It’s that time of year again when ComicBook announces the winners of our annual Golden Issue Awards honoring the best in film, television, gaming, anime, and wrestling. Today we’re revealing the winners of our “best of” television category. Specifically, how one man stood out amongst all others.
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2024 saw the introduction of the charismatic and suave Fifteenth Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) whose performance gripped Doctor Who fans with his relatable characteristics of empathy and an unrelenting need to fix things. Of course, there’s The Ghoul (Walter Goggins) from Fallout who wasn’t even the main character yet he stole the audience’s hearts with his social awkwardness and old Hollywood Cowboy vibes.
FX’s Shōgun pulls from James Clavell’s 1975 novel but Lord Yoshii Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada) is based on a real historical figure. While the character isn’t overtly evil, as the history books show, giving one person infinite power is almost scarier. He isn’t afraid to sacrifice others to achieve his goals, so Sanada’s frightening portrayal earned him a spot on this year’s list. That said, there can only be one winner.
And the winner of the 2024 ComicBook Golden Issue Award for Best Male TV Character is…
Colin Farrell’s Oz Cobb in HBO and DC’s The Penguin.
The Penguin debuted on Max and followed the events of 2022’s The Batman starring Robert Pattinson. While Farrell did appear in the blockbuster hit, the miniseries allows for a much more in-depth look at the titular criminal.
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The series could very well set up The Batman sequel which is currently in pre-production. In the 2022 film, Oz hadn’t become the crime boss we know him as today yet. Plus, the gang operates in parts of the city that Batman doesn’t frequent therefore he wasn’t on his threat radar. The show provided more context into how he was able to rise the ranks right under Batman’s nose.
You know how sometimes something is so bad it’s hilarious how it was even greenlit? Well, The Penguin is the opposite of that and a large part of that is due to Farell’s incredible comedic timing. One specific instance in episode 2 sees Sofia Falcone (Cristin Millioni) and Oz in a factory where a new psychoactive drug is taking shape. While the scientist is explaining what “Bliss” is with the inclusion of some Latin, Oz snaps at him and says, “the f–k you just say to me?” The humor woven through the eight episodes is done tastefully and adds to the characters’ plots. You really forget you’re supposed to hate the guy until the finale when you’re reminded that, oh yeah…he’s a supervillain.
The Penguin is a breath of fresh air. For the last few years, there have been intense discussions about “superhero fatigue” — does it exist? Is everyone just being dramatic? Are they just not telling the right stories? The Penguin really put this debate to rest. At its debut, The Penguin brought in 5.3 million views across several channels in just four days. To put that into comparison, that surpassed the second season of Emmy-award-winning series White Lotus which had 4.1 million viewers.
DC has struggled to find a footing in the superhero film genre for quite some time. While some have shown promise others have been utter bombs. The one thing they do well that’s a general consensus amongst anyone who consumes the product is DC television often surpasses the film counterpart.
The Penguin is a masterclass in storytelling and acting, and it doesn’t feel dissociated from the rest of the DCU. It’s not that there’s fatigue, it’s that fans want what they’re consuming to mean something. And DC — as well as Farrell — did just that.
