Two episodes An unimportant man Stevan Subić are about Penguin. Their focus is on the inner character of the characters rather than the action side
Stevan Subić (1982), our prominent comic artist, stood out again in cooperation with DC Comics. After extremely notable work on Riddler two years ago, Subic drew two episodes dedicated to Penguin, united under a common title An unimportant man. This album, published in two versions - color and black-and-white - on a format of 21,5 x 33 cm, on 112 pages, was translated into Serbian at the end of last year thanks to Nikola Dragomirović and the publishing house Čarobna knjiga.
It is about parts of a wider edition of twelve episodes, which was released in the United States in the period August 2023 - July 2024. Each episode was published at a price of $3,99. Episodes 6 and 7, written by Tom King and Stevan Subic, were published in January and February 2024.
Two of Subić's episodes serve as a kind of flashbacks within this edition. They go back to the period when Oswald Cobblepot (Penguin) was coming to the position of the most powerful man of the underworld in Gotham. The title of the album, in an ironic way, reflects its core message. The story focuses on the humble origins and psychological development of Cobblepot's character, who, starting as an assistant in a criminal bar, manages to eliminate rivals through a series of strategic moves. His tactics, using Batman as a means of eliminating competition, lead to his status as the sole master of Gotham's underworld. The story raises an important controversial ethical issue - Batman's cooperation with Penguin.
Subic's art style is perhaps the most developed form of comic noir in the Batman series to date, surpassing the standards set in the episode. The Dark Knight Returns from 1986, the turning point that redefined the series. Subić, however, further deepens this aesthetic, which was already evident in his interpretations of Conan, Tarzan and The Riddler. His drawing is imbued with an atmosphere that reflects the inner darkness of the characters in an almost tangible way. Even Batman is not spared from this kind of presentation. The penguin, with its grotesque features and mismatched fingers, seems both repulsive and human. Batman is depicted as a shadowy figure, the embodiment of fear and control.
The focus is on the inner character of the characters rather than the action side – there are no long fight scenes or car chases in the episode. The Batmobile, usually a symbol of spectacularity in this comic and especially in the movie, appears here as a secondary element. Subić and King make it clear that they are not interested in typical superheroes, but in the psychological and intellectual dimension of the conflict between the main characters. The conflict between Batman and the Penguin is not physical, but mental and strategic - a battle of mind against mind, will against will. The central theme is the Penguin's attempt to manipulate Batman into helping him clean up the competition in the criminal world. Batman, in an attempt to obtain crucial information, allows the Penguin to eliminate his opponents and consolidate his power in the underworld. With these moves, Batman becomes complicit in Penguin's crimes, which seriously calls into question his moral authority. This further deepens the ethical complexity of the series, which illuminates the devastating influence of Gotham even on those who are supposed to be symbols of justice.
This album is significant not only because of our artist Stevan Subic, but also because of screenwriter Tom King, one of the leading authors of Batman. King, who worked as a CIA analyst for seven years, has turned his writing skills to comics, and since 2016 has been working on a series Batman: City of pain within the DC project Rebirth. He became known to our audience through Batman episodes Time of death (2023) and the series Vision (2022), both published by the Magic Book.
Subić unstoppably continues to push the boundaries. After working on Tarzan, Conan, The Riddler and The Penguin, DC Comics already published the first two volumes of the new series in October and November 2024 Batman: Full moon. Fans of Batman's dark style undoubtedly have something to look forward to.
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