won't begin until early 2025 before The Batman 2While Marvel Studios' October 2026 release is imminent, we won't know anything about the Gotham Knights' potential involvement for some time.
That said, I would be very surprised if they showed up in the next film in The Batman Epic Crime Saga. Robert Pattinson's caped crusader is only in the early stages of his crime-fighting career, so he doesn't have enough experience to train anyone, let alone a full team of fellow vigilantes. It's for that reason, then, that I can't see the Gotham Knights (as we know them, anyway) appearing in the next Matt Reeves-directed Batman movie.
Why would a Gotham Knights reference make Batman fans happy or sad?
As for the “hooray, Gotham Knights,” it would be exciting to see Reeves' take on the supergroup. As my review of The Batman and review of The Penguin To be clear, I loved this iteration of the Dark Knight universe, so I'd be very interested to see how Gotham Knights would play out in their more realistic, seedy, and grimy world.
As for why the term “Gotham Knights” might send shivers down the spine of some Batman fans, there are two main reasons. The first and most obvious is the sales average. Gotham Knights game that was released on PC and consoles in October 2022. The action RPG wasn't exactly the fun-filled multiplayer experience many players wanted, though, in our review of Gotham KnightsWe said it was a “great crime-fighting game that will remind you of what you loved about Gotham and the Bat-Family.” Still, our reviewer’s opinion was the exception to the norm, with the general consensus being that the game wasn’t the thrilling adventure others had hoped it would be.
However, the game's adaptation was not as criticized as The CW's. Gotham Knights Television series. Gotham Knights, set to premiere on the American cable network in March 2023, was a critical and commercial failure: the superhero show earned a paltry 21% critical score on Rotten Tomatoes before it was unceremoniously cancelled after a single season, just three months after its debut.
Unless The Batman Epic Crime Saga finds a novel and fan-loving way to introduce the Gotham Knights at some point, then I wouldn't want them shoehorned into the Pattinson-led franchise and further tarnishing his reputation. If that's what was going to happen, I'd rather it be nothing more than a crowd-pleasing Easter egg in the opening chapter of The Penguinalso known as one of the best Max shows of 2024.
The first episode of The Penguin is now available on Max and HBO (US), Sky and Now TV (UK) and Binge (Australia).
