Batman: One Bad Day - The Penguin #1

Oswald Cobblepot's meticulously crafted persona as Gotham's "gentleman gangster" shatters in this brutal character study. After a calculated insult destroys his hard-won reputation, the Penguin descends into a violent spiral that exposes his deepest insecurities. The story alternates between present-day vengeance and traumatic childhood flashbacks, revealing how the bullied boy became the ruthless crime lord. Ridley's script delivers chilling monologues about power and respect, while Camuncoli's art contrasts Gotham's icy high society with the visceral brutality of its underworld. The climax features a shocking act of violence so personal it forces even Batman to reconsider his understanding of this classic foe, cementing this one-shot as a definitive Penguin story for modern readers.