The review embargo for The Penguin lifted earlier today (you can read our roundup of verdicts here) and that means we now have an all-important Rotten Tomatoes score for the HBO/Max series.
The Batman spin-off was originally conceived as the first of a slate of Max-exclusive TV shows set in Matt Reeves' Bat-verse. Projects set in the GCPD and Arkham Asylum didn't pan out, leaving The Penguin to bridge the gap between The Batman and The Batman II.
As we write this, The Penguin sits at 91% based on 32 reviews. From what we can tell, the vast majority of critics were given access to the entire 8-episode season. With that in mind, it's unlikely to be a bait-and-switch akin to Secret Invasion which dipped massively in quality after the first two instalments were offered for review.
For context, The Batman is "Certified Fresh" on Rotten Tomatoes with an 85% score, while Gotham - which also explored The Penguin's origin story - sits at a combined 77% based on all five seasons.
We don't know whether the plan is for The Penguin to get a second season, particularly when DC Studios has its own DCU plans which, Elseworlds or not, these rival projects do interfere with to some extent.
After all, James Gunn - who attempted to incorporate the Arkham-set series mentioned above into the DCU - faces the challenge of releasing The Brave and the Bold around the same time as The Batman II. Comparisons and creative overlaps will surely be inevitable.
Check out The Penguin's Tomatometer reveal below.
The Penguin's cast includes Colin Farrell (Oz Cobblepot), Cristin Milioti (Sofia Falcone), Rhenzy Feliz (Victor Aguilar), Michael Kelly (Johnny Viti), Shohreh Aghdashloo (Nadia Maroni), Deirdre O’Connell (Francis Cobb), Clancy Brown (Salvatore Maroni), James Madio (Milos Grapa), Scott Cohen (Luca Falcone), Michael Zegen (Alberto Falcone), Carmen Ejogo (Eve Karlo), and Theo Rossi (Dr. Julian Rush).
The series is executive produced by Matt Reeves, Dylan Clark, Colin Farrell, Lauren LeFranc, who writes and serves as showrunner, Craig Zobel, who directs the first three episodes, and Bill Carraro.
Based on characters created for DC by Bob Kane with Bill Finger, The Penguin is produced by Reeves' 6th & Idaho Productions and Dylan Clark Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television, where Reeves and 6th & Idaho are under an overall deal. Daniel Pipski also serves as executive producer.
The Penguin premieres on HBO and Max on September 19.