Detective 610 – the death of the Penguin

Grant, Breyfogle and Mitchell have had quite a run of great stories.  And while I really like Detective 610 (Jan. 90) as a set-up, the following issue is a bit of a let-down, and this 2-parter just doesn’t hit the levels the series has been at.

The story begins with the Penguin’s funeral, after he dies in prison.  Batman even opes the coffin to ensure that the Penguin really is in there, which he is.

But of course, it’s a scam.  The Penguin’s men show up that night and dig him up.  They have a codeword to revive him, but it doesn’t work.  They wind up having to steal the body.

The story also includes a scene in the prison, with a poker game that Scarface and Rhino are playing against a terrified prisoner who chooses to lose.  Again, though the Ventriloquist is in the scene, it’s Scarface who does all the talking.  They have their own plans, but this is not followed up in the next issue.

The Penguin’s men attack the prison and bust out Kadaver.  We discover that the Penguin’s apparent death is really a trance Kadaver put him into, and he can revive the Penguin, or put him back into the deathlike trance, with a word.

There is also a thread dealing with the Penguin’s will, setting up a foundation.  Batman notices the snow and ice during the function, and wonders what it all means.

The story concludes next issue.