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What Would the Penguin’s Dream Casino Be Like?

The Penguin has always had a ruthless edge over other Batman villains. He’s one of the few of the Caped Crusader’s adversaries who isn’t a certified lunatic and who should be spending his days locked up in Arkham Asylum. Instead, his mentally-sound attitude allows him to pursue other activities beyond terrorising Batman and Gotham City, such as emptying the people of Gotham City’s bank accounts.

The Penguin’s notorious Iceberg Lounge is one of Batman’s most enduring locales. Not only does it serve as the source of the Penguin’s criminal empire, but it remains active and free from Gotham’s police. This is thanks to the nightclub acting as a hotbed of criminal intelligence, which Batman himself makes liberal use of. However, despite the riches that the Iceberg Lounge brings to the Penguin, what may his ultimate casino look like?

Surely the Penguin’s dream casino would be one free from Batman’s interference. Despite their more unique relationship compared to other villains in Batman’s world, it’s in the Penguin’s best interests to keep the forces of justice away from his empire. The Iceberg Lounge may function as a decoy, a facade to allow the Penguin to operate his criminal activities from the shadows, but that doesn’t fool Batman in the least. A perfect casino for the Penguin would be one so cunningly disguised that even the detective skills of Batman would fail to notice it.

Then again, perhaps setting up shop in a city like Gotham already gives the Penguin the perfect sort of casino. Gotham is routinely portrayed as an underbelly-esque city, a place of desperation and decadence, in which its citizens must share their lives with an ever-revolving rogues gallery of supervillains. What better way to drown your sorrows than gambling away at the city’s most notorious casino? That’s the precarious balance an establishment like the Iceberg Lounge finds itself in; one that attracts the villainous and the evil of Gotham, but in turn becoming a reliable source of intelligence for Batman.

Of course, a man in the Penguin’s position is always looking for ways to empty your wallets further. The Penguin could surely take a page out of other casino’s if this review of Drake Casino is anything to go by. Given Lady Shiva’s intent on grinding down on Gotham’s organised crime in the New 52 and the Penguin forced to momentarily close down the Iceberg Lounge, a city with money to spill is all the Penguin needs.

About the author

Tom Smith

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