1941 Detective Comics #58 CGC VF 8.0

The first appearance of the Penguin, one of Batman's longest-running villains, in a high-grade Very Fine 8.0 copy.

Detective Comics #58, dated December 1941, introduced the Penguin, later given the name Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot. The issue was published less than three years after Batman's own debut in the same title.

The Batman story is by Bill Finger, drawn by Bob Kane with inks by Jerry Robinson and George Roussos. The cover is by Fred Ray and Jerry Robinson. The issue also features the last Speed Saunders story.

The Penguin has since been played on screen by Burgess Meredith, Danny DeVito and Colin Farrell, who led the 2024 series The Penguin. The Penguin is Batman’s “Gentleman of Crime,” a short, well-dressed criminal known for his top hat, monocle and formal suit, and for the umbrellas he carries, which often hide gadgets and weapons. In this first story he steals two paintings from a museum by hiding the canvases inside the handle of his umbrella.

Three examples have achieved Very Fine 8.0 at CGC, with three graded higher, placing this copy among the six finest graded.

Population report accurate at the time of listing and subject to change.